“Liquid” Lou takes Lorain County

Todd Ridgeway, MSA Media

By the end of the night it became clear that “Liquid” Lou Cicconi came to Lorain County (OH) Speedway with one thing in mind, win! Cicconi bested the 18 car Midwest Supermodified Association (MSA) field winning the 30 lap feature in convincing style. Cicconi blasted to the front from his tenth starting position and on lap seven zipped past then leader Mark Sammut never looking back until the checkered flag flew. This was the second stop of the MSA tour and Cicconi’s first MSA victory of the young season.

Rookie driver Zach Gibson and Mark Sammut brought the field to the green flag, but it did not last long. On lap two the first of three race cautions flew when Jack Smith and Trent Stephens got together and both spun up the track in turn one. When racing resumed Smith was in the pit area and Stephens tagged the tail. At the drop of the green hankie Sammut set sail trying to get some distance between himself and the field, however, Cicconi, Tim Ice, and Charlie Schultz had other ideas as they where coming fast. By lap seven Cicconi took the point with Schultz and Ice in tow. At lap seven Schultz got tagged and spun to the inside of the track slowing the field just briefly until he got re-fired and rejoined the field on the tail. From that point a blistering pace was laid down by Cicconi as Ice stayed right in his tracks with Randy Burch keeping pace in third. Both Stephens and Schultz where setting sail to the front from their back marker positions, until lap 28 when Schultz and Sammut got together both going off track in turn four. Once again Schultz had to go to the tail as Sammut went pit side out of competition. The green dropped with just two laps to go and try as he might Ice could not get past the Steve Stout owned No. 49 of Cicconi. Following winner Cicconi across the line was Ice in second, Randy Burch very quietly nabbed third, Stephens, also in a Stout car, charged back to get fourth and Jon Henes rounded out the top five. Brandon Fisher, Schultz, Gibson, Joe Armbruster, and Rich Reid completed the top ten finishers.

“I didn’t know if I had them covered or not because I was out front, and I knew the guys behind me where fast,” said the race winner. “I really like this type of racing; it’s a lot of fun. Hopefully we get some more wins,” finished Cicconi.

Racing with a heavy heart Ice was very happy to get second. “The car was really good, right there at the start I got kind of bunched up and Lou and Charlie got by me. I think I had plenty for Charlie, but I don’t think I had anything for Lou; his car was getting off the corners better than mine was. I wanted to win so bad here for my Father-In-Law, he passed away Tuesday. He is our engine builder and my best friend, I wanted to win so badly, but it is awful good what we did,” concluded Ice.

In qualifying 13 of the 18 Winged Warriors beat the 13 second mark with D J Shullick showing the way with a new track record lap of 12.124. Heat race winners included Gibson and Cicconi. With an inversion of 12 all 18 cars took the green flag for the feature event.

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