Lou Cicconi Jr. to compete at PA Indoor Auto Race
Indoor three quarter midget drivers compete in first annual Ironton Telephone
Indoor Three Quarter (TQ) Midget driving standout Lou Cicconi, Jr. will be racing against a fleet of his own new cars in the first annual Ironton Telephone with Avaya Allentown Indoor Races set for Saturday, Jan. 2, 2016 at the PPL Center.
The highly regarded Cicconi has commissioned a fleet of new TQ Midgets, designed by ISMA Supermodified champion builder John Bodnar and driver Dave Shullick, Jr. of Parrish, Fla.
In additional to Shul- lick, Cicconi has named 410 Sprint Car standout Ryan Smith of nearby Kunkletown, winner of World Of Outlaws and All Star Sprint touring series events, and Indiana Sprint and Midget champion Russ Gamester as drivers for the Indoor Series.
Ironically, Cicconi wasn’t behind the wheel of the Bodnar designed car at Wall Stadium this past weekend for the Turkey Derby TQ race. Instead, Cicconi raced the Turkey Derby and plans to compete in the Len Sam- mons Motorsports Productions Indoor TQ three venue series as a teammate to past series winner Ted Christopher.
The prototype made its first public appearance on Nov. 21 for a shakedown run at Wall (NJ() Stadium. Built by BJ MacDonald of Dublin, Pa., the car features an unusual location of its rear shock absorbers, which extend straight outward from a suspension member above the rear axle. The twin shocks are boxed by steel frame members that are designed to form a protective cocoon behind and on the sides of the shock absorbers.
The car also is equipped with a cockpit controlled device capable of altering steering system tension. In theory, a driver could mechanically correct or induce understeer or oversteer and do so as often as desired.
Cicconi and his fleet are among nearly 80 TQ Midget teams that have filed competition entries for the first Allentown Indoor TQ races in thirty nine years.
In 1966 the Agricultural Hall on the Allentown Fairgrounds promoted three Indoor TQ races in March. Bobby Albert, Len Duncan and Larry Michaels won the events.
Lehigh Valley race fans, starved for racing action, are purchasing advance tickets and local companies are embracing the event.
In addition to title sponsor Ironton Telephone, Future Homes has signed on as a presenting sponsor with additional support coming from All American Property Maintenance and Bob Hilbert Sportswear. Long time Lehigh Valley businessman John Schneider through his E Schneider & Sons Recycling Center is providing support in constructing the 1/10 mile track inside the PPL Center.
The Allentown event is part of a three race indoor series fueled by VP Racing Fuels. Each of the competitors who will be racing in the trio of Len Sammons Indoor Racing Series events – at Allentown, Pa., on Jan. 2, 2016, at Atlantic City, N.J., on Jan. 29-30, 2016 and at Trenton, N.J., on Feb. 2627, 2016 – will be racing to the front of the field with VP Racing Fuel in the fuel tanks of their cars.
For Allentown Indoor race tickets, contact the PPLCenter online, by phone at 610-347-TIXX, or in person at the Mealey’s Furniture Box Office located on 7th & Hamilton St. at PPL Center in downtown Allentown.