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by Steve Pados, Accord Media
A violent, fast moving thunderstorm rolled through the Hudson Valley on Friday night wreaking havoc on the immediate area and bringing a sudden halt to the racing action at the Accord Speedway while the Heart Chevrolet Spec Sportsman were in the midst of their curfewed feature event from the week prior.
While attempting to alert the crowd to refrain from seeking cover under the metal grandstands to wait out the storm, Announcer Andy Crane was struck by a tremendous bolt of lightening that struck the booth. Crane, who held the microphone in his right hand at the time, was temporarily paralyzed on his right side from the incident. Quick work by track official Kurt Cross and the EMT's at the track kept Crane as stable as possible as he was removed from the booth and taken to the St Benedictine Hospital in Kingston, New York. By the time the ambulance had arrived at the hospital, Crane was beginning to regain control of his movements.
Crane was given a thorough examination and received a clean bill of health from the hospital staff, but spent the night in the hospital for observation as a precautionary measure. Crane is resting peacefully at home and although quite stiff and sore from the experience, will be a guest on the Monday night CARQUEST Gasoline Alley TV/Internet show hosted by the Pados brothers to talk about the frightening incident.
In speaking with Crane by phone he remarked, "My girlfriend Breanna and I would like to thank all of our friends and well wishers for all of their phone calls and emails praying for my recovery. The support of the racing community is truly a blessing we hold dearly to our hearts and we will be forever grateful to our friends in racing."
The held-over Sportsman feature was deemed official, and Greg Hastie, from Willow, New York, was declared the winner of the shortened event as the race had reached the midway point.
Accord Speedway springs back into action this coming Wednesday night, August 1st, with "Midweek Madness" taking to the 1/4 mile raceway. Karts, Quads, Bikes and Lawn Mowers will highlight the card that saw 118 competitors entering the gates last week for the exciting racing action.
Friday night, August 3rd, it is "Western Night" at the speedway, sponsored by the Pine Grove Dude Ranch. Dust off the chaps, don the 10-Gallon hat, and make those spurs jingle, jangle as the speedway plays host to one of the more popular theme nights at the family oriented raceway. Racing in all divisions eill highlight the Friday night festivities.
MUDPLUGS:
New additions to the already crowded pit area continue to make the 2007 racing season the most successful in the history of the 45-year old speedway. Even with the the threat of a storm, the Bryant's Towing Pure Stock division saw four more new cars arrive at the speedway.
Scott Kilmer, Eric Davis, Luke Horning, and Eric Murns were among the new entries seeking to find success at the Ulster County speedway. Kyle Wright was testing another car for the evening's action as well.
Juan Joslin was a new addition to the Amsoil Pro Stock ranks, and the "Bangor Blast" Jesse Kline was shaking down the Lutes Family owned Modified entry recently vacated by Bill Papula and Tom Hindley. Kline, who is racing his family owned equipment over at the Five Mile Point Speedway, is currently riding among the top five in points at the Kirkwood facility. Kline raced in one event at Accord in the past and raced to a fifth place finish in the 2002 Turkey Chase. The Slate Belt resident was impressed with his first look at the facility since that time and hopes to gain some more seat time at the racetrack in the future.
Modified talent Barry White, "The Mighty Man From Mertztown," arrived at the speedway after the cancellation and was impressed with his first-ever look at the 1/4 mile layout ,which he likened to the defunct Mocatek track, where White once competed as a regular. White is the father-in-law of Jesse Kline.
The track was in great shape for the evening's races that were sponsored by Van Kleeck's Tire Center in Kingston, New York. Van Kleeck Rep Tom Bonfiglio was in attendance to hand out hats to the race winners and some lucky fans.
Accord track management would like to offer congratulations to Sean and Alicia Barslow on the new addition to their family
THIS COMING WEEK:
August 1st: Midweek Madness Featuring Karts, Quads, Bikes and Lawn Mowers on the 1/4 mile track
August 3rd: Pine Grove Dude Ranch "Western Night" Racing in all Divisions
For updated information regarding Accord Speedway, log on to their website at:
www.accordspeedway.com or call the Speedway Hotline at: 845 626 3478
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