Tim Nye Impresses Early On At Albany Indoor TQ Event

Column By: JOHN DOUGLAS / RPW – ALBANY, NY – The Indoor Auto Racing Series began its final show of the off season on Friday and Tim Nye’s pole starting position for the evening’s A-main at the Times Union Center in Albany, N.Y. was anything but expected.

With the likes of Tim Buckwalter, Ron Silk, Justin Bonsignore and many other notable wheel men, Nye’s heat win and re-draw for the pole position set him up for the possibility of an excellent evening.

“I have a totally different opinion now (after the evening’s A-main) than I did in practice, said Nye. “It took a little bit to bite up. It was really rough as far as the track. Once it started taking rubber it was a perfect racy track.”

Nye’s feature began from the front but quickly he was passed for the lead in the early going. Slotting into second place, it was hard for anyone to establish a rhythm as caution after caution flew during the 40 lap affair on the indoor TQ midget circuit’s newest addition to the schedule.

“We won our heat with a stacked field. Tim Buckwalter and Ryan Tidman were in it. I was able to win that which was a thrill and I really took a liking to the track” Said the Lancaster, N.Y. native. “It was quite a challenge for everyone. Once we got on the track and realized how small it was and the lack of grip in the past (at other events) we had to make a lot of changes to the set up, which makes it fun though. It puts it in the crew’s hands and me. I come by myself usually with one crew member. “

“I think the track cycled. It was really good at the end of qualifying then it peeled rubber up and laid it back down. I hope it does the same thing tomorrow again because I think either way we’ll have a decent racing car. A lot of it is where we’re going to start in our heats, how we run and if people stay clean.”

Nye was quick to praise his fellow competitors at the front of the feature event for their respectful and clean racing.

“I can’t say enough about the guys up front today. They ran me really clean and I was able to start on the top and run side by side a bit with Andy J. (Jankowiak) Erick Rudolph, Matt Janisch and it was a really good race.”

The second and final night of Indoor Racing from Albany takes place tonight, with doors opening to the public at 6 p.m. at the Albany Times Union Center.