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| 07/27/2005 |
| Oh,
Ricard, you're so fine |
| By:
Matt Buckler , Journal Inquirer |
|
Ed Ricard of Stafford
made a loud statement at Stafford Motor Speedway
last weekend - not only can he be competitive
with the front runners in the Late Model division,
he's also capable of beating them.
On Friday, Ricard captured his first career win.
Two days later in the American Sleeve Bearing
100, Ricard had the lead with nine laps to go
before losing his advantage on a restart. He still
managed to finish third.
Two races - two trips to the Stafford podium.
It was quite a coming-out party.
"On a scale
of one-to-10, this was about the best weekend
you could get," Ricard said. "I'd rate it a 10.
Maybe not an A-plus, but a solid A."
After all, Ricard was making bold, aggressive
moves on the bottom of the track he had never
made before.
"It's been a long road to learn
what works," Ricard said. "But after three years,
we've learn how to make adjustments on the car.
And the better the car is, the more confidence
you have about putting it down low. If you don't
feel the car is going to stick, you're not going
to try it. But the better the car works, the more
aggressive you can be."
The result was a major breakthrough for a driver
who has spent most of his life hanging around
Stafford. His grandmother used to live within
walking distance of the track, giving Ricard convenient
access to the speedway.
"It took a while for
the win to sink in," Ricard said, "but it was
like a dream come true. Before, all I wanted to
do was run competitively with guys like Tom Butler,
Ryan Posocco, and Jim Petersen. And now we're
beating them at times.
"If you asked me three
years ago, I'd tell you it wasn't going to happen,
because in the early years, we probably shouldn't
have even been out there. But we stuck with it."
The big difference, according to Ricard, is that
his car is now capable of going the distance without
fading from the front.
"Before the car was
good, just to a point," Ricard said. "Now it's
good the entire race. At the 100-lapper, I had
one of the best cars at the end of the race, and
that never happened before."
Ricard credits crew chief Al Wexelman and spotter
Sean Duquette for helping him turn things around.
Plus the crew received a lot of knowledge from
the late Stafford competitor, Norm Plantier.
"He was the person who taught us everything,"
Ricard said. "That's why we dedicated Friday's
race to him."
Ricard's sponsors include AA Budget Repair, WCCC-FM106.9,
Duraflex Flooring, Body Language Tattoos, Budget
Cleaning, Diamond Gold Exchange, Big A Auto Parts
of Vernon, NAPA of Vernon, High Tech Electric,
and Auto Authority.
"I also have to thank
my parents and my wife for keeping me upbeat when
times get bad," Ricard said. "Everything seems
to be jelling right now."
After all, Ricard has taken that extra step, becoming
a winning driver instead of just a driver who
had the potential of winning.
"We're in uncharted
territory right now," Ricard said.
After several tough years in the Late Model ranks,
Ricard has become an overnight sensation.
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Please visit their web sites
or our sponsor page
for more information.
Dur-a-Flex,
Inc
Gold & Diamond Exchange
Auto Authority, LLC
Budget Cleaning, LLC
Big A Auto Parts
High Tech Electric, LLC
Napa
Auto Parts
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