A successful trip to Atlantic City, where he netted a pair of fourth place finishes in a Team Cicconi TQ Midget, only whetted TC’s desire to get the 2004 season underway. Since returning he’s been champing at the bit to get behind the wheel of a Modified and do battle. That opportunity will come next week when he makes his annual trip to New Smyrna Speedway for the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing. He’s a five-time and defending Series champion and New Smyrna is a place where Teddy expects success.
After considerable success the past few years, this season sees Ted reunited with Bear Motorsports. His first championship came with Bear in 1998, along with five feature victories. After five years of competing against each other, they are back together and plan to repeat the successes of six years ago. When you ask him about what he expects, you can’t miss the smile that creases TC’s face.
“I’m very excited about teaming up with Bear again this year,” Ted explains. “We had a great year together in 1998 and since then he’s almost always been our toughest competition in Florida. Sometimes people don’t give him enough credit, but Bear knows what it takes to go fast and win. He’s very sharp with setups, he’s got good equipment, and he’s got a great crew to make it all work. I think we’re going to be strong and our goal is to win races and the championship. I wish nothing but the best for Joe and Linda Brady, we’ve had a lot of success together and they are still good friends, but this just seemed the best opportunity for me this year. I can’t wait to get to the track!”
Bear is equally excited about heading to Florida with his “new” driver. “Teddy and I made a good team the last time we were here as a team. He can definitely get the job done. After years of trying to beat each other we finally figured out we were better off together. We’re two of a kind; both fully committed to doing whatever needs to be done to win. Last year’s car has been completely rebuilt for New Smyrna. We’ll have a fresh motor in the car and another fresh piece as a backup. You don’t win without good preparation and we’re fully prepared. You never know what will happen and I’ve learned that you never win a race with words, so I’m not making any predictions. All I can say is we’re ready to go and this is serious business for everyone involved. We race to win.”
Practice is set for Thursday, February 5, with the opening night of racing the following evening. We’ll have daily reports right here the next morning after every race. It is finally time to go racing. Stay tuned.
|
