Recap of the Juniors Drill at Hagerman on 6/26

by Jimmy Leggio

(This drill took place on June 26th at the Hagerman track. Full results of the drill can found at www.NYSDrillTeams.com)

On a very hot and sunny day the Juniors were back in action in Hagerman. At the last drill it was very close between the top six teams with only five points separating them. This drill would also be a very close one. Thirteen teams were in attendance, but still no Farmingville or Massapequa.

Junior ladder started off the same as the first two drills with C.I. taking first place and five points with a new time of the year with a 3.19.

Intermediate Ladder was next and that was won by Lindenhurst with a 4.31. The climber from Islip Terrace, who won the contest last week, slipped and did not place in the event.

Individual ladder was next and that contest was won by Bay Shore with a new time of the year with a 4.50. In second was Lindenhurst with a time of 4.55.

Cart Ladder was won by Islip who broke their team record and set a new time of the year with an 8.37. Heading into Hoses, the top five teams were Lindenhurst (12 pts.), Bay Shore (11 pts.), Islip (10 pts.), Central Islip (9 pts.) and the host of the drill, Hagerman (7 pts.)

After a short water test the water was set and we were ready to start the hose contests. In Junior Cart Hose, Lindenhurst took first place with yet another time of the year, running a 12.43.

Cart Hose was next and after Islip, Bay Shore, and Islip Terrace all blew at the nozzle, it was Central Islip running an 11.12 taking first place and five points in the contest.

In Cart Hose Replacement, we saw another time of the year set by Islip. Their time of 20.76 also broke the team record. Hot on their heels in second place was Bay Shore with a 20.90.

In Junior Efficiency Replacement, Bay Shore won the contest for the second drill in a row with a 24.22. This would also be the last points Bay Shore would score in this tournament.

The WYE contest was up next and was won by Islip with a 26.74 making it a very close drill heading into the final event. The top five teams were separated by only three points so Efficiency was going to be very interesting to watch.

Central Islip, who had 23 points, missed at the hydrant and ended up running a 16.01 which failed to get them any points in the event. Islip was next and there nozzle-man washed the target and they too failed to score any points, leaving them with the 22 points they started the contest with. The next team in the mix was Bay Shore, but their hydrant-man missed and they also received no points and ended the day tied with Islip. Lindenhurst was up next and they ran an 11.05 which was good enough for fourth place. Hagerman was last out of the teams that had a shot to win and they ran a 10.59 and got second place in the contest. Islip Terrace won the contest with a 10.48 giving them first place and 5 points.

At the end of the day, there was a tie for first place with 27 points between Lindenhurst and Hagerman. In third was Central Islip with 23 points. We had another tie with fourth place going to Islip and Bay Shore who each had 22 points.

The Juniors will be back in action on July 10th at Central Islip track hosted by Bay Shore. The tournament begins at 11:00 AM. We hope to see a great crowd on hand to watch the future of FD Racing.

Recap of the Central Islip Junior Drill

by Jimmy Leggio

The Juniors raced in their second tournament of the year at Central Islip on Sunday, June 12th. There were 13 teams in attendance with The Jr. Hares from East Farmingdale making their first appearance of the year. They had a good showing for a second year team, and they look like they will be a force to be reckoned with, especially in the Intermediate Ladder contest. There was a great crowd on hand and the teams were looking forward to running on the brand new surface at the C.I. track. There were no complaints with the track conditions and many racers commented on how they enjoyed the “grippy” surface.

Junior ladder started out just like last week with Central Islip taking first place and five points. Intermediate Ladder followed with Islip Terrace taking first place with a nice run. Watch for this young Schlager to possibly break the state record at some point this season. The Jr. Hoboes added another five points by taking first place in Individual Ladder with the Lindenhurst Jr. Snails taking second. In Cart Ladder, Islip put up a fast run (8.67 seconds to some timing in the stands) but the climber did not grasp and hold the top rung which resulted in a No Time (N/T.) Bay Shore held first place in the contest with a run of 8.94 but they had to sweat it out at the end as the Jr. Snails got a re-run after an official’s error. The Snails’ second run was not pretty and the Jr. Redskins got the five points. Coming out of the ladder contests, the Jr. Hoboes led all teams with 14 points.

After a long water test the teams finally lined up for Jr. Cart Hose, which was won by the Jr. Snails. Cart Hose was next and there were a lot of delays in the contest due to a problem with the timing lights. The track has a big crown in it and some of the cart handles came into contact with the equipment. There is a restriction in the rule book preventing the officials from adjusting the height of the timing lights during the contest so it was a bit of a hassle. Once they got the contest going, Islip took first place with Islip Terrace and Bay Shore behind them. Islip followed that run up with another five points in the next contest, Cart Hose Replacement.

Junior Efficiency Replacement was next with Bay Shore taking first place. Islip Terrace took first place in the WYE contest and the Hagerman Jr. Gamblers took second. Heading into the final contest, the Gamblers were ahead of the pack with 24 points but there were five teams right behind them. Bay Shore, Islip, Islip Terrace, Central Islip and Lindenhurst were all within 7 points of the lead, setting the stage for an interesting finale.

The Gamblers were unable to put the tournament away with their run when their nozzle-man failed to have his foot on the starting line and the team received a N/T. This opened the door for the other teams to jump ahead and win the tournament. The Hoboes missed their chance when they missed the target. The Redskins and Wolves also came up empty. The Snails had a good run, but it wasn’t enough to pass the Gamblers who breathed a sigh of relief as team after team failed to capitalize on their mistake. The contest was won by the West Sayville Jr. Flying Dutchmen and Hagerman held on to win their first tournament of the year.

The final results of the drill were as follows:

1st Place – Hagerman Jr. Gamblers

2nd & 3rd Place (Tie) – Islip Jr. Wolves & Islip Terrace Jr. Schlagers

4th Place – Lindenhurst Jr. Snails

5th Place – Central Islip Jr. Hoboes

After the C.I. drill, it looks like we have a few more contenders in the mix so it should make for an exciting season. The Juniors will be back in action on June 26th at the Hagerman track beginning at 11:00 AM.

Recap of the Lindenhurst Junior Drill

by Jimmy Leggio

The Junior Drill Teams were on the course in Lindenhurst this past Sunday to start the 2011 Season. There was a nice crowd on hand to watch the drill and the weather was perfect. The day started off with the junior ladder contest which was won by Central Islip Jr. Hoboes with a time of 3.30 giving them the early lead. Intermediate ladder was won by the Lindenhurst Jr. Snails with a time of 4.30 while Individual Ladder was won by the Bay Shore Jr. Redskins with a time of 4.56. Cart Ladder was the last ladder contest to be run and was won by Lindenhurst with a great time of 8.6. These first four contests set the stage for how the rest of drill would shake out with the Snails, Hoboes and Redskins leading the way and trading jabs in every contest. Coming out of ladders, the leaders were Central Islip and Lindenhurst with 13 each, followed by Bay Shore with 11 points.

After a long water test (much like the motorized drill the day before) we moved on to the Jr. Cart Hose contest. For one reason or another, many teams did not participate in this event which the Hagerman Jr. Gamblers won with a time of 13.15 seconds. In Cart Hose, the Jr. Redskins gave us our first 10 of the season, handily winning first place. The Snails took second place with a time of 11.74 seconds. Bay Shore took first again in Cart Hose Replacement with a 21.00 while East Islip took second with a 22.53. Lindenhurst, with a time of 22.00, rounded out the top three.

In Junior Efficiency the tournament took a twist. Lindenhurst, who was running first, received a No Time (N/T) because one of their team members on the replacement length did not have their foot on the line as stated in the rule book. Bay Shore also received a N/T because the coach failed to set the clocks prior to the run. This was huge because it appeared that both teams would have had good times had their runs not been forfeited. Central Islip ended up winning the contest and earning 5 points to put them within striking distance of the Redskins who were up by 3 over the Snails at this point. Bay Shore was able to recover and won the WYE contest with a time of 24.20 while Central Islip came in second.

Going into Efficiency the top three were Bay Shore with 30, Lindenhurst with 25, and Central Islip with 22. The Efficiency contest began with Lindenhurst running an 11.15. Bay Shore responded with a nail in the coffin run of 9.85 which secured the tournament victory. Central Islip had an opportunity to leapfrog the Snails but failed to do so when they received an Overtime (O/T) on their run. It was an exciting conclusion to the day with the same three teams who started the day at the top jockeying for position until the last contest.

At the end of the day the top five teams were as follows:

1st Place – Bay Shore Jr. Redskins – 35 Pts.

2nd Place – Lindenhurst Jr. Snails – 29 Pts.

3rd Place – Central Islip Jr. Hoboes – 22 Pts.

4th Place – Hagerman Jr. Gamblers – 16 Pts.

5th Place – East Islip Jr. Guzzlers – 13 Pts.

All in all, 12 teams participated in the drill although more were expected. It was a nice start to the season with great weather, a competitive drill and a very good turnout. We hope to see even more teams and fans at next week’s drill in Central Islip beginning at 11:00 AM on Sunday, June 12th.

Gentlemen, Start Your Sneakers

Welcome to the first edition of The Drill Team Blog. The Drill Team Blog Crew is compiled of people from every area and aspect of racing. The Crew consists of some ex-racers, some current racers and some junior racers. The Blog will report on not only the drills and parades, but also what is going on behind the scenes and what the fans don’t get to hear about sitting in the stands. Every week we hope to keep you informed about new developments in our sport: facts, stats and maybe even some fun trivia questions. We hope you are looking forward to reading every week because we are really excited to be writing for you.

The 2011 New York State Drill Team Racing Season is upon us. This Saturday, teams from Nassau and Suffolk will be in the beautiful Village of Lindenhurst here on Long Island. Points will be counted towards the Suffolk County total points only. There are a few interesting things about this drill to note. The new post entry system is being used and the B-Hose and Buckets’ records have been reset to 7.65 and 20.25 respectively. The new post entry system was changed to level the playing field and to keep teams from entering a drill post entry to avoid being in the beginning or end of a line up. Entering a drill post entry does not guarantee you a spot in the middle anymore. The B-Hose and Buckets records were reset due to equipment and testing changes.

The Northern area’s season will begin on June 11^th when they gather at Copenhagen for the Northern New York Convention Parade & Drill. The Northern area looks to be a competitive one for the upcoming 2011 season. The Delmar Boosters will be competing once again and the addition of the Great Bend Cobras will give them some more competition. Deerfield, Copenhagen and Lake Placid are looking to have strong seasons as well. Norfolk sadly will be only running a C Truck for this season along with the foot races. Although they are from the Western area, the Ol’ Henries from Henrietta will be participating in the Northern Convention drill on June 11^th. Speaking of Western, their season will begin on June 18^th in Point Pleasant with the drill being hosted by the Sea Breeze Fire Department.

On June 18^th Deerfield with be hosting a drill for which the Drill Team Radio will be in attendance broadcasting the first ever non state drill in the Upstate region. There also are a few teams that will be making the trip up to compete in the Drill as well. Keep an eye on some of these teams this year. You’ll be pleasantly surprised by the number of good runs they will pull off.

After an exciting end to the 2010 season – where there was tie in the State Drill between the Bay Shore Jr. Redskins and the East Islip Jr. Guzzlers – the teams will be back for another exciting year beginning on June 5^th at 12:00 PM in Lindenhurst. Here’s a quick recap of the who’s who on the Junior Circuit from a year ago: the Islip Terrace Jr. Schlagers had the most 1^st-place finishes with 4 followed by the East Islip Jr. Guzzlers with 3 and the Bay Shore Jr. Redskins with 2. There is one new team coming out to race this year and that they are the Massapequa Jr. Indians. From what can be seen there are about approximately 25 members of this team who are very excited to get out on the course and represent their department. The newcomers generated an awful lot of positive buzz in the room at the Directors’ meeting recently held in Selden. The Jr. Slo-Pokes from Main Transit will be making their yearly trip down for the Junior State Drill in Lindenhurst on July 31^st.

Every year something happens in the Junior Division that does not happen anywhere else in our sport; team members age out. There are rules governing what age a team member can participate up to. Just as a team gets a flow and members begin to get experienced in their positions the season ends. Every year can be a rebuilding year for a lot of teams. But just like in Motorized and Old Fashioned, everyone wishes there were more teams out there racing every weekend. Anyone interested in finding out more about starting a junior team for their department please contact any junior team that is currently participating and speak to their team advisor. As always, if you ever have any questions regarding any aspect of Drill Team Racing feel free to contact any State or County officer.

We’d like to wish all the junior drill teams good luck this season as well as a big welcome to the Massapequa Jr. Indians.

In the Nassau area, The Hempstead Yellow Hornets will be looking to achieve a 10^th straight Nassau County Total Point Championship. The Termites from New Hyde Park, the Turtles from Westbury, the Freeport Dead End Kids and the Road Runners from Port Washington rounded out the top five in 2010 are expected to do well again in 2011. Rumor has it that the West Hempstead Westerners are going to be a team to watch for in 2011. The Woodlanders from Rockville Center are back for their sophomore season in the motorized division as well.

In Suffolk, the Central Islip Hoboes will be looking to defend their title as 2010 New York State Champs. The Flying Dutchmen from West Sayville will be back and you can’t help but mention their valiant come from behind effort in the State Drill last season. The Dutchmen had zero points coming out of the ladder events but managed to salvage their day with a great run in the next four to finish in second place. This year, the Dutchmen will be resorting back to their previous driver who was behind the wheel for many of their previous State Championships. The West Islip Raiders will be joining forces with members from the Babylon Fire Department to field a drill team in 2011 and you can never count out the Islip Wolves, even though they are rumored to be “rebuilding” this year. They have a very competitive spirit and a driver that has been around the block a few times. Watch out for the Yellowbirds too, as Copiague will be back and look to be as competitive as ever.

The Old Fashioned teams will begin their season on June 11^th at Lynbrook. This is one of the four drills that will count towards the Old Fashioned total points. It’s interesting to see a new team in the mix with the addition of the Amityville Villains to the NCDTCA. This will give them the ability to have their points counted towards the year end Nassau County Total Points. The Extinguishers from Miller Place are looking to come back stronger than ever this year to defend their OF State Championship. The Chipmunks from Malverne will be nipping at their heels along with the Lakeview Sparks in their sophomore season. Looking to be a part of the Top 5 are the Tumblers from Lynbrook and the Ballbreakers from Bellmore. Sadly we won’t be seeing the Parkers from Garden City Park in 2011, but it’s always refreshing to see the East Rockaway Cold Ducks and the Smokin’ Seagulls from Point Lookout-Lido out on the course.

Once again Drill Team Radio had their Pre-Season Radio Show that was attended by many and listened to online by almost as many people. Along with the Joe Hunter Scoreboard, the Drill Team Radio Crew will be on the air for the Lindenhurst Invitational Drill to kick the season off. A new addition this year is the Racing Gear Raffle which will be drawn at the Joe Hunter Memorial Drill on June 30, 2011. The prizes and costs of tickets for this raffle are as follows:

One nozzle from Triangle Manufacturing, Three lengths of hose from Jolly Tinker, 20 "bucket" shirts, 10 pair kneepads, 2 stop watches from Titan Group, One “Tranny” refresh from FB transmissions, One pump flow assessment test from Speedmaster Automotive, Ten 8” x 10” prints of your team from 911 Pictures, 1 Tray of wings at the C.I. drill from Fatty McGee's. Tickets are 1 for $15, two for $20 and can be purchased at the County Meetings, the Side by Side drill, all June drills AND the Deerfield Invite.

This raffle is being conducted by the Suffolk County Media Committee and is aimed to help continue and improve all Media Committee endeavors. Chris Murphy has assured us that The Drill Team Radio Crew is looking forward to a great season bringing you the drills as they happen.

This week’s Drill Team Blog Crew are Jimmy Leggio, Ryan Costigan, Kyle Stephens and Dan Laverty. Thank you for taking the time to read the first edition of the Drill Team Blog.