Recap of the Old Fashioned Drill at Hicksville on 07/08

by Justin Chichi and Dan Laverty

(This drill took place on July 8th at the Hicksville track, hosted by the Glenwood Greenhorns. Full results of the drill can be found at www.NYSDrillTeams.com)

Rain was indeed a factor (Déjà vu anyone?) for the Nassau County Old Fashioned Drill which was hosted by the Glenwood Greenhorns in Hicksville. Certain views of the course made it appear to look small and tight. The way it is set up does not leave a lot of space on either side past the curbs and the announcer was inside the Timing Truck which left the arch eerily empty. The night provided mixed moments of greatness, inconsistency, clutch performances, and loss. For those who stuck it out in the rain, the drill was one to remember and one to maybe forget.

After much talk about the bypassing of Ladder events at recent drills it was not a surprise that it was decided to run them on this night. The drill started off a bit slippery with 3-Man Ladder. It appeared that some teams did not run their regular climbers, instead going with more experienced climbers. This worked for some but not for all.

3-Man Results:

1st – Malverne – 7.55

2nd – Lakeview – 7.63

3rd – Lynbrook – 7.70

4th – Bayville – 7.81

5th – Rockville Centre – 7.96

The Running Hook & Ladder contest had solid runs in the low to mid 9’s with dig times in the low 6’s…the rain was obviously a factor but showed that the event can be run smoothly in wet conditions. Miller Place received a No Time (N/T) for “failure to grasp and hold.” Bellmore’s run was halted due to an unfortunate truck into ladder incident, and the Lakeview Sparks received an N/T because the ladder left the chute for a long enough period of time to be noticed by the officials.

Running Ladder Results:

1st – Malverne – 9.07

2nd – Rockville Centre – 9.18

3rd – Freeport (CLM) – 9.44

4th – Lynbrook – 7.81

5th – Meadowmere Park – 7.96

A quick water test provided a steady water time around 4.7 seconds.

The points coming out of ladders were:

Malverne – 10

Lynbrook – 5

Rockville Centre – 5

Lakeview – 4

Freeport Clamdiggers – 3

With the State Drill in the backs of everyone's minds it was obvious that teams were taking it easy in the rain with the times in the mid 11’s to a mid 13’s. Some teams had water-on times in around 5.5 seconds, with others closer to 6. The drop times were also delayed due to the conditions, which showed the strategy by the teams receiving points.

Running Hose Results:

1st – Miller Place – 11.55

2nd – Bellmore – 11.71

3rd – Malverne – 11.73

4th – Freeport (NH) – 12.36

5th – Bayville – 13.47

Running Hose Replacement showed great runs by Freeport (NH), Bellmore, Lakeview, Malverne and Glen Cove. Miller Place ran a totally uncharacteristic 28.29.

Running Hose Replacement Results:

1st – Freeport (NH) – 21.57

2nd – Bellmore – 22.08

3rd – Lakeview – 22.12

4th – Malverne – 24.88

5th – Glen Cove – 25.99

The Efficiency Replacement event was time for redemption. The pressure was on, and it was “now or never” if your team wanted to make a comeback. The whole tournament changed course with a 2011 best time of 23.35 by the Extinguishers.

Efficiency Replacement Results:

1st – Miller Place – 23.35

2nd – Lakeview – 25.06

3rd – Lynbrook – 28.11

4th – Rockville Centre – 28.27

5th – Bayville – 28.52

The points going into the Efficiency Contest were:

Malverne – 15

Lakeview – 11

Miller Place – 10

Lynbrook – 8

Bellmore – 8

In Efficiency, Miller Place again put up a first place shot. This small comeback mounted by Miller Place put them in second place overall, only 1 point out of first place with two events to go. The top five at this point were all within grasp of first place and the tournament felt like it would come down to buckets…as it sometimes does.

Efficiency Results:

1st – Miller Place – 9.34

2nd – Lynbrook – 9.84

3rd – Rockville Centre – 9.87

4th – Freeport (CLM) – 10.07

5th – Malverne – 10.16

Two Into One proved consistent for some and devastating for others. Miller Place, running third, miss-coupled on the front hydrant inlet and that miss allowed the other teams to extend their lead. It was rather encouraging to see Plainview and Glen Cove placing in the event.

Two Into One Results:

1st – Lynbrook – 9.32

2nd (Tie) – Malverne/Lakeview – 9.81

4th – Plainview – 10.06

5th – Glen Cove – 10.61

Points going into Buckets:

Malverne – 19.5

Lynbrook – 17

Miller Place – 15

Lakeview – 14.5

Rockville Centre – 10

The buckets event ran smoothly and provided some excitement when Miller Place received a rerun because the safety line was left up (2 buckets were interfered with).

Buckets Results:

1st – Freeport (NH) – 26.07

2nd – Miller Place – 26.95

3rd – Lakeview – 28.30

4th – Malverne – 28.58

5th – Lynbrook – 31.08

Final Results of the Drill:

1st Place – Malverne – 21.5 Pts.

2nd Place – Miller Place – 19 Pts.

3rd Place – Lynbrook – 18 Pts.

4th Place – Lakeview – 17.5 Pts.

5th Place – Freeport Nighthawks – 12 Pts.

The standings showed the closeness of all teams with a few weeks to go until the State Old Fashioned Drill. All teams are in it to win it, and the focus should be on consistency…a little sunshine would not hurt either.

This entry would not be complete without mentioning the following teams who also came out in the rain to run:

• The Medford Stump Jumpers made an appearance but unfortunately did not place in any of the events. They were at the Hicksville track until after 1:00 AM and were on the line for 3-Man Ladder in Ridge at 9:00 AM the next morning. Kudos to them!

• The Plainview Plainsmen were there also and received 2 points in the Two Into One contest. After speaking with the nozzle-man from Plainview, it became apparent that manpower and commitment are their biggest obstacles right now.

• The Meadowmere Park High Tides, playing in a drill outside of their Battalion, must have caught the bug at the 2,3,4 Drill. They scored 1 point in Running Ladder.

• The Seaford Inmates came to play. The team led by Keith Kern made a valiant effort but went home empty. They attempted to leave after Two Into One but Valley Stream had parked a bus blocking their exit.

• The Glen Cove Wet Ears picked up 2 points and they too seem to have caught the bug at their Battalion Drill.

• Long Beach and Bayville had teams competing as well.

We’d like to let these teams know that their presence and participation at the Nassau County OF Drill was not only appreciated, but welcomed by all. Everyone in attendance hopes you continue to practice and come to the State OF on August 5th at the Merrick track.

Recap of the 5th Battalion Drill on 6/18

by Stan Dybus Jr.

As every racing season begins, the third Saturday in June is a date that is highlighted on the calendar of every department in the 5th Battalion regardless if they have a drill team or not. The third week of June is a time to get a team together, practice hard, and compete for pride and bragging rights within the Battalion. Bragging rights belonged to the Oyster Bay Fire Company #1 Teddy’s Boys for 14 straight years as they dominated the drill from 1992-2005. From 2006-2010 it was the Atlantic Steamer Fire Company #1 Rough Riders and the Roslyn Highlanders trading wins. This year’s drill was shaping up to be as exciting as ever with the always dangerous Glenwood Greenhorns, East Norwich Spooks and the new and improved Bayville Oak Neckers looking to throw around some points and earn their first ever 5th Battalion title.

The drill started without a hitch as Individual Ladder was run for trophies only. Bayville’s climber led the drill off with an impressive 4.80, which is especially good considering he started climbing only a few months ago. Bayville was eventually topped by the Highlanders’ Ron Presti with a 4.50. Glenwood’s Sean Clampet took third place with a 4.89. Fourth place went to the Sea Cliff Indians with a 5.60 and the Spooks and Teddy’s Boys tied for fifth with a 5.61 each.

3-Man Ladder started minutes later and the Highlanders were the only team in the 6’s winning the event with a 6.76. Once again the Bayville Oak Neckers were impressive running with three new climbers and turning in a 7.45, which was good for second place. The Rough Riders, Teddy’s Boys and Spooks rounded out rest of the top five.

Running ladder began with a little excitement from the Highlanders' camp. With two teams to go before their run they lifted their cart to center it on the track and lost a wheel. As we all know, there are no breakdowns in Old Fashioned racing. The team was granted permission to run last and they scrambled to re-attach their wheel. The event went smoothly and quickly with the Rough Riders leading the pack with an 8.69 until the Highlanders came to the line (with their cart intact) and put up a first place run with a time of 7.79 seconds. Third through fifth place were taken by the Teddy’s Boys, Indians and Oak Neckers.

The only delay of the day was during the water test, but a consistent water time of 4.76 was eventually established. Running Hose is where the Greenhorns got on the board for the first time with a 12.37 which was good for 3 points. The Highlanders were the only team to run in the 10’s running a 10.93 which was good for first place. The Rough Riders took second place with a 12.26 and the Oak Neckers and Spooks rounded out the top five in the event.

The Running Hose Replacement event is where Old Fashioned drills start getting interesting, especially with motorized teams in the 5th Battalion only having one week to practice them. The Teddy’s Boys took first place in this event with a nice run of 21.79. A few familiar faces popped up on the track as the replacement events began. Guys like Bobby Gorney, Steve O’Neill and Doug Flynn are well known as key pieces to the 14-year Teddy’s Boys’ dynasty. The Highlanders came in with a smooth run of 22.83, which was good enough for 4 points. The Indians, the Glen Cove Wet Ears and the Oak Neckers rounded out the top five for this event.

Going into Efficiency Replacement it appeared as if the Highlanders were running away with the drill with 19 points out of a possible 20. The Rough Riders were in second with 11, the Teddy’s Boys in third with 10 and Bayville in fourth with 8. Efficiency Replacement was where the Highlanders made their first blunder of the day. A mistake connecting into the back of the WYE left the Highlanders with no points for the event. This is where Glenwood started their comeback by topping the second place team by almost 2 full seconds with a 27.99. The Teddy’s Boys took second with a 29.89 and the Oak Neckers kept chipping away by coming in third with a 29.98 while the Rough Riders and Indians finished fourth and fifth with 31’s.

Glenwood continued their strong comeback with a 10.13 in Efficiency which was good for first place. The Rough Riders came in with a second place run of 10.27 and the Teddy’s Boys took third with a 10.48. That scrappy Bayville squad was in there again with fourth place. The Highlanders had a great run going but had some difficulties at the nozzle which left them with an 11.01 which barely put them in the top five.

The point breakdown was now even tighter going into the final two events. The Highlanders still led the pack with 20 points while the Rough Riders and Teddy’s Boys were tied for second and third with 17 points. The Greenhorns and Oak Neckers were tied for fourth and fifth with 13 points apiece. The Spooks seemingly came out of nowhere in Two Into One and took first place with a time of 9.60. The Oak Neckers, proving that they belong in the top five, took 4 more points with a 9.90. Meanwhile, the Rough Riders were closing the gap between them and Roslyn by taking 3 points and the Highlanders coming up empty. Glenwood’s comeback continued with a fourth place finish and the Syosset Nightraiders squeaked out a point coming in fifth.

Heading into Buckets, the Highlanders and Rough Riders were tied for first place with 20 points. The Teddy’s Boys and Oak Neckers were tied for third and fourth with 17 points while the Greenhorns held fifth place with 15. The drill turned very interesting in a hurry and was proving to be one of the best finishes in 5th Battalion history. Everyone was anticipating a Buckets shootout to decide the drill but it turned out to be quite a sloppy finish. The Rough Riders and Highlanders had a few slips on the ladder and a few dropped buckets. The Highlanders took third in the event and the Rough Riders took fifth. Bayville came up empty in a contest for the first time all day and the Spooks stepped up to take fourth. Glenwood finished second, capping off their impressive comeback and giving them a total of 19 points for the day. As the Teddy’s Boys stepped to the line we saw those familiar faces that were part of one of the best bucket teams in the State. Although they had a slip on the ladder they still managed a 25.90 which was good enough for first place.

In the end, this turned out to be one of the tightest finishes in 5th Battalion Drill history. The Highlanders led in points all day despite their collapse in the second half and they reigned victorious for their seventh 5th Battalion Drill win in their history with 23 points. The Teddy’s Boys, who gave the Highlanders fits for years and had them biting their nails until the very end, came in a close second with 22 points. The Rough Riders were unable to repeat their win from a year ago but raced well and came away with third place with 21 points. Glenwood’s furious comeback gave them fourth overall with 19 total points and the impressive Oak Neckers finished in fifth place with 17 points giving them their first ever top five finish. This drill will be remembered by many for its tight finish but it will be especially be remembered by yours truly, who finally won his first one.

Roslyn Highlanders - 2011 5th Battalion Drill Champs

Recap of the 7th Battalion/Town of Hempstead Drill

by Dan Laverty

Last Friday night was the 7th Battalion/Town of Hempstead combination drill. In the previous five times this drill was held, only Efficiency Replacement was added back in 2008. This year the host decided to not run C-Trucks and instead added Efficiency Replacement and Two Into One. Due to weather conditions 3-Man Ladder, B-Ladder and B-Hose were not run. Motor Pump was the only motorized event to be run which led many who were running to declare this an Old Fashioned Drill, making die-hard Old Fashioned fans very happy.

The Hempstead Yellow Hornets put on a great drill as always and were not thinking about how many were in attendance when it was time to run Buckets. The Yellow Hornets, as we all know, can run some great buckets. They set the best time of the year by running a 21.21. Still early in the season with many chances still out there to set the new state record.

Highlight of the evening had to have been Benny Casselo of the Sally Boys (South Hempstead Rascals) running nozzle in Two Into One. Benny is the team’s Motor Pump nozzle-man so he wore the same gear and ran the way he knows how…sliding just like in Pump. When I told Benny about the crowd’s reaction when the nozzle hit the street, he just shook his head and laughed.

Another notable highlight had to have been the WYE that the Westbury Turtles brought out onto the course for Two Into One. It was approximately five feet long in total length but they had to use it because the smaller WYE that the team had was not in good enough condition for them to run with. I asked Daryl Ranaldo about the giant WYE and all he could say was, “It is what it is.” (They took third place in the event in case you were wondering.)

The Lynbrook Tumblers seem to always be in the top five and that didn’t change when they place 4th overall in the Town of Hempstead drill. I overheard them saying that they set a new team record in Efficiency Replacement. Congratulations, Tumblers!

This was a close throughout the night. It was a great night of racing and a good, safe time was had by all. Nobody was injured during the drill which is something you always like to hear. At the end of the night I got a great quote from Patrick Cloudman regarding interviews, “You can’t ask for an interview. You have to do something great and they ask you.”

Here are the Final Results from the drill:

7th Battalion Drill Final Results

1st Place – Hempstead – 21 Pts.

2nd Place – West Hempstead – 20 Pts.

3rd Place – South Hempstead – 16 Pts.

4th Place – Elmont – 11 Pts.

5th Place – Franklin Square – 6 Pts.

Town of Hempstead Final Results

1st Place – Hempstead – 16 Pts.

2nd Place – West Hempstead – 14 Pts.

3rd Place – Westbury –12 Pts.

4th Place – Lynbrook – 10 Pts.

5th Place – Freeport (DEK) – 9 Pts.

Recap of the Lynbrook Old Fashioned Drill on 6/11

by Justin Chichi

The Old Fashioned season started with a few bumps…one being the weather and the other being the timing equipment with a dead battery. The skies opened up around 4:30 and the head official gave the team captains the word that “the day was going to be pretty rough and we would try to get the drill in.” Thirty minutes later, a vote was in place to run 3-Man Ladder and Running Cart Ladder. Only three teams voted to run ladders (Miller Place, Amityville, and Lakeview). Looking at the digger website, there seems to be some discussion regarding the decision. History does show that the events have been run in the rain, but safety is an important goal for all fire departments to have. Nevertheless, it stopped raining five minutes after the decision was made.

Other than that, the tournament hit the ground running (literally) with Running Hose. Miller Place was the one team in the 11’s despite the slick conditions. The teams in the top five gave around a 5.5-6.0 stick down for the nozzle-men, hence the close times by Freeport (Clamdiggers), Lakeview, Amityville, and Freeport (Nighthawks). Next was Running Hose Replacement – probably the most competitive event at the tournament – with 2 teams in the low to mid 20’s and a team record 22.68 by the Cold Ducks. Being one of the most difficult events, it was great to see all that the teams took their spring practices seriously.

Efficiency Replacement had some interesting times with Miller Place leading the pack with a 24.90 and the rest of the top five mixed in between 26 and a mid-28. The top teams to this point were Miller Place with 12 points, the Nighthawks with 11 points and Lynbrook with 6 points.

Efficiency and Two Into One would decide the day’s outcome, as they usually do. Miller Place blew off at the hydrant while Lynbrook and the Nighthawks had two solid shots in the high 9’s. Two Into One had some great runs by the top five with every team in the low to mid 9’s. Malverne beat their team record while the Freeport Nighthawks locked in their first place finish.

Going into Buckets, the teams vying for second place (Miller Place, Malverne & Lynbrook) were all very close. Miller Place put up a 26.38 with a dropped bucket, which locked them into second place for the day. Malverne and Lakeview put up the other two 20’s of the day posting a 28.04 and 29.39 respectively.

Overall, the final standings were:

1st Place – Freeport Nighthawks – 18 Pts.

2nd Place – Miller Place Extinguishers – 17 Pts.

3rd Place – Malverne Chipmunks – 15 Pts.

4th Place – Lynbrook Tumblers – 14 Pts.

5th Place – Lakeview Sparks – 11 Pts.

It’s obvious from the outcome of this tournament that the Old Fashioned game is going to be very competitive this year. They’ll meet again at the Battalion Drill in RVC hosted by Malverne, which also happens to be in celebration of their 100th Anniversary, with a quick stop at their town tournaments.

There are a couple questions to get us going to start the season: Who will be going for the “very get-able” 10.50 Running Hose record? And, who will emerge as the best Nassau County Old Fashioned team?

I hope you're all as excited as we are to find out.

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.