July 22, 2000

BOB GOUTERMOUT DEFENDS HIS MR. SUPERMODIFIED TITLE

Oswego, NY - A large crowd gathered to see the Mr. Supermodified, Mr. Limited and Mr. Super Stock events at Oswego Speedway Saturday night. The enthusiasm showed they enjoyed the outcome. Bob Goutermout, who suffered a devastating wreck several weeks ago, destroying his #93, reeled in race leader Dave Trytek just past the halfway mark of the event to take the point. The race for the Dunkin' Donuts $10,000 to win check was a classic between Bob and Greg Furlong, right down to the wire. A caution on lap 30 gave way to 20 straight green flag laps, with Furlong trying every move he knew to get by. Goutermout countered each maneuver to come away with his second Mr. Supermodified title in as many years. The only other driver to accomplish the feat was Mike Ordway in 1990-1991.

"Wow," exclaimed Goutermout,. "It's hard to believe isn't it? Two in a row. Two different cars. We started out the year good and were finishing well, but then I got my bell rung a couple of weeks ago and wrecked that car. We have this one working pretty good now. Page Chassis are very simple to work on. Howard's a pretty sharp man. I knew Greg was there. He showed me a wheel a couple times. I just tried to drive in deeper than he did. Boy, he never touched me. He raced me so clean. This is the way it should be every week. We don't need all the red flags and all the caution laps. We've got to get our act cleaned up here. I'd like to thank my sponsors for getting me here - Darcey's Collision, Kerfien Mobile Home Park, Triple D Bus Repair, G&M Machine & Tool, Lights Auto Parts(NAPA), Babcock Highway Supply, National Assn of Government Employees, AFL-CIO and International Brotherhood of Police Officers."

A great field of supermodifieds - thirty-six strong- was on hand to run for the big money with four heats and a consi needed to pare down the field. Due to several guaranteed starters - Jamie Letcher, Ray Graham and Bob Bond - not making the event via qualifying, 27 cars would start the main with Brian Sweeney and Hal LaTulip on the front row. Otto Sitterly came up quickly to grab the lead, but a red fell on lap 6 when a massive pileup occurred just out of two blocking the track. At least eight cars were involved with Joey Hawksby, just getting his car back together after a bad crash at Cayuga, took a flyer over LaTulip and Ray Graham. LaTulip was transported to the hospital with a laceration over his eye that required sutures. All others were okay and four cars - Hawksby, Jeff West, Pat Abold and LaTulip's - sat pitside ofn.

On the green Sitterly found Todd Stowell his challenger, but several laps later, the two brushed tires every so slightly, sending them both sideways and again a massive traffic jam brought out the red. Sitterly was now out with Stowell's 89 eventually affected by the incident. All others were pushed around and away.

Dave Trytek took the point from here and built himself a healthy lead but moving up past Sweeney and Jerry Curran was Goutermout who lap after lap closed the gap. Behind Sweeney, using a lot of track, a torrid battle ensued between Mike Douglas, Greg Furlong, Joe Gosek, in the Dunigan 26, Tim Gareau and Howard Page.

Lap 24 saw a yellow fly for Tim Gareau who got around in turn two, via a tap by Curran as the duo raced for fifth. Also pitting here were Bob Bond and Stowell. Curran said later, I kinda got in the back of Timmy (Gareau) going into one and two and he got turned around. I feel terrible about that. I don't know what happened, whether he bogged down or I just got in hot and heavy and ran into him."

Todd Stowell re-entered the fray on this restart, but a bit late, putting him in a precarious spot just ahead of the leaders. Leader Trytek and pursuer Goutermout came rapidly up on the 89 and Bob used him as a pick, diving around Stowell and past Trytek in the same move. Stowell later pitted with possible overheating problems.
Lap 30 saw one more yellow for the 66 of Doug Boisvert, spinning in 4. Several other cars used the time to pit, including the 26 of Gosek and the 5 of Gareau.

It was Goutermout, Furlong, Trytek, Douglas, Page and Curran bearing down on each other at the green with only 20 laps to go. Trytek slipped up a little allowing Douglas and Page to get by. Curran held sixth with a smooth running, wingless, Dave McKnight right on his tail.

Goutermout and Furlong began their cat and mouse battle out front, soon leaving the pack behind. Lap after lap, Furlong tried low. Furlong tried high with a little fish-tailing here and there to add to the excitement, both drivers giving it their all. Said Furlong afterwards, "That was a great race. It was a lot of fun That's definitely the way I like to race them. Even if I can't win, I like running second.. The crew did a great job in the way they put this car together. We tested the other day and found something a little off. I think we've got it back to where it was and fast.. a little loose, but fast. It was just a fun race. I enjoy racing with Bob. I knew if I got underneath him, he'd race me clean and he did. I just didn't have enough to get around him."

In the waning laps, Bob pulled away just a hair while Mike Douglas, looking for his first top three ever at Oswego, slipped up a little, loosing the spot to Howard Page in the process. The crowd raised a cheer of approval as Goutermout crossed under the checkered for the $10,000 payday while Furlong, Page, Douglas and Curran were the top five. Trytek, McKnight, Jamie Moore, Ray Graham and Joe Gosek completed the top ten.

Howard Page, who has just finished a supermodified #02 for veteran Eddie Bellinger to compete with, was a bit disappointed with third. "It was a good finish - but not where we wanted to be tonight - that's for sure. It was a good job for Bob Goutermout and the crew!."

HEAT #1: 1. Bob Goutermout (77) 2. Jeff West (01) 3. Greg Furlong (72) 4. Brian Sweeney (3) 5. Dave McKnight (94) 6. Bob Bond (25) 7. Dave Halstead (38) 8. Shannon Groves (07) 9. Gary Albritain (85)

HEAT #2: 1. Jerry Curran (24) 2. Joe Hawksby (21) 3. Hal LaTulip (56) 4. Doug Boisvert (66) 5. Eddie Bellinger Jr (02) 6. Tim Snyder (0) 7. Tim Devendorf (76) 8. Ray Graham Jr (90) 9. Bill Sharkey (7) DNS

HEAT #3: 1. Todd Stowell (89) 2. Howard Page (18) 3. Vern LaFave (97) 4. Joe Gosek (26) 5. Dan Soule (32) 6. Gary Morton (99) 7. Pat Abold (6) 8. Jennifer Chesbro (33) 9. Jamie Letcher (58) DNS

HEAT #4: 1. Tim Gareau Jr (5) 2. Otto Sitterly (79) 3. Dave Trytek (70) 4. Mike Douglas (23) 5. Jamie Moore (88) 6. Gary Syrell (08) 7. Dave Mazzoni (04) 8. Randy Ritskes (22) DNS 9. Bill Peri (14) DNS

CONSI: 1. Tim Snyder (0) 2. Gary Morton (99) 3. Pat Abold (6) 4. Gary Syrell (08) 5. Shannon Groves (07) 6. Tim Devendorf (76) 7. Jennifer Chesbro (33) 8. Dave Mazzoni (04) 9. Dave Halstead (38)

DUNKIN' DONUTS $10,000 to Win Super (50): 1. Bob Goutermout (77) 2. Greg Furlong (72) 3. Howard Page (18) 4. Mike Douglas (23) 5. Jerry Curran (24) 6. Dave Trytek (70) 7 Dave McKnight (94) 8. Jamie Moore (88) 9. Ray Graham Jr (90) 10. Joe Gosek (26) 11. Brian Sweeney (3) 12. Tim Snyder (0) 13. Dan Soule (32) 14. Gary Morton (99) 15. Tim Gareau Jr (5) 16. Vern LaFave (97) 17. Doug Boisvert (66) 18. Eddie Bellinger Jr (02) 19. Bob Bond (25) 20. Shannon Groves (07) 21. Todd Stowell (89) 22. Otto Sitterly (79) 23. Hal LaTulip (56) 24. Jeff West (01) 25. Joe Hawksby Jr (21) 26. Pat Abold (6) 27. Jamie Letcher (58)