July 14, 2001

ORDWAY SAILS TO WIN NUMBER TWO AT OSWEGO

Oswego, NY - Fremont, NH's Mike Ordway won his first supermodified feature with car owner Clyde Booth when his daughter was a baby. Now she stands proudly beside him in victory lane as a teenager, with her mom and younger brother. The Booth-Ordway combination certainly hasn't lost any of its competitiveness over the years. Mike Ordway dominated both races he was in Saturday night on Clearview Home and Leisure/Wet Paint Co. night to become the first repeat winner in the supermodifieds in 2001. In the double limited features, Shawn Muldoon took the rescheduled 25, up first for the night, and in the nightcap, Billy Izyk became the first repeat limited winner. Lou LeVea, who now also competes in a limited super, copped his third super stock main.

Ordway, who clocked off 16.6's in his heat, fled the competition once by Tim Gareau just past lap 10. He said later when asked about his goals for 2001 with his new ride with his old car owner. "I just wanted to come here, race and have fun this year. I just want to go as good as the car goes. Winning two features is great. I appreciate everybody coming out to watch the show."

Veteran Jamie Moore grabbed the early lead in the super main but a hungry Tim Gareau was right there to steal the point five laps later. But, Ordway, running a super smooth groove, just glided up from 9th to take over the lead as the clock ticked to 12. Greg Furlong would soon become his only challenger throughout the remainder of the event.

Several opportunities at slowing down Ordway came and went, but Furlong just couldn't catch him as much as he tried. Said Greg after the race, "We had a good car. That's the first time that car has run in a feature without the wing. The crew did a good job. For some reason at night our cars just stay loose and we can't tighten them up. Mike's was tightened up and ours was a little loose and I just couldn't get on the gas like he could. I was catching him, but I had to finesse on the throttle and it would still squeak loose on me. Sometimes I just had to take my hand off the wheel because I was turning it back too much the other way. They had a better car tonight and we'll settle for second. Second is a good finish, but it's tough when you want to win."

The first race yellow flew on lap 15 for a hard hit by Jamie Letcher in the Witkum 85 as Hal LaTulip and he came together. Pat Lavery and Scott Eldred were also involved. All restarted except for the hapless Letcher.

It was the Ordway-Furlong show out front at the green with Gareau, Shannon Groves and Stowell the top five.

Just prior to midway, Ordway was lapping at the tail of the field as Furlong began reeling in the 61 as the traffic slowed down Mike. At one point on lap 32 Furlong nudged ahead as the duo came around Jamie Moore, but when they came down for lap 33, Ordway was out front.

Lap 39 saw a, yellow then red fly, as a pileup in between three and four found flames shooting from the Curran 24. This one appeared to be set up when Joe Gosek, in the Sweeney 3, and Todd Stowell, the previous week's winner, came together somehow, slowing cars behind them. Vern LaFave and Bob Goutermout tried evasive measures, but Curran arrived on the scene with no where to go, but up, over and into the foam. Jerry was shaken and stayed in the ambulance for a time for observation. Curran and Gosek arrived in the pits with mangled cars. LaFave, Pat Lavery, and Stowell were able to restart. Up toward the front, a bizarre tangle occurred after the flag fell when Shannon Groves and Gary Syrell brushed. Groves had to pull his 07 in out of fourth and Syrell also left the track. Groves was able to restart also.

The green flew once again for the final seven laps and although the field was bunched, Ordway easily pulled away from it. Furlong ran in second, while Gareau held off Dave Trytek, Howie Page, Tim Snyder, Groves, Otto Sitterly and Stowell, the only cars in the lead lap at the checkered. Jamie Moore finished up the top ten.

HEAT #1
1. Mike Ordway (61) 2. Tim Gareau Jr (75) 3. Jamie Moore (88) 4. Joe Gosek (3) 5. Tim Snyder (0) 6. Keith Gilliam (87) 7. Scott Eldred (15) 8. Pat Lavery (99) 9. Robert Parrow (21)

HEAT #2
1. Dave Trytek (70) 2. Greg Furlong (72) 3. Otto Sitterly (79) 4. Howard Page (18) 5. Bill Peri (14) 6. Vern LaFave (97) 7. Gary Syrell (08) 8. Jamie Letcher (85) 9. Dan Connors (27)

HEAT #3
1. Shannon Groves (07) 2. Bob Goutermout (77) 3. Jeff Holbrook (35) 4. Todd Stowell (89) 5. Jerry Curran (24) 6. Bob Bond (25) 7. Hal LaTulip (56) 8. Dave Halstead Jr (34)

CONSI
1. Scott Eldred (15) 2. Gary Syrell (08) 3. Hal LaTulip (56) 4. Jamie Letcher (85) 5. Pat Lavery (99) 6. Dan Connors (27) 7. Dave Halstead Jr (34) DNS

FEATURE (45)
1. Mike Ordway (61) 2. Greg Furlong (72) 3. Tim Gareau Jr (75) 4. Dave Trytek (70) 5. Howard Page (18) 6. Tim Snyder (0) 7. Shannon Groves (07) 8. Otto Sitterly (79) 9. Todd Stowell (89) 10. Jamie Moore (88) 11. Jeff Holbrook (35) 12. Bob Bond (25) 13. Keith Gilliam (87) 14. Bill Peri (14) 15. Vern LaFave (97) 16. Pat Lavery (99) 17. Hal LaTulip (56) 18. Joe Gosek (3) 19. Bob Goutermout (77) 20. Jerry Curran (24) 21. Gary Syrell (08) 22. Scott Eldred (15) 23. Jamie Letcher (85) 24. Dan Connors (27)