August 16th, 1997

ABOLD AND DIDERO TAKE OSWEGO TWIN 35'S

Oswego, NY - Pat Abold was able to get back on the winning track at Oswego Saturday night as he won the first of the Clearview Pool & Stoves Twin 35's. His luck ended quickly, however, as a massive crash at the start of the second 35, sent his 05 into the wall in a burst of flames. He wasn't the only victim. Doug Didero, trying very hard for his fourth straight track title, was able to bounce back from a bad finish in the first main, to win the second, coming through the 15-plus car pileup that wiped out Abold's chances at a repeat. Mike Muldoon, current point leader, came home with a 2nd and a 4th, to just stay out front of Didero by 114 points at the night's end.

Mike's first Oswego championship may be realized this Saturday. Dean Hoag picked up his fifth of the season and unofficially moved ahead of point leader Bob Bond by a mere 11 points going into the final point night. Pat Abold was ecstatic about his win in the first Twin 35. "The first of '97. It feels good. It's good to have a race car under us. We've been struggling. I think we hit our stuff tonight. We made some wholesale changes after the heat. Boy, the thing came right to us. I think we've got a good shot at the second race."

The first super main started with Todd Stowell at the point, but slowed on lap three for a tangle with the wall by Frank Ferguson. Steve Gioia's 9, suffering power steering ills, remained pitside at the restart, but would reenter the race later.

Stowell's lead began to diminish as Abold moved up from his 10th starting spot. By lap 11, he was on Todd's tail. On lap 12 Abold was the leader as Stowell went into second with Andy Powell, Ken Bell and Dan Soule the top five.

Abold was a man with a mission as he outdistanced the field with the race running smoothly until lap 24, when a slowing Lou Cicconi came into the pits. Several cars were claimed to overheating on the hot, humid night including Jamie Letcher and Eddie Bellinger.

Abold was the leader for two more laps, when another yellow flew. This one would cost Doug Didero valuable points in his quest for a fourth straight championship. Howard Page, Jeff West, Mike Muldoon and Didero were involved in a small tangle. A number of cars including Didero, Dave Heitzhaus, Dave Lair, Shannon Groves and Page came into the pits. As the field ready to restart, Didero was pushed down the back pit road and out onto the track. His car, however, had not fired, and his coasting 3 came to a stop, causing a yellow to fly. The move was considered an intentional cause of yellow and he was brought in out of the action.

Abold had the field bunched behind him with 8 laps remaining, but he easily pulled away from Stowell, Soule, Bell, and Powell. West, Joe Gosek, Greg Furlong and Mike Muldoon, who had gone to the rear after the yellow, were trailing this pack. "A fourth's not bad," said Muldoon later, "Considering I had ten laps to get there from the back."

Yellow flew once more on lap 29 when Dave Mazzoni's 04 creamed the fourth turn wall and he was hooked.

Abold sped away on the green and never let up until he crossed under the checkered on lap 35 for his first feature this year. Stowell, after a massive repair job after a heat crash, came in a fine second with Soule third, Muldoon fourth and Ken Bell fifth. West, Gosek, Furlong, Gene Lee Gibson(Miller 16) and Andy Powell, rounding out the top ten.

Said Stowell, "The car was running good in the heat race and on the final lap, a torsion arm broke. I wadded it pretty good. The car wasn't where it was in the heat race, but we'll adjust it. A lot of hard work got us back ready for the feature. A second feels good. Thanks to my crew, sponsors - everybody."

Soule quipped afterward about his two-car top five finish, "I wish we could make two 31 1/2 cars, we'd have two real fast race cars. But, Kenny's car(31) is too tight and mine's(32) too loose. But, we're not complaining. Two top five finishes are great after the year we've been having so far." The full moon, hidden by dark ominous clouds for a while, broke through for the second Twin 35's. Unfortunately, superstitious or not, trouble began soon thereafter.

Doug Didero and Dan Soule sat on the front row, leading the pack around to the second feature green. Not one lap would be complete, however, before mayhem broke out. Starting third and fourth, Mike Muldoon and Todd Stowell came together off turn four, sending Stowell sideways on the front straight, in front of a mass of traffic. Four cars - Gosek, Furlong, Gibson and Powell - became airborne, launching over sliding and skidding cars trying to avoid the traffic jam. Pat Abold's 05 ended up in a blaze, just off turn one as others affected were Lou Cicconi, Shannon Groves, Bob Goutermout, Tim Snyder, Steve Gioia, Dave Lair, Dave Trytek, Eddie Bellinger, Joe Hawksby Jr. and Howard Page. More than half the field sat in a pile in and around the first turn. After things sorted out, and many pitstops, Abold, Cicconi, Lair, Powell, and Gibson had to call it quits. Abold's forecast of a good finish in the second event was sadly unrealized.

On the restart, Dan Soule ran side by side with Doug Didero for a lap or two, before Didero took the lead. Mike Muldoon came right up to challenge Soule as Jeff West and Eddie Bellinger followed.

Things sped along rapidly as the shorter than expected field proved no impedance to Didero's run. Muldoon stayed with the 3, but didn't push it, as all he needed was a good finish to come away with an almost unsurmountable point lead. Soule, West and Bellinger were also steady in the top five. Lap 24 saw the only other slowdown when the 93 of Bob Goutermout, for the second week, hit the foam. Roger Clark brought in the 55 also at this juncture.

The restart closed the gap between Didero and Muldoon, but again Didero was able to pull away. West and Bellinger had a battle going for fourth as Dave Heitzhaus, Steve Gioia and Joe Gosek ran just behind.

At the checkered, Didero was in victory lane for win number six of the '97 season with Muldoon, Soule, Bellinger, and West, the top five. Heitzhaus, Gioia, Gosek, Bell and Trytek finished out the top ten.

Pit Notes: Three cars suffered major damage in the heats - Bellinger, Stowell and Tim Gareau. Gareau was out for the night..Steve Gioia had to use a provisional spot to get into the features as his 9 was suffering from power steering box problems.

Heat 1: Doug Didero, Todd Stowell, Dave Heitzhaus, Joe Hawksby, Shannon Groves, Greg Furlong, Tim Snyder, Dave Mazzoni, Roger Clark, Eddie Bellinger

Heat 2: Dan Soule, Mike Muldoon, Howard Page, Dave Trytek, Joe Gosek, Andy Powell, Jamie Letcher, Dave Lair, Joe Chillemi

Heat 3: Jeff West, Kenny Bell, Pat Abold, Lou Cicconi, Gene Lee Gibson, Bob Goutermout, Frank Ferguson, Steve Gioia, Tim Gareau

Consolation: Tim Snyder, Eddie Bellinger, Jamie Letcher, Frank Ferguson, Dave Lair, Dave Mazzoni, Steve Gioia, Joe Chillemi, Roger Clark, Tim Gareau(dns)