August 9th, 1997

DIDERO TAKES WIN NUMBER 5 AT OSWEGO

Oswego, NY - Defending track champion Doug Didero, picked up victory number five on Oswego Quality Carpets night at Oswego Speedway Saturday. And, he did it in a car numbered 4 as the Matczak team had decided to run two cars in competition with rookie Tim Proud, in a chance of a lifetime, asked to run the number 3. Tim finished 15th in his first-time ever in a super. But the thrill of the night was seeing Jeff West, after a spectacular crash the previous week, lead the first 35 laps of the feature before Didero took over. Dean Hoag tightened the limited super point title chase by winning the double point Midsummer championship 35. Hoag, winning his 4th of 1997, closed to within 9 markers of leader Bobby Bond, who finished a tight 2nd, with two events left in that division.

Jeff West, who reported $5,000 worth of damage on his 01 after he went airborne on August 2, sat on the outside pole for the Quality Carpets 45 and hungrily grabbed the lead. Eddie Bellinger closed in on West almost immediately and the battle for the lead ensued for 21 laps before a yellow flew. In the meantime, Todd Stowell, Tim Snyder and Howard Page had taken up top five spots while Greg Furlong(driveshaft), Dave Heitzhaus, Ken Bell in the Strong 99 and Lou Cicconi made some green-flag pit stops, some not to return to action.

On lap 22 a yellow flew as Shannon Groves spun off turn four. For Bellinger it was a stop he didn't need as the slowdown found the 02 overheating badly and into the pits he went out of second. Pat Abold also pulled in with an unknown problem in the 05.

The green fell again, but it was followed immediately by yellow as the 2 of Joe Hawksby, the 12 of Powell and the 05 of Abold were involved in a tangle off turn three. This gave Bellinger's crew an opportunity to get him back in the race without losing a lap. Only Powell was unable to restart here and the 07 of Groves did not fire and he came back into the pits for good.

Another attempt at the start and completion of lap 22 failed, and this time it was Mike Muldoon who was the cause of the yellow. Muldoon, who had started 16th, had worked his way up to ninth. Didero, who had started 17th, was coming up on Muldoon as the pack charged into turn one on the green. The two cars brushed, sending Muldoon around. He was able to restart.

Finally on this green West was able to continue his lead with Howard Page now the challenger. Stowell, Snyder, Dan Soule, Joe Gosek, Didero, Bob Goutermout and Steve Gioia were the top runners. Pat Abold left a top ten spot, parking the car at lap 27 with, as Pat put it, "something breaking on the car, possibly a shock."

On lap 29, Bellinger and Muldoon were involved in another yellow, with both going to the rear once again.

This green gave Page the opportunity to make his move on West. Unfortunately, Page moved in a little too close and on lap 31, attempting to take the lead, he brushed tires with West, and Howard was now the cause of a yellow. He, too, was now in the back.

Tim Snyder moved in to challenge West on this green, but didn't have enough as Jeff pulled slightly away. On lap 33, Didero charged into second, leaving Snyder, Stowell and Gosek, the top five.

Lap 34 found Bob Goutermout's good run ending hard in the foam and Bob in the ambulance for a quick check over when a rod broke on the 93. He was okay, the car was not.

West held onto the lead one more circuit before Didero put the 4 around the 01, but the final yellow slowed things on lap 35, negating the pass. On the next green, Didero made the pass good, heading for his fifth victory of the year. Snyder stayed in second while West, motor acting up now, started drifting backwards. Stowell, who had been running top five most of the race, ran out of fuel with three to go, handing over fourth to Joe Gosek, as Mike Muldoon moved in for fifth.

With one lap to go, it was Didero, Snyder, Gosek, Muldoon and West, but West's hand suddenly shot in the air as he signalled he was in trouble. He was able to hold on one more lap, but the ailing 01 barely made it across the line as the checkered flew. Dan Soule, trying to get by, caught a wheel off the 01, sending his car around, collecting the 9 of Gioia, the 11 of Heitzhaus and the 18 of Page just at the finish line. Four cars waited for tow trucks while Didero was emerging from the car in victory lane. Snyder, Gosek, Muldoon and West were the top five, while Gioia, Soule, Dave Trytek, Page and Bellinger, rounded out the top ten.

"It was one heck of a drive tonight," said Didero, "Getting through the field was tough. It was probably one of the fastest features we've had tonight. If we hadn't had those yellows we would have never caught Jeff West. The cautions helped us, closing up the field." He continued when asked about the Muldoon come-together. "I came out of the turn down low, and Mike, once he got out of the turn, started bringing the car down, once he got into the straightaway. We just touched wheels, but once we touched, that sent us back together and Mike spinning. I hate for that to happen. Mike and I haven't had anything between us in three years. I didn't want it to happen. I wanted to race him clean."

Heat 1: Howard Page, Steve Gioia, Joe Gosek, Todd Stowell, Andy Powell, Frank Ferguson, Ken Bell, Mark Hartman, Tim Proud(3)

Heat 2: Pat Abold, Jeff West, Doug Didero, Bob Goutermout, Dave Trytek, Greg Furlong, Dave Heitzhaus, Jamie Letcher, Ron Walker(46)

Heat 3: Mike Muldoon, Dan Soule, Tim Snyder, Shannon Groves, Eddie Bellinger, Lou Cicconi, Joe Hawksby, Dave Lair(ofn)

Consi: Dave Heitzhaus, Cicconi, Proud, Letcher, Hawksby, Bell, Hartman