May 27, 1997

DOUG DIDERO WINS OSWEGO'S JIM SHAMPINE MEMORIAL 100

Oswego, NY - North Carolina's Doug Didero powered his way by race leader Steve Gioia late in the race to pick up his first win of the season, and take over the points lead last Saturday Night. The 100 lap victory was worth $6000 to the transplanted Canadian.

Tim Snyder and Steve Gioia led the 25 car field around to take the green in the Tops Friendly Markets / Jim Shampine Memorial event, with Gioia grabbing the early lead. Didero was on fire early though as he had picked off six position in as many lap, to move into fifth. Howard Page was an early challenger in his #18, but Gioia appeared to running a perfect groove. By the tenth circuit the action was close up front as Page, Eddie Bellinger, Didero and Danny Soule tried to catch Gioia.
The first yellow of the event flew on lap eleven when Jamie Letcher spun his car in turn two. He was pushed off and rejoined the field two laps down. Kenny Bell used this yellow flag period to take the Soule #31 to the pits for maintenance and made the stop without losing a lap.

The green flew again on lap 16 and Didero wasted no time driving under Bellinger and Page to take over second spot, and become Gioia's first real challenge of the night. The caution waved for the second time on lap 17, when Bill Sharkey looped his Pepperidge Farm #7, in between turns one and two. The incident was a result of a broken part, and Sharkey's night was over. Action restarted on lap 22 and Gioia used the outside lane to maintain a slight advantage over Didero. Last weeks winner Mike Muldoon had three cars in the event and by lap 25 he had piloted his own into tenth.

Joe Hawksby Jr. was involved in the third caution of the event when his broke loose on the frontstretch. This yellow flag period allowed Didero, Page, Bellinger, and Jeff West to stick close to the leader, Gioia. When the restart came on lap 31 it was West's turn to shine as he pulled to the outside of Bellinger to take over fourth. Muldoon's night took a turn for the worse on the 34th lap when a fuel line let go in his Beaver River Trucking #50, bringing out the caution. Muldoon would have to pit for repairs, but one of his teammates, Jamie Moore broke into the top 10.

The lap 39 restart setup a great battle coming out of turn four as Didero put his car in the lowest groove while Gioia maintained his line in the middle groove. Didero appeared to edge ahead on the frontstretch, but the Oswego native had a strong run going in the quick middle lane. With 53 laps to go Gioia was starting to open a lead in his North Country Gymnastics #9. Another spin by Hawksby slowed the field on lap 48, bunching the field up once again.

The lap 52 restart was not a good one as the cars in the back started to speed up, while the front runners set a slow pace. The yellow immediately returned as Andy Powell suffered the results of the restart when his car got parked against the inside backstretch wall. Gioia, Didero, West, Page, and Soule led the field on the lap 58 restart with Gioia again leading the way. Bellinger started to fade on the green, quickly falling out of the top ten. The battle for second started heating up on the 59th circuit as West went to the outside to battle Didero. Gioia had to hold off both drivers, if he was to go to high Didero would grab the lead, but if he stayed to low West would pull out front. Gioia maintained the top spot despite have to defend against both drivers.

The red flag halted the race with 28 to go when Dave Heitzhaus out of Strykersville, New York made heavy contact with the turn three foam. Heitzhaus was okay, but the car was done for the night. This set-up an interesting situation with the Muldoon team. Dave Trytek in Muldoon's #40, who was just outside of the top ten, and Muldoon, who was numerous laps down, decided to go with a driver change. Muldoon took over the wheel in the #40 allowing the rookie, Trytek, to earn points while Muldoon charged to the front of the field. The other Muldoon car, Moore's Sport's Card Heaven #35, was running in seventh at the time, and was allowed to finish.

Moore made short work of Stowell on the restart to take over fifth on the lap 72 restart. Gareau followed Moore through to go to sixth. Next on Moore's agenda was Soule, and by lap 74 Moore would be fifth. Muldoon was on the move with the #40, picking off Snyder and Shannon Groves on lap 77 to move into eighth. Gioia started to pull away up front, taking a five car length lead with 20 to go. Muldoon was the fastest car on the speedway moving by his teammate, Moore, to take over fourth on lap 83.

A spin by Powell on lap 84 brought out the final caution on lap 84, and Moore also looped his car in turn four but kept going only loosing one spot. Didero grabbed the lead on the restart but Gioia again powered by on the outside. Muldoon's second great run of the night fell by the wayside when he lost the motor in the #40, laying some fluid on the track. Gioia and Didero running bumper to bumper going into turn three, with ten to go both slipped in the fluid, Gioia got loose and slipped high, while Didero stuck low and drove underneath him for the lead. Didero led the final ten laps for the victory.

Didero couldn't believe he actually picked up the win after running second for 74 laps. "This was a huge surprise. Stevie ran the best I've seen him go in nearly two years. You know it's very unfortunate that Steve got loose over there in three, but the same thing happened to me. I did it too, it's just fortunate that our car stayed lower than his.

"There was no indication that we would...that we could, win this race. We weren't that good in the heat and we went to work on the car before the feature. We were good early on, but we got looser as the show went on. Then about half way I got into Steve and bent the nose wing. That helped the car a bit, but I didn't think it gave us enough. "We pretty much destroyed a car last week and the crew did a good job getting this car ready for this week."

Gioia brought his nine home second, while West took the K-Rock #01 to an impressive third. Moore, Page, Soule, Tim Gareau, Gary Morton, Bob Goutermout, and Pat Abold completed the top ten.

West also picked up a heat race win in his radically designed Super. Team Muldoon picked up the other two heats with, Moore and Muldoon taking wins. Moore claimed the SCS Installations Hard Charger Award, and Page was the Universal Joint-Sales Up and Comer.

Heat 1: Jeff West, Dave Didero, Dan Soule, Greg Furlong, Tim Snyder, Dave Trytek, Jamie Letcher, Dave Mazzoni, Mark Hartman

Heat 2: Jamie Moore, Steve Gioia, Pat Abold, Kenny Bell, Tim Gareau, Shannon Groves, Andy Powell, Dave Heitzhaus

Heat 3: Mike Muldoon, Eddie Bellinger, Howard Page, Todd Stowell, Bill Sharkey, Bob Goutermout, Gary Morton, Joe Hawksby