September 5, 1999

GREG FURLONG TAKES 43RD BUDWEISER INTERNATIONAL CLASSIC FOR HIS BIGGEST WIN

Oswego, NY - Hannibal, NY's Greg Furlong beat out the best in supermodified racing Sunday at Oswego Speedway's Budweiser International Classic 200. And, after the luck he's had this year, he wasn't quite sure he was going to until the double checkereds flew and loud cheers enveloped him. The approximately $30,000 win wasn't as much a concern as the fact that he actually finished and won! Coming up from the limited supermodified class, Furlong, in only his third year of supermodified racing, had done what many others have not been able to - win an Oswego Classic!

"The win hasn't set in yet," said Furlong when asked in a post-race interview.. "Ask me tomorrow. We've done what some of the best drivers to ever go through these doors have done and what some never have done and never will do. If I never win another feature again, I can say I won a Classic. There's a lot of drivers who may never be able to say that and a lot who deserve to like West. He's a smart guy. He built my chassis. This is the Daytona of Oswego Speedway. In the last couple years Oswego has been beat on quite a bit. This guy's left... that guy's left. They're all here today. And they're all sitting in the pits tonight.saying they had a good run but they didn't win, and we did."

The last Classic of the century saw four leaders and will forever be remembered for a horrific crash and fire which could have been much more serious had it not been for Oswego Speedway's veteran fire crew.

Fifty-eight of supermodified's best were on hand for time trials and when the field of 35 was set, Pat Abold and Jeff West held the front row, each earning extra money from Universal Joint Sales for their achievement. Abold's time was fastest with 17.093. Two qualifying heats filled the field to 32 with Jamie Letcher copping a 20-car B Main win to earn spot number 34. Hal LaTulip used his provisional to sit in 35th. Dave Shullick had to use his guaranteed spot after missing the cut in time trials.

Pat Abold took the initial lead in the Clyde Booth 6, but Jeff West stepped right up to take over several laps later. Things started to settle in to racing as Mike Muldoon closed up the gap to sit on West's tail. Randy Ritskes and Greg Furlong swapped early top five spots while Davey Hamilton and Gary Allbritain did likewise.

Just as rapidly, racing came to a halt as a crash and subsequent fire occurred in between turns three and four. Dan Soule and Dave McKnight brushed coming out of turn three with Soule getting sideways. Piling into the fray were Dave Shullick and Tim Snyder. Shullick's car was clipped in the rear as it went on its side and somewhere, somehow the fuel plug was ripped off, pouring fuel all over. Fire erupted and both Soule and Snyder jumped out of their cars. Both had fire on their suits, but were protected and they rolled it out. They shouted to Shullick who was unaware of the fire behind him and Shullick popped his belts, but a shoulder harness stuck and he had to try very hard to get out.

"At first, I was just going to wait to have someone help me out," said Dave later, "But then I saw Danny on fire and I realized this was serious. They yelled at me to get out but I couldn't at first. I was getting scared and hot. I didn't even take off the wheel. I just finally snaked out."

With all drivers out safely and unharmed, the fire still flared with every attempt to put it out. All three cars were charred with Soule's and Shullick's probably the worst. All of Oswego's large safety crew are firemen by trade and it showed Sunday. They were given much praise by fans, drivers, family and friends after the incident was cleared away.

In the pits, activity was fast and furious on the Shea 02 driven by Eddie Bellinger and the 66 of Doug Boisvert who suffered incidental damage and were able to return. Dave McKnight's 94 was not. Jamie Letcher, who had come in earlier, was out for the night with motor problems.

On the restart, after the delay, Mike Muldoon muscled by West to take the lead which he held until almost the halfway mark. Back in the pack, the followers began to settle into their race strategy with West second, Furlong third, Tim Gareau fourth and Randy Ritskes fifth. Davey Hamilton, Pat Abold, Bob Goutermout, Joe Gosek, Russ Wood and Gary Allbritain were a formidable pack behind.

"A lot of guys just took off like Muldoon who led a lot of laps," said winner Furlong later, . "I just wanted to stay in the top five and keep the leaders in sight. I didn't want to push it. It's good for me that some of them pushed it. They wore the tires out. It's a long race and there's no reason to push it. All of a sudden they caught lap cars and I was right behind them one-two-three-four. I started to back off a little then and Timmy got by. I didn't know he was there, but he started slowing down. I don't know what happened to him. I was not trying to get to the front at the beginning. I just wanted to stay where I was. I could have cared less if I led then."

Attrition took its toll along the way in the first half with Jerry Curran causing a lap 36 yellow and going off on the hook. Gary Morton was in and out, eventually out with a broken panard bar. Shannon Groves and Chris Perley made stops with both eventually giving in to the grueling grind. Hal LaTulip exited with an ill handling car. Randy Ritskes became a victim of no brakes and he left the event on lap 78 as did polesitter Pat Abold with a broken torque arm and Vern LaFave. Gears on the 77 of Allbritain sent him out of the chase before halfway.

But, out in the action, the lead was about to change as Jeff West made his move on Muldoon on lap 91. West became the leader on lap 93, but Mike was not about to sit back. Lap traffic was everywhere and on lap 99 Muldoon reclaimed the lead from West as the racing up front continued hot and heavy. Furlong laid in wait behind this dup as Gareau, Gosek and Wood watched.

West tried Muldoon high and low as they approached slower cars and on lap 109 he retook the lead and this time, Muldoon's tire wear began to show. Furlong got by Muldoon on lap 114 and headed for West. While West, Furlong and Muldoon sat up front, a battle ensued between Gosek, Gareau, Wood, Goutermout and coming into the picture was defending champ Bentley Warren.

On lap 137, a yellow would be the demise of West as his great run came to a halt when Todd Stowell and Joey Payne brushed. West was sent outside and into the outerwall, with irreparable damage. Payne restarted immediately but West was done. Davey Hamilton, Bentley Warren and Howard Page used the time to pit for adjustments or tires, with Hamilton and Warren losing a lap in the process.

It was now Furlong's chance to lead, but he later credited West for his run. "West had tough luck. Westy got cheated out of a possible win. It's too bad. He's a good driver and capable of winning this race. I would have liked him to stay in and maybe I would have still won and maybe not. But we passed a lot of good drivers too and we made the 200 laps and we won this time."

Green fell on lap 143 and Furlong handled the pressure from Muldoon easily as Gareau sat third. Gosek, Wood, Goutermout, Payne and Page were still very much in the running.

Gosek, who was searching for a way around Gareau, finally found it on lap 163 to take third while Wood, Page and Goutermout stood their ground. On lap 168, Howard Page, with a new paint scheme just for Classic, had his fifth place run end in caution when a $1.50 bolt gave out in the car and off he went into the pits. On lap 170 as the caution laps ticked away, Mike Muldoon suddenly dove into the pits for a tire, sending a dramatic twist into the race.

Now Furlong looked to be a clear winner with only 30 to go. But, Greg had lost races in less laps this year The last 40 laps I did think about it," said Greg, . "I had a guy on the corner telling me how far I was ahead. I just tried to tell myself 'just take it easy' and they weren't catching me so I wasn't too concerned. Then Muldoon pitted. I knew he did. He came alongside to pit. I knew then he had to come up through traffic. There were only about 30 laps left. I just watched on the board to see where he was. Then I saw him in the top five and I picked up the pace a little bit. He kept on getting closer.

"With ten to go I was praying to god there was no caution. The last ten laps I gave it everything I had. I was beat. My legs were wanting to fold over on me. I was just trying to give it all I had without slipping up. I got alongside those lap cars with five to go and I really screwed up and I thought for sure that was it. That Muldoon would be all over me and he'd be by me. That's when I got really loose. When the guy on the corner indicated to me that he's not there, I just concentrated and stayed low. I said to myself if he's going to get me, he's going to have to go outside. He never showed a sign that he was there and I kept hammering it. I waited as the laps clicked and said 'come on hurry up'. Then I came up on Bob Goutermout. He's a great runner that should have been there today, but he was a lap car and he moved out of the way and gave me clean sailing. The checkereds were waving and I was first underneath."

As Furlong headed for the homestretch, Tim Gareau's third place run went up in smoke and he took the 5 nose into the pits, leaving Gosek in second, Wood third and Muldoon right back up there in fourth after getting by Payne in a run through the decimated field.

On lap 188, Muldoon was by Gosek and now Furlong needed to think and maybe pray. His last potential scare came near the race end. "Sharkey was running the middle" said Furlong, . "I was getting loose and I was trying to get up beside him and I just got loose. Man I got loose. I got out of shape and almost hit the wall. The tires were gone. Down to canvas on one. I didn't want to mess around though, knowing Mike was coming."

The last battle remaining on the track in the final five was between Gosek, Payne and Wood as they all were still looking for more Classic good. Said Payne later, "We were the last one on the lead lap. I got in a jingle over there with the 89 car and I knew West was there. The car was excellent. The crew worked their butts off. We were coming on. I was trying Russ there near the end. He went under Bentley and I went right with him three wide. I said 'wow' I just passed Bentley. That was the best part of the race; anytime you can pass your hero. It was a tough race. We finished fifth. It was our best finish. We've been near fifth, but the car went away or we had to refuel. We're real happy to finish fifth."

Furlong crossed under the checkereds amidst thunderous cheers and much jubilation as the crowd showed their appreciation. Muldoon was second with Gosek, Wood and Payne the top five.

Mike Muldoon, the 1999 Oswego champion, was not displeased with second and an almost $12,150 payday with purse and lap money alone. "We just didn't pit early enough. The car was good. On the 140th lap we had a chance to pit, but I didn't. I thought Greg's car would loosen up and it didn't. We just didn't pit early enough. We came in at 170, but it was too late. The traffic was good, but the track was oiled up and we just didn't hit the combination we did last year. I'd like to congratulate Greg on his win."

Gosek also was very pleased with a third place finish which earned him over $8,000. "Third's good. I started 16th and we haven't run that great in the last month here. The guys worked hard. The guy from Penske shocks came up and wo rked with the shocks and tried to get us squared away. The car started out great but went away. Everyone was hanging on out there. If I thought a tire would have helped, I would have come in, but I had to think about track position. Only five guys were on the lead lap. I said to myself just hang in there. Not too many guys passed me out there. Lapped cars didn't lay down. But that didn't affect the outcome any. I finished up where I belonged and it was a good run for us. It's a good payday at the end of the year that helps out, so it was good. We'll take it. Everyone's worked hard. The sponsors have been behind me 100%. It's a credit to everyone who kept plugging away to get the job done."

Wood, who has two seconds and a third in his Classic career runs, was content with adding a fourth. "The car wasn't too bad. I had a good race going with Gosek and Payne. The car was becoming a little off. I was working on Joe and then Payne showed me that he was there and I had to worry about my spot. We were racing good out there, but it was about all we could muster at that point. I could go fast alone, but not in traffic. We're happy for not running here all the time. A top five is good and we'll take it. It was a good race in our area. I don't know what it looked like up front."

But, it was Furlong who was the happiest guy out there Sunday and he gave credit where credit was due. "We knew we could do it. We've known it since the day I set foot in a supermodified. My crew is knowledgeable and my brother is knowledgeable. When there is something wrong, he fixes it. We're an inexperienced team, but willing to learn. We may not be the best team out there, but we're among the top now. We can be fast. We can run with the best of them. Some of those guys out there have been racing longer than I've been legally driving on the road. Those guys are capable of winning on any given night, but you've got to remember so are a lot of other guys. There's a lot of great drivers out there. On any given night they could have won this race. Next year, I'll be as nervous when the green flag drops because I know the best of them will be breathing down my neck. I'm just a little fish in a big pond. Tonight we had our stuff together and showed we were capable of winning. We've had those nights where we were shown we were capable of being beat as well. I'd like to thank my crew. I'd like to thank my family and sponsors and fans and especially my brother and parents. I did not do this alone. Everybody helped me. A lot of people helped me get here today. They know who they are and I'd like to thank all of them."

Time Trials: Pat Abold 17.093, Jeff West 17.126

Heat 1 (3 qual): Tim Snyder, Ray Graham, Jerry Curran, Justin Belfiore, Mark Van Luven, Jamie Moore, Mike Brubaker, Ralph Clark, Scott Eldred, Frank Ferguson

Heat 2 (2 qual): Eddie Bellinger, Mike Bond, Tim Devendorf, Jamie Letcher, Hal LaTulip, Jennifer Chesbro, Mark Van Luven, Roger Clark, Jack Carr

Heat 3 (3 qual): Mike Douglas, Bob Bond, Vern LaFave, Jim Shirey, Mark Sammut, Dave Mazzoni, Bill Peri, Eric Lewis, Billy Whittaker

Bud Light B Main (1 qual): Jamie Letcher, VanLuven, Moore, Belfiore, Shirey, Chesbro, Connors, Sammut, Eldred, Ralph Clark, Ferguson, Devendorf, Brubaker, Carr, Mazzoni, Whittaker, Roger Clark, Peri, Lewis.

Guaranteed Spot: Dave Shullick Sr.

Provisional: Hal LaTulip