July 8, 2000

RANDY RITSKES STOPS BY OSWEGO AND TAKES HOME A WIN

Oswego, NY - Randy Ritskes drove away with the National Parts Peddler Night's 45 lapper for the supermodifieds in his potent #29 Saturday night, but the evening would end in controversy after the happy victory lane ceremony. Ritskes drove by Howard Page for the lead after a lap 19 yellow and never looked back to take the win. Ritskes' car later was found 18 pounds under the weight limit of 1800, but the win remained after much discussion by officials. The Dunigan 29 team was fined half the winner's purse($750), credited with last place feature points and placed on probation. "Due to the extensive caution laps we had run we were close to a refueling," said an Oswego spokesman, "We talked it over and deemed the weight infraction in this case did not warrant disqualification." Needless to say, Howard Page, among others was not happy with the decision, and a heated discussion ensued. The win had it gone to Page, would have been his first of the year.

Earlier in victory lane Ritskes said, "That was a good car. The car worked good. This was a test and the test went great. I understand we pulled away, but then Timmy and those guys pulled out early too. I have no idea what the watch said we were going, but the car was very comfortable. I could have driven it for a long time like that, lap after lap. It could go in the corners so deep and it wouldn't get loose. That pass for the lead was the only real pass I had. It still wanted to push up. I couldn't keep it that low like Timmy can, but I'm happy. I owe most of it to Brian and the crew. I thank them again."

RITSKES IN WIN STEEPED IN CONTROVERSY Howard Page started the super main on the front row and immediately checked into the lead, but a lap 6 multi-car pileup stopped the race almost immediately. Affected were almost half the field as a blockage developed just past the first turn. Suffering the worst of the melee was Tim Gareau, who was out for the night after having been involved in a practice session accident also. Mike Brubaker also reported ofn while point leader Greg Furlong suffered enough damage to keep him in the pits for several laps before he restarted. He would finish 18th.
Page resumed his lead on the restart while Todd Stowell, Ritskes, Bob Goutermout, Shannon Groves and Jamie Letcher ran right behind. Then Jamie Moore's night ended with something breaking in the rear end as he brought out a yellow on lap 10.

Page was well in command as Ritskes and Stowell battled for second, with Ritskes finally taking the number two spot on lap 16. Stowell, Bob Goutermout, and Joe Gosek diced for number 3 with Jamie Letcher, Gary Allbritain(0) and Shannon Groves the next trio. Lap 20 saw another yellow as Jerry Curran and Gary Syrell made contact. Doug Boisvert connected with a wheel and ended up under the starter's tower with both wheels facing the wrong way. He was done for the night. In the interim, Todd Stowell was pulled over with a badly overheating 89 and he left the feature losing a third place run.

On this restart, Page was no match for the Ritskes pressure and Ritskes pulled by for the lead, leaving Page to contend with Joe Gosek in his own 00. Yellow flew once more on lap 26 for the Mark VanLuven 46 which was able to restart, giving Page once last chance at Ritskes, but it did not come. Howard said later tires were a problem, "I would have liked to win, but after the last three weeks we needed this second. We didn't put any new tires on this week. We ran last week's tires. It probably cost us but second is pretty good. I think if we had new rubber we might have been there right with him. Like I said after last week we were in the hole so far we just had to sit back and use what we had."

Ritskes stayed in command for the remainder of the race while Page, Gosek and Goutermout ran some exciting laps from second back. Goutermout car died suddenly on lap 41 and pitted with a broken oil tank, leaving him out of the top spots. Gary Allbritain, filling in for Tim Snyder, took up Goutermout's spot with Shannon Groves in fifth. The mover in the late going was Jerry Curran, who put the 24 outside to pick up a couple spots at race end to finish eighth. It was Ritskes, Page, Gosek, Allbritain and Groves at the finish. And, although the win was not without controversy, it stays in the Oswego record book as a career-win #4 for the Brockville, Ontario driver.

HEAT #1: 1. Tim Gareau Jr (5) 2. Bob Goutermout (77) 3. Randy Ritskes (29) 4. Jamie Letcher (58) 5. Brian Sweeney (3) 6. Mike Brubaker (36) 7. Joey Payne (99) 8. Doug Boisvert (66) 9. Hal LaTulip (56) 10. Ray Graham Jr (90)

HEAT #2: 1. Todd Stowell (89) 2. Vern LaFave (97) 3. Gary Syrell (08) 4. Greg Furlong (72) 5. Jamie Moore (88) 6. Jerry Curran(24) 7. Gary Albritain (0) 8. Dave Trytek (70) 9. Dan Soule (32) 10. Dave Halstead (38)

HEAT #3: 1. Howard Page (18) 2. Shannon Groves (07) 3. Bob Bond (25) 4. Otto Sitterly (79) 5. Joe Gosek (00) 6. Mark VanLuven (46) 7. Tim Devendorf (76) 8. Dave Mazzoni (04) 9. Jennifer Chesbro (33) 10. Bill Sharkey (7)

CONSI: 1. Gary Albritain (0) 2. Joey Payne (99) 3. Dave Trytek (70) 4. Doug Boisvert (66) 5. Jeff West (01) 6. Hal LaTulip (56) 7. Tim Devendorf (76) 8. Ray Graham Jr (90) 9. Jennifer Chesbro (33) 10. Dave Mazzoni (04) 11. Dave Halstead(38) 12. Bill Sharkey (7) 13. Dan Soule (32)

FEATURE (45) 1. Randy Ritskes (29) 2. Howard Page (18) 3. Joe Gosek (00) 4. Gary Albritain (0) 5. Shannon Groves (07) 6. Dave Trytek (70) 7. Jamie Letcher (58) 8. Jerry Curran (24) 9. Vern LaFave (97) 10. Otto Sitterly (79) 11. Ray Graham Jr (90) 12. Joey Payne (99) 13. Bob Bond (25) 14. Brian Sweeney (3) 15. Hal LaTulip (56) 16. Mark VanLuven (46) 17.Bob Goutermout (77) 18. Greg Furlong (72) 19. Gary Syrell (08) 20. Todd Stowell (89) 21. Doug Boisvert (66) 22. Jamie Moore (88) 23. Jeff West (01) 24. Tim Gareau Jr (5) 25. Mike Brubaker (36)