September 2, 2000

Dave McKnight wins ISMA Super Nationals

Oswego, NY - Canadian Dave McKnight very proudly won his first ISMA show with the Brad Lichty team in May at Oswego. He topped that win Saturday by coming home with the $6,000 ISMA Super Nationals check over a hard-charging Randy Ritskes and Chris Perley. McKnight was even more pleased with his second straight victory at the Oswego oval.

"Wow" exclaimed Dave in victory lane. "I just had to go, go, go. I knew Randy was strong and I knew Chris would be. Hats off to my guys. They did an excellent job. The car was perfect all night. Randy and Chris were tough and I had knew I had to save a little at the end for any restarts. I'd say on that last restart, with three laps to go, it was balls to the wall for the win This place is like home to me. What can I say? I like to race here. I felt very positive. We had a great run here last time. We made some changes to pick up a little bit and it all paid off tonight. I smartened up on the restarts from the last show. I knew Randy was strong on the restarts. So I tried to change it around every time I restarted. Just to try and keep him off guard. You make the car as wide as you can when it gets that late in the race. Great job by everyone. Two in a row here. I'm real happy."

With a unique three-abreast flag lap, the ISMA supers paraded around the fast 5/8th's with Howard Page, Ken Bell and Lou Cicconi, leading the parade up front. Bell took a quick lead when the race started, but Brockville, Ontario's Randy Ritskes was equally quick to steal it.
Ritskes, a two-time winged winner at Oswego in past events, was trying for number three in his Dunigan-owned 29, but Dave McKnight and Scott Martel were right in there to challenge for the big prize.

The race flew by for almost half the scheduled distance with no cautions to slow the progress. By lap 9, McKnight was tacked to the back of Ritskes with Martel, Bell and Lou Cicconi right behind. Slicing toward the front was three-time Super Nationals winner Chris Perley.

While Ritskes and McKnight were dicing through lapped traffic, Perley and Martel were battling for third, chased by Cicconi, Joe Gosek and Joey Payne. McKnight found an opportunity as he and Ritskes dove in and out of traffic and Dave emerged the leader on lap 20 after a daring move out back. At the halfway mark, Perley finally got by the persistent Martel in a daring move in traffic. But several lap cars still stood between the Rowley Rocket and the lead duo of McKnight and Ritskes.
The field finally bunched on lap 27 when John Payne was in the 2nd turn foam. Joe Gosek, who had been turning some mid-15 second laps in practice, pitted here for minor repairs, going to the rear out of sixth.

On the restart, Perley put four lap cars down in one swoop and headed for McKnight and Ritskes with nothing to impair him now.
Lap 31 saw Lou Cicconi's 4 into the foam after something broke. This time there were no lap cars between McKnight, Ritskes and Perley and the race was on.

McKnight put the pedal down and pulled away slightly from the 29 and 11 while Joey Payne and Scotty Martel held fourth and fifth. The racing was intense for the next spots with Ken Bell, Doug Saunier, Nokie Fornoro, Jamie Timmons and Doug Boisvert, fighting tooth and nail.
Lap 36 saw Mike Ordway, in the backup Vic Miller car, end up in the foam also. Ordway was ofn, while Howie Page used the time to pit.

Another restart for McKnight to hold off the pack and that he did. Perley put the 11 alongside of Ritskes at one point, but Ritskes nosed out front.
With ten to go, McKnight had left Ritskes and Perley to dual while Payne ran alone in fourth. Martel and Bell provided the excitement racing for fifth.

A tangle which affected Joey Payne and Mark Sammut ensued on lap 48, just two shy of race end, with Payne pitting and Sammut hooked. The prospect of a three-car shootout between McKnight, Ritskes and Perley had the crowd on the edge of their seats, but after only one down, Jamie Timmons hit hard in the foam between 3 and 4, slowing the race one more time.
The fans held their breath as a green-white-checkered saw McKnight take the win with Ritskes and Perley finishing a tight second and third. Martel and Bell completed the top five.

Said Ritskes after the 50-laps were over, "The car was neutral at first and then it had a big push at the end. I think Chris was pushing too because I was washing up pretty high on the track and he was still trying me on the outside. I was awful nervous about that. Dave had the superior car tonight. It was still second. It was a fast car. I wanted this one though, but what can you do."

Chris Perley, who had gotten by Ritskes once, but was negated by a yellow, was still pleased with third. "I thought we kind of had it there; well I did have it. I made that pass on Randy, but had to go back. It was fun. We had just missed it by that much. I'm ecstatic. It was a great race. Finishing third behind them when you can't race with them is not fun. But when you finish third and you can race with them, then that's fun. It's a blast."
Nokie Fornoro, Doug Saunier, Doug Boisvert, Joe Gosek and Bobby Smith finished out the top ten in strong runs.

ISMA SUPERMODIFIED HEAT #1: 1. Randy Ritskes (29) 2. Joe Gosek (26) 3. Joey Payne (06) 4. Doug Boisvert (66) 5. Johnny Payne (16) 6. Denny Fisher (81), 7. Mark Sammut (78) 8. Dan Soule (32) 9. Dave Hooper (17) 10. Wade Litt (07)

ISMA SUPERMODIFIED HEAT #2: 1. Kenny Bell (31) 2. Howard Page (18) 3. Lou Cicconi (4) 4. Chris Perley (11) 5. Doug Saunier (7) 6. Bobby Smith (67) 7. Mike Brubaker (38) 8. Mark VanLuven (46) 9. Dave Shullick Jr (34) 10. Mike Lichty (84)

ISMA SUPERMODIFIED HEAT #3: 1. Dave McKnight Jr (94) 2. Scott Martel (14) 3. Nokie Fornoro (5) 4. Mike Ordway (10) 5. Jamie Timmons (97) 6. George Brothers (6) 7. Timmy Jedrzejek (91) 8. Jon Henes (36) 9. Jim Shirey (72) 10. Willie Stutzman (88)

ISMA SUPERMODIFIED CONSI: 1. Danny Soule (32) 2.Dave Shullick Jr. (34) 3.Mark VanLuven (46) 4. Jon Henes (36) 5. Wade Litt (07) 6. Mike Lichty (84) 7. Willie Stutzman (88)

ISMA BUD SUPER NATIONALS (50): 1. Dave McKnight Jr (94) 2. Randy Ritskes (29) 3. Chris Perley (11) 4. Scott Martel (14) 5. Kenny Bell (31) 6. Nokie Fornoro (5), 7. Doug Saunier (7) 8. Doug Boisvert (66) 9. Joe Gosek (26) 10. Bobby Smith (67) 11. George Brothers (6) 12. Howard Page, (18) 13. Mike Brubaker (38) 14. Dan Soule (32) 15. Jon Henes (36) 16. Dave Shullick Jr (34) 17. Wade Litt (07) 18. Jamie Timmons (97) 19. Joey Payne (06) 20. Mark Sammut (78) 21. Denny Fisher (81) 22. Mike Ordway (10) 23. Lou Cicconi (4), 24. Mike Lichty (84) 25. Johnny Payne (16) 26. Timmy Jedrzejek (91) 27. Mark VanLuven (46)