May 19, 2001

BOB GOUTERMOUT KICKS OFF OSWEGO SEASON WITH A SUPERMODIFIED WIN

Oswego, NY - Bob Goutermout of Fulton, NY, had to wait a week to get his first win of the Oswego Speedway supermodified season, but he didn't mind. He'd been waiting all winter long. Goutermout took the lead from Jerry Curran on lap 14 of the Coca-Cola Kickoff and basically never looked back. He was hounded at first by Mike Ordway, and then by Dave Trytek, but he stayed in command.

Goutermout, who won two features in 2000, was more than pleased to start the season with a win. "Opening night and we started with a win. That's a good way to cap off the winter, working so hard, keeping the team together, getting together the two cars. It just gives up a big boost here to start the year. We'll just keep plugging. We finished second in points last year. Our goal this year is to get that title. All our sponsors are back from last year - Triple D Bus Repair, Babcock Signs, Amerigas, Darcey's Collision, Camden NAPA, Kerfein Mobile Home Park, and G&M Machine and Tool. We're looking for a good year."

Dave Trytek, who finished second after taking the spot from Mike Ordway in the Clyde Booth machine with 20 laps to go, said afterwards, "The car was a pushing a little in the beginning but at the end it came back to us. It was good at the finish. When Ordway started pushing going in, I was able to get under him. I think he may have tapped the wall there. But then I couldn't have gotten by Bobby (Goutermout). He had too much of a lead. "Jerry Curran grabbed the initial point of 2001 as the 45 lapper was green flagged. Curran was able to hold onto the front spot until a lap 14 yellow for Vern LaFave found Bob Goutermout too hot to handle. Goutermout passed by Curran on the restart pulling Dave Trytek and Mike Ordway with him. Curran said later, "The car was great at the beginning of the race then somebody lost a motor there and the oil and speed dry got down, the car broke loose and it took a lot of laps to get back. Everybody got by me there but I came back up to finish fifth. It was a good run. I'll take it. I'm happy with it." Another yellow quickly followed for the 88 of Jamie Moore and this time Goutermout had both Mike Ordway and Trytek bearing down on him, but he was up to the challenge. Several laps later, Ordway brushed the outer wall in a pass attempt and did a miraculous job keeping the car going straight. Just past the midway mark, Goutermout had begun to build up a slight lead as Ordway fended off the challenges of Trytek. Curran, Page and 2000 track champ Greg Furlong ran right behind.

A yellow on lap 27 flew for the 72 of Furlong who had spun. Greg called this "his" mistake. "I saw a puff of dirt down there and I thought it was smoke so I jumped on the binders and spun out. It was my own fault. Then I came in and they tightened it up a lot. The car was great after that. I needed a caution which never came. The crew did a great job and I messed up when I spun out." That caution which Furlong and others waited for to slow down Goutermout, never came. Bob lengthened his lead while Ordway began to back up as Trytek and then Page got by him. With fifteen to go, Curran and then Furlong passed the backward sliding 61 of Ordway.

On lap 42, Trytek and Page gave as much as they could to try and catch the flying 77 of Goutermout, but to no avail. Goutermout crossed under the checkered alone with Trytek, Page, Furlong and Curran the top five. Ordway, after a strong second place run, settled back into sixth. Tim Snyder, Todd Stowell, Jamie Letcher and Scott Eldred rounded out the top ten.

Several incidents marred the heat events. First Hal LaTulip lost the handle on the 56 and in came a brake-less Keith Gilliam who took a hard hit into the first turn wall. Gilliam's 87 was badly damaged, while LaTulip was able to make the feature but not for long. In the same race, Tim Gareau and Tim Devendorf colliding in a nasty looking mess on the front straight. Gareau put his back up car into the feature field but didn't finish the event. Devendorf was ofn. In the third heat, Mark Sammut met the wall, loosing a tire and wheel, putting him out for the night. He tried to qualify in Furlong's back-up car in the consi, but pulled in.

HEAT #1
1. Bob Bond (25) 2. Todd Stowell (89) 3. Joe Hawksby Jr (2) 4. Pat Lavery (99) 5. Shannon Groves (07) 6. Hal LaTulip (56) 7. Tim Devendorf (20) 8. Tim Gareau Jr (5) 9. Keith Gilliam (87)

HEAT #2
1. Bob Goutermout (77) 2. Mike Ordway (61) 3. Brian Sweeney (3) 4. Dave Trytek (70) 5. Jamie Letcher (58) 6. Jamie Moore (88) 7. Tim Proud (22) 8. Dave Halstead (34)

HEAT #3
1. Greg Furlong (72) 2. Jerry Curran (24) 3. Howard Page (18) 4. Otto Sitterly (79) 5. Tim Snyder (0) 6. Scott Eldred (15) 7. Vern LaFave (97) 8. Jeff Holbrook (35) 9. Mark Sammut (78)

CONSI
1. Tim Proud (22) 2. Jeff Holbrook (35) 3. Tim Gareau Jr (75) 4. Vern LaFave (97) 5. Dave Halstead (34)

FEATURE (45)
1. Bob Goutermout (77) 2. Dave Trytek (70) 3. Howard Page (18) 4. Greg Furlong (72) 5. Jerry Curran (24) 6. Mike Ordway (61) 7. Tim Snyder (0) 8. Todd Stowell (89) 9. Jamie Letcher (58) 10. Scott Eldred (15) 11. Tim Proud (22) 12. Shannon Groves (07) 13. Jeff Holbrook (35) 14. Jamie Moore (88) 15. Bob Bond (25) 16. Pat Lavery (99) 17. Otto Sitterly (79) 18. Tim Gareau Jr (75) 19. Joe Hawksby Jr (2) 20. Vern LaFave (97) 21. Brian Sweeney (3) 22. Dave Halstead (34) 23. Hal LaTulip (56) 24. Mark Sammut (27)