June 29, 2002

HOWARD PAGE TAKES NUMBER ONE AT OSWEGO

Oswego, NY - Howard Page took his time getting to the number three spot in Saturday night's Oswego Speedway Hilton Garden Inn/Wendy's supermodified 45. He then, sat back and watched the torrid battle going on in front of him for the lead between Shawn Muldoon and Ray Graham The strategy paid off for the Fulton, NY driver. When the 90 of Graham and the 1 of Muldoon came together, Page took up the lead and eventually the win. It wasn't exactly the way Howard would have liked to win, but he accepted it.

"I really wished they would have stayed in there racing," said Howard. "I was waiting because I saw they were getting squirrelly. I think I might have been able to pass, but who knows. My car wasn't too good in the heat or in the first half of the race. I was running about 10th or 11th until the red and the yellow came out about lap 20. My car seemed to hook up after that. It was definitely better in the second half of the race. Everything then fell into place, the cautions, the restarts, and finally the ending. I'm happy with the win."

Leading the way to the green in the supermodified 45 were Jamie Moore and Brian Sweeney, but an immediate yellow fell for a 4-car jumble that would shuffle the rear of the field on the restart. Affected were Joey Hawksby in the Carson 27, Tom Gonczi, Dave Lair and Keith Gilliam. All restarted, but Lair came out late, putting himself at a disadvantage as the green fell.

Brian Sweeney took up the lead of the first lap but Jamie Moore was quick to take the spot from Sweeney. Bobby Bond followed Moore by for second before the second circuit was complete. By lap 5, Sweeney had been shuffled back to fifth as Todd Stowell also got by.

Back in the pack, Howie Page, starting 11th, slipped even farther back as a slower car, Robert Parrow, caused a slight blockage. Eventual winner Page admitted that his 18 was not working to the max in the early going and it showed.

The 44 of Moore and the 25 of Bond began to pull away from the pack as the lap counter hit 16. On 17, the advantage was nullified when the yellow fell for a crash by Dave Halstead. The 34 slid out on the speedway in turn 1 collecting Tim Gareau, with Vern LaFave jumping a tire and Keith Gilliam spinning to avoid the melee. With a blocked track, the red was thrown. Unfortunately for leader Jamie Moore, his 44 began to overheat big time and into the pits he went handing over the lead to Bond before the restart.

On the green, Jeff Holbrook made a fast move forward taking third from Todd Stowell. Holbrook now headed for Ray Graham, running second to Bond.

Some close racing out front was slowed once again on lap 22 when the 44 of Jamie Moore spun. Into the pits went Sweeney and Otto Sitterly, both running well until this point.

Ray Graham used the restart to take the lead from Bond as Jeff Holbrook put Bond into third out back. Adding to the insult, Bond found rookie Shawn Muldoon taking that spot away moments later and Howie Page did likewise soon thereafter.

Lap 25 found the 89 of Stowell and 77 of Goutermout touching tires in turn two. Shawn Muldoon used this restart to his advantage as he moved in on Graham. On lap 27, Muldoon grabbed the lead and the chase was on.

Time and again, Ray Graham slung the 90 outside Muldoon's 1. Muldoon, equally consistent, repelled Graham's attempts. Jeff Holbrook, Howie Page and Dave Trytek were the pursuers with a blanket able to cover the front five.

Howard Page was the new man on the move as the counter ticked past 30. As the 1 of Muldoon and the 90 of Graham ran wheel to wheel out front, Page moved into third and set up his watch. Teammates Holbrook and Trytek tailed closely.

On lap 39, coming off turn four, the 90 of Graham once more tried the outside move on leader Muldoon. Muldoon moved out slightly to protect his point as the duo came into turn one. Tires brushed and the two ended up in the first turn wall. Howard Page's patience paid off. He was now the leader, where he stayed for the remainder of the race, pretty much unchallenged. Holbrook, Trytek, and Bond continued to trail in the top four. Jerry Curran got by Pat Lavery for fifth on the lap 39 restart Tim Snyder, Vern LaFave and Keith Gilliam ran in the top ten as the race ended.

Page crossed under the checkered alone, picking up not only his first win of the season, but also the Oswego point lead as Mike Ordway was in Canada winning the ISMA feature there. Holbrook, Trytek, Bond, Curran, Lavery, Snyder, LaFave, Gilliam and LaTulip maintained their top ten spots as the flag fell.

SUPERMODIFIED HEAT #1
1. Jeff Holbrook (35) 2. Ray Graham Jr (90) 3. Bob Bond (25) 4. Todd Stowell (89) 5. Bill Peri (14) 6. Tim Gareau Jr (5) 7. Joe Hawksby Jr (27) 8. Tom Gonczi (01)

SUPERMODIFIED HEAT #2
1. Jamie Moore (44) 2. Shawn Muldoon (1) 3. Vern LaFave (97) 4. Pat Lavery (99) 5. Dave Halstead Jr (34) 6. Robert Parrow (21) 7. Hal LaTulip (56) 8. Bob Goutermout (77) 9. Keith Gilliam (87)

SUPERMODIFIED HEAT #3
1. Dave Trytek (70) 2. Otto Sitterly (79) 3. Brian Sweeney (3) 4. Howard Page (18) 5. Jerry Curran (24) 6. Tim Snyder (0) 7. Craig Rayvals (94) 8. Dave Lair (88)

SUPERMODIFIED FEATURE (45)
1. Howard Page (18) 2. Jeff Holbrook (35) 3. Dave Trytek (70) 4. Bob Bond (25) 5. Jerry Curran (24) 6. Pat Lavery (99) 7. Tim Snyder (0) 8. Vern LaFave (97) 9. Keith Gilliam (87) 10. Hal LaTulip (56) 11. Todd Stowell (89) 12. Otto Sitterly (79) 13. Bill Peri (14) 14. Tom Gonczi (01) 15. Shawn Muldoon (1) 16. Ray Graham Jr (90) 17. Jamie Moore (44) 18. Bob Goutermout (77) 19. Brian Sweeney (3) 20. Tim Gareau Jr (5) 21. Dave Halstead Jr (34) 22. Dave Lair (88) 23. Robert Parrow (21) 24. Joe Hawksby Jr (27) 25. Craig Rayvals (94)