June 28, 2003

JEFF HOLBROOK WINS AT OSWEGO SATURDAY NIGHT

Oswego, NY - Joe Gosek looked to be heading his Muldoon-owned supermodified to victory for the second straight week at Oswego Speedway Saturday night, but in racing there are no guarantees ever. Gosek's number 50 ride broke a rocker arm earlier in the evening and he climbed aboard the number 20, driven to date by Dennis Wilson. Joe, starting 11th on the field, worked by race leader Bob Bond on lap 17. Gosek led his challenger Jeff Holbrook through the labyrinth of reds and yellows and was just five laps from victory when coming out of turn one, his car bobbled and slowed for just an instant causing Holbrook to tap and turn him sideways. Others then hit Gosek and the red flew for the second time in the 45 lapper. Holbrook led the remaining five laps and took the checkered. He was not a jubilant winner when he climbed out of the car. The 2001 Supermodified Rookie of the Year who won his career first in 2002, was not exactly happy.

Said Holbrook in victory lane, "I never thought winning could feel so bad. That was Joe Gosek's race. My apologies go to Mike Muldoon and that whole crew. I feel terrible. Pushing in turns three or four. I thought Sitterly would get me at the end there, but I never saw him. I don't like winning like this. I would have rather passed him fair and square. I had a push. Stops and restarts made it worse. Joe was backing down a little on the starts so I knew I had to get him there. I didn't know he had a fuel problem. I just feel really bad about hitting him."

In turn, Joe Gosek was not exactly happy with the outcome either. Said the veteran of many racing wars afterward, "I had plenty of fuel left. I didn't run out. I might have bobbled or washed up a little, but he didn't have to drill me. But, that's inexperience. We'll just come back and try it again next week."

It was Mexico, NY's Bob Bond who led the way in the eventful feature, but it didn't take long for the drivers, anxious to get back in a racing mode, to become overzealous. Red dropped on lap 8 when a multi car tangle occurred between turns one and two. Affected were Shannon Groves, Craig Rayvals, Bobby Magner, Brian Sweeney, Bobby Santos and Pennsylvania native Tom Gonczi. Magner and Groves did not make the restart. Todd Stowell and Tim Gareau, who both had pitted just moments earlier, tried to reenter, but Gareau's 5 malfunctioned once again and he parked it. Santos' crew also tried in vain to get back into the fray.

Bond took off after the cleanup leaving Hal LaTulip, Holbrook, Gosek, Ray Graham and Otto Sitterly just behind him. Gosek moved past LaTulip on lap 16 and by lap 17 was the leader, relegating Bond to second.

Bob Goutermout's brush with the foam brought out yellow on lap 18 and he was towed in.

One lap later Tom Gonczi was involved in his second yellow but this one put him ofn. Gosek took the 20 out to a comfortable lead as the race hit halfway. Bond fell victim to Holbrook's pass, which brought Otto Sitterly past also.

On lap 29, Mike Brubaker and Ray Graham, running side by side for sixth, brushed, and Graham's good run ended. Yellowitis continued on this restart when Keith Gilliam, trying to correct his 87, found himself in the inner hub off one. Gosek was still sixteen laps from the end of the race, but when the restart was made good, he was able to fend off any advances Holbrook, Sitterly, Bond, Brubaker, Howie Page and Dave Trytek might have had.

Holbrook, however, was able to mount a run on the restart of a lap 36 yellow for Tim Snyder. Holbrook seemed to be sticking with the twenty as the laps ticked away. Sitterly, Bond and Brubaker continued in the top five. On lap 40, another yellow flew for Doug Kells' 39. Hal LaTulip, having a good run, had to come in for fuel as the flags began to take their toll.

The next charge from Holbrook was the final one for the leader Gosek. As the field came off four and entered turn one under the restart green, Holbrook tapped the 20 from behind sending Joe sideways and receiving a t-bone from Brubaker who had no where to go. Mayhem ensued at the front and the red dropped again for yet another cleanup. Muldoon's crew almost got Gosek back out but the car was missing a header pipe, and although he was pushed off once, he came right back in.

As Gosek's car was deemed the reason for the yellow, Holbrook now maintained his spot - the lead. He easily crossed the line under the checkered five laps later with Sitterly, Bond, Page and teammate Dave Trytek, the top five. The second through fifth place finisher all pretty much admitted that they shouldn't be where they were given the circumstances. Sittery said his car was loose at the end and he didn't have anything more for the leader. Bond, whose dad was in the hospital in Syracuse, was just happy to finish his first race of the season. Page said, "I was lucky. This car was not good all night." And, Trytek admitted, "We had a fifteenth place car that finished fifth."

Rounding out the top ten were Jerry Curran, Bill Peri, Tim Snyder, Pat Lavery and Doug Kells.

SUPERMODIFIED HEAT #1
1. Tim Gareau Jr (5) 2. Joe Gosek (20) 3. Hal LaTulip (56) 4. Bob Magner (40) 5. Keith Gilliam (87) 6. Jerry Curran (24) 7. Todd Stowell (89) 8. Joe Hawksby Jr (2) 9. Joe Chillemi (41) DNS

SUPERMODIFIED HEAT #2
1. Howard Page (18) 2. Jeff Holbrook (35) 3. Bob Goutermout (77) 4. Bob Bond (25) 5. Bobby Santos III (44) 6. Brian Sweeney (3) 7. Pat Lavery (99) 8. Shannon Groves (07) 9. Dave Halstead Jr (34)

SUPERMODIFIED HEAT #3
1. Ray Graham Jr (90) 2. Mike Brubaker (36) 3. Tim Snyder (0) 4. Otto Sitterly (79) 5. Dave Trytek (70) 6. Bill Peri (14) 7. Tom Gonczi (01) 8. Doug Kells (39) 9. Craig Rayvals (94)

SUPERMODIFIED FEATURE (45)
1.Jeff Holbrook (35) 2. Otto Sitterly (79) 3. Bob Bond (25) 4. Howard Page (18) 5. Dave Trytek (70) 6. Jerry Curran (24) 7. Bill Peri (14) 8. Tim Snyder (0) 9. Pat Lavery (99) 10. Doug Kells (39) 11. Hal LaTulip (56) 12. Craig Rayvals (94) 13. Joe Gosek (20) 14. Mike Brubaker (36) 15. Brian Sweeney (3) 16. Keith Gilliam (87) 17. Ray Graham (90) 18. Tim Gareau Jr (5) 19. Tom Gonczi (01) 20. Bob Goutermout (77) 21. Todd Stowell (89) 22. Dave Halstead Jr (34) 23. Bobby Santos III (44) 24. Shannon Groves (07) 25. Bob Magner (40)