May 10, 2003

MIKE ORDWAY REPEATS AS OPENING DAY WINNER AT OSWEGO

Oswego, NY - It was like deja vu all over again at Saturday's Oswego Speedway Coca-Cola Kickoff, except that the racing started earlier. Mike Ordway hopped aboard a brand new Clyde Booth creation, and for the second straight opening day, the Fremont, NH driver, ran the number 61 supermodified away from the field. It wasn't a big surprise to anyone who had watched the dynamic duo last season. They won just about every race they ran at Oswego during the regular season. Nothing looked to have changed, except the car.

Mike Ordway climbed out of the silver 61, a bit fatigued after fighting a three-day bug. "This is a brand new car. It's the first race for it and I can't say enough. The car is really good. Clyde designed it and he did one hell of a job on it. I can't say enough for him. I thank him for giving me the opportunity to drive for him again. I've been sick for three days and I'm pretty worn out right now. But, this is great."

Tim Gareau, who came up to challenge fellow Fultonian Bob Goutermout for second after a lap 28 restart, was pleased with his car's performance. "For opening day, I think second is great. It's good just to finish in the top five on opening day. I don't think we had anything for Ordway. He's got a pretty tough car out there. My congratulations to him and Clyde. Second is what you need to win that track championship, if not first. I think I kind of surprised Mike a little bit on that one restart, but he outmotored me. We're real happy. My crew is doing a great job for me and I'd like to thank all my sponsors."

Goutermout, in turn, smiled after his third place run. A tribute, just before the feature start, was paid to his late car owner Don Kerfein Sr., who passed away over the winter. "Third was a great run for us, said Bob. "Once the tires heated up, I got going. The cold tires just weren't going good. I started out a little teary eyed after that dedication to Donald . It was nice of them to do that. Hopefully, we'll turn our season around. We know he's up there watching us. We'll try and do a good job for him."

Joey Hawksby led the way in the supers for the first super main of the season with Bob Goutermout and Brian Sweeney chasing. On lap 10, yellow fell for Jamie Moore, aboard the Muldoon 50, to slow things down.
On the restart, a shakeup at the front found Bob Goutermout out front as he passed the Hawksby 2 on the backstretch. Mike Ordway followed the 77 by as did Jeff Holbrook one circuit later.

One more lap and another lead change as Ordway put the Booth 61 outside Goutermout off turn four and that's all she wrote. Except for restarts, no one really got close to the 61.

On lap 19, the team cars of Jamie Moore and Dennis Wilson - both Muldoon machines, sat in turn one tangled up with the 56 of Hal LaTulip. Tow trucks had to life the 20 to free the other two. Wilson was hooked with Moore and LaTulip rolling in but not restarting.

Ordway ran comfortably out front as Goutermout and Gareau diced for second. Holbrook Sweeney and Hawksby were still in the mix. On lap 28, yellow flew again, this time for a hit of the inside hub by Jeff Holbrook, whose 35 suffered some minor damage.

On the restart, Ordway flew away while Gareau stole second from Goutermout. Just after the leaders crossed over the line, red flew for a mess which involved Howie Page, Dave Trytek and Joey Hawksby and then Doug Kells and Bob Bond, a little further up the track. Page, Bond and Kells were pitside, while Hawksby got his spot back for an avoidance spin. He probably wished he hadn't. On lap 33, Joey Hawksby took another wild ride at Oswego Speedway. Coming out of two, he was just ahead of Jerry Curran. The 2 came around, went right and then left, catching Curran's tire and then slow rolling off the back stretch wall. With Jerry Curran ending up backwards in turn three, he had full view of Hawksby's 2 sliding at him upside down. Joey was okay after the spectacular crash and a visit to the ambulance. He said later that something may have broken in the car just prior to the hit.

After a lengthy delay, the race resumed. On this restart, Tim Gareau actually got alongside of Ordway, but only for a brief moment before the 61 pulled out front again. It was Ordway's race to win now and he did it handily. Gareau settled in for second, Goutermout third, Joe Gosek, driving for Tim Snyder whose father-in-law had passed away during the week, and Brian Sweeney, rounding out the top five in a decimated field.

CAR COUNT: Supermodifieds (28) / Limiteds (33) / Super Stocks (14)

SUPERMODIFIED HEAT #1
1. Joe Hawksby Jr (2) 2. Jamie Moore (50) Tim 3. Mike Ordway (61) 4. Otto Sitterly (79) 5. Jerry Curran (24) 6. Vern LaFave (97) 7. Bill Peri (14) 8. Dave Halstead (34) DNS 9. Bob Magner (40) DNS

SUPERMODIFIED HEAT #2
1. Dave Trytek (70) 2. Joe Gosek (0) 3. Pat Lavery (99) 4. Brian Sweeney (3) 5. Howard Page(18) 6. Bob Bond (25) 7. Todd Stowell (89) 8. Doug Kells (39) 9. George Groves (38)

SUPERMODIFIED HEAT #3
1. Tim Gareau Jr (5) 2. Bob Goutermout (77) 3. Keith Gilliam (87) 4. Jeff Holbrook (35) 5. Hal LaTulip (56) 6. Dennis Wilson (20) 7. Craig Rayvals (94) 8. Mike Brubaker (36) 9. Jim Turner (98)

SUPERMODIFIED FEATURE (45)
1. Mike Ordway (61) 2. Tim Gareau Jr (5) 3. Bob Goutermout (77) 4. Joe Gosek (0) 5. Brian Sweeney (3) 6. Otto Sitterly (79) 7. Keith Gilliam (87) 8. Pat Lavery (99) 9. Jeff Holbrook (35) 10. Bill Peri (14) 11. Craig Rayvals (94) 12. Todd Stowell (89) 13. Joe Hawksby Jr (2) 14. Jerry Curran (24) 15. Hal LaTulip (56) 16. Howard Page (18) 17. Dave Trytek (70) 18. Bob Bond (25) 19. Doug Kells (39) 20. Dennis Wilson (20) 21. Jamie Moore (50) 22. Vern LaFave (97) 23. Dave Halstead (34) 24. Jim Turner (98)