September 5, 2004

Furlong Edges Santos as Both Crash Across the Line to Win His Third Budweiser International Classic

Oswego, NY - Greg Furlong seemed to have the 48th running of the Budweiser International Classic under control in it's late stages. After Mike Ordway dropped out with mechanical failure on lap 160, and Joey Payne and Jeff Holbrook were involved in an accident on lap 181, Furlong opened up a comfortable lead before a Doug Heveron spin on lap 194 put a hard-charging Bobby Santos in third for a green-white-checkered restart. Santos passed Tim Gareau with one lap to go, and dove under Furlong out of four for the checkered flag. Santos went out of shape, and crashed into Furlong across the start/finish line, with Furlong only winning by about one-third of a car length.

Mike Ordway took the pole position with a record time of 16.642 in time trials. At the drop of the green flag, Ordway jumped out in front of Doug Didero to take the lead. Ordway appeared to be repeating his 1992 strategy, quickly putting a big margin between himself and the rest of the field. By lap 6, he held a two-second lead while Joey Payne charged from 11th, Doug Heveron charged from 14th, and Jeff Holbrook charged from 25th toward the front of the pack.

As Mike Ordway approached lapped traffic on lap 18 with a six-second lead, Heveron charged into fourth place. The top five was Ordway, Gary Morton, Didero, Heveron, and Joe Gosek.

Ordway began to dramatically slow down his pace, trying to hold off getting into heavy lapped traffic as long as possible. Joey Payne entered the top five by lap 20, and went from fifth to second in a matter of only five laps. He caught Ordway by lap 30, and took command of the race on lap 33. The first caution of the race came on lap 44, when Shawn Muldoon came to near halt. He kept going, and racing shortly resumed.

Furlong gained fifth place on the restart, but the caution came back out on lap when Bob Goutermout's left-rear tire went flat. Howard Page came into the pits, and hit the infield fence while trying to re-enter the racing surface. Doug Heveron also pit, and stayed on the lead lap. The top five was Payne, Ordway, Gosek, Furlong, and Morton.

Ordway made an outside pass on a lap 66 restart to take the lead back. but developed handling problems entering the corners. Several laps later, Ordway slipped up the race surface allowing Payne to re-enter the lead.

Jeff Holbrook came out of nowhere to invade the top five, after starting 25th at the start of the race. He raced his way up to third place before Bob Magner got out of shape in turn four, collecting the Craig Rayvals 94.

When racing continued, Holbrook and Ordway split Joey Payne going down the back straightaway, making it three-wide going into turn three. Holbrook and Ordway battled briefly once they cleared Payne, and Holbrook took the point on lap 88. When halfway approached, it was Holbrook, Ordway, Payne, Furlong, and Tim Snyder in the top five respectively.

Holbrook opened up a straightaway lead on lap 108 before Danny Kapuscinski hit the wall going into turn one to bring out the caution. Dave Trytek passed Snyder for fifth before the caution lights came on.

Ordway took the lead for the fourth time on lap 116 and pulled away from the competition. Furlong began to pick up the pace, gaining third by passing Joey Payne on lap 120. As Ordway caught up with lapped traffic, a great three-car battle for the lead began between Ordway, Holbrook, and Furlong. Ordway lost the lead once again, slipping up the race surface allowing Holbrook to take control.

Holbrook began to pull away while Ordway, Furlong, Payne, and Trytek all battled fiercely for second place. Ordway's 61 began to slowly drop off the pace, falling to fourth allowing Furlong and Payne to advance one spot. After Gary Morton spun bringing out the caution on lap 142, Joey Payne headed to the pits, advancing Snyder into fifth once again.

On the restart, Holbrook and Furlong pulled away from the field considerably. On lap 148, Furlong took the lead for the first time getting around Holbrook. 2004 Supermodified Track Champion Tim Gareau passed Snyder to gain fifth, then passed Ordway for fourth before Ordway developed mechanical problems. Ordway took the Clyde Booth 61 into the pits and was out for the day. Snyder again regained fifth.

Greg Furlong opened up a big lead as Dave Trytek spun on lap 164 closing the field back up. Joey Payne aggressively charged back through the field after his pit stop, but made contact with Holbrook, causing many cars to pile into the accident in turn three on lap 181. The red flag was displayed due to the blocked track. The top five when the green flag was redisplayed was Furlong, Gareau, Snyder, Stowell, and Graham.

On the move on the restart was Bobby Santos. After winning the ISMA Supernationals the night before, Santos moved from sixth to third before Doug Heveron spun on lap 194. Furlong, who had been challenged very little since taking the lead on lap 148, now had to worry about a hard-charging Santos with two to go on the restart.

As the green flag came out, Santos was able to get by Gareau to gain second just before the white flag was displayed to signal the final lap of the Budweiser International Classic. Santos saw his opportunity coming off of turn four as the checkered flag was displayed. Furlong slowed going down the front straightaway giving Santos one last chance to dive underneath.

Santos broke loose, and slid up into Furlong causing both cars to crash across the start/finish line. Furlong just barely took the win, by not much more than the length of his front bumper. Furlong got out of his car and the celebration began right from the turn one wall where he and Santos came to a rest. Gareau, Snyder, and Todd Stowell rounded out the top five.

Heat 1:
1. Jeff Holbrook (35) 2. Danny Kapuscinski (85) 3. Tim Jedrzejek (7) 4. Bill Peri (14) 5. Randy Burch (98) 6. Dave Halstead (34) 7. Brandon Bellinger (02) 8. Johnny Torrese (91) 9, Justin Belfiore (16) 10. Jerry Curran (24) 11. Rob Parrow (21) 12. Jamie Moore (88 - DNS)

Heat 2:
1. Bob Magner (40) 2. Kyle Carpenter (49) 3. Howard Page (65) 4. Keith Gilliam (87) 5. Hal LaTulip (56) 6. Bill Peri (14) 7. Mark Sammut (78) 8. Pat Lavery (99) 9. Rick Coyle (55) 10. Shawn Muldoon (1) 11. Mike Lichty (33)

B-Main (20):
1. Shawn Muldoon (1) 2. Scott Martel (4) 3. Mike Lichty (33) 4. Mark Sammut (78) 5. Brandon Bellinger (02) 6. Randy Burch (98) 7. Dave Halstead (34) 8. Rick Coyle (55) 9. Rob Parrow (21) 10. Lou Cicconi (91) Provisional: Pat Lavery (99)

Feature (200):
1. Greg Furlong (72) 2. Bobby Santos III (20) 3. Tim Gareau (5) 4. Tim Snyder (0) 5. Todd Stowell (89) 6. Ray Graham, Jr. (90) 7. Joe Gosek (27) 8. Jeff Holbrook (35) 9. Dave Trytek (70) 10. Kyle Carpenter (49) 11. Doug Heveron (22) 12. Dave McKnight (74) 13. Gary Morton (96) 14. Pat Lavery (99) 15. Doug Kells (39) 16. Keith Gilliam (87) 17. Jamie Letcher (58) 18. Joey Payne (50) 19. Chris Perley (11) 20. Otto Sitterly (79) 21. Bob Bond (25) 22. Bob Magner (40) 23. Mike Ordway (61) 24. Johnny Payne (67) 25. Doug Didero (08) 26. Danny Kapuscinski (85) 27. Bill Peri (14) 28. Craig Rayvals (94) 29. Tim Jedrzejek (7) 30. Vern LaFave (97) 31. Howard Page (65) 32. Hal LaTulip (56) 33. Bob Goutermout (77) 34. Shawn Muldoon (1) 35. Joe Hawksby, Jr. (2)

DNQ: Dave Shullick, Jr. (01) - Jack Smith (09) - Nokie Fornoro (32) - Justin Belfiore (16) - Jerry Curran (24) - Johnny Torrese (91) - Jamie Moore (88) - Lou Cicconi (91) - Rob Parrow (21) - Rick Coyle (55) - Randy Burch (98) - Mark Sammut (78) - Mike Lichty