August 28, 1999

GOUTERMOUT GOES WIRE TO WIRE FOR SUPER WIN

Oswego, NY - Fulton's Bob Goutermout broke a string of bad luck Saturday at Oswego's Burke's Home Center night by leading the entire feature distance in the supermodifieds. Goutermout had crashed out of the last two events and he was bound and determined not to have it happen again. Starting in the front row, Goutermout took a lead on lap one, which he never relinquished. Another driver having his share of woes, Greg Furlong, was not so lucky. Furlong was able to keep in touch with Goutermout in second until a lap 26 restart found him sideways and soon out of the action. It was Furlong's 5th dnf in a row. Goutermout's win was his third of the year, and unofficially pushed him up into the top five in the final Coca-Cola-Hoosier point standings.

"I just want to thank my crew," said Goutermout, "They worked hard to get this car back where it belongs. The last couple weeks have been spent in the garage every single night. Starting on the front row tonight made it a lot easier. Greg (Furlong) was right there and if he hadn't had that bad luck over there he would have given me a hard time. I'd like to thank my car owners, all my sponsors for sticking with me and everybody who has helped me this year. And, I'd especially like to thank my wife Terry for all her support. I couldn't be doing this without her. Maybe next week's Classic will be the icing on the cake for our season.."

A strong field of 25 supermodifieds came to the green with Furlong and Goutermout handicapped to the front due to their recent bad finishes. Goutermout jumped away with the lead, with Furlong close behind. A couple yellows fell before the 10th circuit was complete with Doug Boisvert and Gary Morton involved in the first and Mike Bond in the second. Joe Gosek was also a victim here and parked the car after a brush with the wall.

Goutermout was as determined to stay out front as Furlong was to catch him but just behind were Howard Page, Mike Muldoon and Tim Gareau, also pretty set on winning. Goutermout, Furlong, Page and Muldoon were joined in the top five by Jeff West by lap 17 and things were moving quickly along.

But as the full moon showed over turn four and the counter clicked to lap 27, all hell broke loose. First Shannon Groves' 07 laid oil around the track as he pitted smoking. Then a tangle on the restart saw Dan Soule, Ray Graham Jr., Bill Sharkey spinning and colliding in turn one. Graham, who held a three point lead for rookie of the year over Mike Bond, was hooked and out of the action. Bob Bond, pitted here also as did Mike Brubaker with overheating woes.

When things were cleared away, another try at the lap failed miserably as this time the red fell when Greg Furlong got sideways in turn one after a tap by Howard Page, sending cars all over the place. Mike Ordway's car landed atop Todd Stowell's. Jeff West was hooked. Furlong was hooked and so was Ordway. Gareau went pitside again here and stayed this time with motor problems. Stowell returned after the green fell while West would return several laps later.

Page, who would eventually finish second said after the race was over, "I feel bad that I caused that wreck. I just feel real bad about Greg. It wasn't his fault. I hit that grate coming into the first turn and just bumped up into him. I feel like an idiot. I'm glad Bob won especially after the trouble he's been having the last couple weeks. We just didn't have anything for him after he got rolling. The starts were pretty good. Our car's still pretty good. We were off a little from last week. But, second's better than third and we've got to take it and come back next week for the big one."

Finally, the race resumed and went clean green from thereon with attrition taking a heavy toll just a week before the Budweiser International Classic weekend. Goutermout stayed in front pursued heavily Page and Muldoon. Randy Ritskes moved into fourth with Russ Wood right there for fifth doing a tune-up for Classic.

Eddie Bellinger, driving the second Shea Racing numbered 02 in his honor, sat a slight distance back in sixth as Billy Whittaker in the Powell 12 tried to steal the spot. In the remaining ten laps, Goutermout began to pull away from Page as Muldoon, Ritskes and Wood stayed pretty much in line as they crossed under the checkered. Bellinger, Whittaker, Jerry Curran, Tim Snyder and Hal LaTulip finished the top ten.

Muldoon, who last week clinched his third straight Oswego title said, "It's tough to beat a guy who starts on the pole. I thought we had a good car. The spec motor hurt us a little bit tonight but I've got to thank the guys on the crew and all the sponsors and Doug Holmes did a great job with the motors all year. This is not bad for a spec motor. They just need a little more gear and hopefully next year they'll give the spec motor a little more to level the playing field. I think we're ready for next week."

Heat 1: Bob Goutermout, Ray Graham, Jeff West, Joe Gosek, Mike Bond, Jerry Curran, Billy Whittaker, Ed Bellinger, Dave Halstead, Frank Ferguson, Dan Connors

Heat 2: Tim Gareau, Todd Stowell, Russ Wood, Tim Snyder, Shannon Groves, Dan Soule, Mike Brubaker, Bill Sharkey, Gary Morton, Vern LaFave, Bill Peri

Heat 3: Greg Furlong, Howard Page, Mike Muldoon, Randy Ritskes, Mike Ordway, Bob Bond, Hal LaTulip, Bob Smith, Jennifer Chesbro, Dave Mazzoni, Doug Boisvert

Consi: Whittaker, Bellinger, LaTulip, Sharkey, Morton, Boisvert, Ferguson, Peri, LaFave, Mazzoni, Connors, Chesbro, Bob Smith(66)