Septembe 4, 1999

OSWEGO CLASSIC SATURDAY ENDS WITH GARY ALLBRITAIN IN ISMA SUPER NATIONALS WIN

Oswego, NY - Gary Allbritain hadn't been in victory lane at Oswego Speedway since May 1985, but he knew where it was. Allbritain, a supermodified veteran of many years, guided the Bill Kovacs 7 around the Big O as if it were the road home. Taking the lead on lap 9 of the 6th annual ISMA Super Nationals.

Allbritain, who also sits sixth on the All-Time Bud Classic point list, led the rest of the way in the former Skip Matczak machine that also knew where the winner's circle was.. He was challenged heavily along the way, but each time managed to pull away from a Canadian front, created first by Dave McKnight and then Randy Ritskes.. It was the first win on the ISMA trail for the recently formed Kovacs team out of Ohio.

Allbritain, the 1975 Classic winner at Oswego, said in victory lane, "I could see McKnight's nose once and I tried to pick the pace up. I don't know if I got away or not. I was just running as hard as I could go. After the heat race we had some problems, but we couldn't find anything, so we just tried to run as hard as we could, I wanted to save the tires, but we had to run hard because I was giving up straightaway speed. The caution toward the end didn't bother me. Either they're going to get you or they're not. You just run as hard as you can and if they get position, it's theirs. If they don't, it's not. The crew set the car up and I just drove. My crew heard that line from a USAC driver and now all I hear is 'just shut up and drive.'"

18-year old Jamie Timmons, driving the Howie Lane 97 for his first time ever at Oswego, led the way to green in the Bud Classic weekend ISMA Super Nationals, but Gary Allbritain, whose was racing at Oswego well before Timmons was born, quickly moved in on the North Andover, Mass. driver.

On lap 9, Allbritain put the Kovacs 7 by Timmons off turn 4 to assume the lead, which he never gave up. Lap 11 saw a yellow for Scott Heil and Mark Sammut. Heil did not return to the action after the spin.

On the lap 11 restart, rookie point leader Timmy Jedrzejek, still recovering from broken ribs suffered at Lee, blew the motor on the Jaycox 91 leaving oil all around. In the interim, former ISMA Super Nationals winner Chris Perley pitted the Miller 11 for some stagger adjustment. Unfortunately for Perley, the move did not work and he would pit out of the running on lap 21.

On the next restart, Allbritain felt the pressure from a couple Canadian hotshoes in Dave McKnight and Randy Ritskes. Ritskes, who had won the first ISMA event at Oswego on Memorial Day, was looking for another strong finish. Joe Gosek, Timmons, Jim Shirey, Russ Wood, Dave Shullick, Mike Ordway and Joey Payne were among the top ten runners at the time.

The race ran quickly to the midway point with no slowdowns to break the rapid pace. Allbritain continued to lead, but never shook off McKnight or Ritskes.

A classic battle ensued behind between Gosek, Wood, Ordway and Payne as Timmons dropped back to eighth.

A final yellow fell on lap 38 which involved the rookie Timmons and the veteran Doug Saunier in turn two. Mark Sammut also headed pitside with a broken wing. Timmons went in the pits and returned. Saunier was done for the night.

This tightened things up as only 12 laps remained to the checkered and the $6,000 payday. Both McKnight and Ritskes made a run on Allbritain as the green fell, but Gary put his foot into it and pulled just far enough away to be comfortable. Ritskes took away second from McKnight at this point as

Gosek, Ordway, Wood and Payne remained close behind. At the checkered, it was Allbritain, Ritskes, McKnight, Ordway and Payne in the top five as Gosek fell back to sixth in the last laps. Wood, Martel, Shirey and Richie Witkum were the top ten. A tribute had been held prior to the night's invocation to Witkum's brother Randy. Gord Hooper, who also suffered some serious injuries at the same Jennerstown ISMA show, was in attendance to thank all the people who sent their get well wishes.

Ritskes said later, "I'm happy with second. I like Oswego. I always seem to do good here. We broke a rocker arm or something about lap 25 or 30. I just couldn't get down the straightaways. I could get into the corners all right, but not down the straight. Every once in a while it would run clean, then it wouldn't. Maybe a valve spring went. But, hey I'll be happy with a first and a second for the two wing shows here this year."

McKnight, commenting on his strong run, said, "It was a good run for the Patco Motorsports team. We have been struggling all year. We've been playing with a new car again and a new wing. Tonight was good. I tried Gary a few times, but then the car fell off. I'm just real happy with third - happy for the guys."

Heat 1: Jamie Letcher, Randy Ritskes, Jim Shirey, Richie Witkum, Pat Shullick, Dan Soule, Joey Payne, Doug Saunier, Mark Sammut, Scott Heil

Heat 2: Chris Perley, Justin Belfiore, Jamie Timmons, Mike Ordway, Denny Fisher, Scott Martel, Joe Petro, Timmy Jedrzejek, Sean Sauer

Heat 3: Gary Allbritain, Russ Wood, Dave McKnight, Dave Shullick, Joe Gosek, Gary Morton, Joe Hawksby, Billy Whittaker, Don Little, Ralph Clark

Consi: Timmy Jedrzejek, Doug Saunier, Mark Sammut, Billy Whittaker, Scott Heil, Don Little, Sean Sauer, Ralph Clark