2001 Ohio Valley Classic Modifieds Results
Saturday, May 19, 2001
Shady Bowl Speedway
DeGraff, Ohio
Fitzpatrick Wins Again at Shady Bowl
by Shawn Sell
To steal a line from ESPN's Stuart Scott, "Wayne Fitzpatrick must be butter, cause he is on a roll." The 1998 Ohio Valley Dwarf Car Association champion did it again in the most recent event at Shady Bowl Speedway, winning his second feature in a row and third in four feature starts. Fitzpatrick, in the Elevator Services Inc., IBEW Local 683, Accurate Fabrication, Robson's Hilliard Marathon sponsored had to overcome a strong run from Chesterland's Mike Weisberg and a late race charge from Brad Coons of Bellefontaine to take the win.
Paired on the front row for the feature start for the second consecutive race were Mount Vernon's Mike Rector and Weisberg. Weisberg took control at the drop of the green with Fitzpatrick, Coons, Rector and 2000 OVDCA champ Bill Hostetler right behind. Hostetler slipped into the number four spot on lap two as the field settled into shape.
The first round of attrition struck the field on lap seven when 2000 OVDCA rookie of the year Josh Sell saw his frustrations continue. Throughout the night, Sell had been battling an oil leak caused by a dented cooler from a previous wreck. With smoke billowing from his Mid-Ohio Harley Davidson sponsored #03, Sell called it an early night. Two laps later Marysville's Mark Bernard did the same when something broke in the rear end of his #31 car.
The field ran constant for most of the event, until hard luck hit Hostetler, still running fourth on lap 12. A broken oil line caused a great deal of smoke and brought out the evening's first yellow on lap 15 when Hostetler couldn't make it all the way to the pits.
A lap after the restart, Fitzpatrick made his move around Weisberg, bringing Coons with him into second. On lap 17, Weisberg spun while trying to reclaim his lost positions. Before another lap could be completed, Coons got into the back of Fitzpatrick in turn four, turning himself around. However, a ruling by Shady Bowl track officials gave Coons his spot back in line as a full lap had not been completed since the restart, thus the need for a complete restart from the last completed lap.
By the race's conclusion, Fitzpatrick had the win wrapped up, with Coons right behind. Weisberg rebounded for a third place finish. The polesitter Rector held off West Liberty's Max Evans after a 20-lap battle for fourth, with Keith Bailey the last car running in sixth position.
With just nine cars on hand for the evening, the field was placed into one heat. Evans and Weisberg brought the field down, with Evans taking early control. The Ohio Caverns sponsored car and driver knew what to do from there as Evans withstood two cautions and a charge from his old buddy Hostetler to pick up his first career win at Shady Bowl. Fitzpatrick took third, with Coons in fourth.
Another win by Fitzpatrick keeps him firmly in control in the Shady Bowl points standings. Another good run by Coons and the tough luck of Hostetler, have now placed them in a tie for second. Weisberg and Rector round out the top five.
The next dwarf car action is slated for this Saturday, May 26. The headline event of the evening is the 51-lap Neal Sceva Memorial late model race. Rounding out the evening are the E-Mods and Flying Stocks.
Heat: Evans, Hostetler, Fitzpatrick, Coons, Weisberg, Rector, Bailey, Sell, Bernard.
Feature: Fitzpatrick, Coons, Weisberg, Rector, Evans, Bailey, Hostetler, Bernard, Sell. DNS-Jamison.