1998 OVDCA/Ohio Caverns Touring Series Results
Friday, June 19, 1998
Attica, Ohio
Pendleton wins again at Attica
June 19 - The OVDCA dwarfs joined the sprint cars of USAC at Attica Raceway Park for a rare appearance of the non-winged cars in Ohio as the OVDCA/Ohio Caverns Touring Series returned to the dirt. The unusually slick track was a challenge for many of the drivers, but once again Chad Pendleton found the set up, and was able to pick up his fourth feature win of the season. Jeff Staggers was second, with Wayne Fitzpatrick third.
Mike Rector and Ed Barok lead the field down to the green for the first heat, but the race quickly became a battle between dirt track specialists Staggers and Tracy Fritter. Staggers pulled out to a solid lead at the checkered over Fritter, with Bill McDonough, Mark Bernard and Jason Glick rounding out the top five.
Scott Riddle and Mike Weisberg drew the front row for heat two, which started off with a bang as a pile up on the backstretch took out both the cars owned by Chuck Engler, along with John Rine and Spence Stearns. Pendleton moved quickly to the front on the restart with Greg Watson, Fitzpatrick and Weisberg falling in behind. His lead was shortlived however, as Pendleton jumped the cushion coming out of turn two, and spun the car as he re-entered the track on the backstetch. Watson, in the Marvin Sweazy owned #11M assumed the lead and held on for his first career OVDCA heat race win, while Pendleton worked his way back to second. Fitzpatrick was third, with Weisberg and Bill Hostetler fourth and fifth respectively.
Watson drew the pole for the feature, paired with Bill McDonough on the front row. The #5c of Chuck Engler, and the #81 of John Rine were unable to return after their heat race misfortunes, and both Bob Miller (#77) and Ed Barok (#46) scratched with mechanical woes. At the green Pendleton and Staggers jumped into the early lead from their second row starting spots, followed by Wayne Fitzpatrick starting from the sixth starting spot. McDonough held on for fourth, with Watson fifth. As Pendleton and Staggers put some distance between themselves and the field, a battle formed for third, as Fritter joined the pack with Fitzpatrick, McDonough, and Watson. Glick, Weisberg and Bernard also waged a good fight just behind the leaders. Further back in the field, John Miller in the Engler owned #75 bounced back from his heat race DNF to move from the twentieth starting spot to eleventh. The remainder of the race featured good, clean, close racing, with jockeying for position throughout the field, but few position changes. Just one lap from the finish the clutch went out in the #11 of Watson, dropping him from fifth to twelfth at the finish. Pendleton took the checkered, followed by Staggers, Fitzpatrick, McDonough, and Fritters. Glick, Weisberg, Bernard, Hostetler, and Ike Carter rounded out the top ten.
Pendleton's victory was his second of the season at Attica, and it put the Sam's Rental #21 solidly in the OVDCA/Ohio Caverns Touring Series Points lead. Fitzpatrick's continued strong performances on dirt has the Accurate Fabrication/MSP/Hall's Electronics #2 comfortably in the second slot, while Watson holds down the third spot in the Sweazy #11M. OVDCA action moves back to the asphalt of Shady Bowl on June 20th.
Heat One: Staggers, Fritter, McDonough, Bernard, Glick, Carter, Rector, Evans, Barok, B. Miller 2c.
Heat Two: Watson, Pendleton, Fitzpatrick, Weisburg, Hostetler, Eagle, Riddle, Rine, Engler, J. Miller, Stearns.
Feature: Pendleton, Staggers, Fitzpatrick, McDonough, Fritter, Glick, Weisburg, Bernard, Hostetler, Carter, J. Miller, Watson, Rector, Evans, Stearns, Eagle, Riddle, 2c.