1998 OVDCA/Ohio Caverns Touring Series Results
Saturday, April 11, 1998
Shadybowl Speedway, Degraff, Ohio
OVDCA Kicks Off Season at Shady Bowl Speedway
April 11 - The Ohio Valley Dwarf Car Association (OVDCA) kicked off
its 1998 season at Shady Bowl Speedway, and second generation driver
Chad Pendleton picked up where he left off last season at the DeGraff
asphalt oval, taking the feature win in commanding fashion. The
OVDCA/Ohio Caverns Touring Series will visit the unique facility for
eleven events for the '98 season. Ohio Caverns, one of Ohio's fine
tourist attractions will once again sponsor the series, which features
the exciting 5/8 scale replicas of the modified coupes and sedans of
racing's yesteryear. Bo Wiley closely pursued Pendleton, sponsored by
Sam's Rentals for the new season, throughout the race, with Jason Glick,
Jeff Staggers and Wayne Fitzpatrick in a tight duel for the remaining
top five positions.
Pendleton's dominant drive capped off a trying week, as a blown motor
in practice at Columbus Motor Speedway the previous weekend stacked the
odds against him. In an offer a good sportsmanship, fellow competitor
Bill Hostetler provided Pendleton with his backup car, displaying the
colors of his sponsors, West Liberty Lumber and Ohio Caverns. With only
limited practice available, Pendleton's father Robin, and crew were able
to quickly tweak the car to their liking.
Heat one featured 1997 OVDCA/Ohio Caverns Touring Series runnerup
Jeff Staggers take the checkered, with Pendleton second and Max Evans
third. Mike Sell and rookie Keith Bailey rounded out the top five.
Heat two went to Hostetler, pursued by Wiley and Fitzpatrick. Glick and
Scott Botkin took fourth and fifth.
The draw for feature starting positions placed the two West Liberty
Lumber/Ohio Cavern cars on the front row, with Pendleton jumping out to
the early lead at the green. Wiley quickly moved from his fourth
starting spot to chase Pendleton, while Staggers picked up three
positions to take third by lap two. By lap four Pendleton had already
caught the traffic at the back of the field, and Glick was working his
way from eighth to fourth. Glick picked off Staggers for third two laps
later, leaving Staggers to fight with Fitzpatrick for the fourth spot.
By lap ten Pendleton had lapped all but the top five cars. The only
yellow of the twenty lap feature came out on lap 18, as Sell spun in the
oil dropped by Botkin as his oil cooler line came loose. The final two
laps saw Pendleton streak off to the win, with Wiley and Glick in
pursuit. Fitzpatrick held off Staggers for the fourth spot. Hostetler,
Evans, Sell, Greg Watson, and Bill McDonough rounded out the top ten.
The OVDCA dwarf cars make their '98 dirt track debut next week, April
18th, as the OVDCA/Ohio Caverns Touring Series moves to the Coor
Nationals event at Attica Raceway Park with the All Star Sprint Cars.
Heat One: Staggers, Pendleton, Evans, Sell, Bailey, Wallace, McDonough.
Heat Two: Hostetler, Wiley, Fitzpatrick, Glick, Botkin, Slaughter,
Watson, Bernard
Feature: Pendleton, Wiley, Glick, Fitzpatrick, Staggers, Hostetler,
Evans, Sell, Watson, McDonough, Botkin, Bailey, Wallace, Slaughter,
Bernard.