1999 OVDCA/Ohio Caverns Touring Series Results
Saturday, July 10, 1999
Shady Bowl Speedway
DeGraff, Ohio
Vallette Captures Second Win at Shady Bowl
by Shawn Sell
July 10- Columbus� Ed Vallette captured the $400 first prize in commanding fashion in a recent Ohio Valley Dwarf Car Association/Ohio Caverns Touring Series event at Shady Bowl Speedway near DeGraff, Ohio. Vallette�s second win in as many tries at the Bowl this season capped a long, but exciting night of racing on an unseasonably cool evening at the track.
At the drop of the green flag, Parkersburg, West Virginia�s, Randy Tripplett took advantage of his outside front row starting position to take control of the lead. The first of four caution flags flew at the conclusion of the first lap, as rookie Brad Coons, in only his second race in a dwarf car, lost an engine for the second straight time. Before another lap of racing could be completed, the caution flew again as 1998 points champion Wayne Fitzpatrick lost an oil line, dropping oil around the entire track and bringing out a red flag that lasted a full 30 minutes.
On the restart following the lengthy delay, Tripplett once again grabbed the lead only to be passed by Vallette on lap 3. The yellow flag flew again just a lap later as the hard luck endured by Urbana�s Mike Sell continued. Coming into turn 4, the shock on the left rear of Sell�s car came loose, spinning the car out and sending Sell to the pits for the rest of the evening. As the green flag flew once again, Vallette once again took the lead followed by Tripplett and current OVDCA points leader Jason Eddy. Eddy picked Tripplett off for the second position on lap 5 and began his pursuit of Vallette. That pursuit was cut short on lap 8, however, as Eddy spun out coming out of turn 4, bringing out the final caution of the evening and sending Eddy to the rear of the field.
Vallette and Tripplett held the first two positions on the restart with pole sitter Greg Watson third, Bill Hostetler fourth and Mark Bernard fifth. The field remained relatively the same for the remaining 12 laps with the exception of Eddy, who was making a mad dash through the field. By the time the checkered flag fell, Eddy had moved past Bernard into the fifth spot behind winner Vallette, runner-up Tripplett, Watson in a career-best pavement finish of third and Hostetler holding down the fourth position. The remainder of the top 10 showed Bernard in sixth followed by Max Evans, Keith Bailey, Mike Rector, and Bob Miller.
Heat race action earlier in the evening proved just as exciting as the feature with Eddy and Hostetler taking the wins. In heat number one, Miller and Vallette brought the field to the green with Vallette jumping to the early lead. Vallette led the first 7 � laps but conceded the win in a photo finish to Eddy, who had to come from the rear of the pack to take the victory. Fitzpatrick followed Eddy and Vallette across the line in third, with Sell coming home in fourth. Heat two paired Hostetler and Watson on the front row. Hostetler took control of the green and held off a hard charging Tripplett and Watson to take the victory.
Eddy continues to hold the lead in the OVDCA/Ohio Caverns Touring Series points standings. Watson�s strong run propelled him past Fitzpatrick into the second spot, with Hostetler and Bernard rounding out the top 5. The dwarfs return to action on Friday, July 16 for the fourth of six shows at Jackson Speedway near Jackson, Ohio.
Heat 1: Eddy, Vallette, Fitzpatrick, Sell, Coons, Rector, Miller, Staats.
Heat 2: Hostetler, Tripplett, Watson, Bailey, Bernard, Evans.
Feature: Vallette, Tripplett, Watson, Hostetler, Eddy, Bernard, Evans, Bailey, Rector, Miller, Weisberg, Sell, Fitzpatrick, Coons. dns-Staats