Re(1): Hy-Miler History (1995~2004) Posted on 7/22/2015 at 02:03:38 PM by Jeff L.
1995...Up to 1995 nobody had ever won the Friday and Saturday Hy-Miler events in the same year. Pelham, New Hampshire’s Russ Wood would change all of the that as the young shoe driving for Paul Dunigan dominated the field all weekend long to notch his first Hy-Miler victory. Cliff Graves turned in his best ever Sandusky performance with a runner-up spot. Scott Martel, Jim Shirey and Brad Lichty finished in the top five.
1. Russ Wood
2. Cliff Graves
3. Scott Martel
4. Jim Shirey
5. Brad Lichty
6. Joe Gosek
7. Gary Morton
8. Steve Gioia Jr.
9. Dan Soule
10. Pat Shullick
11. Howard Page
12. Joe Grunda
13. Mike Ordway
14. Denny Fisher
15. Gary Allbritain
16. Bentley Warren
17. Joe Moriarty
18. Ron Henes
19. John Dirk
20. Gene Lee Gibson
21. Howie Lane
22. Pat Abold
23. Dave McKnight
24. Doug Didero
1996...Russ Wood played the lay back and wait game for the second year in a row as he made a late race charge to grab his second Hy-Miler Nationals victory. Wood passed 1992 winner Pat Abold on lap 86 to speed away to victory. Bentley Warren turned in another fine Nationals performance driving from the back of the pack after a spin to second place. Abold held on to third. Joey Payne and Gary Allbritain closed out the top five. Friday Night Winner: Dave Shullick
1. Russ Wood
2. Bentley Warren
3. Pat Abold
4. Joey Payne
5. Gary Allbritain
6. Dave McKnight
7. Chris Perley
8. Joe Moriarty
9. Dave Shullick
10. Randy Ritskes
11. Dan Soule
12. Pat Shullick
13. Howard Page
14. Jack Smith
15. Willie Stutzman
16. Gene Adams
17. John Dirk
18. Troy Vaccaro
19. Mike Ordway
20. Joe Gosek
21. Gene Lee Gibson
22. Mike Lichty
23. Howie Lane
24. Denny Fisher
25. Joe Grunda
1997...Things tend to go in streaks at big Sandusky races and the mid 1990s found that to be true. Russ Wood pulled a trifecta as he captured his third Hy-Miler win in a row. Russ Wood won Friday Night also, winning 5 out of 6 Hy-Miler Friday/Saturday races in 3 years.
1. Russ Wood
2. Randy Ritskes
3. Dave Shullick
4. Mike Ordway
5. Pat Abold
6. Dave Simard
7. Denny Fisher
8. Lou Cicconi
9. Jack Smith
10. Scott Martel
11. Tim Jedrzejek
12. Doug Boisvert
13. Joe Moriarty
14. Joe Petro
15. Joey Payne
16. Bentley Warren
17. Joe Grunda
18. Joe Gosek
19. Dave McKnight
20. Willie Stutzman
21. Jamie Letcher
22. Dan Soule
23. Gary Griffith
24. Tim Siel
25. Jon Henes
1998...The "Jersey Jet" Joey Payne finally put an end to the Russ Wood domination of the Hy-Miler Nationals, but not by much. The two East Coast drivers covered the field with Doug Saunier coming home third. Russ Wood lit up the track in qualifying setting an alltime mark of 14.08 which stood until 2013. Friday Night Winner: Randy Ritskes
1. Joey Payne
2. Russ Wood
3. Doug Saunier
4. Mike Ordway
5. Doug Didero
6. Joe Moriarty
7. Randy Sweet
8. Dave McKnight
9. Dan Soule
10. Pat Shullick
11. Troy Vaccaro
12. Brad Lichty
13. Howie Lane
14. Gary Griffith
15. Chuck Jackson
16. Rusty Ryan
17. Jack Smith
18. Dave Simard
19. Howard Page
20. Jim Shirey
21. Joe Grunda
22. Randy Ritskes
23. Denny Fisher
24. Dave Shullick
25. Scott Martel
26. Justin Belfiore
1999...The 1999 edition turned out to be a family affair with Dave Shullick Jr and Sr. stealing the spotlight from the east coast invaders. The race was decided at the scales however as the younger Shullick came up light after the post-race inspection giving the win to the second place father, his fifth in the event. Elyria's Tim Jedrejezek finished second with Joe Gosek, Joey Payne and Dan Soule all in the top five. Friday Night’s race was RAINED OUT.
1. Dave Shullick Sr.
2. Tim Jedrzejek
3. Joe Gosek
4. Joey Payne
5. Dan Soule
6. Mike Ordway
7. Dave McKnight
8. Randy Ritskes
9. Chuck Jackson
10. Pat Abold
11. Sean Sauer
12. Ritch Witkum
13. Scott Martel
14. Mark Sammut
15. Joe Petro
16. Denny Fisher
17. Russ Wood
18. Doug Saunier
19. Jack Smith
20. Justin Belfiore
21. Lou Cicconi
22. Jamie Letcher
23. Jamie Timmons
24. Gary Allbritain
25. Joe Hawksby Jr.
26. Dave Shullick Jr.
2000...The story of this season was rain. The Friday night preliminary feature was run under threatening skies. Ohio drivers Jack Smith of Sandusky and Doug Saunier of Navarre were the story in the 40 lap warm up feature. Saunier got by Smith on a late race restart to grab the honors. Things went downhill from there as showers settled in for the weekend and rained out the Hy-Miler Nationals for the first time in its history. It marked only the sixth year in the track’s history that a championship level race was not held.
2001...For only the second time in the history of Sandusky’s big event, the trophy returned north of the border. Canadian Dave McKnight capitalized on a late race crash by leaders Gene Lee Gibson and Lou Cicconi to notch his first Hy-Miler victory. McKnight proved it was no fluke as he went on to win the ISMA title for longtime owner-driver Brad Lichty. McKnight went on to win 6 ISMA races along with the Championship in 2001. Friday Night Winner: Mike Ordway
1. Dave McKnight
2. Nokie Fornoro
3. Howie Lane
4. Dave Shullick Jr.
5. Russ Wood
6. Ken Bell
7. Jack Smith
8. Joe Petro
9. John Payne
10. Joe Hawksby Jr.
11. Denny Fisher
12. Joey Payne
13. Gene Lee Gibson
14. Lou Cicconi
15. Greg Furlong
16. Jim Shirey
17. Tim Jedrzejek
18. Pat Shullick
19. Jamie Timmons
20. Howard Page
21. Joe Gosek
22. Chris Perley
23. Randy Ritskes
24. Mike Ordway
2002...As has been the story over the past decade, team Dunigan had Sandusky's number dialed on Hy-Miler weekend. This time it was Joe Gosek, no stranger to Sandusky’s victory circle, passed teammate Russ Wood late in the race for his third Hy-Miler crown. Friday Night Winner: Kenny Bell
1. Joe Gosek
2. Russ Wood
3. Mike Ordway
4. Scott Martel
5. Pat Shullick
6. Chris Perley
7. Tim Jedrzejek
8. Greg Furlong
9. Joey Payne
10. Dave McKnight
11. Howie Lane
12. Eric Shirey
13. Jamie Timmons
14. Lou Cicconi
15. Brad Lichty
16. Jon Henes
17. Ken Bell
18. Gene Lee Gibson
19. Dave Shullick Jr.
20. Jamie Letcher
21. Bentley Warren
22. Jack Smith
23. Denny Fisher
24. Howie Page
25. Jon Gambuti
2003...After losing a motor in Hot Laps, Russ Wood in the Dunigan #29 started 23rd on the grid, making his way up from starting tail in the Consi to fifth place. Wood proved that you can indeed win from the back row, as the Pelham, New Hampshire driver claimed his fourth Hy-Miler Checkered. Friday Night Winner: Mike Ordway
1. Russ Wood
2. Joe Gosek
3. Pat Abold
4. Greg Furlong
5. Bentley Warren
6. Jim Shirey
7. Tim Jedrzejek
8. Chris Perley
9. Dave Shullick Jr.
10. Howard Page
11. Randy Ritskes
12. AJ Davis
13. John Payne
14. Randy Burch
15. Brad Lichty
16. Pat Shullick
17. Moe Lilje
18. Ken Bell
19. Jack Smith
20. Justin Belfiore
21. Mike Ordway
22. Denny Fisher
23. Jamie Letcher
24. Scott Martel
25. Dave McKnight
26. Lee Boss
2004...Mike Ordway made it a perfect 3-for-3 at Sandusky in ISMA sanctioned shows as he won the 75-lap June event and the Hy-Miler Preliminary 40-lapper on his way to picking up his first ever Hy-Miler victory in the Clyde Booth #61. This victory, coupled with his 2003 Oswego Budweiser Classic Victory and other Star Classic victories with Team Dunigan put Mike Ordway into a class met by only three other drivers: a Triple Crown Winner. The triple crown of supermodified racing consists of the Sandusky Hy-Miler, the Oswego Budweiser Classic, and the Star Classic. Now Mike Ordway joins the ranks of Doug Heveron, Bentley Warren, and Joe Goesk as the only four triple crown winners of all time! Friday Night Winner: Mike Ordway
1. Mike Ordway
2. Nokie Fornoro
3. Tim Jedrzejek
4. Dave McKnight
5. Russ Wood
6. Chris Perley
7. Mike Lichty
8. Pat Abold
9. Randy Burch
10. Jack Smith
11. Joe Grunda
12. Justin Belfiore
13. Mark Sammut
14. Dave Shullick Sr
15. Joe Gosek
16. Kyle Carpenter
17. Dave Shullick Jr
18. Sean Sauer
19. Doug Saunier
20. John Payne
21. Rick Wentworth
22. Denny Fisher
23. Ryan Coniam
24. Eric Shirey
25. Lou Cicconi
26. Jon Henes