DOUG ROSE RECORDS FIRST CAREER MODIFIED WIN - June 1, 2002
JON CALLWAY GETS FIRST WIN IN MODIFIED LITES
By Charlie Brown, Delmar, DE (6/1/02) – Doug Rose of Temple, Pa. pulled a major upset as he captured the Scott’s Furniture 25-lap Big Block Modified feature Saturday night at the Delaware International Speedway. It was Rose’s first win at DIS and his first ever career win. Jon Callaway of Harrington, Del. took advantage of a blown engine by leader Nick Hendricks to win his first of the season in the Modified Lite 15-lap main.
It took three attempts to get the first lap of the Modified feature in the books. Defending point champion, Craig Mullins ended up in the infield with a broken front suspension before the first lap was in. Rose took off in the lead from his pole starting position with Robert Dutton running a strong second and Adam Jarrell in third.
The race stayed green until lap eight when Jim Carey spun. On the restart Andy Best moved into fourth dropping Ricky Johnson to fifth. Cautions on laps 17 and 18 bunched the field for a final time. Rose’s line around the half-mile continued to be the quickest as he drove a flawless race to the checkered in the Ambrose Real Estate Investment/Teo/Meyers.
"I figured somebody would be coming eventually but I never saw anybody or heard anybody," said Rose about his wire-to-wire win. "So I guess we did alright."
Rick Bishop came on strong in the closing five laps to grab second on the final tour with Dutton ending a great drive in third. Norman Short suffered engine problems in the heat and drove the Deron Rust backup to a fourth place finish with Jarrell again posting a solid top five. Sixth through tenth were Best, Cliff Foskey, Kyle Strickler, Ellsey Conover, and Chad Marvel. Rose and Johnson won the heats with Andy Best winning the consolation.
Mike Vammino jumped out to the early lead in the caution filled Modified Lite main. Tom Curtis held down the second spot with Lucky Kohland getting by Ron Riccio for third. Nick Hendricks shot form his sixth starting spot to take the lead on lap four with Jon Callaway following into second one lap later.
Hendricks appeared to be headed for his second win of the season when the car erupted in flame going down the back straight. Hendricks alertly drove the car into the pits and was O.K. Callaway held the top spot for the final four laps for his first win of the season in the Northeast Modified Lites/Bennie’s Junction/Suzuki. Tom Curtis, Vammino, Mike Stratton and Joe Warren rounded out the top five. Sixth through tenth were John Curtis, Chris Collins, Herb Tunis, Dana Walker and Kohland.
Busch Grand National driver Nick Woodward of Preston, Md. made the trip south from Dover International Speedway after running in the MBNA Platinum 200 that afternoon. Nick competed in the Modified Lite feature but was involved in a tangle at mid-race and finished in 14th. Cash bonuses were presented to the top finishers in both division by race sponsor, Ralph Scott III of Scott’s Furniture.
There will be no racing this Saturday night at Delaware International as action at the motorsports complex switches to the U.S. 13 Dragway and the three-day, NHRA Lucas Oil Delaware 1st State Championships.