11/21/2004

BISSINGER AND LAWRENCE BAG A "MUTHA" OF HOLIDAY CASH

With an advertised purse of over 12k (for 100 cars to start), who needs a Christmas club?  That was the intent of the drivers, to bring home the cash heading into the past weekends NEETS  "Mutha of all Enduros" at Mountain Speedway.  The two-day event netted over 120 cars and a lot of pleased spectators from all over the eastern coast.

 

Qualifying heats were run Saturday for Sunday's 4 cylinder and 6/8 cylinder main events.  The 4 cylinder heat winners were Mike Odwazny, Joe Jentile, Bill Verwys Jr., Pete Verwys and Pat Verwys.  The 6/8 cylinder heat winners were Mike Mujsce, Mike Coll, Joe Jentile and Ceasar Cunaccia.  All heat winners were guaranteed qualifiers for the top starting spots in Sunday’s features.

 

Bill Verwys Jr. started on the pole for the 4 cylinder main and led the opening circuits.  Verwys would soon be attacked like a goldfish in a tank of sharks as the “too tense” of Mike Odwazny took command and led until a flat right front tire caused him to pit.  The lead was swapped several times between the #58 of Carl Altmose Jr. and the #2 of Robin Vollmoeller, with the #34 of Woot Lawrence chasing the pair.  Woot worked his way around Carl, and with a white flag pass, Woot Lawrence put his #34 in command never flinching, taking the checkers and a cool bag of cash back to Southampton, NY.

 

Keith Bissinger was running a 5K 'NEETS style' Sunday, not only picking up the winners trophy, but bagging a ton of cash as the overall enduro prize.  Starting on the pole was the #13 of Mike Mujsce from Riverhead, NY.  Mike led the field to the green flag and then a 4 wide scramble for the lead was underway.  Coming out of turn four to lead the first lap was Dan Cascioli.  However, in this 300-lap enduro fiesta it would take a little more than just leading some early laps to win.

 

By lap 40 the lead was swapped countless times between the #42 of Cascioli, the #438 of Paul Mercante and the #16X of 2003 NEETS champ, Ray Fitzgerald.  When the battle sorted out, Ray Fitzgerald took the lead.  Unfortunately for Ray, on lap 88 his day was diminished due to radiator and engine woes.  The first and second place runners then became Mercante and the #3 of Keith Bissinger. It didn’t take long for Bissinger to take over the top spot, and by lap 168 Keith had the second place car one lap down.  As the laps passed by it looked as if the #75 of Howie Bott was in well control of the third spot. But with twenty to go, Bott found himself involved in a turn three pile-up, which ended his day. 

 

This late race mishap gave the third spot to the #069 of Speedo Jeager and fourth to the #21 of Mike Collins.  By this time only 25 cars were consistently on the track and the leaders advantage was nearly two laps.   As the laps wound down and emotions rose, Bissinger knew he would be the champion of NEETS "The Mutha of all Enduros" at Mountain Speedway. 

 

The next NEETS Holiday Stock Car Series event is January 2, 2005 branded ‘Beaters with Heaters II’, and sponsored by Drews Enterprises.  This will be the first point’s event for the 2005 expanded NEETS series.  For more information, please visit www.neetstour.net.  NEETS would also like to wish everyone a “Happy Holiday” during this short off-season.  See you at Mountain Speedway in 6 weeks!

 

‘Lil Mutha (4 Cyl. Top 10)

Lawrence, Vollmoeller, Altmose Jr., Elliston, Hammer, McGuire, Odwazny, Bentley, Jentile, Harper

 

Mutha (6/8 Cyl. Top 10)

Bissinger, Jentile, Jeager, Collins, Slee, Walkowiak, Cunaccia, Burd, Sullivan, Kmetz

 

 

Statistics 4 Cylinder

Laps:  150

Cars Started:  62

Fastest Lap:  19.297, Peter Verwys, lap 33

Time of Race:  57 minutes

 

Statistics 6/8 Cylinder

Laps:  300

Cars Started:  66

Fastest Lap:  19.682, Joe Jentile, lap 297

Time of Race:  2 hours, 2 minutes

Sources:  Gene Ostrowski/NEETS PR
Posted:  November 21, 2004