EL CAJON, CA (April 8). May 1, 1999 was a night Ron Overman will live with the rest of his life. It was on the 25th lap of the 30-lap late model sportsman stock car main event when Overman's Monte Carlo smacked hard into the turn two crashwall on the 3/8-mile-paved oval. The wreck left him with two broken vertebrae in his back. He underwent several hours of surgery the next afternoon at Sharp Hospital and spent the remainder of the week hospitalized.
It was a long road to recovery. In fact Overman will never fully recover. Today eleven months later he still walks with difficulty. But what kept the two-time track champion going was his desire to climb back into his racecar. That was the goal from day one. He never wavered.
Overman got medical clearance to drive just prior to the season opening Coors Light 100 here a few weeks back. He ran a strong third that night. He even took a lick and kept on ticking when the right front tire popped and sent him careening into the cement off turn four on the final lap. Last week he set fast time and came home fourth. Then tonight following a highly charged night of racing, Overman climbed with difficulty from the cockpit of the same Monte Carlo that was buried in the turn two concrete eleven months ago. This time his Grey Thunder Race Team was in victory lane.
"Is it over?" Overman smiled just before gingerly working his way out of the cockpit. That was quickly followed with "How about that boys and girls" after he finally extracted himself from the car. "I couldn't walk at the beginning of this year and now this." That was quickly followed with "what is this?" as he looked around victory lane during the loud celebration. "This is actually only our third race so we're really proud. I don't know what to say right now. With Bud Brandt and the whole crew, we're standing right here in winner's circle and never would have guessed it." Overman was just a scant two car lengths ahead of fast qualifier John Tyczki when the checkered flag was displayed at the conclusion of the 40-lap affair. Claude Bell stormed through traffic not once, not twice, but three times to bring his battered Monte Carlo home in third. Arnie Fry made his first start of the season and finished fourth. Eric Ferguson edged out Gary Tamborelli for fifth.
Lance Biggers dominated the Grand American modified main event. Jimmy Kyte moved atop the pony stock standings with a convincing victory in their 20-lapper. In the bomber stocks Bob Wickey edged out Pat Garity and earned his 40th career win. Troy Decuir was in his usual spot at the head of the mini-stockar feature. That race was marred by two flips. On successive laps, Rick Walton and then Bob Ferguson got their little cars upside down in the second turn. Ferguson actually rolled a couple of times. There were no injuries. p>The sportsman feature was a hard fought race from green to checkered. Overman, who started 12th in the 14 car field, did benefit from the misfortune from a few of his rivals. But while he gained some positions due to the woes of others, the 57 year old former super stock and Grand American modified champ was still able to march up through traffic. A spin on lap 2 by Claude Bell gained him one position. Then a lap seven shunt dropped the second and third running cars of Arnie Fry and John Manke to the rear of the field. By this time Overman was up to fifth.
Meanwhile polesitter Don Kerr was on a Sunday ride. But the 19-year-old was snake-bitten for the third straight outing. In the Coors Light event, his motor sucked a valve during hot laps. Then in the points opener Kerr lost a fourth place finish when a $1.00 gasket in the rear end failed. At least this time it was a more expensive part that sent him to the pits. On the 13th circuit, Kerr was black flagged after the $3.00 rear seal on the tranny failed. Kerr's misfortune left Tamborelli out front. Overman meanwhile had gotten around his stepson Todd McLauchlan into fourth by first jumping to the outside on lap 9 and then ducking underneath him a lap later. When Kerr pitted he was third. Just after Overman worked his way past Eric Ferguson into the runner-up spot, in a huge gaggle of cars Bell tagged Ferguson in turn three and sent him spinning.
Tamborelli meanwhile had been like Kerr. He was breezing. But just before that lap 18 slowdown, he felt it. It was a right front tire going down. "It started before the yellow," Tambo explained. "I thought at first maybe I had too much front brake so I backed a little rear brake into it. After that, the car wouldn't turn."
It did take Overman three rounds to make his way past the fading Tamborelli. He ducked underneath him in turn one on the 20th circuit, ran side-by-side with him for a couple of rounds, and motored out front for good on lap 22. The next to the last slowdown of the race came two laps later when Tamborelli coasted to a stop in turn four with the tire flat. Then the race ran green for 13 laps. But then on lap 36, Bell, McLauchlan, and Tyczki bumped together in turn two in another tussle for second. All were able to continue. Tyczki and Bell continued without harm. But a caution flag was necessary after McLauchlan's Monte Carlo was spewing parts of body panels. This set up a dash to the finish. Overman had to contend with John Tyczki but was able to hold him at bay.
"Tyczki did a masterful job," Overman noted. "I dialed in too much rear brake for the last three laps and the car was terrible loose going in. John gave me a lot of room. He's a gentleman racer."
In the Grand American modifieds, Lance Biggers was the class of the field. He led all 25-circuits to open defense of his championship. Mike Salm was five lengths in arrears when the non-stop race concluded. Bo Lemler ended up third ahead of Ron Brown and Scott Brown. Wickey's was only a half a car length ahead of Garity at the end of the bomber feature. First night victor Eric Seene backed up that strong showing by running third. Rounding out the top five were '98 champ Rich Serrano and sophomore Scott Youngren.
For awhile in the pony stocks, it appeared as if it would be another one-two-three finish for the "super team". Jimmy Kyte got through traffic first and took over the number one spot on lap 9. But Ed Hale started slowing after getting up to second. Marty Schmidt, the third member of the team, was also in the top five when he and Neil Rodvold brushed as they exited turn four on lap 18. Schmidt nosed into the crashwall just before the finish line. With the rest of the herd thundering down, Hale simply ran out of racing room and plowed full bore into the back of Schmidt. Neither driver was hurt, but the same could not be said for their Pintos. The race was called at this point. Douglas Wright was making a late charge at Kyte but had to settle for second. Rodvold claimed third ahead of Ralph Smith and Earl Downing, who claims he is not ageless. Wright's drive was impressive and resulted in the best finish of his brief two-year career.
CAJON SPEEDWAY NASCAR WEEKLY RACING SERIES RESULTS
LATE MODEL SORTSMAN
Fast Time - John Tyczki Jr, Lakeside; Time - :16.335.
1st Heat (8 laps) - 1. Don Kerr, El Cajon; 2. Arnie Fry, Ramona; 3. John
Manke, Ramona; Time - 2:13.76.
2nd Heat (8 laps) - 1. Eric Ferguson, El Cajon; 2. Todd McLauchlan, Alpine;
3. Gary Tamborelli, Escondido; Time - 2:12.72.
Main (40 laps) - 1. Ron Overman, Lakeside; 2. John Tyczki Jr, Lakeside; 3.
Claude Bell, El Cajon; 4. Arnie Fry, Ramona; 5. Eric Ferguson, El Cajon; 6.
Gary Tamborelli, Escondido; 7. Jerry Gay, San Diego; 8. Russ Gregson,
Santee; 9. Jack Lee, Vista; 10. Todd McLauchlan, Alpine; 11. Dee Cable,
Santee; 12. John Manke, Ramona; 13. Don Kerr, El Cajon; 14. Bill Parenteau
Jr., Santee; Time - 30:07.84.
GRAND AMERICAN MODIFIED
Fast Time - Lance Biggers, Alpine; Time - :16.644.
Dash (4 laps) - 1. Mike Salm, Fallbrook; 2. Douglas Carpenter, La Mesa; 3.
Ron Brown, San Diego; 4. Lance Biggers, Alpine; Time - 1:06.93.
1st Heat (8 laps) - 1. Douglas Carpenter, La Mesa; 2. Bo Lemler, Bonita; 3.
Lance Biggers, Alpine; Time - 19:32.30.
Main (25 laps) - 1. Lance Biggers, Alpine; 2. Mike Salm, Fallbrook; 3. Bo
Lemler, Bonita; 4. Ron Brown, San Diego; 5. Scott Brown, Lakeside; 6. Randy
Keatts, Santee; 7. Ron Nava, Encinitas; 8. Douglas Carpenter, La Mesa;
Time - 7:00.89.
PONY STOCK
Fast Time - Ed Hale, El Cajon; Time - :18.442.
1st Heat (8 laps) - 1. Troy Hatfield, Descanso; 2. Dave Brown, El Cajon; 3.
Eddie Perez, Oceanside; Time - 2:35.96.
2nd Heat (8 laps) - 1. Douglas Wright Jr., Jamul; 2. Earl Downing, Spring
Valley; 3. Jimmy Kyte, Lakeside; Time - 6:14.37.
Main (18 laps) - 1. Jimmy Kyte, Lakeside; 2. Douglas Wright Jr., Jamul; 3.
Neil Rodvold, Santee; 4. Ralph Smith, Santee; 5. Earl Downing, Spring
Valley; 6. Bob Cloke, El Cajon; 7. Andy Papp, La Mesa; 8. Tony Cortes, La
Mesa; 9. Dave Brown, El Cajon; 10. Jon Sanitbanes, San Diego; 11. Eddie
Perez, Oceanside; 12. Phillip Klinger, San Diego; 13. Dave Pardo, ; 14. Andy
Balistreri, San Diego; 15. Debi Urioste, San Diego; 16. Kristi Kor, Lake
Morena; 17. Carol Kirby Williams, San Dgo; 18. Jessica Rodvold, El Cajon;
19. Troy Hatfield, Descanso; 20. Marty Schmidt, El Cajon; 21. Ed Hale, El
Cajon; 22. Robert Parenteau, Lakeside; Time - no time.
BOMBER STOCK
Fast Time - Rich Serrano, San Diego; Time - :19.721.
1st Heat (8 laps) - 1. Kelly Jernigan, San Diego; 2. Scott Youngren,
Fallbrook; 3. Mark Schilling, Oceanside; Time - 2:42.02.
2nd Heat (8 laps) - 1. Eric Seene, Santee; 2. Bob Wickey, Spring Valley; 3.
Bill Holland, El Cajon; Time - 2:43.77.
Main (20 laps) - 1. Bob Wickey, Spring Valley; 2. Pat Garity, El Cajon; 3.
Eric Seene, Santee; 4. Rich Serrano, San Diego; 5. Scott Youngren,
Fallbrook; 6. Toree Nies, Lakeside; 7. Bill Holland, El Cajon; 8. Mark
Holland, San Diego; 9. Marv Evans, National City; 10. Randy Wallace, El
Cajon; 11. Mark Schilling, Oceanside; 12. Chris Boyer, San Diego; 13. Kelly
Jernigan, San Diego; 14. Ben Fields, Dehesa; 15. Greg McCown, El Cajon; 16.
Gary Vincent, Lakeside; 17. Scott Denton, Fallbrook; 18. John Luecht, Chula
Vista; 19. Joey Cornetto, El Cajon; 20. Robert Parenteau, Lakeside; Time -
10:03.80.
MINI-STOCKAR
Fast Time - David Moore, Rancho Cucamonga; Time - :19.103.
1st Heat (8 laps) - 1. Randy Shields, Camarillo; 2. Scott Raridon, Palmdale;
3. Russ Uppman, Hawaiian Gdns; Time - 3:08.26.
2nd Heat (8 laps) - 1. Troy Decuir, Moreno Valley; 2. Lyndon Dynsinger,
Corona; 3. Rick Riley, Lancaster; Time - 9:36.00.
Main (20 laps) - 1. Troy Decuir, Moreno Valley; 2. Russ Uppman, Hawaiian
Gdns; 3. Randy Shields, Camarillo; 4. Pete Nosun, Sun City; 5. Dick Laycock,
San Diego; 6. James Ross, Whittier; 7. Art Ramirez, Walnut; 8. Scott
Raridon, Palmdale; 9. Doug Evans, Bloomington; 10. James Brosius,
Victorville; 11. Artie Ramirez, Walnut; 12. Harold DeWitz, Simi Valley; 13.
Bob Stout, Vista; 14. Ron Parker, Vista; 15. Lyndon Dynsinger, Corona; 16.
David Moore, Rancho Cucamonga; 17. Rick Riley, Lancaster; 18. Bob Ferguson,
Moreno Valley; 19. Rick Walton, La Crescenta; 20. Garry Howell, Santa Ana;
Time - 24:53.03.
DESTRUCTION DERBY - Jim Jones, El Cajon
ATTENDANCE - 3521
