Mike Eddy Snaps ASA Winless Streak At Jennerstown

    JENNERSTOWN, Pa.(September 13, 1998) - Mike Eddy made a dramatic late race pass of points leader Gary St. Amant with five laps remaining to snap a winless string that lasted 49-races.
    As is the case so many times, Eddy's streak came to end at Jennerstown Speedway the site of his last American Speed Association win on July 20, 1996.
    Starting from the pole position in the GM Goodwrench Service Plus/HRE Pontiac Eddy dominated the first 101 laps, but while attempting to put Johnny Sauter a lap down spun in turn three.
    That gave the point to Bob Senneker in the Lane/JR Automation/Checker Flag Ford. On lap 126 St. Amant drove the Wynn’s/Gainey Transportation Services Chevrolet inside of Senneker to take the lead.
    5t. Amant led until lap 245 when most of the leaders pitted, which gave the Lead to Jack Landis in the Adirondack/Maisto Ford chased by St. Amant and Tim Sauter.
Sauter took the lead on lap 262 when he drove underneath Landis with St. Amant holding down third with Senneker and Eddy rounding out the top five.
    Sauter led until lap 289 when be pitted which put Mike Garvey in the Metro Milwaukee Auto Auction Pontiac on the point followed by rookie driver Peter Cozzolino in the McDonald's Chevrolet chased by St. Amant, Sauter and Jimmie Johnson in the Team Monte Carlo Chevrolet.
    When all the leaders pitted on lap 308 it was St. Amant getting out first followed by Eddy and Senneker.
    A key decision on lap 232 by Eddy, Landis and Garvey would have an impact on the finish as the three were the only lead lap cars to pit.
    St. Amant, Senneker, T. Sauter, Johnson and Eddy rounded out the top five. Sauter in the Build-A-Mold/Trimplas /Moldplas Chevrolet pressured Senneker until lap 345 when misfortune struck the second-year driver.
    On lap 345 Sauter spun on the back straight but was able to remain on the lead lap. But on lap 359 Sauter got out of the groove entering turn three and rode the wall before stopping on pit road. A strong bid for his first win ended with a broken cooling line.
    With 20 laps remaining St. Amant maintained the top spot as Eddy, Landis, Senneker, Johnson and Garvey battling for position.
    Johnson's bid for a first ASA win ended on lap 386 when he spun coming off the fourth corner and a final caution with nine laps remaining set-up a six race sprint to the finish.
    Eddy was able to get underneath St. Amant coming off the fourth corner to grab the top spot with five laps remaining and started to extend his lead. Landis passed St. Amant with four laps left to record his career best finish with St. Amant holding on to third chased by Garvey and Senneker.
    Eddy won by 1.117 seconds in collecting $16,430 for his 55th career ASA win.
    "This feels great," Eddy said as he wore the traditional cowboy hat of former Jennerstown Speedway promoter Piney Laskey. "This team never gave up, in the last three races we ruined three cars. " "This was the last place we won and we've struggled since then," he continued.
    Eddy said after the spin on lap 101 the car was never as good, but it came back at the end of the race.
    "The cautions helped," he said. "We had to catch Gary (St. Amant). I could see I was a little faster and on the restarts the car was better in the middle of the corners."
    Landis said he elected to stay on the track on lap 246 to claim the lead because the Noah Yoder owned team was low on tires.
    "We needed to get another 45 laps out of those tires," he said. "When I was in the lead I had a right front tire going flat and was going to have to pit under the green when we got a yellow. We were lucky."
    Landis said he made a couple of runs at Eddy with 80 laps remaining but then decided to follow the seven-time champion to the front of the field.
    "The cautions helped us catch Gary (St. Amant)," he said. "I don't think we would have caught him without the cautions."
    St. Amant, who extended his points lead over Scott Hansen to 124 with two races remaining, said the last cautions hurt his chances at a third win in 1998.
    "I thought we had the tire strategy worked out perfectly," St. Amant said. "The cautions with 10 laps to go killed us. I knew we were in trouble because I had used the right front tire up, I couldn't get the car to turn in the corners.
    "It was one of those things," he continued. "When you need a caution you can't get one, when you don't need a caution there is one."
    Hansen, who finished ninth, said it will be tough to catch St. Amant with two races remaining.
    "We had a flat left rear tire at the start," he said. "It was probably going flat when we rolled it on to the grid; the car was horrible at the start. Technically we can still catch Gary, but I don't think we can; that team is so good."
    The ACDelco Challenge Series travels next Saturday to Hawkeye Downs Speedway in Cedar Rapids, IA. for the running of the ACDelco 300.