Top 10 Craziest Things... #5

#5  -  Tyler County Speedway 7/31/99

What Happened:  For a period of time in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s, the 40-lap races at Tyler County Speedway almost always seemed to be decided in the final few laps.  That was never more true than it was on July 31, 1999 with the running of the All-American 40.

In typical Tyler County fashion, Dave Groves and Scott Peltz wowed the packed house with a high speed game of cat-and-mouse throughout the closing stages of the race with Groves maintaining an ever-so-slight advantage.  On the final circuit, Peltz reeled in race-leader Groves one final time as the lead duo encountered lapped traffic entering turns three and four coming around for the checkered flag.  Peltz would take advantage of the backmarkers and pass Groves going into three and four.  Coming off four, Groves pulled a crossover slingshot move but, in a side-by-side drag race to the start/finish line, Peltz appeared to nip Groves by mere inches.

As both scorers had the #15 marked as the race winner, Steve Davis announced that Georgetown, OH’s Scott Peltz was the winner of the $3000 paycheck, much to the delight of the fans in attendance, as Peltz was somewhat of a fan-favorite at Tyler County.  When Peltz and his crew made their way back onto the track for the victory lane celebration, the crowd went nuts.  That’s when the unthinkable happened.  Flagman Barry Youst radioed up to the tower and told the scorers that Peltz did not win the race.  Youst insisted that Groves was the first to cross the line, regardless of what the scorers had.  Standing on the track anxiously awaiting to interview Peltz, I was baffled to say the least.

In an unforeseen turn of events, and with Yours Truly holding the wireless mic on the race track, the decision was reversed and Steve Davis had to announce over the PA system that Dave Groves was declared the winner.  A loud chorus of boos fell over the speedway as irate fans began littering the grounds with bottles, trash, and basically anything they could get their hands on.  It wasn't that fans didn't like Groves, because they did.  It was the fact that everyone witnessed Peltz cross the line first.  I distinctly remember people calling ME out, asking what the hell was going on, and wondering why we screwed Peltz out of the win.

As a 19 year-old announcer at the time, that was a pretty helpless feeling.

A few weeks later, Butch McGill's wife, Cindy, gave me a videotape of the race.  From the angle in which she filmed, Peltz was clearly the first driver to cross the start-finish line.  However, interestingly enough, he was also the LAST driver to cross the line, meaning Groves made the winning pass right at the stripe.

So much controversy followed the race that, behind closed doors, track promoter Scott Farley eventually paid Peltz (at least a portion of) the $3000 first place money.

Looking Back:  At the time, many folks were pretty upset that Peltz got screwed out of the win.  It marks one of the only times I have ever seen one flagman overturn the decision of every single scorer and every single official in the press box.  Having to dodge the flying beer bottles and debris being thrown my direction is something I hope I never have to encounter again.