May 15th, 2012

A week after Oswego Speedway’s opening night, many speedway fans are already suffering withdrawal due to a scheduled two open weeks after the opener. Especially since the weather was so perfect on Saturday night. This week is another scheduled night off for the racers, and the track reopens for the Mitchell's Speedway Press Memorial Day Weekend, which features the Jimmy Shampine Memorial 75 for supermodifieds, the Tony White Memorial 35 for small block supermodifieds, and the Richie Evans Memorial 75 for the RoC modifieds, on May 26^th. Longest two weeks ever!

---- We still get to see racing at Brewerton Speedway, however. I think what makes Brewerton so much fun is the parity in the modified division. You know competition is tough when guys like Jimmy Phelps and Billy Decker can’t even crack the top ten. And Matt Sheppard can only get to 10^th.

---- The race at the front was great, and although it was won by one of the established stars of modified racing, it almost wasn’t. Alan Johnson started near the front, and took the checkers. But it was fun watching Chad Phelps, “the X-Man”, take a shot at the legend. Chad has had a tough time at Brewerton so far in 2012, but he was almost the third different “Phelps” to win a feature at Brewerton this year. He could have used some help from lapped traffic, but every time they drew into the back of the field, a caution would come out. Chad finished a solid 2^nd, and turned his season around in one weekend. A 4^th place the following night at Fulton Speedway will certainly help team morale.

---- Johnson was running a very unique line to win the race. He would go into turn one in the low groove, then head to the outside at the apex, before coming off of turn two in the high groove. It didn’t look smooth, but it was obviously fast. Phelps had a great run at him on a late-race restart, but couldn’t quite seal the deal. Rob Bellinger, Jim Witko, Jr., and Matt Hulsizer rounded out the top five.

---- I always enjoy the IMCA modified division at Brewerton as well. Although car counts are down in the division, these guys run pretty hard. 18 cars fought for the win, which was taken by Ryan Scott, after an excellent battle with Chris Fleming.

---- J.J. Courcy led several laps, but a tangle with third place finisher Kevan Cook sent the car around. As a Courcy Facebook friend, it’s always very interesting to read his post-race comments. Courcy is very outspoken with his opinions about the track and his competitors, and this week feels that “for some reason I have yet again become the most hated driver in IMCA, or so it seems!” Interesting stuff.

---- The mod lite division hasn’t been showing a full field, but they always put on a great show. There are different theories as to why the car counts are down, one of which is that the points are now done as a combination between Brewerton and Fulton Speedways. I know of more than one driver who will pick and choose which events he runs, since he will not be eligible for the championship since he usually only competes on one night.

---- Tim Devendorf has run twice out of the three events in 2012, and has won them both in the mod lite division. Devendorf will prioritize his supermodified on weekends when Oswego is in action, and will only hit a couple events at Brewerton. But it sure is apparent that he has the fastest car. Mike Mullen gave Devendorf a run for his money, even pulling next to him near the end, but Mullen had to settle for second, when Devendorf switched low and took his groove away. (A win the following night at Fulton Speedway helped Mullen feel better, I’m sure.)

---- The season’s other winner, Joe Garafolo, took the night off for his daughter’s birthday, I’m told. Garafolo may be one of the drivers who will pick and choose which events he hits at Brewerton.

---- This weekend is kids autograph night at Brewerton Speedway. It’s a very popular event for kids all around the area, a night that I used to LOVE as a “little whipper”.

---- So yes, I’m still basking in the glory of my own feature win two weeks ago in the small block supermodified division at Oswego Speedway. And I know you guys heard ALL about it in my column last week, where I talked about myself forever. Shockingly, a week later, the congrats keep coming. Very enjoyable. But there were a few more observations, another week later.

---- The biggest observation I’ve made is this: I hope I never win as many races as Otto Sitterly. Hear me out.

---- Otto will go down in history as one of the greatest drivers of all times. He’s won countless titles and races. He has the best crew, the best owner, and the best cars, and is one of the most talented drivers and mechanics around. But here’s what seemed strange to me. I watched the DVD from Thomas Productions of the win this weekend, and I watched my feature winner interview. I was obviously beside myself with happiness, kissing my car owner, climbing the flagstand, endless high-fiving, and tearing up in victory lane. I welled up again, watching it. Goosebumps and all.

---- Then I watched Otto’s interview. He calmly climbed from the car, and wore a puss throughout the interview. I’m an Otto fan, and I wanted to see him fired up by winning opening night. He had just charged through the field from the sixth row, and made some amazing passes to steal the win in the closing laps. Just awesome. He really is a joy to watch, and if this win didn’t get him fired up, I don’t know which one would. I know Otto’s a mellow guy, and he’s not going to jump up and down over another feature win. But come on, Otto! Get fired up! You’ve worked harder than anyone for your success, and you should enjoy it! You deserve it, my friend!

---- So how many wins are too many? Apparently that number is 21. That’s how many features Otto Sitterly has won at Oswego, which is an amazing record. What a great career. I, on the other hand, won 7 features on the dirt tracks (6 at Brewerton, and 1 at Fulton) before I came to Oswego. After last week’s win, I’ve now won 6 small block supermodified features (2 at Oswego, 2 at Evans Mills, 1 at Spencer, and 1 at Adirondack). But it’s taken me five decades to do it, and it’s been 10 years since the last one at Evans Mills in 2002. I’ve always wondered if the guys that win all the races enjoy them as much. I can understand it. Do something once a decade, and it is a little more exciting than if you do it several times a year. So I guess my goal should be to win so much that it bores me. I‘m sure Otto enjoys his wins in private, on his own terms. He deserves it!

---- One more observation I made was that I never got to (or remembered to) thank our team sponsors. It takes a lot of help to get to victory lane at Oswego Speedway, and I would like to shamelessly recognize some of the companies that helped get us there. Thanks to: Bracy’s Auto Service, Dynamic Sound and Security, Lighthouse Lanes, Enwright Roofing, D and S Landscaping, and many others. Thank you to all of our supporters!

---- With the weather being so nice this weekend, Oswego Speedway fans from all over are lamenting about the fact that the track was quiet this week. Sure would have been nice to have been at the track this week. But for many years, May hasn’t been a full month of racing at Oswego. Oswego State’s graduation, Mother’s Day, and most years, bad weather have cut into attendance figures at the track in May, which is the reason that races haven‘t been scheduled for the whole month the last several years.

---- But after this year’s phenomenal opening that saw the biggest opening day crowd in years, it feels as if a huge momentum swing has been squandered. Will the monster crowd of fans stay so fired up during the three weeks in between race number one and race number two? That remains to be seen. Prediction: this doesn’t happen in 2013.

---- Coming up on Sunday, June 3^rd - the Team Tapout small block supermodified team FUNdraiser! Come out and support Jason Simmons #98, & J.J Andrews #93. The party will include $10 dinners of your choice of pulled pork or chicken, with dessert. “DJ Ronzo” will keep everyone entertained, and supporters will have raffles, 50/50’s, and door prizes to add to the fun. The party starts at noon, and delivery is available until 2:00PM. Tickets are available now, from any Team Tapout member, or 315-598-6025. Don’t miss it. I’m told that the team’s two drivers have been working on a special song and dance routine of a certain Vanilla Ice song, to be performed at the party.

 

May 5th, 2012 - WINNING!!

Yes!  

----  That is the first thought you have when you win your first feature in over ten years of trying.  Just yes.  

----  That’s what happened to me on opening night at Oswego Speedway, in front of a huge crowd, that sounded pretty damn excited when I pulled into victory lane.  All of the planets aligned, and I won my first Oswego Speedway Small Block Supermodified feature since 2001!  And as I savor it the next day on my deck with the laptop, it just keeps getting better.  So relax, and I’ll tell you all about it.  (Disclaimer: if you’re not a “JayMate”, and aren’t interested in the emotions of an old timer’s win, you may want to turn the page.)  

----  Regular readers of Keepin’ it Real have already heard my tale of woe.  Semi-retiring and only racing occasionally the last few years for monetary and ambition reasons.  While I should have just walked away once I quit full time in the mid 2000’s, I just couldn’t quite give it up.  Racing is my passion, and I’ve been driving since 1979.  Old habits die hard.  I still kept my car, and brought it out for Classic and a couple other races every year.  We all know that a half-assed program never works, but I held out hope.  I kept the car, just in case, so I could run Classic every year.  

----  When I destroyed the car in last year’s Classic, ending a string of ELEVEN consecutive finishes in the Classic (all but one in the top ten), it was a big question whether or not I’d put it back together, or call it a career.  Then the business theft happened to our company (see last week‘s column), and the decision was made for me.  Racecar, trailer, personal cars, other valuables - many things had to go.  

----  That’s when my “knight in shining armor“, Jason Simmons, came along.  While we had talked about him maybe buying the damaged car, we agreed to a deal for him to definitely buy the car and trailer.  I wasn’t sure what his intentions were, but I knew they had to go.  I kind of thought he was joking when he agreed to buy it, fix it, and have me drive it.  We now know otherwise.  I’m not sure how Jason and I became such good buddies in such a short amount of time, but get to know him and you’ll understand.  You come across a lot of great people in a lifetime, and I’m fortunate enough to call a lot of them my friends.  And Jason my man, I am so glad I met you!  As I said in victory lane, “you’re the little brother I always wanted!”  (Which is funny because there’s nothing little about him.  He’s probably a foot taller than me.)  And that’s how “Team Tapout” was formed.  

----  So the car was taken to Mike O’Connor’s shop, stripped down, and taken to chassis builder Ray Hedger’s.  Damage was repaired, and everything was freshened and put together perfectly (obviously).  A Doug Holmes engine was freshened, and away we went.  These guys busted their tails all winter working on my car and Jason’s others, along with Dennis Rupert’s, and I am so happy to bring the first of MANY Team Tapout highlights for the year.  

----  On race day, we struggled with the car all day during practice.  It would run great for a few laps, then die out.  Changed parts, messed with fuel lines, etc.  Every time we thought we found something, it would only be worse next time out.  When we went out for our two lap time trial, it was great for the first lap (10th fastest), then died on the track.  I was disappointed, because I knew my second lap would be a couple tenths faster.  As it turned out, the inverted nature of the time trials worked perfectly, putting me on the pole for my heat.  By that time we had found and cured the fuel pickup problem, and I won my first qualifying heat since Moby Dick was a minnow.  

----  But even though the car was now fixed, the driver still was not.  My one problem over the years has been finishing races as fast as I ran them, and I almost lost this heat the same way.  I get afraid to screw up, and give away my speed by changing my line to protect.  I lost four tenths the last few laps of the heat, which will get you beat.  But after quite a scolding and pep talk from Mark, I was determined to not get in my head during the feature.  He told me ten different times leading up to the feature - “don’t ****ing think!”  But who are we kidding - my confidence was shot.  I’ve been running average for so many years, why would I think I could do well now?  Not me.   

----  But as the race wore on, and the car was SO perfect, I started to go faster.  After passing Mark Castiglia and Nate Sitterly on the first and second lap from my third starting spot, I ran as hard as I could - because Mark and Corey were glaring at me from the pits.  While I never felt a challenge, I knew if I relaxed for one minute, I’d be in trouble. I could feel it.  When I saw Jack Patrick’s car 2nd on the scoreboard, I knew I was in for a fight.  Mid-race I started to get complacent, but then the “don’t ****ing think!” gesture from Mark during a caution reminded me to pick it up.  

----  I got over my insecurities two ways.  1. Having a car that is working perfectly builds confidence.  Around lap 15 I started to believe, and by lap 20 or so I KNEW nobody could catch me.  2. Talking to myself every turn of every lap didn’t give me time to think.  “Don’t pinch it.  Free it up. Get on it earlier.”  Jack would keep with me a little after cautions, but after a few laps, I could pull him.  And as further proof that I didn’t psyche myself out - my fastest lap, a 19.437, (the second fastest lap of anyone in the feature) was on lap 27 - just three laps from the end.  Nothing, even the crazy amounts of time-consuming cautions, or the phantom “vibration” in the early lap 20’s could steal my flow.  

----  What a feeling.  All these years of trying and spending and working and stressing had finally paid off.  I deserved this win, and I earned it. I have put my heart and soul into this division for 15 years now, both as a competitor and a media member. Maybe that’s why I’ve had literally hundreds of positive comments, between handshakes, pats on the back, text messages, and Facebook (another positive aspect of social media). I’m definitely humbled by the support. Yes, I was able to capitalize on a good starting position, and I was glad to be in the position to do that. All of the planets aligned, and I finally got my turn. Now with such a great handling car again I DO think I can still do this.  Nothing builds confidence like an opening night win. This is going to be a fun season!  And even though I said just a week ago that I only wanted one more win, I guess I’ve been caught in a lie. (I also have 4 other wins, at Evans Mills, Spencer, and Adirondack, but people usually only count Oswego.)  Must. Have. More.  

----  Adding to the excitement was the fact that my father-in-law, Rusty Vincent, was there to see it.  A former racer himself, I don’t think he’s seen me race since he had me drive his wife Sandy’s mini-sprint at Brewerton over 30 years ago!  Rusty and Sandy loved their Oswego Speedway experience, and I bet we may have brought some new fans to the track.  Thanks for the support you guys!  

----  That win was NOT just for me though.  That win was for a lot of people.  It was for Jason, who has stepped up in a huge way this year for the division, and for me.  It’s for Corey Norton and Mark Sledziona and Barry Kingsley who have been there for me both on and off the track for YEARS without this payoff.  It’s for Mike O’Connor, Brian Dana, David O’Connor, Greg O’Connor, Stanton Taber, and Elijah Walker, who have worked so hard on this car the last several months, and have become great friends.  It’s for the girls, who for some ungodly reason, put up with their men putting so much of their hearts into racing.  Thank you Tiffany and Penny and Kim and Bethany and Leeanna for the great support, and letting all of the boys “come out and play”.   

----  And this win was also for our friend Ray Gregory, who passed way last year.  My buddy Ray would have been very happy to see that win, and I’m glad his kids Dan and Courtney were there to see it.  Sorry I was too flustered to make that dedication in victory lane, as planned.  

----  And mostly, thank you to my sweet wife April, who has put up with all of the highs and lows that racing has brought into our lives these last 27 years.  You’ve propped me up when I’ve needed propping, and kept my head on straight.  20 times over the years when I should have quit, you acknowledged that it was not practical, but said, “I know you’d be miserable without racing”.  You and I, more than anyone, will enjoy this win together for a long time.   

----  Our season’s goals have been met in just one week.  Who would have thought?  Not me, that’s for sure.  So I guess the only thing that’s left is to set new goals.  Championship? (We are the points leader now!)  3-4 more wins?  Total domination?  Give me a couple weeks to stew on that, and I’ll get back to you…

---- Okay okay - enough about me. It was Oswego Speedway’s opening night, and I have a LOT more drivers to talk about. I’ll have to shorten it up though, because I’ve already taken up a good chunk of this column talking about ME.

---- The crowd was HUGE! It was a cold night, but people were so excited about seeing the racecars for the first time this year, they flocked in. The races were a little caution-heavy I think, but there was some close racing.

…. Otto Sitterly won yet another supermodified opener. But what made it most impressive was the fact that he started in the 6^th row. He was flying! …. Sitterly’s Nicotra Racing teammate, Indy star Davey Hamilton looked for a few laps like he would grab a feature, but finished 2^nd to his teammate. Nicotra Racing sure sent a message that they’re going to be tough again this year!…I think people were just as impressed though with the run by sophomore driver Brian Sobus. Brian finished a solid third, after arriving late to the track, and missing open practice the week before. He spent the day completely re-working the car at Joey Hawksby’s shop, and he was glad he did. “Joey said we’re better off missing a practice, and getting the car set up right”, Brian told me before the feature….Dave Gruel had to be heartbroken, as he saw his chances slip away after leading the first 45 out of 50 laps. The car was great, but he fell to 4^th due to a left front tire going down….His cousin Jeffrey Abold finished 5^th, looking very stout in the family owned #05.…Randy Ritskes was pretty disappointed after getting put to the rear of the lead lap on a lap 47 restart, while he was running 3rd. I didn’t see it because we were in celebration mode, but he was apparently busted for jumping the start. Randy was so angry that he has announced his retirement, effective at the end of the season, on Facebook. Fortunately, he has the whole season to cool off….Pat Lavery, who was very fast all night, I believe was a victim of the same penalty on lap 46 while 4^th, ultimately finishing 10^th…. I didn’t see what happened, but Bobby Haynes Jr. took a hard hit into the wall just two laps before the checkers. Looked like a lot of damage, as his rear tire flew out of the park….I made a new friend hanging around waiting for the gas seller to show up. Jim Butcher is the owner of the Rod Sauder driven #33 supermodified. Racing is just full of nice people, and it was nice to meet Jim. The car looked very sharp, and Sauder was 14^th, in the final rundown….Dave Danzer was pretty fired up after the races, as he felt that he was the victim of some contact with Otto Sitterly. Danzer was credited with 16^th spot at the end of the day, completing only 33 laps….Mikey Barnes, in the Strong Racing #99, collected Strong Racing’s 2011 driver Joey Payne, who now wheels the Mike Muldoon #20. The two cars were running 4^th and 5^th at the time….Jessica Zemken’s debut in a supermodified wasn’t what she was hoping for. The dirt sprint car ace struggled all day to get under the 18 second mark, and was off the pace in the heat and feature, retiring on lap 11. For the people who expected Zemken to run up front, it’s quite an adjustment to go from a winged sprint on dirt, to a not winged supermodified on pavement. Hope she tries again some day down the road….”Definitely not”. “No way”. “That’s not happening”. Those were some of Bobby Bond’s comments the week before the opener when I said, “come on. You know you guys will get going on the car this week”. He had me fooled this time. Not. He probably wasn’t that happy he showed, though, when he DNF’d on lap six….THIRTY supermodifieds graced our presence on this night.

---- Small block supermodified news…

….Jack Patrick, who I predicted to win the championship, was fast as expected. He was a heat winner, and finished a pretty close second in the feature. Six points out of the lead right now…. Mark Castiglia, the other heat winner, cracked off his own top three finish, in the new FFB 69’er….Andrew Schartner and Kreig Heroth rounded out the top five, giving Hedger Chassis four out of the top five finishers. Great start for the Hedger guys!….Rob Pullen was fortunate to hang onto a 6^th place finish, as he suffered a broken spindle during the feature. I saw a picture of his spindle, with a huge crack in it, the next day. Close call - he’s lucky the wheel didn’t fly off. “Only cost me one position”, said Pullen….Rookie Jon Tesoriero was satisfied with an 11^th place finish in his maiden voyage as a rookie. “The Terror” started in the 9^th row, and kept out of trouble all night….The same could be said for rookie Josh Kerr, who started 20^th, and worked his way to 12^th place at the finish. Kerr’s learning curve is moving along at a normal pace, as a couple spins earlier in the evening helped him find the boundaries of the car….My Team Tapout owner / teammate caught some damage when he looped the #98 in the third turn. Jason started 8^th, and had worked his way to 5^th before a quick spin on lap 18 brought out the caution that broke the stride of his teammate. After originally questioning himself, “I’ve driven these cars for six years, and I’ve never just spun out like that”, it was theorized that he may have spun in some water or coolant that was on the track from an overheating car….Defending champion Mike Bond immediately headed pitside with the #26, with a broken panhard mount. He later returned to the track, several laps down, to try to gain a couple points positions. 18^th out of 22 cars puts him in a little hole to repeat as champion. But he did enjoy the fact that he kept me from lapping him as I came to the checkers….Nate Sitterly started on the point, and ran second for several laps before the car quit around lap 9. “I’m not sure what happened to it - it just quit”, Nate told me a little while after the finish. He did rattle off some quick laps before the failure….Only 22 small blocks kicked off the season, a little disappointing after all of the new teams coming. Brian Osetek, Chris Proud, Tim Gareau, Jim Graham, Lou LeVea, Jr., and Chris Pike were some of the cars that I expected to see on opening day, that should be there for the second race of the season on May 26^th. Graham and LeVea are the biggest surprises, since they were at open practice the week before.

---- In other racing fun, I also saw another amazing show at Brewerton Speedway on Friday night. But that’s no surprise - the racing is always great at Brewerton.

---- Jimmy Phelps was the winner of the modified show, as he prevailed after a great battle with Larry Wight and Joe August Jr. Phelps was probably still fired up from a battle with Ryan Bartlett, who he ran into after the heat checkers, apparently not happy that Bartlett crowded him up to the fence coming down for the checkers.

---- It’s a great field of quality cars for the modified division every week at Brewerton, but it‘s great to see some of the names that are not household names running up front.

---- It seems as though Roy Bresnahan and Chad Phelps keep finding each other on the racetrack. Phelps got a broken shock tower out of a tangle with Bresnahan in the heat race. “The way I see it, if you push high, you’ve gotta somebody’s going to be in there when you come back down to protect your spot”, said Bresnahan. The look on Chad’s face seemed to indicate that he felt differently, but he doesn’t usually say much.

---- I was impressed by Tim Sears, Jr., who looked pretty smooth in his first race in a big block modified. Sears qualified in the consi, beating a lot of guys with a lot more experience. He was credited with 20^th in the final rundown.

---- The IMCA feature was a crash-filled event, which was won by Larry Lobdell, Jr. Brandon Carvey was the leader, before spinning out. Brandon’s exciting to watch though, and made a heck of a charge to get the lead back. His aggressive move off of turn four backfired, though, when the hole closed, and he rode the front wall on his side. We all respected the attempt though!

---- Joe Garafolo and Mike Mullen put on a great show in the mod lite division. Mullen charged through for the lead, and appeared to be headed to the victory, before he was tracked down by “Rocky” Garafolo. Love watching the mod lites.

 

May 1st, 2012

Oswego Speedway’s open practice is history, so you know what’s next - opening day! That’s this Saturday, May 5^th, and fans from all around the northeast are ready! I know I’m ready. The long range forecast looks warmer for this Saturday, and I assure you that if there is ANY chance that speedway management can get the race in, they’ll go for it. Reminder: ZERO races were cancelled last year at Oswego, even though some had to be financial nightmares for owners John and Eric Torrese. So head to the track - we’ll be racing!

---- Practice notes…

---- 12 supermodifieds and 22 small block supermodifieds showed up on a chilly Saturday to shake out some bugs, and get prepped for the new season. A great turnout of cold fans also came out of winter hiding to catch the smells and sounds of the awesome supermodifieds and small block supermodifieds, and admire the continuous updates and improvements at the speedway. And the best part - no big wrecks! Several teams have also scheduled track rental for the week before opener, as well.

---- Nobody was shocked to see Otto Sitterly be the fastest supermodified during the shakedown. A 16.8 second lap got everyone’s attention, after Sitterly strapped on some new skins. “We won hot laps”, joked owner John Nicotra later, acknowledging the $693 tire bill that it cost to do it. But everyone knows that the Sitterly-led Nicotra Team got to where they are with hard work and preparation, which is why they’re always so fast out of the box. The team lapped both of their race-ready Hawk Chassis supers. A brand new Hawk Chassis will hit the speedway in a month or two. “Wait until you see that new car!”, enthused Nicotra. Sitterly and Indy veteran Davey Hamilton will pilot the #6 and #7 at this week’s opener.

---- Of the 12 supers on hand, a few guys had problems, which is exactly what open practice is for. Jerry Curran, Rod Sauder, and Dave Danzer were a few guys who found some bugs to work out. But several drivers cranked it up into the low 17’s, which is a great number for a “green” track this early in the season. Shaun Gosselin cranked off a 17.3, while Dan Connors and Bobby Haynes Jr. nailed some 17.2’s.

---- Another driver who opened some eyes was Tim Devendorf, who returns to the supermodified division after a decade of driving on the dirt tracks. Devendorf also looked very prepared in the former Greg Furlong ride, and had some 17.2 second laps of his own.

---- The strong field of 22 small block supers for practice served notice that the small blocks are BACK. After car counts fell a little the last few seasons, it’s a great sign that the division is rebounding, and I bet we’ll see full fields and consis for every race this year.

---- Fastest car of the day was Kreig Heroth, who served notice that their brand new Hedger car is ready to roll. A 19.4 second lap on practice day definitely sends a message.

---- Much of the buzz surrounded rookie Josh Kerr, however, who cranked the car up in the 19.6 range in just his second hot lap session ever in a small block. People who haven’t driven a small block supermodified may not appreciate just how impressive that feat was, but those of us who do, were very impressed. Josh did spin and hit the wall in a later session, which is also a great part of the learning process. Looks like the kid’s a natural.

---- For the day’s biggest casualty, defending champion Mike Bond suffered a blown motor. It was a brand new engine that Bond and Mike O’Connor had collaborated on, along with a nameless engine builder. It’s a tough way to start the season, but you can bet that Bond will recover, and probably be just as fast this weekend. They do still have last year’s championship-winning engine in the shop, in case they need it. It’ll be a busy week in the Mike Bond shop this week!

---- Jon “The Terror” Tesorerio was out for his first time in the #47, former Ken Pierce FFB car. Jon is another driver who comes to the speedway with dirt experience, which always shortens the learning curve. He looked solid, and is pretty excited about opening day. He had a couple close calls, but never spun it out.

---- Mark Castiglia and Rob Pullen both had their new FFB cars at the track, and both looked great….Bryan and Brad Haynes hit the track with both cars. Brad has his #86 car up for sale after this week’s opener, as he plans to have his Hedger Chassis ready for the next race after opener, which is May 26^th. Brad’s brother Bryan scored Barry Kingsley’s car over the winter, and it is currently in Ray Hedger’s shop getting re-clipped…Will Hadcock had his own #34 out from the Haynes shop, but spun it out a couple times….Dennis Rupert got his new Mike O’Connor car down to 19.8, after a week-long thrash of late nights to get the car finished. Great first day for the team.

---- Our “Team Tapout” had a great practice day. The almost identical #93 and #98 cars confused a lot of people because they are hard to tell apart on the track. But hopefully we’ll be so far in front of everyone that it’ll be easy to sort out which is which. Jason Simmons looked really smooth and fast in the #98, which features the Bob Henry Sr. built engine that he bought with the car that he bought from me. My #93 has a fresh Holmes Motor, which is always solid.

---- Both cars had a few bugs to work out, some of which we sorted out during the day, just like you’re supposed to on practice day. With some more corrections this week, I expect Jason and I to make an impact this weekend, on opening night. The 93 car which I’m driving has a different setup than I ran in the past, and on practice day I felt like I have a real good shot to run in the second groove, which is the mystery at Oswego. It was a great first day, and I can’t wait for opening night!

---- So the week before opening day, I always send out my predictions for the new year. Actually last year I did pretty good. Look at my picks for the small blocks, along with where they actually finished: Mike Bond - predicted 1^st, finished 1^st. Andrew Schartner - predicted 2^nd, finished 2^nd. Tim Barbeau - predicted 3^rd, finished 7^th. Kreig Heroth - predicted 4^th, finished 4^th. Rob Pullen - predicted 5th, finished 6^th. Barry Kingsley - predicted 6^th, finished 10^th. Mike Bruce - predicted 7^th, finished 5^th. Jack Patrick - predicted 8^th, finished 3^rd. Jason Simmons - predicted 9^th, finished 12^th. Nate Sitterly - predicted 10^th, finished 19^th (didn’t finish the season). I also did pretty well for the supers, as I picked 9 out of the top 10. (I didn’t put the supers in order.)

---- Ready for my 2012 predictions? Here goes the supermodifieds.

---- 10^th - Tim Devendorf. Tim comes back to the speedway loaded for bear, and looked great on open practice day.

---- 9^th - Tim Snyder. Always a good points runner, the long time competitor will rack up yet another top ten.

---- 8^th - Dave Danzer. Dave will bounce back from a solid rookie of the year season with a great second season, and crack off a top 10 in points.

---- 7^th - Michael Barnes. Mikey drives the Strong Racing #99, and will have a great year as the team’s driver. Throw a win in here somewhere, also.

---- 6^th - Pat Lavery. Pat was 9^th in points last year, which is a little down for him. Watch for a good rebound this year in the Double Deuce Racing ride, despite missing open practice because his engine wasn’t ready.

---- 5^th - Dave Gruel. Lavery’s Double Deuce teammate was 4^th last year, and will have another solid year in 2012 when he finishes in the top five.

---- 4^th - Joe Gosek. Last year’s defending champion will do in 2012 what he failed to in 2011 - win a feature. And the future legend will have another great year in points this year, even if he doesn’t win another championship.

---- 3^rd - Randy Ritskes. Randy lost the championship to Gosek last year by just nine points, and would like to make up for that this year. I hope I’m wrong for not picking Randy to win the championship this year, as Randy and crew chief Johnny Richichi and the Daratt Farms Team are my sentimental favorites to win it all. But cash is flash, and I’m picking the two best funded teams in the division to steal the top two spots.

---- 2^nd - Ray Graham. Graham has established himself as one of the top drivers in the division, and will have all of the pieces to do it, including another new car for 2012, I hear. He’ll get some wins, and have a great fight with the champ.

---- Champion - Otto Sitterly will return to the top spot in 2012, after finishing 3^rd in 2011. Otto already has two perfect cars at his disposal, and with the upcoming new Hawk due out soon, it’s tough to pick against him this year. Congratulations to Otto Sitterly and Nicotra Racing!

---- I see four eligible rookies in the supermodified division, but I don’t think it’s obvious who will win it. Jeffrey Abold is apparently eligible to run as a rookie, but may defer his rookie status because he has so much experience in winged supers. (Rookies don’t get their handicapped spot for three weeks, which is tough to overcome.) Dave Cliff’s Dad told me “absolutely not”, when I asked if they would be there for opening day. They’re close, but with father and son working opposite 12 hour shifts, the car will not be ready in time. Jeff Locke is listed on the roster as a rookie, but Jeff told me awhile back that he will only run a couple times in 2012, and save his rookie status for 2013. That leaves T.J. Woolsey with a great chance at ROTY, but a recent Facebook post indicated that he may still not be ready. Who will step up and grab the title? Got me.

---- There are several great cars and teams that I didn’t have in my top ten, for various reasons. Dan Connors, Jerry Curran, Stephen Gioia III, Shaun Gosselin, Shawn Muldoon, Bobby Haynes - just missed my top ten. Dave McKnight - haven‘t heard much from the team in the off-season, so I‘m not sure what their status is. He‘ll be top five in the Syrell Racing ride if they run full season. Andy Noto - not sure if they‘re ready for opener, or full season deal. Brandon Bellinger - full season? I don‘t know the answer to that. Keith Gilliam - usually doesn‘t run a full season. Michael Muldoon, Kody Graham, and Brian Sobus could surprise us all in their second full seasons. Bobby Bond told me Saturday that he still hasn’t found the time or ambition to get the car ready, and has no plans at this time. And Joey Payne would be MY PICK for it all if he was definitely running a full season in the Mike Muldoon #20, but last I checked, they hadn’t picked up the sponsorship for a full season.

---- Small block supermodifieds:

---- 10^th - J.J. Andrews. While I’m not thinking much about points, and I won’t be during the season, I expect that we’ll run well enough that I can finish top ten, because of the great equipment and crew. I’d be very happy with another top ten, in the Jason Simmons owned, Team Tapout #93. (Interesting fact: after I earn 45 points on opening night I’ll be FIFTH in ALL TIME points at Oswego Speedway in the small block supermodified division. Pretty proud of that.)

---- 9^th - A.J. Bernys. A.J. was 11^th last year as a rookie, and his Dad Jim will take great pride in busting my chops when his kid beats me.

---- 8^th - Michael Bruce. Now in his third year, this kid has proven to be a solid shoe in the division. He’ll have a solid year in the family owned #22 FFB car, and possibly pick off that first Oswego win.

---- 7^th - Mark Castiglia was 8^th last year, and I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised to see him move up a notch with his brand new FFB machine.

---- 6^th - Tim Barbeau will have a solid season in 2012 with a new team. Barboo will pilot the Haegerty #79 this year, which he switched to last year during the season.

---- 5^th - Rob Pullen, also with a new FFB car, will nail down another top five points finish to add to his solid career.

---- 4^th - Jason Simmons, owner of a few sweet Hedger cars, will have his first top five points season. Jason has pulled out all of the stops for himself and I to have a great season, and hasn’t even unveiled his “secret weapon” yet. Sometime in June, you will see a brand new 2012 Hedger Chassis added to the fleet, which will be powered by a Ford engine. I guarantee at least one feature win for Jason this year, and a great season for Team Tapout.

---- 3^rd - Kreig Heroth woke us all up on practice day with his fast new Hedger “Won 4 Racing” ride. He’ll have a solid season, and definitely do his share of top five racing.

---- 2^nd - Mike Bond is always the guy to beat in this division, and has been for years. He is the defending champion, and will win his share of races this year. Probably more than anyone. Car owner Terry Solazzo keeps Mike in some pretty good equipment, but Terry’s wife Tracy’s new team this year with driver Dave LaTulip will certainly create some distraction. While the cars aren’t necessarily considered “team cars”, they certainly will be involved with each other, because of the basic rule of marriage: happy wife, happy life. Terry wants to see his wife do well, and he’ll of course work on the TNT Motorsports #17 car. Mike’s had several teammates over the years, but history dictates that he runs best without the distraction. Example: last year, when he won the championship.

---- Champion: In 2012, veteran Jack Patrick is my prediction to win his first championship. Jack broke out last year as one of the fastest cars, and I bet he’ll be just as quick this year. Jack’s car is always impeccably prepared, and ‘12 will be no different. Congratulations in advance, to 2012 Oswego Speedway small block supermodified champion Jack Patrick!

---- For the rookie of the year award, I’m seeing just three guys that I expect to run the whole season. Jon Tesoriero, Jim Graham Jr., and Josh Kerr were all out on practice day, and got some excellent seat time. All three drivers will have good runs during the season, but I think I’m going with Josh Kerr for the rookie title. Rookie Chris Pike will also compete, but I don’t know at this point if he will be a full season.

---- It’s going to be a tough season, for sure. Cameron Rowe, Tim Gareau, Chris Proud, John Ketcham, Dave LaTulip, Brad Haynes, and Bryan Haynes are some of the drivers that just missed the cut, because of a couple different reasons like not sure if they’re in for the whole season, or getting adjusted to a new team. Hey, simmer down - I can only put 10 guys in the top ten!

---- In closing, I have to give a shoutout here. I usually don’t comment on races that I don’t go to, but I was very impressed to hear about the ESS victory at Can-am by Sam Reakes IV, in just his second race in a sprint car. That is quite an amazing feat, and I bet we’ll be hearing a lot more from this kid in the sprint car this year! Congratulations to Sam and the whole crew!

April 24th, 2012

 

April 17th, 2012

March 29th, 2012

It may not be racing season yet, but it sure could be. And should be. I’m wearing shorts and t-shirts, but I’m NOT at the races. Does this seem fair to you? What a crazy winter/spring. If this racing season weather is as great as winter and spring were, it will be a year to remember.

---- I had a nice conversation with Tim Gareau the other day where he did confirm that he IS coming back to Oswego Speedway, in the small block supermodified division. Here’s a little history: Gareau ran the small block supermodified division in 1992-1994 before moving to the supers in 1995. He was a top runner in the small block division before heading to the other side of the pits.  He never finished out of the top three in points in his three years in small blocks, and won six features.  But Gareau is much better known as a supermodified driver, as his storied career includes 13 wins and the championship in 2004.  He left the division after the 2006 season, and has been seen driving  karts on Friday nights on the dirt track at Oswego Kartway.

---- “Only a millionaire can afford a supermodified now. I had about 20-25,000 dollars in my super when I raced. But now they cost more than a house”, said Gareau, now 43, explaining why he left the division. “We could make a little money when I ran. But how can they pay $70,000? It was just too ridiculous to afford. I got sick of running 5^th”.

---- Like many who leave the sport, Gareau’s exit from the sport was NOT because he was done driving. Drivers of Gareau’s talent don’t get tired of driving. He had been doing it since he was 15 years old, starting out in street stocks on dirt where he was a force to be reckoned with from the very beginning. Top drivers usually only leave the sport in their 30’s because of one thing: money.

---- But Oswego Speedway has been stuck in his craw since he left. “I love that track. I miss my fans. A lot of people want me back. I just want to get back into racing”. Gareau has been having fun running karts at the Oswego Kartway on Friday nights, but that was not enough to quench his Oswego appetite.

---- So he’s purchased a small block super. “I just want to have fun. I don’t want the pressure, like the super. I’m trying to do it on my own”. He purchased a frame from Tracy Doyle, which was owned last year by Jason Simmons. It’s a Reaume Chassis. “I don’t even know how to set one up”, said Gareau, who has been offered help by a lot of people.

---- Whether or not he runs the whole season will depend on one thing: “If I have fun, I’ll probably do it all year”. He “could” be ready for opener, but he didn’t sound like a definite. (Translation: of course he’ll be ready for opener. Guys always say that.) He still hopes to be at the kart track on most Friday nights, fielding a kart for his 5 year-old son Cale “Wild Child” Gareau. For his small block, he has acquired a Morrison Motor that was most recently campaigned by Ryan Coleman. Judging by his past record, in any division, he’ll be fast. Don’t be fooled by his earlier statement, that he doesn’t even know how to set it up. He’ll figure it out right quick, and he’ll be cracking off laps under 20 seconds by opener.

---- So yes, Tim Gareau is coming back to the small block supermodified division. But his goals aren’t about this class, at all. This car is a substitute for what is obviously in Gareau’s heart. “I’m really looking for a ride in a super. Maybe if I was back at the track, I could get a ride…”, said Gareau, revealing his real motive. It was obvious during our conversation what this was about, and it could work. “I don’t know if Tim realizes that he was just a phone call away from a ride in a top car for last year’s Classic”, said a source to be left nameless recently. Maybe a weekly presence at the speedway will get him that call.

---- I had a good time on Joe Marotta’s “Around the Tracks” radio show last week, which can be heard Saturday mornings at 9:00AM on 1390 AM in the Syracuse market. With Joe on vacation, Roy Sova hosted the show, and I was a guest along with Tim Kelly of Oswego Kartway, and Craig Tyrell, of Oswego Speedway. It’s always a great time, and a good show to listen to. Thanks, Roy, for having me on to tell a few lies and have a few chuckles.

---- Next up, is a conversation with supermodified driver Bob Bond. A lot of speculation has been going around about just where he will be running in 2012, whether it is Oswego, or the ISMA circuit. The answer: “no full season anywhere“. Sounds to me like apathy is kicking in for Bobby, who is “losing interest in working on it, that’s for sure”. A season of struggles will do that to you, which is what happened for Bob in 2011.

---- “I was really disappointed with those tires last year”, said Bob, theorizing that the inconsistency in the Hoosier Tire that was used last year contributed to his lack of success. After such a great season in 2010, which included prestigious wins in the King of Wings AND Classic, the breakout 2011 season never happened. “We just couldn’t do anything”, said Bond, but also adding. “or maybe it was the driver”.

---- Some changes to the car were planned for the season, but were cancelled when it was announced that a new left rear tire would be announced for 2012. “Maybe the track talking to another tire manufacturer woke Hoosier up a little”, which may lead to a little better tire in 2012. “It probably will.” But for right now, no definite plan is set. He’ll be racing, but he’s unsure where and when. There are a couple of ISMA shows that he would like to run, and he’ll certainly run Oswego at some point, which is about 5 miles from his home.

---- Will he find some ambition when it gets closer, and actually run the full season at Oswego after all? That remains to be seen. I know how racers are. And maybe this unseasonably warm spring will get Bob and the guys fired up. “Whatever Larry and Ed want to do”, said Bob, referring to long time right hand men Larry VonHoltz and Ed Matteson. But I don’t know if it’s that simple, because sometimes one wants to race at Oswego, and the other one wants to race ISMA. Stay tuned.

---- Now there’s another one. Another what? Yet another small block supermodified driver from the past is coming back full time in 2012. Now John Ketcham has picked up a ride in the “SilverBack Racing” car, a new team formed by two brothers, Michael and Joe Saltalamachia. From the team’s press release: “It will be their first year owning a car, that will be driven by a former winner at Oswego, John Ketcham. He will be bringing his number 11 to the team as their new car number. The new team is called SilverBack Racing. The car that he will be driving was Dave Cliff’s car that he ran last year in the Classic. Both owners are veterans from the military, as Mike retired after 30 years in the Air Force and is now working in Japan. His younger brother Joe is also a veteran from the Navy. Joe will be taking on the role of the car owner and manager. Mike will be home during Classic, enjoying the duties as well. If anyone is interested in helping a new team, please call Joe at 315-598-7713.”

---- Johnny Ketcham started in the small block division in 1999, where he finished 20^th in points as a rookie. After 8^th in 2000, 16^th in ‘01 (1 win), and 5^th in ‘02 (1 win), the family owned team then went to part time status for a couple years, before not even hitting the track in ‘05. A few more rides over the years 2006-2008 saw Johnny on the track, and he hasn’t registered any points since 2008. (Thanks to Jakessite.com for the stats.)

---- I always thought Ketcham was a very talented driver, and apparently I’m not the only one. This return is in some great equipment, an FFB car that Dave Cliff Jr. won a lot of races in. He’ll make some noise this year, for sure. Welcome back, Johnny! I’m telling you - it’s going to be a great year for the small blocks in 2012!

---- So who’s NOT racing? This will be a shocker: Barry Kingsley, veteran of the small block supermodified division has sold both of his cars and a lot of his spares. Brad Haynes bought his damaged Hedger frame, and recently Scott Black out of the north country purchased his other car, a Proud Chassis. While he initially planned to run the season, even signing up for a spot on the commitment program, “circumstances” led to the sale of both cars.

---- Barry’s driving career started in 2006, after being a long time crewman for several different supermodified teams over the years, both at Oswego, and on the ISMA trail. But like many crewmen, the itch to drive was always there, so he bought his own car for 2006, where he finished 21^st in points. In ‘07 he finished 28^th, followed by a 16^th in ‘08, 14^th in ‘09, 9^th in ‘10, and 10^th in ‘11. His first feature win at Oswego happened during the 2010 campaign, and was followed up by another victory in 2011 in the “Mr. Small Block Supermodified” race. A feature win at Thunder Alley in 2011 also added to Barry’s resume, but that wasn’t enough to make him happy.

---- While I tried to convince Barry (as a member of his race day crew) that two feature wins are enough to make a season great no matter what else happened, I could not get him to wipe that puss off his face. But I guess that’s easy for me to say, because I wasn’t the one spending the money and doing the repairs from all of the unbelievably bad luck he had around those two victories. I really thought he was bluffing the whole time when he said he was selling both cars, but I now know that he was not.

---- Lack of garage help takes a lot of guys away from the sport. Fielding a racecar isn’t cheap either. The combination of these two factors weighed in, for sure, probably more the money than anything. Barry worked hard to acquire sponsors, and each year organized a great golf tournament fundraiser, which helped keep the wolf away from the door. I’ve never seen anyone so universally liked and respected at the race track, and the help that he got from friends and supporters was second to none. There have been a ton of family, friends and sponsors that made racing possible for Barry since 2006, but I know that at times he felt like he was “on borrowed time”, as he knew that without the generosity of others, he wouldn’t be hitting the track. Maybe some time off from fielding a racecar will re-ignite Barry’s passion for the sport. Sometimes that works, or sometimes it drives them away.

---- Barry has never said that he is done driving. He still has some pieces, and may do something again in the future. He would LOVE to pick up a ride driving for someone else. Along with his driving resume and reputation as an excellent setup man and mechanic (he was once a paid full-time crew chief for ISMA driver Doug Boisvert’s two car team), he could bring sponsorship and fundraising abilities to an established team. Heck, any of you that have seen Barry’s “magic trick” are aware of what he could bring to your team. Barry has a lot to offer, and seems to know everyone at the track. But we all know that picking up a ride is often more a case of timing and luck; than talent and knowledge.

---- I got an update from Andrew Schartner about his schedule in the Tom Aaserud small block super for 2012. After graduating from UNCC College in Charlotte, N.C., he started a job as an engineer at MGM Brakes in Charlotte, which will make it pretty tough to be in Oswego on Saturday nights for the races. “I figured by May with my job knowledge I should be able to help a couple drivers out who seem to have unusual lack of braking in the cars year after year”, Schartner joked. But that doesn’t mean that he won’t be here at all.

---- “As of now I'm looking to run about half the schedule. That's subject to change. Right now I'm ready to run the first two”, explained Schartner. While it’s possible to make a 12 hour drive every week, or fly, I’m sure it would be tough to do on a weekly basis. But will he try it if he wins the first couple races? Remains to be seen.

---- As for changes to the car, Schartner joked, “We have the same car as last year, nothing new. Same old high voltage distributor and lightened crank from Classic... you know just the basic stuff!” Sponsors are Ukrainian National Club, Airgas, Arnold's Restaurant, Bradco and Prison City Ramblers.

---- Goals? “I'm ready to go and keep pace with Bond and Patrick and whomever else steps up. We’re there to win and not points race and that should make us very fun to watch.”

---- A couple other tidbits about the Oswego Speedway season…

---- “Unfortunately #34 looks like another reserve year, (hopefully someday soon the new car will actually wear that number, but not likely this year)”, said supermodified owner Jake Ratcliff when asked about the likelihood of the Jake’s Automotive Team and driver Jason Spaulding coming back full-time in 2012. “Looking like a partial season this year with #23 with both Jason and I having way too many "irons in the fire" to commit to full schedule. Although we are both trying to get projects finished up, more keep hitting both of us.” We all know how racing can dominate your summer, so usually the guys who neglect their “irons” get to do the most racing. “But hey - we’ve had some of our best finishes when we waited till last possible moment to get the car ready to race, so you never know!”, Jake added.

---- Small block driver Brian Osetek will debut a brand new self-built car this season, and hopes to be ready for the opener. When I spoke with him last week, he still had a lot of work left to do on the car, and he was starting a new job with a lot of hours, so he wasn’t so sure. But I know racers - if there is any way possible, he’ll figure out how to put more hours into the day when it gets down to crunch time. I’ve already heard that it’s a great looking car. Can’t wait to see it!

---- Had a little FB visit with small block supermodified driver Dennis Rupert about the upcoming season. Dennis will have a brand new car for 2012, built by Mike O’Connor. While he is excited about the season, he will race with a heavy heart this season, as 2012 will be a tribute year, to his best friend, the late Ray Gregory, who passed away last year. “This year will be very sad and special all at the same time for us. As a lot of people know we lost a huge supermodified racing fan, best friend to me and to many others, Ray Gregory. This year will be a tribute year for me, honoring my best friend. After last year being my first full year in the SBS series, I am looking forward to improving this coming year and knowing that I will always have my best friend with me helping me through the season. With a new car and a chance to honor my friend at the track he loved the most, I am really looking forward to getting racing started this year. After the military stuck me here in Missouri for the last few months, I am looking forward to coming home, having our benefit and getting to the track”, shared Rupert. “It’s going to be a tough and emotional year.”

---- Coming up on Saturday, April 14^th, is the Rupert Racing “Big Money Raffle” and Chicken Barbecue, at Gorman’s Tavern, 826 Hannibal St, Fulton, N.Y. It starts at noon, and will feature chicken dinners with all of the goodies. The big money raffle involves tickets for $40 each, with a maximum of only 300 tickets being sold. Prizes awarded for the “big money raffle” include (All prizes based on number of tickets sold) 1st Prize: $3,200, 2nd Prize: $500, 3rd Prize: $450, 4th Prize: $400, 5th Prize: $350, 6th Prize: $300.00, 7th Prize: $250, and 8th-21st Prize: $40. In all, 21 Chances to Win! (Do NOT need to be present to win). A FREE chicken dinner comes with the purchase of a raffle ticket. For tickets call: (315) 729-7557 or (315) 532-4304. This is annually a great event, and this year will feature free back massages from Dennis himself, and Dennis’ wife Ashley will this year be in charge of free foot massages. Very relaxing.

---- Over at the Oswego Kartway, head honcho Tim Kelly broke the news of an exciting program that has just come together for the competitors this season. From the speedway website, at www.oswegokartway.com. :

---- “We are proud to announce for 2012 that we are trying to help out the racers at the Kartway, all the while keeping our fees the same. We have created a Drivers Reward Program for 2012; which is a participation oriented program, not  performance driven. All you have to do to be eligible is show up and race each week and you will get a chance to win some great prizes, including a brand new kart. Not just a chassis, but a full blown  “champions edition / premium edition” style kart including almost all the hop up parts and new body!

---- We are still working on all the details including a chassis manufacture, but we could not pull this off without the support of the Oswego Speedway, HRW Construction, Doyle’s Bike Shop and Crowing Glory Hair Fashions. We are always looking for more support too! There will be three groups of racers eligible, (1) Perfect Attendance, (2) Racers missing ONE event and (3) Racers missing TWO events. Only the members with perfect attendance will have a shot at the new kart (the final race of the year on Sept. 14^th will NOT count towards the program). Group 2 will have a shot at a full set of Burris Tires and we are still working out the details on group 3, but we are hoping to have more than one drawing in groups 2 and 3. Group 1 members will be eligible for all three drawings and group two racers will be eligible for the final two drawings.

---- We will be having this awards celebration at our year end banquet (Date TBD) and we will still have tables full of give-a-ways to all members like we have in the past. We have just finalized the major details for this program and hope to add to more awards to groups two and three as the season goes on. Keep an eye on the web site and Facebook for more details!”

---- The Kartway is a great place to spend a Friday night, and organizers Tim Kelly, Jim Losurdo, and many others have done a great job - all as volunteers. They are also quick to credit track owners Johnny and Eric Torrese for great support of the speedway, which has become a stepping stone for drivers to make the transition to Oswego Speedway, and other series. Kelly can rattle off at least a half dozen drivers who have moved onto full size cars from their Kartway experience. This driver’s reward program is reminiscent of the Eagles Fan Club point fund, the brainchild of president Larry Lee, who rewards competitors for attendance, more than performance. Great job, everyone! Watch for new drivers at the speedway in 2012, after having fun at the Kartway in 2012.

 

March 5th, 2012

February 29th, 2012

February 15th, 2012

I don’t know how, but somehow we are surviving this most hideous of all winter seasons. Here in central New York, we have been subjected to snowfall counts in the amounts of inches! Pardon my sarcasm - this is actually the easiest winter that I can ever remember in all of my decades. Just makes it that much closer to racing season!

---- No weather conditions hampered our annual trip south to Atlantic City, New Jersey, for the indoor TQ midget races known as the Gambler’s Classic. The Gambler’s Classic is a great meeting place for race fans from all over the northeast, and we always go home with plenty of stories to tell. And sometimes those stories even involve the racing action.

---- Nineteen year-old Erick Rudolph was THE man this year, winning Saturday night’s TQ main event, along with the 600CC main events on both nights. And he was 5^th in Friday night’s TQ feature. That’s quite a successful weekend for a gentleman that’s not even old enough to gamble in Atlantic City yet. How ironic - a non-gambler winning the Gambler’s Classic.

---- You could see right from the start of Saturday night’s feature that Rudolph was the man to beat. He ran side by side with Stewart Friesen, lap after lap, on the outside, which is almost impossible at this track. Although it took him 22 laps to finally sneak under Friesen, it was inevitable that he would run away and hide once he did. Rudolph ran one of four Timex Morgan owned Lafler Chassis machines in the field.

---- The complexion of the race took a radical turn on the first lap, when several of the favorites were involved in an incident in turn one. Friday night’s winner Ted Christopher (26^th), Joey Payne (24^th), Lou Cicconi, Ryan Smith, and Mike Lichty were all involved in a jingle that ended TC’s day, and contributed to the demise of others. It sure would have been a lot more interesting race with all of those badasses in it, but I really question whether or not anyone would have had anything for Rudolph.

---- Of those five hotshoes, Ryan Smith recovered nicely for a 2^nd place finish at the end, after that first lap tangle. And Mike Lichty came back for a fine 4^th. Lou Cicconi’s tour back toward the front ended when he stopped on the track and made a hasty exit, apparently the victim of getting doused with some hot coolant from the ride. Cicconi was marked down as a 13^th place DNF after pep-stepping to the pits.

---- Stewart Friesen could not have been happy with his final result, after running so smoothly in the lead for more than half the race. After being passed by the faster Rudolph for the lead, he was later dumped out of 2^nd place by Billy Pauch on lap 28, who was sent to the rear as a penalty for the contact. Friesen was credited with 8^th in the final rundown, and Pauch made it back to 6^th. Friesen nailed a heat win on Saturday, but missed Friday night’s feature after a wreck.

---- As a supermodified fan, we had plenty of “our guys” to cheer on during the weekend. Nearly a third of the drivers in Saturday night’s field have wheeled a fire-breathing supermodified - the larger, more awesome brother of the TQ midgets. John Gambuti (3^rd), and Mike Lichty (4^th), made us the most proud, stealing some of the top five spots. Lou Cicconi was 13^th. Chris DeRitis (17^th), Johnny Benson (18^th), and Jon McKennedy (20^th) all deserved major credit for making the tough to make show, but didn’t make it to the end for various reasons. And I already told you about the fates of Joey Payne (24^th), and Ted Christopher (26^th). So that’s eight out of 26 cars. Nice representation of “our guys.”

---- Danny Shirey, driving for “Doc” Hathaway, had a good enough time trial to start the heats, but a mechanical failure ended his Friday night hopes. On Saturday night, he was running in a qualifying position in his heat when a torque arm link broke. After following that with a 3^rd place finish in a consi that only took two, he was left on the outside looking in. Plans call for a new Doc Hathaway car for Danny in 2013.

---- Fastest time on Friday night was Joey Payne, with a lap of 7.850. That earned the “Jersey Jet” some gambling money. Also earning some gambling dough was Matt Boland, who was credited with the slowest time. Not something you shoot for, but at least he got his name in the paper. And a fitty for the nickel slots.

---- Qualifying for this event is quite intense, I’m told. One driver from our supermodified community was quite disappointed in the way his qualifying effort was handled. ISMA and MSA supermodified driver Eric Shirey was to be the 17^th car to hit the track for his time trial, which started at 4:30 sharp. They were there in plenty of time to get in line, but were then told that they had to be weighed before they hit the track. “That was never announced at the driver’s meeting”, said Shirey. After they completed the weigh-in process, they lined up 20^th in line, and “he said don’t worry about it”, Shirey reports, speaking of the race director.

---- The top fastest 48 cars transferred to the heat races, and Shirey was relieved to see his time on the board afterwards as 33^rd fastest. But that smile turned to a frown when Shirey was told later that his second lap was DQ’d because he hadn’t been in the proper spot for his time trial lap. Only his first lap would count, which was a half second slower, or 64^th. Shirey shared that he was one of nearly 20 cars that suffered a similar fate, of the over 70 cars that attempted to qualify.

---- “That’s a cruel punishment for such a small error”, said Shirey of his penalty. That ended Shirey’s weekend, as it’s virtually impossible to make the show from the last-chance consi that is held with a large group of cars, which only earns you a spot in the C-main. “Not one car out of the top 48 made it”, said Shirey. “I won’t ever do this race again”. I’m told that Shirey wasn’t the only angry driver in the pits.

---- Shirey is one of several people who rented cars for the weekend to take a shot at the Gambler’s Classic. Shirey’s car was owned by Lou Cicconi, and is some solid equipment. While he didn’t wish to share his rental fee, I’ve heard of people that have spent as much as $5,000 to rent a top car for both nights for the event. “There are some people that pay a lot of money for a chance to be in that race”, said Shirey.

---- The scariest sight of the weekend happened during 600CC practice on Thursday night. I saw the video on Facebook of a very frightening crash and flip by Tyler Ross, when his throttle stuck going down the back stretch. It looked like he was going a million miles an hour as he drove through and over Larry Wight, flipping into the grandstand wall going into turn three. It was a horrible looking incident, and I was surprised - and relieved - to hear that Ross wasn’t injured in the cage-breaking incident.

---- At Oswego Speedway, the season keeps getting closer - and the excitement continues to grow. Recently announced were the 46 competitors who have been accepted into the commitment program. The following is an excerpt about this program from the speedway website. For the rest of the release, and more info on the drivers on the program, go to www.oswegospeedway.com :

---- “OSWEGO, NY (February 7) – With the 62nd consecutive season of racing at Oswego Speedway knocking on the door, 46 weekly competitors have signed on for the 2012 Speedway commitment program.  The Novelis Supermodified division has already filled its 24 spots, while the Pathfinder Bank SBS Series is proving it is back on the rise with 22 teams signed on for the weekly commitment.

---- By signing on to the Oswego Speedway commitment program teams are agreeing to enter each and every week of the regular racing season at the Speedway.  In doing so, the Speedway agrees to pay an increased and guaranteed purse to start the feature every Saturday night to those teams.  However, if for any reason a team misses more than one night of racing the commitment goes away, and the team is no longer in the program.  At that point teams also have to forfeit any commitment dollars gained on top of a normal Saturday night purse.”

---- This program is a great source of encouragement to the teams to compete weekly. It’s a great perk offered by the track to keep car counts up to benefit the fans, and overall success of the speedway. In the past, I have seen teams take advantage of the program, sometimes at the exclusion of drivers that would be able to run the entire season. There are some surprises in these lists, including drivers that haven’t run weekly in the past, that I didn’t expect to be weekly drivers this year. Thanks for your support, drivers, and I look forward to seeing each one of you every week.

---- Here’s the list of drivers or teams who have given their word that they will be in attendance every week in 2012 (with the possible exception of one week. Also - I believe the commitment is for the team, so another driver is eligible to fill in if the listed driver has to miss a night.) :

---- Supermodified: Joe Gosek, Randy Ritskes, David Gruel, Ray Graham Jr., Otto Sitterly, Strong Racing (driver Michael Barnes), Tim Snyder, Dave McKnight Jr., Pat Lavery, Dave Danzer, Kody Graham, Jerry Curran, Stephen Gioia III, #20 – Mike Muldoon (driver Joey Payne), Brian Sobus, Bobby Haynes Jr., Keith Gilliam, Dan Connors Jr., Shaun Gosselin, Shawn Muldoon, Jeff Holbrook, Andy Noto, Jeff Abold, and Michael Muldoon.

---- Small block supermodified: Mike Bond, Jack Patrick, Mike Bruce, Rob Pullen, Tim Barbeau, Mark Castiglia, AJ Bernys, David LaTulip, Jason Simmons, Cameron Rowe, Dennis Rupert, Will Hadcock, Bryan Haynes, Brad Haynes, Dalton Doyle, Jason Simmons (driver JJ Andrews), Chris Tedd, Dennis Richmond, Kreig Heroth, Teddneck Racing (driver Nate Sitterly), Barry Kingsley, and Brian Osetek.

---- Add to these lists the several drivers that haven’t signed up for the commitment program, and it looks like some pretty amazing car counts in 2012. 24 supers and 22 small blocks (minimum) is great! Can’t wait for the new season!

---- In addition to these teams, I also have had some information about a couple of rookies coming up in the small block supermodified division in 2012. The future looks very bright for the division in 2012, as several rookies will join the ranks. These two rookies join Jon Tesorerio, Josh Kerr, and Anthony Losurdo, that I spoke about last time.

---- Ray Pike will be back as a full time car owner in 2012. Pike has been involved in the division many times in the past, years ago with his late brother Charlie Pike, and more recently in the 2009 season with driver Russ Brown, and 2010 part time with Stan Gates. For 2012, Ray joins with his nephew Chris Pike for a full rookie season. The Pike Racing #70 will be driven by 20 year-old Chris Pike, son of the late Charlie Pike.

---- Sponsors for the team will be Chenango Welding Supply, Cummings Auto Machine, Hedger Fabrication and Ray Pike. The car is a 2009 Hedger, and will sport a Ford Motor built by Cummings Auto Machine. The crew consists of Nick Beadle, Tyler Hoffman, Jeremy Briggs, Ray Pike and Rick Curtis. The car will be owned by Chris and Ray Pike. Chris Pike is a Junior at Coastal Carolina University, in Conway, S.C., studying Biological Anthropology.

---- “Chris has done very little driving but has been at the track since he was one year old, he just needs laps on the track“, said Ray Pike. “I must be going crazy…” Ray was obviously joking, and has been working very hard on the car all winter. He’s very much looking forward to the new season with his new driver.

---- Dirt Novice Sportsman driver Jim Graham is another driver who will attack the rookie of the year ranks in 2012. The points runner-up at Fulton Speedway in 2011 (and 5^th in 2010 as a rookie) has decided to make the switch to Oswego Speedway in 2012. “You get noticed at Oswego Speedway”, said Graham, talking about his change. He felt that the teams weren’t given any appreciation at Fulton Speedway, and “when you’re not having fun, it’s time to get out.”

---- Graham initially purchased an IMCA mod to race on the dirt at Brewerton Speedway on Friday nights this year. But a change in plans happened when he decided to get his son, 12 year-old A.J. Graham, into kart racing on Friday nights at the Oswego Speedway kart track. The car is a 2007 FFB Chassis, previously campaigned by Cameron Rowe as the #85, and owned by Dan Wallace.

---- 42 year-old Graham will campaign as #5, and brings a lot of dirt - but no pavement - experience. (I reminded him that dirt drivers make good pavement drivers.) He’s planning a full season, and is already thinking about building a 2^nd car. Sponsors “so far” include Parkay Chrysler-Jeep, Vinyl Designs of B-Ville, Heagerty’s Hot Spot, Boost Mobile, Jones Motorsports, Monro Muffler of Fulton, and Graham’s own company, Double J Remodeling. Crew includes Jim’s Dad, Jim Graham Sr., Jack Morrison, Kevin, and his son A.J., who he hopes to put in the car when he gets a little older.

---- Jim Graham mentioned that he has had a lot of help from a lot of people so far, and already has a great feeling about his switch of venue. If he has half the talent of his cousin, supermodified star Ray Graham, us other guys in the division are in big trouble. “If they cleaned the track, I’d race it today”, Graham enthused.

---- In closing, I’ll share with you some news that was already posted on my “blog” that I write for the Gater News website at www.gaternews.com. If you’ve already read it, take the rest of the day off. But I’ll put this info here in case you didn’t see it.

---- “I just finished the frame”, said Pat Abold about the NEW supermodified that he is building for his son Jeff. “I don’t know if it will be ready for the opener”, but the team does have another supermodified that they will run until the new car is ready. But the team has signed up for the commitment program, and plan a full season at Oswego Speedway. Some winged races and midget races will also be on the schedule this year, Abold said.

---- “That will be billed as the battle of the has been vs. the never was”, said Chris Tedd about the possibility of him and I squaring off on the track in 2012. Tedd currently owns three small block supers, which will be wheeled this year by Cameron Rowe, Bryan Haynes, and Nate Sitterly. A 4th (new) car may be added to the team, “if the money is there”, which may be campaigned by Tedd himself.

---- Howard Page stills wants to - and plans to - come back to the supermodified division with a brand new self built car. He’s got some ideas, a cage and an engine that are mostly complete, and the ability to have a great season. What he can’t do, is put more hours into a day. As a frequent visitor to Page’s shop, I see the car weekly. And I haven’t seen any difference in the car since last year at this time. “Ahh…that wouldn’t take too long to finish up - just need to get the time”, says Howard when I needle him about it every few months. Apparently he’s too busy making a living to find the time for what’s really important - racing! Or too busy living. Or cruising his gorgeous boat. Or riding his nasty snowmobile. Or restoring his vintage snowmobile. Priorities, Handsome!

---- Jeff Draper has been doing some sweet paint work on the frames and bodies for the two car small block supermodified team of Jason Simmons. The “93” frame will be a totally different color from the several colors it has sported while the car was in my charge. Silver, yellow, orange, and black are all old news now. (Hint: Go S.U. basketball!) But I won’t be spillin’ it here. You’ll have to see the Team Tapout display at the upcoming Gater News Motorsports Expo on March 10th and 11th in Syracuse. Special thanks go out to Jeff Draper, Mike West, Greg O’Connor, and Stoney’s Auto Parts for the assistance in making the frames look amazing on the 98 and the 93.

 

January 17th, 2012

 

Oswego, N.Y.

January 8th, 2012

“Team Tapout” to storm the Small Block Supermodified division in 2012.

The 2012 Oswego Speedway season will see the debut of a brand new two car team, featuring two freshly updated Ray Hedger built small block supermodified Chassis.

Jason Simmons, a six year competitor in the division now owns two Hedger Chassis small block supers, and will field both cars on a weekly basis in the 2012 season. Simmons will drive the #98 car, previously owned by Ed Horne, and most recently by Fred Kilian. Simmons purchased the car during 2011, and drove the ride to several top finishes at Oswego Speedway, and his first win at Thunder Alley Speedway. Two last lap passes by champion Mike Bond are all that separated Simmons from two 2011 victories.

During the off-season, Simmons purchased the J.J. Andrews #93 Hedger, and enlisted veteran Andrews to pilot the ride for the full season in 2012. The team is dubbed "Team Tapout", and will make a full assault for a 1-2 championship finish.

"Our most important goals for 2012 are to have fun and win some races", said Simmons. "After Jay let me borrow his car last year I fell in love with the Hedger Cars, and when the opportunity arose to purchase the 93, I couldn't pass it up".

Andrews has competed in the small block supermodified division since 1997, part time since 2008. He rides 5th in all time points, and 3rd in all time Classic points. He also competed in the supermodified division in 1995.

Said Andrews, "It's a great honor to drive for Jason, especially in the car that's been in my shop since 1997. I was pretty sad to see it go, but Jason and the guys are a lot of fun to be around, and I'm looking forward to a full season of fun in the old girl. I've been wanting to come back full time for awhile now to get another win, and I'm very fortunate to get this shot". As it has been for nearly two decades, the car will still be number 93, a salute to Andrews' former car owner Rob Pollitt.

The cars will be maintained and crewed by Mike O'Connor, Brian Dana, Greg O'Connor, David O'Connor, Corey Norton, and Mark Sledziona. Sponsors include Simmons' own D&S Landscaping, Dynamic Sound and Security, Bracy‘s Auto Repairs, and N.J. Pollitt Demolition.

"I really need that first win at Oswego Speedway", said Simmons, who led many laps in 2011, along with the two close 2nd place finishes. "And I also really want to get Jay another win. Or two."

 

 

Gater News - November 15th, 2011

 

Gater News - October 4th, 2011

Rain is horrible! Plans for a great weekend at Fulton Speedway for the Outlaw 200 were ruined last week, thanks to an obnoxious, persistent, two days of rain. Of course rain is normal for the annual October event, and it wouldn’t feel the same if it was sunny. But since it was so constant, speedway management made the decision to scrap the event on Sunday morning, during a rain storm. Since we were at the track all day Saturday anyway, I was of the opinion that maybe the race could have happened that day. Although the light rain never quit for more than a few minutes all day and evening, I don’t think it ever picked up enough to where the track would have been washed out. Many of us stood around the campfire the entire day in the “misty” rain, without getting very wet. (Hey- it’s our annual race weekend. We can’t let a little bad weather chase us out of our plans.)

---- The decision to pull the plug on Saturday was posted on the speedway’s Facebook around 1:00, which many of us thought was a little early. I also hoped that they would have waited longer on Sunday, as the rain stopped before noon, a couple hours after the cancellation was announced. And yes, I did say cancellation - not postponement. “After looking at the rest of the 2011 season in the Northeast a suitable date can’t be found”, said the speedway’s website. So I guess that’s it for the 26^th annual “Outlaw 200”.

---- I think the early cancellation boils down to one thing: finances. While the race could have happened with a lot of track drying and packing the grounds, how many people would have sat in the wet bleachers with raincoats playing the rain dance? Probably not that many. Many of us diehards would have been happy to do it, but unfortunately, there probably aren’t enough of us diehards to pay the bills these days. Especially when it’s $20,000 to win. It’s quite disappointing to many of us that were craving the action, but I guess that’s the way it has to be these days. If it was my tens of thousands of dollars on the line, maybe I would have shied away from running the show as well. But you can’t make me like it.

---- At least Friday night’s portion of the event was able to be completed. Huge fields of racecars were on hand in four divisions, and put on some great racing for the crowd on hand.

---- Probably the most exciting finish of the night was the battle in the late model division. Larry Wight and Jason Parkhurst were the show early, fighting for the win from their front row starting spots. Then Alan Fink got involved, looking to make his way to the front. Fink got as far as 2^nd at one point, but Wight stayed in command, and was the man to beat.

---- Or that is, he would have been the man to beat, if Tim Sears Jr. wasn’t in the field. Every time I see this kid drive, he’s always going to the front. The second generation driver started in the 4^th row, and methodically picked his way to the front. 5^th on lap 11, then 3^rd on lap 14. 2^nd on lap 17, and then the battle with Wight was ON. The two fought hard, and Sears made his move on lap 24 of the 25 lap event. This young man is quite a shoe, and he sure is fun to watch.

---- In the sportsman division, 60 cars were thinned down through six heats and three consis. Drivers came from all over the northeast to vie for the $1,000 and the coveted Outlaw 200 win. Jeremy Pitcher took the lead on lap two from his second row starting position, and never looked back. Pitcher owned this race, but the racing behind him was great to watch.

---- Katelyn Kane passed a bunch of cars, moving from the 6^th row to 3^rd place at the finish, behind John Scarborough and Pitcher. Quite an impressive run. And Sam Reakes IV, who started 10^th but fell back to 17^th on an early race tangle, drove a solid race to get back to 4^th at the finish. Reakes announced that this would be his last race in the sportsman, as the family is going sprint car racing in 2012, in a former Craig Dollansky sprint car that was purchased from Bob Reis.

---- I also was enjoying watching Bob Henry Jr., who has picked up several different sportsman rides during the season. Starting in the 10^th row, Henry had worked his way up to 8^th before his day ended on lap 18. Racing with Mike Nagel, Henry was sent to the rear when contact from Henry’s front bumper sent Nagel spinning. Henry tried to protest the call, as he didn’t feel the incident was his fault, as he felt he was pushed into Nagel by the 49 of Scott Conover. “Ruined a good run - I think I could have got to the top three”, said Henry, who decided to park the car after the incident. “Well, maybe 4^th…”, I told Henry, reminding him that it was already established previously that he can’t pass Katelyn Kane, who finished third.

---- John Scarborough raised quite a ruckus after his 2^nd place finish, as he refused to pull his engine for tech. In an interview on www.dougsdirtdiary.com, he spent a few minutes calling out track owner John Wight for only paying a “measly” $400 for 2^nd place. I’ve never heard such an aggressive tirade. Scarborough was immediately disqualified, and “banned” from the speedway according to the track’s Facebook site. While some of his points were valid about the cost of things, his tirade could have been taken two ways. Was he feeling shortchanged, or was he trying to hide something by not being willing to pull his engine? Here’s an important fact for all drivers and owners to remember: if you’re going to try to make sense of purses and the costs involved in fielding a racecar, you had better get out of racing. If you think Pitcher’s $1,000 win caused him to break even, I’m sure that didn’t work out like that either. While I found it interesting, Scarborough’s interview sounded like someone who is ready to get out of racing. “I’m a business man - I’m not going to lose money”, said Scarborough - forgetting about how much money racecar owners inherently lose anyway.

---- Doug Williams continues on his tear of burning up the mod lite division. Williams led all of the laps in the race for the big win. Joe Garafolo kept Williams in sight, but really had nothing for him in the end. I don’t know how many victories Williams has this year, but he has definitely been one of the men to beat every time I see him race. Clayton Brewer III, Derek Wagner, and Frank Doll Jr. rounded out the top five. Also a shoutout to Ricky DeGroff and Kelly Skinner, who finished 12^th and 13^th.

---- Mike Smith captured the IMCA mod feature, in a field comprised of a drivers from all around the northeast. As a regular attendee of Brewerton Speedway, I didn’t see many of the drivers that I was familiar with in action. Gary Roberts was second, followed by Brewerton champ Kevan Cook. Pete Neff and Jim Walsh rounded out the top five.

---- This last weekend nearly concludes my racing for the season. I unfortunately won’t be attending the Thompson World Series in mid-October, and my annual Super Dirt Week snub also takes place this weekend, so I doubt I will be attending any of those events. A day after Thanksgiving trip to Wall Stadium for the “Turkey Derby” is in the early plans, and possibly a shot at Black Rock Speedway for a late season race. The Oswego Speedway banquet on October 29^th is the next racing get-together for me, and plans are already in the works for a bus trip to Atlantic City in February 2012 for the indoor races. (More info on this bus trip will be forthcoming, as Luther Gray and Steve Wygant are in the process of putting that together.)

 

Gater News - September 28th, 2011

This is the week - the running of the 26^th annual Outlaw 200 at Fulton Speedway! For the last 25 years this has been one of the most important events of the year for dirt modifieds of all kinds. 60-100 cars from all around the northeast. All of the top name drivers in the sport. 10-12 qualifying heats. 3-6 consis. Four and five wide racing on all parts of the track. Sound awesome? It should. The Outlaw 200, originally known as the “Victoria 200” has been an incredible event since its inception in 1985. And it all happens this weekend, in Fulton, N.Y.

---- In the early days of the event, competition with the DIRT circuit was a major part of the story. Since Fulton wasn’t DIRT sanctioned, there would always be a DIRT race scheduled against the “Vic” somewhere else, siphoning off some of the talent. But many great drivers would still come, often exceeding 100 entries for the event, to vie for the $20,000 prize. A few years down the road, when Fulton Speedway started racing under the DIRT banner, the large fields of 70 or 80 plus continued.

---- Prior to the 2011 season, speedway owner John Wight severed his ties with the DIRT (now known as World Racing Group), opening up the possibility for a schedule war again. Fortunately, no such war took place, as I don’t see any dirt modified races on the WRG schedule for the weekend of Sept. 30 and Oct. 1. So all systems are go for this weekend. Prediction: 70 plus modifieds, even in today’s economy.

---- As an experienced member of the Victoria 200 / Fulton 200 club, (I’ve only missed one of them, and that was last year, in favor of a poorly planned family vacation) I must admit that the incredible racing is only part of the excitement for the weekend. I’ve seen (and participated in) many fun things in the campgrounds over the years. Some safe or funny, some dangerous or ill-advised. It’s been a great history of fun and stories over the years, and I expect this year to be no different. So maybe next week I’ll have some campground stories for you. Or maybe there will be stories that can’t be admitted to. The fun starts for me on Friday afternoon. See you there - let’s make another story!

---- Late last week, the 2011 Oswego Speedway Hall of Fame inductees were announced. The following are excerpts from a press release from the speedway pertaining to the announcement:

---- “The 2011 Oswego Speedway Hall of Fame class includes, a racing pioneer whose family has had a great impact on the track, one of the major sponsors of the Oswego Speedway, a Small Block Supermodified star who made his mark starting from the first year of that division, and one of the all-time greatest Supermodified drivers, whose illustrious career spans four decades. In addition, an “in memory” group of five people who helped grow the track from its very beginning and are no longer with us will also be added. The nine new members to the Oswego Speedway Hall of Fame will be inducted at the annual banquet Saturday, October 29 at the Holiday Inn on Electronics Parkway in Syracuse.”

---- Being inducted In Memoriam are five people who helped the Caruso brothers, Bill, George and Harry, practically from the time the track opened. Bud McManus, Newton Tilton, Dr. John Puzauskas and his wife Helen Puzauskas, and Ed Piersall will all enter the Hall in Memoriam. Johnny Torrese Sr. will be inducted as a racing pioneer. Small block supermodified driver Russ Brown and Supermodified driver Joe Gosek are inducted this year. And a new category called race sponsor was added to the Hall of Fame, and first to be inducted in this category was Dan Dorsey Sr., owner of Eagle Beverage Distributors.

---- The Hall of Fame committee is made up of Debbie Bond and Chuck Handley, representing the Oswego Speedway, and Hall of Fame members Carol D. Haynes, George Caruso, Romey Caruso and Roy Sova. Tickets to the Hall of Fame Banquet are available by calling Debbie Bond at the Oswego Speedway office at 315-342-0646. Tickets are $45.00.

---- Last subject. I know I don’t usually cover Sprint Cup Racing, but this year’s chase is really bugging me. After two races, it looks more as if the chase won’t necessarily be won by the best team or driver, but the team with the best gas mileage. Is that how the title should be decided - where the team who can stretch the longest on a tank of fuel is the Sprint Cup Champion? People running out of gas have had a huge impact in two out of ten of the season’s “chase races”, and has certainly taken some drivers out of the running already. I’m sure a different size fuel cell or different number of laps could immediately cure that problem, and put the title in the hands of the team with the best driver or best setup, as it should be. We want a “Sprint Cup Champion”. Not a “Gas Mileage Champion”.

 

Gater News - September 21st, 2011

As the racing season winds down, it’s time to get cranked up for several big races that are coming up before the season winds down. Fulton Speedway’s 26^th annual “Outlaw 200” weekend is September 30^th and October 1^st. Then it’s Super Dirt Week at Syracuse, N.Y., modified racing’s biggest event in the country, on October 4^th-9^th. After that, supermodified and pavement racing fans will head to Thompson International Speedway for the World Series of Racing, on October 14^th-16^th. And that’s just some of the highlights that interest me. Many other big events are coming up in the next month or so at many different speedways. So check out the schedules, and let’s hit some races!

---- Last week a pretty big show happened at Thunder Alley Speedpark, which included several divisions of cars, headlined by the NORA small block supermodifieds, and a $2000 to win “open wheel” event. For those not familiar with the open wheel division at Thunder Alley, it’s just a random group of cars of all divisions that race together at the same time. Yeah, it’s kinda crazy. Last week’s open wheel division saw small block supermodifieds, a late model, (huh? It was a car without open wheels, in the open wheel division), and then 10-12 fire-breathing dirt modifieds. Big block. Sound random? It is!

---- The small block supers race pretty well with themselves, but don’t have anything for the dust-cloud cars. I call them the dust cloud cars, because they continuously drive over the inside berm, and roto-till all of the dirt onto the racing surface, blinding everyone behind them. The small block supers, with our three inch ground clearance, will bottom out and wreck our oil pans if we drive over the inner wall. But the tall dirt cars have no trouble driving across the infield, and do it repeatedly. Bill Gill was the biggest culprit, causing a several car accident in the first of two 25 lap open wheel events, taking out several small block supers who were completely blinded after having their shields coated in dirt. It’s dirt-track racing at its finest - on a paved track! (To get a feeling of the craziness, look at Karl Schartner’s in-car camera that was in Barry Kingsley’s car, on Barry’s Facebook.)

---- This week I wasn’t driving, so I got to watch it from the stands and see just how crazy it looks. And the fans seem to love it, because the stands were packed last week, on a very chilly night that ran until 1:00AM. It’s an exciting show, as most of the dirt mods are at least a half second faster than the small blocks. The small blocks are at risk of getting monster-trucked at all times by the mods, but they didn’t seem intimidated. Some of the small blocks beat some of the mods, so it wasn’t a total slaughter.

---- Zach Aubertine was the winner of the $2,000 final, along with the $500 first segment, for a pretty good payday. He was the class of the field, and beat Andy Powell, Tony Steiner, Willy Decker, and Bill Gill in the final segment. Rob Pullen was “first in class“, finishing 6^th with four “500“ tires on the car. Dave Cliff was the only other small block super in the top ten, finishing 10^th. Decker looked to have the early advantage in the first segment, but was caught asleep at the wheel on one of the restarts, when Aubertine scarfed the lead and ran away.

---- At the end of the 2010 season, the small block supermodifieds were in competition at Thunder Alley for a season-ending event. On that night Mike Mandigo, the point leader at the time, blew his motor in warmups, and his car was out for the night. Since all he had to do was start the feature to clinch the championship, Barry Kingsley, who was parked next to him and was introduced through mutual friend Andy Powell, offered his damaged but still rolling car to Mandigo to take the green and clinch the title. The plan worked perfectly, and Mandigo clinched the 2010 title. Unfortunately last Saturday, that favor was forgotten, when Mandigo dumped Kingsley early in the open wheel race, when Barry was running pretty strong. Kingsley seeked out and received an apology after the race, but learned a lesson in the process.

---- The small block supermodified event saw a 13 car field, as many of the drivers decided to grab one more trip behind the wheel before the season ends. Nobody was surprised to see veteran Mike Bond pick up the win, especially when he drew position number two to start the event. Bond took advantage of a slow start by Cameron Rowe, and then led all of the laps - but it wasn’t easy.

---- Rookie Dave LaTulip has really showed some great talent in the small block supermodified division this year, and impressed a lot of people in 2011. I don’t know how car owner Chris Tedd found him, but he sure put a solid driver in his car. LaTulip won a race at Oswego during the season, along with rookie of the year honors. And he gave Mike Bond quite a run for the win, getting alongside Bond on the last lap. It’s really difficult to make an outside pass at Evans Mills, but he came within inches of pulling it off Saturday night. The quiet LaTulip does all of his talking on the track. And he shouted “I’m awesome!” from a mountaintop last week.

---- Attrition sent one car after another to the pits during the feature, many with flat tires. But fortunately some courtesy laps were given, and some of the drivers made it back without losing a lap. Dave Gruel was one such driver, who received some speedy pit service from the Team Tapout guys in the Jason Simmons #93, and recovered for a 6^th place finish.

---- Jack Patrick had a solid run in his #9, also capitalizing on the attrition. Patrick nailed a podium finish, followed by Barry Kingsley and Mike Bruce, who was driving the Chris Tedd #37. Tedd must really hate that car, as he hops out of the seat more than he hops into it. According to my calculations, Tedd has had every driver in central New York in that car, except for me.

---- Steve Hutchinson got a lot of seat time in the Solazzo #25, finishing 7^th. Rob Pullen, Dave Cliff, and Cameron Rowe rounded out the top ten. Jason Simmons, Vern LaFave, and Ivan Steen were all credited with a DNF.

---- I got a phone call last week from Oswego Speedway co-owner Eric Torrese, who is looking to get some ideas about how to improve the small block supermodified division and car counts for 2012. Calling from southern Florida, we discussed the biggest change that is being considered right now - a change to four barrel carburetors for the new season. While the small block supermodifieds have run Holley 500 cfm two barrels since their inception in 1992, it may be time for a change. With car counts lower in 2011, and passing at a minimum, 2012 may be the right time to try a change or two.

---- “I want to make the class more attractive to the fans”, said Torrese. “Let’s look at raising car counts, then we can get more fans, then we can look at raising the purse.” Of course the last part - raising the purse - will get the attention of many of the owners. Everyone wants more cash, and that could help car counts immediately. But I think a raised purse will have to be earned first, and we earn that by bringing more cars to the track. And putting on better races. “More passing and more racing, and some more pride in the appearance of some of the cars”, said Torrese. “I think we caught the eye of some of the supermodified fans.”

---- The job right now is to spread the word about the possible change, and get some opinions. This is by no means a definite. “I just had to throw something out there to see if we can improve the division. But it’s definitely up to the drivers and owners. If not (the carburetor change), then I’m open for suggestions”, said Torrese. “I’m trying to be proactive.” Another consideration is to change the tire rule next year, so that the “softer grippier” 500 compound Hoosier tires can be used all around the car, instead of just on the left side.

---- An on track test may be the next step in determining if the change to a four barrel would help. One small block super “spec” engine has already been tested on a dyno, and saw a 35-40 horsepower improvement after just bolting on a four barrel carb, with no other alterations. Also a thought is a “claimer” rule for the carburetors, to keep people from purchasing expensive gas mixers. So a lot of thought and research will go into this before a definite change is made. A meeting with the teams will be scheduled sometime before the October 29^th banquet, to get input. But Torrese definitely stressed to me that any changes will be up to the teams. “Majority rules”, said Torrese.

---- We also discussed a little bit about what else may be in store. While it’s too early for many details yet, a couple of additions / changes to the schedule are already being discussed. “Maybe a Fall Classic”, was one thought, which would mean a race later in the season, AFTER Classic Weekend. Also, they may go back to having the week before Classic as an open date, to give teams a little breather before the stress and extra work required for Classic Weekend. So many ideas are in the works, and I’m very excited about the prospects of what the Torreses may come up with when they have a full off-season to put some ideas into motion.

---- And of course, I thanked Eric Torrese - again - for all of the improvements and love that have been put into the speedway in 2011. They are obviously feeling the love from us, and are already working hard on next year. Already in the middle of “planting” in South Florida, Torrese was taking time off from his other business to work on his New York business. “We love the track, love the cars, and all of the camaraderie that comes with it”, confirmed Torrese.

---- Congratulations are in order for famous racecar driver Dennis Rupert and his lovely wife Ashley on the birth of their first child, Kaleb Connor Rupert last week. Ashley carried that child all through racing season, but the dimpled smile never left her face all summer at the track. Ashley also talked us through the delivery on Facebook, with updates even during labor. Call it “LaborBook”. Congratulations Ashley and Dennis! I know you’ll be the BEST parents! You have no idea how much joy lies ahead of you.

 

Gater News - September 14th, 2011

Keepin’ it Real by JJ Andrews

After one week of recovery, it’s time to talk about Oswego Speedway’s Classic Weekend, which is now a couple of weeks old. My apologies for missing a week, but Classic Weekend is my favorite weekend of the year, and I don’t make it anywhere near my computer on Sunday night, which is my deadline. Despite the potential for threatening weather, everything went off without a hitch, and was a slam dunk for the Torrese Brothers first Classic as speedway owners.

---- Nobody was shocked to see Otto Sitterly emerge as the victor. Over the last several years, Sitterly and team owner John Nicotra have been the most successful, and one of the best prepared, talented, hardest working, and best financed teams in un-winged supermodified racing. He was a favorite, to say the least. But this is CLASSIC, and everything is different.

---- Nobody expected that it would take 199 and 1/2 laps before Sitterly took the lead. And nobody expected that it would take a gutsy outside move over his last minute teammate, winged super driver Mike Lichty. The rumors of “team orders” began immediately, suggesting that Lichty “allowed” Sitterly, the team’s only regular driver, to easily drive past him for the win.

---- I don’t know Mike Lichty. He’s a fairly successful driver on the ISMA circuit, but he hasn’t won so many races that he could justify giving away the biggest race in all of supermodified land, just to preserve a bridge with the leading un-winged supermodified owner, John Nicotra. I know John a little, and although he admits that he was rooting for Otto over Lichty for the victory, I assure you that there were no “team orders” to give up the lead to Otto. No way. And even if there were, that deal would have been forgotten when Lichty pictured that Classic Ring on his pinky.

---- I will however submit though that maybe Lichty was a little more cautious when he saw Sitterly bomb it into the third turn than he would have been if it was someone else. He certainly would have raced a non-teammate a little harder, and admitted that later in an interview for lakesideracingnews.com. Good race, and a memory making day for the team and owner John Nicotra, who also scored a 6th place with his third car, driven by another ISMA racer Chris Perley.

---- Who else was it a great day for? Rookie Dave Danzer drove a solid, smart, consistent race for an excellent 4th place finish in his first Classic. This capped off a great season for the Danzer Family, that saw Dave win rookie of the year, as well as his first feature, in 2011.

---- Pretty great day for Randy Ritskes, who set fastest time, then took off from the pole to lead the first 130 laps. Randy’s chances then started slipping away as the setup of the car slipped away, and he started losing some spots. But a couple of late incidents got him back up near the front, and he held on for a well deserved 3rd to top off a great season. Second in points by just 9 markers, fastest time trial, two feature wins - he’s got to be happy with his season.

---- How about that Tim Snyder? As a past Classic winner, Tim has proven that he has a knack for this race, and gathered a 5th place finish to top off his season. He’ll be back in 2012, but he’s not sure yet what car that will be in. His car is for sale, but he often updates his equipment every year or two. Great top five for Snyder Racing, as well as a 7th place time trial.

---- Have to be impressed with Bobby Haynes Jr., who pulled off a 7th place finish after his first full season at Oswego Speedway. And a shoutout also goes to Joey Scanlon for his B-main victory, after just missing entry to the race during time trials. His day went bad early though, as he was caught up in a wreck in the beginning of the show, taking home the 32nd place trophy.

---- Brian Sobus pulled down his second top ten finish in just two attempts. Sobus, who drove a Ray Graham owned car in 2011 was very appreciative of Graham’s generosity, and will look for a different ride for next year, as the Graham car is for sale. “Ray wants to sell the car, and we will probably look to buy something newer. He did a huge favor for me by helping me get started, and if he didn't I never would have been able to move up. It was a very easy car to jump in and drive fast right out of the box”, said Sobus. Graham was a major factor in the race before a tangle with lapped traffic on lap 185 sent him into the fence hard.

---- A blown rearend ended Joey Payne’s day in the Strong Racing #99, after running up front early. “Hope next year our luck changes“, said Payne, who will finish out the season running some midget races, and Wall Stadium’s Turkey Derby.

---- Bad day for the ride-switching Bond Brothers, as well. Bobby stepped out of his Xtreme #25 to drive for Mike Muldoon, but was involved in a crash with a few other cars, including teammate Mike Muldoon Jr. Then to add insult to injury, Bob’s brother Mike, who was piloting Bob’s car for the weekend, was also tangled up in a different accident. Put down Bob for 20th, and Mike for 23rd. Oh - and also an early race smash for Mike in the small block supermodified Classic. More on that later.

---- Dave Gruel, driver of the Double Duece Racing #50 couldn’t have been very happy either. After blowing his Enders engine on Saturday, a change to the backup motor was necessary. After missing time trials, then running the B-main, a provisional start was necessary for Dave to make the show. Then a 29th place non-finish after just 45 laps finished off a horrible weekend for Gruel.

---- But forget about all of that. Something much more monumental happened at Oswego Speedway during Classic Weekend. Due to the efficiency and knowledge and quick actions of the safety crew, a man’s life was saved during Classic Weekend. A modified driver, Jake Rought, was suddenly stricken with some heart problems during the day, and had to be revived by the track’s safety crew. It has been widely reported that the team’s swift actions saved this driver’s life, and lives another day due to the correct actions that were taken. A post on the RaceNY message board indicates that Rought is “doing well“, and is still being treated at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Syracuse, and that the family is relieved that this happened where it did, as they had “all the right equipment and personnel” to save Rought’s life, and that they are very thankful to the track safety crew, ambulance crew, fire dept., etc.

---- From Track Safety man Paul Conzone; “To the guys that have been coined "The best in the business", I want to thank you for the fine job again this year, especially Saturday. Ironically, Early on during Classic week I had a conversation with a fan about how quiet the season had been safety-wise. A couple of horrific crashes but no injuries, and no major fires. I had told the fan that we were ready, and that the bosses had allowed us to replace and add supplies and equipment as needed without question. If we needed it, it was purchased. One of those purchases was for 2 new AED's. Fast forward to Saturday of Classic weekend to a driver in need. The boys in white pants were there, living up to that "best in the business" catchphrase. It was a "Classic" save, in more ways than one. Solid work, just solid. Here is a list of the guys working on the safety crew that day, most were very involved in saving a man's life... “

---- The following staff was recognized by Conzone: Don Forbes, Bruce Lee,
Ed Geers, Tom Conzone, Mike Czerow, Bernie Finnegan, Mike Cook, Tom Amedio,
Bill Harrington, George Feeney, Brian Conzone, Mark Kapuscinski, Chris Chetney,
Rick Wallace, Ed Maxon, Gary Richardson, Anthony Sterio, Eric Koproski, Joe Smegelsky, and Mark Vanluven. Congratulations you guys, and THANK YOU. Drivers were greeted by every safety crew member prior to our race.

---- Due to the threat of a big storm on Sunday, the day’s schedule was revamped. The second round of time trials was scrapped, and just a B-main was run. The start of the 200 lap Classic was moved up to around 1:00, to assure all 200 laps would get in before the impending storm. Fortunately, the storm didn’t happen until many hours later, after all of the racing was completed, and haulers were loaded. The schedule change worked perfectly, and fans only missed out on a little racing as a result. Excellent idea.

---- As great as the racing was - and always is - during Classic Weekend, maybe a bigger topic of conversation was the positive feelings about the changes at Oswego Speedway - and how much people love the new owners John and Eric Torrese. I’ve never seen owners of a speedway so involved with every facet of the event. They let race director Chuck Handley handle the nuts and bolts of the racing, but these guys are everywhere. Visiting with campers. Double-checking on calls on the track. Strolling through the pits - both supermodified AND small block supermodified and visiting with the drivers. Breaking up scuffles. Spending whatever needs to be spent for safety equipment. Attendance at the Kart Classic and weekly kart races. Staying up late, and getting up early. Helping drivers load their cars. Sharing laughs. They even rented a jet dryer for the weekend from New Hampshire Speedway IN CASE it rained. And one of my favorite parts - wishing myself and every other driver good luck with a handshake just before we strapped into the car. Also, a big party was thrown at the track the following week for employees only, where people were treated to food and beverages, courtesy of the Torreses. These are some classy guys, and I only hope that they enjoy us as much as we enjoy them. I think they do.

---- Format changes for the small block supermodified division are a nearly annual event, but there hasn’t been a scenario in the last two seasons that has created a pass for the lead. For the second time in two years, the polesitter led all 100 laps of the event. For the 2011 event, the top eight time trialers redrew, and Andrew Schartner was too fast to lose the lead. I’m hopeful that the fans still found the race interesting, as there was some great action and passing throughout the field. But let’s face it: fans want to see passing for the lead.

---- The solution is obvious, but the top drivers don’t want to hear it: dump time trials. Make the fast guys pass some cars. Have them mixed throughout the field, and see how it goes. Qualify through a heat, and do a draw. Or if you have to do time trials, at least invert an undisclosed amount (10 or more) from the ponderous time trials. You want to impress me? Pass someone.

---- Oh - and don’t let us readjust our stagger at half way. This is Classic. Nice try, but I don’t think that’s the answer. And I doubt we were the only ones who figured out how to change wedge during the break when nobody was looking.

---- None of this is meant to take anything away from winner Andrew Schartner and Tom Aaserud’s Crow Motorsports Team. Andrew did exactly what he was supposed to do, and certainly could have passed some cars if he had to. That’s a fast car, excellent team, great driver. He fought off some challenges from Russ Brown in the Sobus #79, but gained some ground when some contact between the two slowed down the 79. Congratulations to the whole Crow Motorsports Team!

---- Equally impressive was Dave Cliff Jr., who pulled their car out of the mothballs and put it in 2nd at the finish. After time trialing in the top eight, Cliff redrew number five, and moved forward from there. Cliff quit the division when the family bought a supermodified, but they haven’t hit the speedway with the super yet, partially because they still need to sell their small block. It’s obviously a fast car. I’m sure the g-note plus second place winnings will go to the supermodified fund.

---- Jack Patrick has been one of the quickest cars all year, and turned in the 2nd quickest time trial lap, but his redraw of 8th proved to be quite a handicap. “Action Jackson” turned in a 4th place finish at the end. The top five was rounded out by Kreig Heroth, in the other Crow Motorsports ride. Tom must have been quite happy to have two cars in the top five for the weekend.

---- Mike Bond was a victim of a fluke. When Mark Castiglia’s car broke (I believe he said broken ball joint), Bond got caught on some debris that came from Castiglia’s car, sending him into the wall, done for the night…. Tim Barbeau was the highest finisher to not time trial into a top eight redraw position, finish 6th in the reworked Steve Abt car that was wrecked badly early in the season. Word on the street is that Jim Losurdo purchased the car recently for his son to drive in 2012.…Good run for Bryan Haynes, who fought off some problems for a 7th place finish. Haynes discusses his race and brother Brad’s (18th) race in a very interesting blog at www.haynesracing.com ….Supermodified driver Shawn Muldoon returned to the division after several years, in the Haegerty owned car, renumbered to #80 for the weekend. Shawn fought to a 9th place finish at the end. ….Dave LaTulip and the Teddneck Racing Team had to scramble to get an engine for Classic after a blown motor the week before. Skip Bloss got a power plant together for the team in time, and break-in was done in the pits prior to the race. (The smoke coming from their pit surely would have intimidated low-flying aircraft.) LaTulip turned in the fastest time of the day (not Russ Brown, as was announced), before starting 9th. LaTulip’s day ended on lap 83, and he was credited with 17th in the final rundown….George Knight somehow got into the third turn wall and flipped the #12 on the very first lap of the Classic. George was uninjured, but that’s more than I can say for his car. Dennis Rupert was also involved the mess, ending both of their days before they started, without completing a lap….Barry Kingsley was an early retiree, the victim of a horrible slow restart by leader Andrew Schartner, which caused a big logjam in the back of the pack. Kingsley and A.J. Bernys both received damage in the incident, with Bernys able to continue. Barry’s string of horrible luck in Classic remains perfect….Congrats to Brian Osetek on a 10th place finish….Excellent statistic: four out of the top five finishers piloted Hedger Chassis cars, built by Ray Hedger. Let the trash talking begin, Brownie.

---- A rash of “mystery leaks” sidelined more than one car, as cars that were sent to the pits reportedly leaking some type of fluid could not find a leak. Jason Simmons was a victim of this on lap 68, but the team never found a problem. Even the next week in the garage, no evidence of leakage could be found on the 98. Simmons time trialed 4th fastest, redrew 7th, and ran in the top five for part of the day, before being sent packing on lap 68, while running in 8th. Game over. And if that wasn’t bad enough, a disgruntled brother of a driver climbed the fence to start a fight with him, thinking his brother’s wreck was Jason’s fault. Imagine his surprise when he saw how big Jason was! The scuffle was broken up by track owner Eric Torrese and security when the gentleman without a pit pass was escorted out, but not before some unnecessary hard feelings and posturing among some of the ladies in the pits.

---- My string of ELEVEN consecutive finishes in the Classic (all but one in the top ten) has officially come to a close. It was a great run, and the string ended violently when I came across a sideways Cameron Rowe in the blind spot off of turn one, destroying my recently freshened Hedger Chassis. As Rowe tangled with Jason Simmons on lap 56 (“it wasn’t Jason’s fault - I just stuck my nose in there and he came down. He didn’t see me”, said Cameron later). Any chance of me missing Rowe’s sideways car was eliminated when a blown radiator hose at the exact moment covered me, my vision, my tires, and my brakes.

---- It was a nasty impact, and I was relieved to see Cameron and I both not seriously injured. Although I definitely had a sore neck, I can only imagine how I would have felt if Andy Noto hadn’t loaned me his “R3” head and neck restraint. (Thanks Andy!) My car is destroyed, and will soon be stuck in the back corner of the garage until I hit the lottery or sell it as is. It looked and ran great though, and I am very confident that our long race setup would have come to me as the laps wore on, and a 6 or 7th place finish would have been likely, but that blown hose issue would have parked me if the wreck didn’t. Thanks to everyone for all of the help and entertainment involved in prepping and racing the car Classic Weekend. Driving is only one part of the whole weekend, and I had a great time spending time with everyone.

---- And to those that think that all of the years that I won Gater News Best Appearing Car and Crew was fixed because I write here, I submit 2011. Congratulations to Jack Patrick for being this year’s winner. Perhaps I’m biased, but I think a lot of people would have chosen this year’s Mark and Ian VanLuven #93 creation as the best looking car, along with our snazzy crew uniforms. Puhlease.

---- The NORA small block supermodified series recently completed their season (or did they?) at Thunder Alley Speedway last Saturday. The championship was very close for the top three drivers, as it came down to single digits. But Vern LaFave was the top dog in the end, winning a tight battle over Rob Pullen and Mike Bruce. Congrats Vern, on what I believe is your first championship. “I’m the oldest guy here, in the oldest car here”, is what Vern told me before the race. Must be he doesn’t realize how old Pitt Watson is. Vern locked it up with a third place finish.

---- This race marked the debut of a potent new team in the small block supermodified division. A team that will soon be a household name in auto racing. A team that will set the pace in 2012, with three brand new cars in the stables, and a full crew of experienced wrenches. And a team that is undefeated since its inception. And the name of this team? Team TAPOUT. Headed by Jason Simmons, TT had three cars strong in the event last Saturday, as Barry Kingsley and J.J. Andrews have landed positions on the coveted team. All drivers and most of the crew handsomely adorned in matching “Tapout” shirts, there wasn’t one team in the Thunder Alley pits not concerned - and envious. It’s hard to say at this point which was more impressive - the way we looked; or the way we ran.

---- Okay, but seriously. Congratulations to Jason Simmons on his first career win at Thunder Alley Speedway, where he led all of the laps and held on over a faster Dave Cliff for the win. Jason’s car wasn’t where it needed to be earlier in the night, but some changes by Brian Dana and Greg O’Connor put him right where he needed to be come feature time. Jason and the guys have put a lot of time, money, and effort into this sport and division, and it’s great to see him get his deserved reward. As the great “Pauly D.” once said, “YEAHHH BUDDY!”

---- I’ve never seen as many cars packed into the pits at Thunder Alley as I did last week. From one end to the other, cars and teams and haulers were everywhere. Even a fenced in back area was filled in. Huge show for Thunder Alley, and the crowd looked quite solid as well. Modified driver Tony Steiner’s double decker truck and trailer stuck out like a sore thumb in the pits, as he unloaded just one of the two cars on hand, which he used to promptly win the open wheel division.

---- Dave Cliff landed the ride in Mark Castiglia’s car for the night, and was very fast in it. As always. But as seems to be Cliff’s trend lately, he grabbed another 2^nd place. Not bad though. Two races, two seconds. According to my calculations, that’s an average of second, for those of you scoring at home.

---- Other ride swaps saw me in Simmons’ second car, which was driven by Stan Gates in the Classic. Although I finished second in my heat, neither of the features will go down as one of my better performances. I had a flat tire on lap one in our feature, and came back a lap or two down, finishing out of the top ten. Then in the open wheel feature, I started in the back, and finished there. I’d like to thank Jason for the ride, and apologize for not doing better.

---- There was a lot of slicing and dicing during the feature, but fortunately no serious incidents. Cameron Rowe fought off Rob Pullen and Jack Patrick, as they finished 4^th , 5^th.and 6^th. Barry Kingsley raced to 7^th in both races.

---- As always, it was a fun trip to Thunder Alley. Since they close too early, we didn’t get to make it to the “Tilted Kilt” Restaurant, but a nice wing feast was held for us at Buffalo Wild Wings in Watertown. Shockingly, they didn’t know who Jason Simmons OR Team Tapout were, but I made sure to inform everyone. As Jack Patrick said about Thunder Alley, “love the track, hate the pits”. We get really spoiled by having such a great facility like Oswego Speedway, with lights, smooth paved pits, electricity, etc. (I ripped the nose off of Jason’s car just driving through the pits!) I’ve had a lot of fun racing there this year. There is talk of possibly having the NORA small block supers back this week for a non-point event, but that wasn’t confirmed as of press time. Keep an eye on the Thunder Alley website, or the NORA website.

 

Gater News - August 30th, 2011

This is it - CLASSIC WEEKEND! Each year, as a fan of Oswego Speedway, Classic Weekend is my favorite week of the year! Drivers and fans of supermodifieds and Oswego Speedway will come from all over the country to our fair city this weekend. And with the renewed excitement at the speedway this year due to the change in ownership, along with the larger supermodified fields that have been in attendance in 2011, look for this year’s Classic to be one of the most exciting in years!

---- For those of you that don’t know, Classic Weekend is one of the biggest pavement short track events annually in the northeast, a tradition that has happened at Oswego Speedway for 55 years. Simply put - to win a Classic is to become a legend.

---- It all kicks off on Wednesday with “Racing Rolling Classic Bowling”. Thursday finds a cruise night and music with Ron Gray’s Millenium Music. Friday is TQ midgets, winged supers, and time trials for the small block supers. Saturday is the small block super 100 lap Classic, RoC Modified 200 lap race, and time trials for the supermodified Classic. And Sunday is the granddaddy of the weekend - round two of time trials, and the 55th 200 lap Budweiser International Classic.

---- As of last Sunday, 34 supers had already registered for the Classic. All of the usual suspects will be in attendance, along with many different teams from around the country, all hoping to get a victory in the biggest supermodified race ever. Also, several teams from Friday night’s winged event are bound to switch over, setting up a field of 40 plus cars attempting to make the show.

---- Of course many rumors are flying around about ride-swapping and different drivers who will be running Classic this year. NASCAR star Johnny Benson plans to run the show. Bobby Bond may step out of the seat of the car that won last year’s Classic, his Xtreme Chassis #25, in favor of the Mike Muldoon car, possibly leaving the seat in his car to his brother Mike Bond. Tim Devendorf bought the Greg Furlong ride, and as of last Saturday, was leaving it parked until next year. But if a deal Furlong has been discussing with John Nicotra doesn’t materialize, expect some heavy pressure on Devendorf to take one last ride in the car for Classic. Lou Cicconi reportedly may not be competing as originally planned, due to an injury. And the biggest story is that Bentley Warren has stepped out of the Graham car, and possibly also the Friday night winged race, leaving that ride open for someone different. A LOT of deals and changes will be happening during the week leading up to Classic, so it’s always fun to see how many of these unconfirmed stories will come true

---- Although the small block super division has been a little down in 2011, 25 cars are already pre-registered, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see a couple late additions. Our qualifying will be done via time trials on Friday night, but I doubt that the whole field will be set that way. Watch for a consi on Saturday to keep the show exciting, and fill out the field.

---- There will be some musical chairs in the small block division, as well as some drivers who have not competed on a regular basis at the speedway taking a shot. Dave Cliff will campaign the family’s #06 car, which they have been trying to sell all year. George Knight and Stan Gates are expected to be in action. Brad Haynes shook his car down last week, gearing up for Classic. Russ Brown is taking a break from his mod lite career to drive the Brian Sobus #79. This guy (me) will be back in action with my Hedger Chassis #93. Larry Muroski had a deal to drive Guard Nearbin’s #78, but since Will Hadcock bought that Sunday, that may knock him out of the race. Which may leave the seat open in the Pitt Watson car that Hadcock had been driving. And I also heard that Steve Hutchinson may be driving Terry Solazzo’s 2^nd car, the #25 that has been parked all year.

---- Huge congratulations go out to this year’s track champions - Joe Gosek and Mike Bond. Gosek’s title came down to the last minute, as he won by single digits over Randy Ritskes, finishing 2^nd to Ritskes’ 3^rd. Gosek won the title without winning any features this year. Bond’s title was pretty much clinched when he arrived at the speedway, and he put an exclamation point on it by taking his 5^th feature of the year with a last lap pass. Two veteran champions, adding more titles to their resumes. It was Gosek’s 2^nd, and Bond’s 3^rd.

---- Rookie Dave Danzer drove an amazing race to grab his first ever supermodified win. He led every lap of the feature, and fought off several challenges and even a red flag near the end. Danzer had plenty of chances to get nervous or choke, but he was solid to the end, even when Gosek got to his bumper on the last restart.

---- If things had gone as planned, this would have been Danzer’s 2^nd full year in a super, but a horrible stuck throttle accident on opening day 2010 destroyed their first super. So the family chose to regroup, and built a brand new Hawk Chassis for 2011. Dave took to the car like a fish to water, and has been very fast this year. It was a great first win for the Danzers and Dad Craig, who had been winless since he started fielding a super in 1986. Dave started up front, but he won in convincing form by turning some of the fastest times of the night. He had built up a huge lead, and did everything right.

---- It’s great to see a family who has put so much into the speedway and the division get their reward. I said the same thing when Dave won a small block super feature, the family’s first ever checkers. Danzer thanked his parents Craig and Cherie, his sisters Jayne and Casey, and several others in victory lane. Joey Hawksby and Greg Furlong also were recognized, and Furlong helped keep Danzer calm during a lap 49 red flag for refueling. It was a great night for a great family - and a popular win for the fans.

---- A couple of controversial events got the fans and teams fired up. The worst one was between Joey Payne and Otto Sitterly, while they were slugging it out in the top 5. The two veterans had been fighting pretty hard, and when Sitterly dove under Payne going into the third turn, I knew it wasn’t going to go well. “Joey hates that!”, I said to Mark when it happened, and then the two cars immediately wrecked down the front straight. I didn’t get to see the wreck live, as I was in the pits out of sight of the front straight where it started. But from watching the video later at Lighthouse Lanes, it looked as though contact from Payne sent Sitterly spinning into the wall in turn three. Payne was able to continue, but Sitterly was done for the night - and not pleased with Payne. It was ugly, but fortunately the Nicotra owned Sitterly #7 wasn’t too badly damaged. I have a feeling that this incident will still be very fresh in many people’s minds this weekend.

---- Tim Snyder and Jeff Holbrook also had an incident in the feature, while running in or near the top five with the laps winding down. There was some contact between the two, which sent Snyder spinning. Snyder was getting loose though, so it wasn’t obvious to me if Holbrook hit him because he was loose, or he was loose because Holbrook hit him. Snyder was done, and then Holbrook blew a motor a few laps later.

---- I’d like to recognize a couple of drivers for some great finishes on Saturday night. Stephen Gioia III has run up front quite a bit the last few weeks, but always had a problem take him out of a good finish. Congrats on a 5^th place finish last week. Also want to send out some kind words to Kody Graham (7^th), and Shaun Gosselin (8^th) for some good finishes. It’s always good to head into Classic with a good run.

---- The small block supermodified race was another great race, which was decided on the last turn of the last lap. It was a great finish - or a not so great finish if you’re a Jason Simmons fan.

---- After a very bad wreck the week before, the 98 had to go to Ray Hedger’s shop for another front clip replacement. But a hard working crew put everything back together right, and Jason was lightning fast all night. Simmons jumped out in the lead, and took off. But as the laps wore on, and as Mike Bond got into second place, you could see Jason change his line to a more defensive line. “Mike Bond always passes me on the inside, and I wasn’t going to let that happen again”, said Jason later. But the defensive line slowed him down, and Bond caught up in no time. The two fought for 10-12 laps though, as Mike was definitely not getting under, and he wasn’t able to get him on the outside after several tries.

---- But the last few laps, you could see the ol’ pro setting him up for the outside pass, and that’s exactly what happened on the last lap. Simmons came off of turn two way low, and Bond was able to get position to pass on the outside through 3-4. The two cars made contact in turn three, but both cars gathered it up and finished 1-2. It was a great run , but Jason was understandably pretty disappointed. This isn’t his first close call - and it’s usually Bond that steals his glory every time. Maybe Classic will be Jason’s first win?

---- Dave Cliff Jr. made his return to the division, and was very quick. He rattled off some 19.5 second laps on the way to a 7^th place finish. It was a tuneup for Classic for Cliff, who left the division to pursue the supermodified division. The Cliff family team purchased a super in 2011, but haven’t hit the track with it, waiting for 2012.

---- Congratulations to Dave LaTulip, who won the rookie of the year award - with a little help from a teammate. LaTulip was very fast in warm-ups, but blew his engine in the heat. Meanwhile, teammate Bryan Haynes, who drove up from Maryland to drive the Teddneck Racing #37, had captured his first heat win, in convincing fashion. I’m sure it was a tough call to step out of that car, especially after winning the heat and driving all the way up from Md., but he did the right thing. Karma will return the favor to Bryan Haynes one day.

---- Jack Patrick was involved in a bad wreck with Will Hadcock, who was driving the Guard Nearbin car. Patrick collided with a stopped Hadcock car, and took some HEAVY contact, damaging the front and rear clip. Rough night for Patrick, who had been on a tear this year.

---- Barry Kingsley pulled his backup car, the Proud Chassis, out of the mothballs after a horrendous crash the week before. The Hedger car needs a bunch of front clip repair, so the switch was made, as he had to put his engine into the other car. Adjustments on the car led to improvements throughout the night, and he’ll run the same car for Classic this week. 11^th place was Barry’s result.

---- I left my own Hedger Chassis #93 parked last week, in anticipation of this week’s Classic. We’ll go through the car with a fine toothed comb this week, and hopefully be ready to rumble for Classic. I like my chances this year, because the car felt so comfortable when I took it out for a shakedown a couple of weeks ago. This year’s twist of allowing the drivers to adjust stagger at the halfway point probably works against me, but we’ll have to see how it goes.

---- If I can somehow find a way to do well during time trials, you never know what could happen. We’ll concentrate on that this year, and hopefully break that jinx of me almost always choking during my time trial run. We will also be handicapped somewhat because this year’s Classic budget doesn’t allow for new tires, so I’m hoping the “almost new” ones that I inherited will still keep me hooked up. I’m optimistic that by the end of the race everyone’s tires will be used up, so I’ll be okay. I can’t wait to get out there and see what I can do with the old girl! I have now finished the last eleven Classics in a row, all in the top ten, with the exception of an 11^th place finish in 2007. This is my kind of race!

---- So I’ve been thinking about predictions a lot for the super and small block Classics. Sometimes I’m really good at this, and sometimes I’m way off. My picks are based mostly on gut instinct, and some on history.

The supermodified top ten: 10^th - Michael Barnes in the Strong Racing #98. 9^{th -} Joey Payne will just beat his teammate in the other Strong ride. 8^th - Dave Gruel, 7^th - Dave McKnight will rebound from a horrible month of August. 6^th, Chris Perley, 5^th - Bobby Bond, 4^th - Pat Lavery, 3^rd - Ray Graham, 2^nd - Otto Sitterly, and winner - Joe Gosek.

---- The small block supermodified top ten: 10^th - Mark Castiglia, 9^th - Dave Cliff, 8^th - Barry Kingsley, 7^th - Jason Simmons, 6^th - A.J. Bernys, 5^th - (drum roll please…) J.J. Andrews, 4^th - Kreig Heroth, 3^rd - Mike Bond, 2^nd, Andrew Schartner, and winner: Mike Bruce. Let’s see how I do! Oh - and I almost forgot my Russ Brown prediction. I predict that they will use spell check when laying out their team shirts this year.

 

Gater News - August 23rd, 2011

Just one week until Classic Weekend at Oswego Speedway! And this week is championship week. The exciting season is building to a great finish - you can feel it in the air. Last week’s $6.00 “pack the track” night was hugely successful, as the stands were packed for sure!

---- This week’s championship night will have a rain date of Sunday at 1:00, so there will be two chances for a perfect, rainout-free season. The Torreses definitely want to finish the season with the championship being decided ON the track, not by rain.

---- The supermodified championship chase tightened up drastically this week when Randy Ritskes won his second feature of the season after an epic battle with Otto Sitterly. Randy made some amazing moves, pulling within nine points of leader Joe Gosek going into the final points night. Randy Ritskes has been breathtaking in the Daratt Farms #88 this year, and it would be great to see him win his first Oswego Speedway championship. Two time defending champion Otto Sitterly also lurks 31 points back, which is within reach if Gosek and Ritskes have trouble. This is going to be a great finish to a great regular season!

---- It almost wasn’t that close though. According to an interview on Chris Porter’s www.lakesideracingnews.com website, Gosek poked a hole in his left rear tire with one lap remaining, and probably would have dropped out if the race had been a few laps longer. Gosek held on for third place. It all comes down to this weekend!

---- The return of 71 year-old Bentley Warren had the fans pretty excited, as he picked up a ride in Ray Graham’s car for the weekend, and also for Classic. It was announced that Bentley will be in action for both the winged and non-winged races during Classic Weekend, as he will be driving a second Vic Miller owned car on Friday night. Bentley turned some great times before spinning in his heat, finishing 2^nd in the consi, and a 21^st place DNF in the feature.

---- For the first 20 laps of the feature it appeared as though Stephen Gioia III may enter the “Thousand Dollar Club” , as he jumped out to the lead and looked strong! Gioia has had some great runs lately, early in the features. I know the huge crowd was watching and cheering for Gioia, as it would have been great to see him win his first. Unfortunately, a few laps after getting passed by Dave Danzer for the lead on lap 20, Gioia faded to the rear (I didn’t hear what happened), and parked the car for the night on lap 30.

---- I was also impressed by Dave Danzer once again, as his car was very notable in the second groove, fighting with Gioia. It was a great run, as he took the lead on lap 20. Ritskes and then Sitterly got by on lap 29 and 30, but his great run ended on lap 44 when he spun on his own while running third. No damage again though, and he finished 11^th. He’s running out of chances this year, but he’s going to get one soon!

---- Some musical chairs saw Bobby Bond jump out of his own car, and into Mike Muldoon’s second car, the #05. That race didn’t last for Bond, who parked it after 23 laps. Meanwhile, Bobby’s brother Mike jumped in Bob’s #25 to turn a few laps, and keep up Bobby’s status in the commitment program. Mike, who was pulling double duty while leading the small block supermodified points, parked that after 7 laps. Rumors that Bond will give up his ride in his own car in favor of Johnny Benson are unconfirmed, and I would be shocked to see Bond give up the ride in the car that won the Classic last year.

---- There has been a lot of talk about the John Nicotra super team as far as who will drive his cars for Classic, and how many he will have in competition. After Otto’s bad wreck a few weeks ago, the inventory of Hawk Supers shrunk from three to two. Which would be for Sitterly and Davey Hamilton, with the third ride, which was to be for Chris Perley, gone. But the wrecked car was sent to Hawksby’s shop, and there is a chance that it could be back for Classic and Perley after all. A recent develop now may take Hamilton out of the ride due to other commitments, which brings a different driver into the fold.

---- Long story short, IF the repairs are completed on the third car, and IF Hamilton isn’t able to make it for the weekend, multiple Classic winner Greg Furlong could land in a third Nicotra entry. Otto Sitterly, Chris Perley, and Greg Furlong. Now that’s what I call an all-star lineup! Be interesting to see how that all shakes out!

---- Former supermodified driver, and current mod lite racer Tim Devendorf has been looking at returning to the supermodified division. Since leaving Oswego several seasons ago, Devendorf has been driving several different divisions on the dirt tracks, including sprint cars, sportsman, mod lites, and late models. Devendorf has made an offer to Greg Furlong for his complete supermodified, but hadn’t come to terms with Furlong as of last Saturday night when we spoke. “I’m thinking more for next year”, said Devendorf when I asked if he was trying to get something together for Classic.

---- Rough night for the two car Strong Racing Team of supers. Joey Payne’s night ended on lap 24, reportedly with engine problems, after a tangle with Jeff Holbrook had already sent him to the rear. Michael Barnes was running very solidly in third place when a tangle with Otto Sitterly, while going for 2^nd, sent Barnes hard into the front straight wall. The team wasn’t scheduled to run with Barnes this weekend because of work commitments, so I’m sure the extra week will be well needed to get that car back together for Classic for Barnes. While things didn’t look optimistic for the team to have both cars ready for Classic, I’ve seen miracles happen many times. You may not see either car this week, though.

---- Some solid runs for Dave Gruel (4^th), Tim Snyder, (5^th), and Jerry Curran, who finished 8^th on the night. All of these teams could use some luck heading into Classic. Brandon Bellinger made his first return to the speedway in a long time, finishing 15^th. Same for Kelly Miller, out for his first time this season, but didn’t end up starting any races due to mechanical problems.

---- I talked with Shawn Muldoon and Keith Gilliam, both of which haven’t seen the track in a few weeks due a nasty crash. Muldoon has been working on his car, but expenses and his work schedule from the wreck with Bobby Haynes Jr. have been holding him back quite a bit. He still wasn’t sure as of last week when he would be back, but he’s hoping that he will be by Classic. Gilliam isn’t in the same boat, as he isn’t even repairing his car due to the amount of damage and money he would need to get back on the track. “I took the week off and built a Jeep”, said Gilliam. He doesn’t expect to be doing any more racing this year at all, and didn’t seem too motivated for next season. “Four wheels and four shocks - four thousand bucks. Just for starters.”

---- The small block supermodified division saw some heartbreaking wrecks, a couple of returns from old-timers, and even an elevated temper or two. And also a veteran winner who hadn’t seen victory lane since 2007.

---- Rob Pullen led every lap from his front row starting spot, but it was close. Several different drivers took their shot at Pullen, but they all drove him clean. But Pullen didn’t make any mistakes, and landed in victory lane with the champagne and trophy queens.

---- First driver to take his shot was Bryan Haynes Jr., who ran on Pullen’s bumper for the first 11 laps. But it was a good night and a bad night for Haynes. Coming off of turn four, Haynes got loose, and when he overcorrected, he headed toward the wall, collecting teammate Cameron Rowe, who was running third. Both cars received minimal damage, but were done for the night. “The heat race wreck and a bunch of changes my brother Brad made to the car brought that car to life”, said Haynes, who admitted to coming off of the turn too low, causing the incident.

---- Andrew Schartner next locked horns with Pullen. Schartner was faster, and dove under Pullen a couple of times, but was never quite able to complete the pass. Schartner drove him clean, and the fight for the win remained incident-free. Schartner finished 2^nd.

---- Haynes’ heat race incident caused the biggest wreck of the evening, when he punted leader Jason Simmons going into the first turn. Simmons was then collected by Will Hadcock, with both cars receiving HEAVY damage. “It was my fault - I owned it”, said Haynes, admitting that he stuck his nose in where it didn’t belong. Simmons was very angry, and expressed his anger when he came into the pits. Some shoving ensued, but it didn’t get out of hand.

---- Simmons and Haynes later spoke in the trailer, where Haynes apologized for the mistake. I think the apology was grudgingly accepted, but Jason’s car is horribly wrecked. “It’s ridiculous this close to Classic to get taken out like that”, fumed Simmons. “I just want to ask him what the @&*% he was doing”, said Jason before they talked in the trailer. At least a new front clip will be required to get the car ready for Classic, and it was taken to Ray Hedger’s shop on Sunday. Hadcock’s Pitt Watson owned car was also very badly damaged, requiring an engine pull and serious front end repairs.

---- That wasn’t the only heartbreaker of the night. On lap one of the feature, Mike Bruce got into A.J. Bernys coming off of turn four causing him to spin, where he collected Barry Kingsley. Kingsley was sent HARD into the inner fence, contacting the water barrels under the flagman with huge force. Another horrible wreck for Barry, who wasn’t injured in the wreck. As of Sunday, Barry wasn’t sure what his plan was. And he wasn’t too interested in talking to his crew about it.

---- Barry was a little sore on Sunday. The car needs another front clip replacement, and it remains to be seen if he fixes it, or resorts to the engineless and cannibalized Proud Chassis car that he has been trying to sell. Kingsley was also the victim of a “dump” from rookie Dalton Doyle in the heat race, when Doyle crashed into Kingsley’s left rear, spinning him out. Fortunately, Barry received no damage from that incident, but lost his handicapped starting position. Which put him in position for the horrible wreck in the feature.

---- Good to see George Knight back at the track for the first time this season. George and his friend Stan Gates worked on the car all night, shaking down some bugs himself, preparing for Classic. Expect to see Stan out for Classic as well. With a new car that he built.

---- Budget racers have some real tough decisions to make. And that was me this week. I brought my own car out, which had recently been the recipient of a new front and rear clip, and a new body at Ray Hedger’s shop. My plan was only to shake the car down, make sure everything was put back together correctly, and make sure it was going to be okay for Classic. I decided to NOT race it, because the only reason I still own the car is so I can run Classic. If I raced it and wrecked it, I would miss out on Classic, because the budget is not there right now to repair it if anything happens. That was the plan, and I was committed to it.

---- But that was before I took it out in warm-ups, and stuck on Jack Patrick’s bumper. With old tires, I cracked off some 19.7 second laps right away, with zero adjustments. Not the fastest time of the night, but fast for a rusty old-timer. The fastest time anyone turned all night was a 19.426, which was Mike Bond during his heat. I was very happy with the setup that Hedger put in the car, and surprised that everything went smooth after an early driveshaft issue. (Since I did most of the work myself, I was surprised that I didn’t mess anything up.) I was very happy with how comfortable I was in the car, and can’t wait to see what it will do in Classic with some fresher (new ones aren’t in the budget, but I have some with only a few laps on them) tires.

---- That’s when the peer pressure started. Mark, Chrissy, and Scott started working on me, and told me I should race it. “How can you not race it when it looks so good? I’ll dedicate four nights in the shop if anything happens. FOUR NIGHTS”, begged Mark. I’ll be honest - the thought crossed my mind. A lot. But Paul Stepien reminded me to use my head, and stick with my plan. Then in the heat race, when I started 20 car lengths back, and still passed a couple cars, and turned another 19.7 second lap, I was even more tempted. But during the red flag refuel in the feature for Barry’s wreck, the crew backed off on me, and agreed that I should stay the course. I now have two weeks to look over the car, and prepare for Classic - both physically and mentally. With no damage to repair. I can’t wait for Classic - and the “New 93!”

---- For the first time this year I attended Friday night’s action at the Oswego Kartway, located at the Oswego Speedway, on HRW Construction night. I was again very impressed with the way the operation is run, and the racing was great! Ten divisions of karts put out a lot of action. It’s great to see the kids and adults all working together and sharing time at the races.

---- Winners in each division were: Gold plate: Cole Reinman. 4^th place was Kalyn Rupracht, 8^th place was Tyler Thompson, and 9^th was Jaielle Litchison. Jr. Clone: Hannah Weltzer. Novice: Blaze Strickler. Stock lite: Dustin Geers, 2^nd Chris Natoli, 4^th Pete Palmieri. Stock animal: Tim Kelly. Pro stock lite: Josh Ladd. Pro stock heavy: Joe Hayden. Stock heavy: John Stepien, 3^rd Barry Goodney. Sr. champ: Kevin Schute. And open: Corey Norton dominated, with Davey Marsden 2^nd. (It was great to see Corey, who crew chiefed my racecar for 10 years or so, so dominant!)

---- Coming up next week is the 5^th annual Dirt Track Classic. On Thursday, September 1^st, practice starts at 6:00, time trials at 7:00, followed by the rest of the show. This is a very well-attended event, as many people in town for Classic Weekend will check out the show. And many karts will be on hand to compete for the huge trophies, and the excitement of winning “Classic”.

 

Gater News - August 16th, 2011

It‘s “Pack the Track Night” at Oswego Speedway this Saturday. For just $6.00 adult admission, fans this week get a three division show that includes supermodifieds, small block supermodifieds, and an added SST modified feature. That’s not a misprint - I said $6.00! I bet that place will be packed. Let’s make sure that happens!

---- If you’re an Oswego Speedway fan, this week is the perfect week to bring a friend, preferably someone who has never been to the track, or hasn‘t been there in awhile. The racing has been amazing, and the improvements that have been made to the facility will help make some new fans at the speedway, I’m sure. Hey - if you really want to do something, buy a couple $6.00 admissions to get people here. Look like a hero - for six bucks.

---- Otto Sitterly made a huge comeback last week after a devastating crash the previous week, where the car was destroyed in a last lap accident, while fighting Ray Graham for the $10,000 win. Sometimes it’s tough mentally for a driver to come back after such a horrifying wreck, but Otto was right on point Saturday. With the fastest times of anyone in the feature (Sitterly was the only driver under 17 seconds), it was obvious that he wasn’t going to let the crash slow him down one bit. Sitterly charged to the lead and never looked back, scoring his third win of the year.

---- Car owner John Nicotra was pretty proud of his driver, who had an emotional week after the scary crash. And Otto stated in victory lane that it was a tough week for him. Not because of the equipment so much, as two more Hawk Chassis supers were in the shop ready for action. But a wreck like that can get you thinking. “I don’t care about the car”, said Nicotra, relieved that Sitterly wasn’t hurt, and that he came right back with a win.

---- The team’s plans for the upcoming Classic Weekend were to field three cars - one for Otto, one for Davey Hamilton, and one for ISMA ace Chris Perley. Now that the inventory is down to two cars, Perley will be odd man out. Although the Hawk Chassis that Sitterly wrecked is being repaired, it is unlikely that that car will be ready for Classic. I asked Nicotra if there were any Hawk cars available for sale that he could pick up to go back to the plan. “Nah.. I wouldn’t do that…”, was the reply. He just grinned when I said, “sure you would!”

---- Dave Danzer had an awesome run, and had an excellent shot at being the second rookie to win a supermodified feature. After some engine problems the previous week which resulted in a DNS for the night (long story short), he jumped out to the lead, and off he went! The car was on rails, and even though Otto Sitterly and Ray Graham caught him, it was his race.

---- The trio of cars ran such a torrid pace (Danzer had a 17.04 second lap) that lapped traffic would soon become a part of the picture. And that’s what bit the 52. As Danzer approached Jerry Curran and some other cars, he had to make a decision: high or low. “We’re always taught that lapped cars go to the inside”, said Danzer later. But as Danzer went high, Curran pushed up, sending Danzer up into the third groove, where he spun. “I think Otto showed Jerry a wheel, and he moved up a little”, theorized Danzer.

---- Fortunately Danzer avoided contact, and was able to continue. Another incident later in the race saw the 52 backwards again, but Dave recovered for a 12^th place finish in the final rundown. Care to guess who’s starting up front again this week?

---- Another good night for Strong Racing saw their two cars in the top five, only to have problems in the closing laps. Joey Payne was one of the fastest cars on the track, and made it to 3^rd at the end from his 5^th row starting spot. Michael Barnes was very quick once again in the 98, and made his way to 5^th from his 7^th row start. Barnes was flying, but a fuel delivery problem (no, it didn’t run out of gas) ended the run, just 9 laps from the end. “Just some more of the Mikey Barnes luck”, added Barnes, who is really enjoying driving for Pat and Terry Strong. “Great people - in the shop, at the track, everyone. I really like driving for them.”

---- “We love him, and love having him around”, said team owner Terry Strong, speaking of Barnes, at the mutual admiration society meeting. Leaving for a job out of town, Barnes initially thought he would be done for the season the previous week, but some logistics have been worked out to allow Barnes to run this week, as well as Classic Weekend. “He is a great asset to our team”, added Strong.

---- Bobby Bond had some hard contact with the wall during the feature, after some contact from Jeff Holbrook. The mild-mannered Bond was not pleased with Holbrook, resorting to the “two-lap finger of death”, which is what it’s called when you gesture to the offending party on two separate laps under caution. Apparently one death stare wasn’t enough. Some words were exchanged in the pits afterwards.

---- “The car’s not as bad as I thought it would be”, said co-crew chief Ed Matteson. A bunch of damage, but they’ll certainly be back in good shape for this weekend.

---- Bill Moore took his first laps as a supermodified driver, filling in for Steve Abt in the #85. (Judging by how much Steve likes to see me race, I was kind of surprised that I wasn’t offered the ride.) With family commitments keeping Abt away from the track, Moore got the opportunity to try his hand in the car, and enter the record books at Oswego now in three different divisions: street stock, small block super, and now supermodified. Bill didn’t hang around long, and was credited with 23^rd in the final rundown.

---- A meeting was called for 2:00 during the day for drivers and owners in the small block supermodified division, to discuss the format for the upcoming 100 lap small block supermodified feature. Some of the format is the same as in the past. But some of the announced changes were shocking. Here are some details:

---- Our qualifying will be determined by time trials, on Friday evening. The amount of cars locked into the Classic will be determined by the number of cars taking time trials. The top eight time trailers will then redraw for their starting position, and positions 9 through last will line up from their times. Cautions will count during all 100 laps. A consi will be run Saturday, only if necessary, based on car count. Pretty standard stuff. But then it gets a little crazy…

---- For the first time ever, the race will be halted on lap 50 on the front straight. Crew members will then be allowed to bring a jack, tire tape, etc., to adjust stagger. No other adjustments, just stagger. Then announced after that idea was another jaw-dropping twist, which was NOT subject to discussion, according to Handley. The top six drivers in the running order at that time would then redraw for position. So if you were running 6^th, maybe you would draw the number one, and restart from first place! Or maybe you’re the leader, and you draw number 6. Simmer on THAT as if it were a sauce.

---- Back to the racing. Throughout the supermodified feature, the clouds rolled in, and the lightning kept firing up the sky. Imminent rain showed on the radar, and track officials called for the small blocks to get lined up in a hurry. A light sprinkle just after the cars hit the track delayed the start for a minute, but the green flag was eventually thrown. Cautions on lap 4 and lap 14 when the rain increased slowed the action, but they were able to restart both times.

---- Cameron Rowe has led features many times during the season, but has always had something bad happen. Overheating. Rearend. Transmission. Sore uterus. If it could happen to Cameron, it would. But from his front row starting spot, Cameron looked fast, fighting off Jason Simmons in the early laps.

---- Meanwhile, the two fastest drivers in the division this year, Jack Patrick and Mike Bond, had worked their way through traffic to start the battle with Rowe. And battle they did. It was a great war, as both Patrick and Bond took their shots at Rowe, while battling each other. All during a light rainstorm, which seemed very dangerous to me. It was a classic example of clean, excellent driving - with nobody wrecking anyone.

---- But Cameron was fast, and didn’t make any mistakes. While slugging it out with the “heavyweights”, the rain started to fall harder. On lap 19, the caution was thrown again because of the rain. Knowing that if the race was not restarted, the rain dance began in the cockpit of the Teddneck Racing #77. I watched car owner Chris Tedd’s nervous pacing, which could also be considered a rain dance.

---- “Chris took a chance on me, even though a lot of people told him not to”, said Rowe of car owner Chris Tedd. Finally the checkered flag had been thrown, and Cameron Rowe had his first victory, and the second for Teddneck Racing. Congratulations to a deserving team! I’m sorry that I accidentally spilled my beer on your head.

---- Okay - now back to the conversation about the small block Classic and the redraw for the top six cars at lap 50. After that bombshell, and several joking comments, the meeting was ended. (Best comment was “maybe you should just have us finish the race on mules”, by Brian Sobus Sr..) People were shocked, and the talk was that an unprecedented redraw would turn our race into a circus.

---- In the next few hours, Handley must have received a lot of comments about the redraw. (Theory is that track owner Eric Torrese wasn’t a fan of it, and wasn’t at the meeting during the discussion of the redraw.) I’m not sure who talked to him, or if maybe he un-hit his head, but word was spread later that the redraw idea was being retracted. “Everything is the same (as announced at the meeting), but there will NOT be the redraw”, said Handley when I called him the next day. “We’re still going to stop at lap 50, they will be allowed to adjust stagger, and 8 cars will redraw from time trials, but there will not be the redraw in the feature.”

---- While I think that redraw would have made the race very interesting for the fans, it’s just too random of a thing to do to the drivers. Can you imagine fighting for a position, then having it taken away from you by a draw? I’ve never heard of such a thing. Just too crazy. I’d love to know who talked him down. I bet his name was…everyone.

---- The “two best friends that anyone could have” had quite a battle of their own in the small block supermodified feature. Jason Simmons and Mark Castiglia, also known as “Skipper and Little Buddy”, finished 4^th and 5^th in the feature. From his starting position of 3^rd, Simmons jumped to 2^nd behind Rowe, and gave him a run for his money. Later on, when Simmons was passed by Patrick and Bond, “Ace and Gary” linked up once again.

---- A little bumper tag among the two made for some good conversation later on in the evening over some chicken wings at Lighthouse Lanes. But Simmons would prevail on this night, finishing 4^th to Castiglia’s 5^th in the final rundown. Castiglia also made his first trip to victory lane, snatching his first heat victory.

---- The driving wasn’t all clean and smart, though. The previous week’s “Mr. Small Block Supermodified” champion Barry Kingsley had a warmup incident that caused a lot of damage to the #23. “Driver error” is what sent the car into the fence during warm-ups, according to Barry. Many parts were bent or broken, including the front clip. Barry was only able to put the car back together enough to “start and park” in the heat and feature, and was credited with 16^th place in the final rundown. On Sunday the engine was pulled, and the car was taken to Hedger chassis builder Ray Hedger to get the front frame redone.

---- The other blunder of the night was performed by Andrew Shartner in his qualifying heat. Schartner made an ill-advised dive under Brian Osetek going into the third turn, spinning Osetek, and causing a 5 car incident. Osetek was out for the night with some serious damage to the rearend of the car. If I was a betting man, I bet he wishes he had that move back. Schartner would later finish 8^th in the rain-shortened feature.

---- A special ride in the two-seat supermodified took place on Saturday evening, as the CNY Chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation granted a wish to a young race fan. 14 year-old Joshua Yorgey of Cicero, N.Y. caught the ride with driver Dave Trytek. A great organization, granting a wish to an appreciative youngster.

 

Gater News - August 11th, 2011

 

Gater News - August 4th, 2011

Who’s excited about this week’s 25^th annual “Mr. Novelis Supermodified 50” $10,000 to win event this Saturday night at Oswego Speedway? This guy. Along with hundreds or thousands of other fans of the most awesome race machine ever built. In addition, the small block supermodified division will fight for the $1,500 to win “Mr. PathFinder Bank” 35 lap event.

---- And right smack dab in the middle of the “Mr.” action, fans and drivers also have a supermodified championship battle to enjoy. Just three points separates the top two drivers, and only 46 points separate the top five.

---- Dave Gruel sits in 5^th at 721 points. The second year supermodified competitor drives the Double Deuce Racing #50. He started the season with a new Enders Racing engine built by his stepfather, Kevin Enders. Optimism was high before the season, and Dave has lived up to the promise that was expected of him. His solid season has included one feature win, and most finishes in the top ten. I bet he’s not happy with that though. I think we’ll see an aggressive #50 this weekend. I’m sure the team could use that ten large to help with the repair bill on teammate Pat Lavery’s car after that horrible wreck during Race of Champions Weekend.

---- Multiple time and defending champion Otto Sitterly rides 42 points back, certainly not where you would expect to see him at this point in the season. After winning the last three championships, and four out of the last five, it’s always a surprise when he’s not in the lead. But he already has two wins, and he’ll be on top of his game this weekend, for sure. Don’t be surprised if you see the Nicotra owned Hawk at or closer to the front of the points battle before the season ends, which is just FOUR points races from now. Sitterly spent last weekend keeping himself limber running the Vic Miller #11 at Sandusky last weekend, credited with uncharacteristic 14^th and 23^rd place finishes.

---- Randy Ritskes has been very fast this year in the Daratt Farms Xtreme Chassis #88. Only 32 points behind McKnight, another win or two would be a huge help in his quest for his first title. Randy often appears to be the fastest car, and I can guarantee that the 88 will be all cranked up looking for that ten large. At the beginning of the season the talk was whether or not Randy would be conservative, driving for a team that may not be funded well enough to fix a wrecked racecar too many times. In the last few weeks, it’s starting to look like “aggressive Randy” is coming back out. So watch the fireworks this week, race fans. If he doesn’t wreck, I think they already have that ten grand counted.

---- You sure have to imagine that veteran Joe Gosek, just three points out of the point lead, could very easily add another championship to his storied resume. He’ll know just what to do, and if he doesn’t have any bad luck, the consistent driver will be tough to beat. Surprisingly, Joe hasn’t landed a win this year. I guess that makes him due, and just in time for the $10,000.

---- Points leader Dave McKnight has one victory to his credit in 2011, and has been amazingly consistent all season. The Syrell Racing Team doesn’t have any championships under their belt so far, but this could definitely be their year. They have one of the best drivers in the history of supermodifieds, and the #08 has been very solid week in and week out. I’m sure this team could handle an extra ten grand in the race fund, but I wonder if Dave will play it safe, thinking about that championship.

---- The small block supermodified division isn’t quite so close. As everyone predicted (or maybe that was just me), Mike Bond has a pretty solid lead. He’s not unreachable though, and several cars are fighting from behind, starting at 62 markers away.

---- Jack Patrick returned from an injury last year with a vengeance - and a very fast ride. Patrick’s Hedger Chassis, Chrysler powered ride has been lightning quick, and I’ve never seen Jack drive like this before in his career. It would surprise nobody if Jack grabbed this weekend’s $1,500. Love to see it. Jack is in 2^nd right now with 848 points to the leader’s 910.

---- One point behind Patrick is Andrew Schartner, in the Crow Motorsports Hedger Chassis ride. Schartner already has a victory in 2011, and would certainly enjoy having the title of “Mr.” added to his name. The two Tom Aaserud owned rides are always a threat to win, and this week will be no different. Schartner will be one of the cars to beat this weekend.

---- Kreig Heroth, in the other Crow Motorsports ride, showed some great power during the most recent event two weeks ago. 87 points back with 4 remaining races on the schedule is almost insurmountable, so I predict that he’ll be gunning pretty hard for that title - and the $1,500 - this weekend.

---- Michael Bruce has had a very solid season of his own, although still winless. The way the handicapping is done for this special race, based on the full season instead of the last three weeks, should give him a starting spot ahead of some pretty fast cars. That would put Bruce on a short list of favorites to win this event.

---- Tim Barbeau had to switch rides a few weeks ago, when the car that he was driving was destroyed in the “Hoosier Mama” powder puff race. He then entered the Haegerty owned FFB ride, which had just been exited by rookie Nate Sitterly. Barbeau finished 7^th in his debut in the car, and his handicap will give him a good shot for this week’s race.

---- A lot of surprises happen in these races. Who else could sneak away with all of the marbles? You have to look at the starting lineup to take some guesses. People who have had a rough season will be rewarded in this race with a good starting position.

---- Cameron Rowe drives a real fast Chris Tedd owned hotrod. He’s won several heat races so far this season, and will most likely be starting on the pole for this week’s event. Last race, a last minute engine change still didn’t work out as planned, and he broke just a couple of seconds after taking the green flag. This week could be THE week for Cameron to make up for some of the horrible luck that he has experienced this season.

---- Cameron isn’t the only driver that is owed some success. Jason Simmons has had very few fun nights at the speedway this year, and a lot that were not. Simmons purchased a new (to him) Hedger car mid-season, and was pretty quick in it the first couple times out. He even landed a 2^nd place in early June. Some bad weeks followed that, so he will now be in a great position to be rewarded for his bad luck. This could be the one!

---- Brian Osetek runs a little better every week, finishing at or near the top ten regularly. He’ll probably have a decent handicap, so watch the #00. Will Hadcock also improves weekly, so maybe the “Hadcock-Watson Racin’ “#43 will make some noise this weekend. And this Dennis Rupert - what more can be said about him? Something always seems to happen to the 99, but maybe this is the week that everything falls together. Go Roop!

---- Now for the “Question of the Week”. Here it is: what needs to be done to improve car counts in the small block supermodified division? Where are all of the cars? Not that long ago, back when I was running this division weekly, there were 30-35 small block supers in the pits every week. Sometimes more. Now they’re having a hard time getting twenty. 16 small blocks took the green for the RoC event 2 weeks ago.

---- I know that there’s an ebb and flow to car counts in many divisions at many tracks. Maybe this is just a down year, and next year a bunch of new pilots will fill the pits again. I know the kart races at the speedway on Friday nights is a good feeder for the division. (A.J. Bernys and David LaTulip have already made a great entrance into the division from the karts.) Guard Nearbin’s car may see the speedway this weekend with a different driver in it. Dalton Doyle has hit the speedway a couple of times, gaining experience. Evyn Crisafulli has purchased Jack Patrick’s car from a few seasons back, and plans to debut next year. And I heard awhile back that two new cars have already been ordered from a local builder. So things are looking up.

---- But 16 car fields are not a good thing, even if it is only a support division. Weedsport Speedway recently closed down over a dispute between the track owner and the promoter revolving around car counts for a support division. So I’ll be asking around, and if you have an opinion, please let me know, or shoot me an email at JJcqracing@aol.com . I’ve got some theories of my own, (tech, personal contact from the speedway, or cost are some of my thoughts) but I’d like to hear yours.

 

Gater News - July 26th, 2011

Another amazing weekend of racing has just been completed at Oswego Speedway, as the 61^st annual Race of Champions is now in the record books. Nine classes of cars, hundreds of laps of racing, and thousands of fans!

---- Of course my three favorite divisions of racecars were in action. That would be the small block supermodifieds, the supermodifieds, and the winged ISMA supermodifieds. All three divisions put on a great show, and I took some notes.

---- The (non-winged) supermodified division provided a historical moment, as the father/son team of Ray and Kody Graham finished first and second. It was certainly a night to remember for the Grahams, as well as their fans. Very exciting to see.

---- Jumping out to the lead from his front row starting spot, Kody ran a very strong race, and looked for awhile as though he may snatch the victory. But it was not meant to be, as a wiggle on lap 36 handed the win to the most unlikely of race thieves: his Dad. Ray Graham had moved to 2^nd place behind his son, which brought up the big question: would you let your kid win, or do you try to pass him just as hard as you would anyone else? As a father myself, I would think seeing my son win a feature at Oswego Speedway would be more enjoyable than winning my own.

---- I bet the same thought raced through Graham’s mind when he took 2^nd place away from Bobby Haynes Jr. on lap 27. Should I go get him, or should I block for him and let him get one? I’m sure those exact thoughts raced through the elder Graham’s mind. Of course he would never admit it, but he had to be thinking about laying back for his son. But while he was trying to decide, Kody made the decision for him by getting loose and handing the lead to Ray. Kody gathered himself quickly though, and recovered for an excellent 2^nd place finish to his Dad. I can’t remember the last time I saw a prouder papa. Congratulations to the whole Graham team!

---- Also a great finish for Bobby Haynes Jr., who solidly drove his Xtreme Chassis machine to a 4^th place….Joe Gosek gained some ground on Dave McKnight for the championship, as he finished 3^rd to McKnight’s 6^th. It’s a great five car battle now between McKnight, Gosek, Randy Ritskes, Otto Sitterly, and Dave Gruel, who are all within 46 points of each other, with four point races remaining. Gosek is just three points behind McKnight, while the other three are 32, 42, and 46 markers back.

---- A very frightening qualifying heat accident took Pat Lavery and Stephen Gioia III out for the night - and maybe longer. Racing for position down the front straight, the two cars collided, sending both into the wall at a high rate of speed. Lavery’s Double Deuce Racing ride took the brunt of the damage, and Lavery reportedly suffered a shoulder injury. It was tough to watch - must have been horrible to be in…. Michael Muldoon Jr. also received some heavy damage when he nailed the turn one wall after a collision with Otto Sitterly.

---- Friday night’s winged ISMA supermodified event was an exciting event as well, as Ray Graham nearly pulled off the weekend sweep. Graham debuted a new Xtreme Chassis machine, and jumped out to a huge lead, grabbing the top spot on lap ten, after starting in the 7^th row. The #90 was flying, as he was the only driver to run laps in the 15’s. With the help of almost all green flag laps, it appeared as though nothing would hold him back.

---- But thinking like that when a certain Chris Perley is in the field will never work. For years now, Perley is a dominant figure when the winged supers are in town, and this week was no different. He actually started ahead of Graham, but took a little longer to work his way through. Which probably explains why Graham was slowing down at the end, while Perley was speeding up. Perley tracked him down and passed him, without the help of any cautions. Every time I see Perley race I just shake my head.

---- It was a great field of cars for the ISMA event, which some thought may be a thin field. 26 cars took the green, including NASCAR star Johnny Benson. (Benson’s night ended with a crash on lap number one.)….Ted Christopher struggled to a 7^th place finish in the Clyde Booth machine, but followed that up with a victory the next night at Airborne Speedway with the ISMA field….Bobby Bond was the only Oswego regular to switch his car over to run both nights at Oswego, landing finishes of 17^th (ISMA) and 9th. Ray Graham raced both, but he did it with two different cars….Paul White was back in action with the Steve Miller owned #16 after a nasty warmup crash during King of Wings, when a wheel broke.

---- The small block supermodified event was a hard fought, controversial battle, which was decided after a couple of aggressive moves.

Front row starter Barry Kingsley saw open track on the first lap, when inside pole starter Cameron Rowe pulled off of the 2^nd turn with mechanical problems after taking the green. Fighting a loose ride, those of us on Barry’s crew were very excited to see him hold the lead. And hold it he did, muscling the car like it was his job. Rookie A.J. Bernys was a little quicker than Barry in 2^nd place, but drove cleanly the entire race. “It’s nice to see someone with respect for the leader”, said Kingsley later.

Enter Kreig Heroth. Also faster than the leader, Heroth would never be accused of being patient. For the last few years, supermodified driver Randy Ritskes has been using a move that I call the “third turn dive”, a late pass going into turn three that is both breathtaking and risky. Usually it works, but every now and then it doesn’t. You either make the pass or cause an accident, but you always annoy the driver that you do it to.

On lap 22, Heroth pulled the maneuver on Bernys, with success. Nobody wrecked, he got the position, and he scared the heck out of A.J.’s Dad Jim. With Barry still coming off of turn two a little high, we knew what was coming. And we were right. Lap 29 of a 35 lap feature, Heroth dove under the 23 of Kingsley for the lead. It worked out for Kreig, but not for Barry.

Although Barry didn’t hit anything else, his car drifted high as a result of some nasty contact, then spun out. Fortunately everyone missed him, and Barry finished the race a disappointing 11^th. Barry was very agitated when he came in, the rest of the evening, and still two days later. Perhaps the hard feelings could have been cooled down with an apology from Heroth, but I’m sure the friends will speak eventually.

Of course I am obligated to speak objectively about the incident, which is dicey since I’m a member of Kingsley’s crew. I bit my tongue when it happened, and headed to Lighthouse Lanes to watch the video replay later in the evening. I know what Barry felt, and the opinions of many of the people watching the race from the third turn was that Heroth nailed him. The track’s video didn‘t show much contact, and my vision of the incident wasn‘t conclusive. (Kreig admitted to contact in his victory lane interview.) I don’t like aggressive moves being done on my guy, so I’m inclined to take Barry’s side. But I think even the most objective fan will have a clear cut view when they see the video from A.J. Bernys’ in-car camera, who was right behind them. Find it on youtube, or A.J.’s Facebook.

If Heroth hadn’t made contact with Barry when he went under, there would have been nothing anyone could say. But after seeing the incident from A.J. Bernys’ in-car camera, it was a nasty hit, and both drivers are lucky that it wasn’t a big wreck. I now know why Barry was so mad, after seeing that video.

---- I was most impressed with the drive that A.J. Bernys put on. He ran a great line, and poked his nose cleanly under Barry and the Heroth several times. Great run for the Bernys Team!

---- A lot of fans were squawking about the small block race being shortened on race day from the advertised 50 laps, to 35 laps. While it’s not a huge deal, there is definitely a different dynamic to the strategies of the two races. I asked race director Chuck Handley about the change, and he said it was because of a lower car count in the division. He felt that if the race ran the advertised 50 laps, that there would only be a handful of cars at the finish. (13 of the 16 starters finished the 35 laps.) Then curiously, on Sunday, the late model division ran their full scheduled 100 laps - with just 10 cars! I didn’t understand the call one bit, and I hope the fans don’t get too mad about it. Handley also cautioned that the upcoming small block supermodified feature Classic Weekend may be shortened from the advertised 100 laps for the same reason. Not cool.

---- Zane Zeiner was the winner of the 61^st annual modified race of Champions, his first. Zeiner had a weekend to remember, as he ran in three out of the nine feature that took place during the weekend - never finishing worse than 2^nd! He was 2^nd to Bobby Holmes in the sportsman feature, and won the late model feature! That was quite an impressive weekend for the Pa. Driver.

---- Tony Hirschman was strong all day in the mod feature, but didn’t quite have enough to pass Zeiner. The previous winner of the event would have to settle for 2^nd place, over Erick Rudolph, Lee Sherwood, and Jimmy Zacharias. Positions 6-10 went to TJ Potzebowski, Dave Wallaber, Jan Leaty, Jerry Cheetham and Bill Putney.

---- In Sunday’s factory/pure stock event, I saw a first. Only three cars took the green for the 20 lap event, and one pulled in immediately. A second car pitted a lap later, leaving one car on the track to run the feature. I thought they would checkered flag it, but then one of the cars came back out for a few more laps. Imagine coming back from several laps down to finish 2^nd!

---- I hope the July Race of Champions was a success for Andrew Harpell and the event organizers. I think the Friday and Saturday events were huge, although I think Sunday’s events weren’t as well attended. A full field of sportsman mods, along with the 10 late models and the 3 factory/pure stocks didn’t make for a very full day on Sunday. I bet that will be changed a little for the 2012 event.

---- Oswego Speedway is closed this weekend for the annual weekend off during the city of Oswego’s huge Harborfest celebration, then will be back in action on August 6^th for the 25th "$10,000 to Win" Mr. Novelis Supermodified 50, and 20th "$1,500 to Win" Mr. PathFinder Bank SBS 35 events, along with kids autograph night.

 

Gater News - July 19th, 2011

Coming this weekend at Oswego Speedway is an event that may rival all of the other events at Oswego Speedway this year, with the exception of Classic Weekend. For the first time since I don’t know when, Race of Champions Weekend will be held during the summer, instead of the fall, when car and crowd counts are often negatively influenced by cold and rainy weather. Usually held in September or October, I bet the nice weather will bring a HUGE crowd. Don’t miss this one folks!

---- No less than NINE divisions of cars will be in competition during the weekend, three on each day of the weekend. Friday night will find ISMA winged supers (50 laps), small block supers (50 laps), and mini stocks in action. On Saturday, the 61^st annual Sunoco Modified 200 lap event will crown a new champion. The un-winged / Oswego supermodifieds will have a 61 lap event, and a 75 lap super stock feature will make for an exciting day. Then on Sunday, late models, sportsman, and street/factory stocks will round out the weekend. It sure will be a weekend to remember at Oswego Speedway!

---- For the supermodifieds and small block supermodifieds, both races will be point paying events, which should ensure great car counts. Also, announced last week was that the refurbished sections of the back grandstands WILL be open for those fans that prefer to sit “out back”. This weekend is really going to rock the Oswego Speedway!

---- Some info from the official ROC website at www.raceofchampion.net :

---- “The 61^st running of the Sunoco Race of Champions Weekend will be a tribute to the legendary Richie Evans. Evans who will be inducted into the NASCAR Racing Hall of Fame is a three time winner of the Race of Champions. The Evans family will be on hand throughout the weekend as Saturday, July 23^rd (the day of the RoC 200) would have been Richie Evans 70^th birthday. This year’s schedule of events will make for one of the best weekends of asphalt racing anywhere in the northeast this race season. On Friday the lightning fast ISMA Winged Super Modifieds will tackle the 5/8^th steel palace oval with a 50 lap event. The record breaking winged supers will see all of their stars in action including Chris Perley along with invaders Ted Christopher and former NASCAR Cup and Truck racer Johnny Benson, Jr. Friday action will also see a regular season point race for the SBS Small Block SuperModifieds as they compete in a 50 lap event.

---- On Saturday the 61^st running of the Sunoco Race of Champions will take center stage. The 200 lap event will pay a minimum of $10,000 to the race winner along with over $22,000 in bonus lap money posted as well. The top ten drivers on lap 100 will each earn $600 bonuses from Toyota and the leader of lap 68 will earn a $1,000 bonus from Andrew Harpell in memory of Alex Friesen. The full fledged Oswego Speedway Super Modifieds will race in a 61 lap event paying $3,000 to the race winner. The race will serve as a point race for the track championship so all of the teams will be on hand. Over 30 Supermodified teams are expected.

---- Sunday will see the RoC Sportsman 100 will be accompanied by the RoC Late Model 100 and Factory Stock Showdown. Defending race winners Zane Zeiner (Sportsman) and Bob Weber (Late Models) are both expected to defend their title. You won’t want to miss this year’s 61^st running of the Sunoco Race of Champions Weekend. We’ve saved the biggest and best for year 61 – don’t miss it.”

---- Last week’s events at Oswego Speedway were right in line with most of 2011’s races. Very exciting! There’s a whole new dynamic to the supermodified races this year because of the fact that there are so many cars in competition. Last week, with 31 cars in action, you can see that racing in the heats is a lot more important now, because some of the cars are going home. It’s a whole new deal, and fans saw some exciting action because of it.

---- Otto Sitterly was the man this week, winning his 2^nd of the year from his 5^th row starting spot. While Otto hasn’t appeared as dominant this year in the John Nicotra owned Hawk Chassis supermodified, it’s impossible to discount the speed and consistency that makes this team a champion, year in and year out.

---- Tim Snyder had one of the best nights I’ve seen him have in awhile, running a strong 2^nd place. Tim had a huge wreck a few weeks back, and sometimes cars come back a lot faster after a big wreck and repair. That may be the case with the Snyder team. Great run!

----Joe Gosek also looks really fast this year in the Xtreme Chassis #00. Gosek has a lot of speed in the second groove with the car, and is currently riding 2^nd in points after last week’s 4^th place finish…

---- Joey Payne passed a lot of cars to crack the top five, after a heat race spinout relegated him to a 15^th place starting spot in the feature. He was a man on a mission.

---- But Jerry Curran passed more cars than anyone. Curran started way out in the boondocks, in 23^rd place, and worked his way up to 9^th at the finish. Curran has been riding in or near the top ten in points, and I’m sure this week’s 9^th will keep him there.

----Indy Car racer Davey Hamilton made his first appearance of the season in a 2^nd John Nicotra owned car, and was credited with 13^th in the final rundown after a spin during the feature.

----D.J. Shullick was in town to drive the LaPrade owned #15, which had been most recently piloted by Bentley Warren and Doug Heveron. Shullick finished 10^th in the former Clyde Booth mount.

---- Dave Danzer is getting accustomed to his new Hawk Chassis supermodified in a big hurry. Dave looked very impressive doing some work in his heat, wrestling to the outside of and passing several cars, finishing 2^nd. Then I thought he was going to steal one in the feature, vaulting from his third row starting spot to take the lead on lap three. He stayed there and looked strong, but headed to the pits on lap 15 with an engine problem, after being passed by Tim Snyder. A visit from engine man Russ Marsden was inconclusive on Sunday morning, but I’m sure they’ll find the problem by this weekend. Many are very impressed by how quickly Dave has adapted to the super division.

---- Andy Noto was out - and then back in - the Daratt Farms #48 supermodified. After a problem in his heat race, Andy’s stress level caused him to walk away from the ride. After an attempt to qualify the car in the heat by a small block supermodified driver was aborted on the first lap because of a mechanical problem, Noto returned to the seat for the feature after the use of a provisional. “The car is parked until Classic”, said Noto, after completing 13 laps in the feature.

---- The small block supermodified feature was quite handily dominated by a guy whose name begins with the word “Hero”. Nobody other than Kreig Heroth ever had a chance to win this race. Kreig jumped out to the lead on lap three from his second row starting spot, and proceeded to make tools of the rest of the field. A visit to Ray Hedger’s shop always helps get the cars going fast, which is exactly where Tom Aaserud’s Hedger Chassis #44 car went last week.

---- You know who else has a racecar at Hedger’s shop, that will probably be quicker after some serious repairs, and Ray’s setup? This guy!

---- Jack Patrick was fast again, advancing from 12^th place at the start, to 3^rd place, without the help of many cautions. Jack’s Mopar is flying this year, and getting a lot of attention from his competitors. And what goes with that? Yep, you guessed it. People are starting to squawk about him being illegal already. I always wanted to be accused of being a cheater!

---- Mike Bruce has been having a consistent season in 2011. Top five finishes have been the norm for Bruce, and another 4^th place finish this week should put him in the top four in points.

---- Andrew Schartner had a solid 5^th place finish of his own, in his quest for his first championship. Some hard dicing nearly resulted in a crash for Schartner, which prompted some angry words in an interview on Chris Porter’s www.lakesideracingnews.com. I couldn’t help but think while listening to his interview how reminiscent it was of past small block super driver Russ Brown, who coincidentally has also been helping Andrew out in the pits. He even crow-barred an “it is what it is” into the interview. Good stuff. If Andrew calls me “Bub” next week, I will know that the transformation has been completed.

---- Tim Barbeau was behind the wheel of the Heagerty owned #79 that had previously been campaigned by Nate Sitterly in 2011. Apparently Sitterly wasn’t scheduled to be behind the wheel of the 79, and Barbeau needed a ride since the car he had been campaigning was in pretty rough shape after a crash the previous week in the ladies “Hoosier Mama” race, by Janine Regan. Barbeau finished 10th in the maiden voyage, and I understand that he will be behind the wheel of the car, which has been renumbered to #50, more.

---- “Cookin’ Cameron” Rowe was really cooking during the feature - both literally and figuratively. The #77 was FAST in the feature, cracking off a 19.572 second lap in pursuit of Kreig Heroth. But unfortunately, his solid run came to an early end on lap 20 when he was forced to the pits with an overheating car. Cameron has been chasing an overheating issue, and still hasn’t found the cure.

---- Bryan Haynes was behind the wheel of the #37, but exited early, after 5 laps, when he blew a power steering line. “I had a great start, and felt like the adjustments we made were good”, said Haynes. Bryan looked pretty solid in the heat race, as he continues to familiarize himself with the car. Bryan will wheel the 37, which sports Bryan’s Holmes Motor, a few more times, in preparation for a good run at Classic this year. His next scheduled trip from his home in Maryland will be on August 6^th. His brother Brad may be behind the wheel in Bryan’s absence this week.

---- I was asked by small block supermodified owner/driver Barry Kingsley to say a huge THANK YOU for all of the support at his recent fundraiser. “I was really overwhelmed and humbled by all that everyone did for me”, said Barry after the successful day. He wanted to thank his family, his sponsors, all of the hole sponsors, his friends, and his wife Debi for all of the assistance. Everybody loves you Barry! It was a great time.

 

Gater News - July 12th, 2011

The much anticipated “King of Wings” event for winged supermodifieds at Oswego Speedway was a great success, as 30 winged supers graced the pits, greeting a huge turnout of fans. And the huge crowd was rewarded with an exciting, trouble-free, green to checkered feature.

---- Tim Ice leapt out to a huge lead and it looked as though he would disappear. With no cautions to bunch up the field, I thought nobody would ever catch him. But that was not the case. Mike Lichty in the Reed Salvage car was even faster. A LOT faster.

---- Lichty tracked Ice down and blew past on lap 30, and proceeded to dominate the remainder of the race. It was an impressive performance for Lichty, and a great race for the fans! Lichty started in the 7^th position.

---- Timmy Jedrzejek started 8^th in the Soule Racing machine, and also made an impressive charge to get to 3^rd at the buzzer. Trent Stephens also sliced through the field to get to 4^th place from his 11^th starting position. An amazing show of force!

---- One of the most decorated drivers in the northeast, Ted Christopher, was behind the wheel of Clyde Booth’s #61. Christopher was fast, but far from the dominance that he usually displays when he drives a pavement modified. He started 4^th, and finished 7^th.

---- Randy Ritskes looked very solid early in the event, starting in and running in 2^nd for quite awhile, before fading to 5^th in the later stages. Randy had a problem with the wing, and I later heard that overheating may have been a problem in the 88. Ritskes was the highest finishing Oswego regular of the 14 Oswego drivers that attempted to qualify.

---- As often is the case, the regular wing drivers always have a distinct advantage when the divisions merge. Joe Gosek, Dave Danzer, Bobby Bond, Stephen GioiaIII, and Otto Sitterly were the next Oswego regulars, finishing 12^th-16^th.

---- Rookie Dave Danzer was quite pleased with his 13^th place finish in his first ever winged race. Dave’s having an excellent rookie season in the division, coming off a 5^th place finish the previous week. Also impressive was Dave’s time trial lap of 15.876, 9^th fastest of all of the cars that took times. His personal life coach Casey later was taking full credit for Dave’s success.

---- Paul White, driving Steve Miller’s Sweet 16, was the only car of the 30 attendees that wasn’t able to attempt to qualify. White hit the wall hard during practice when apparently a wheel broke, causing enough damage to put the car out for the night. Dave McKnight had a fiery engine explosion during the B-Main in Gary Morton’s car.

---- Although problems kept Chris DeRitis from qualifying, he still was able to achieve one first on the night. When the car needed to be “backed off” in the infield road near our pit, a few people came over to help push the car backwards. I’ve never seen a girl in a dress and flip flops push a supermodified, but Jamie Crossett got two thumbs up from DeRitis when she leaned over the car to help. May not have been the night he wanted, but he at least has that story to take home. Well played, Jamie!

---- The small block supermodified feature was green flagged right around 7:30, as all of the night’s qualifying events were virtually trouble-free. The same can’t be said for the feature, as a few crashes slowed the action.

---- Two weeks ago, Jason Simmons purchased Fred Kilian’s Hedger Chassis small block supermodified. After borrowing a Hedger Chassis ride from a friend previously, he really enjoyed the feel of the car, and looked into purchasing one for himself. Unhappy with the handling of his old car, and after fighting engine problems all season, he made the deal to secure Kilian’s car. He took it to Ray Hedger for a quick checkup and setup, and his new season was ready to begin.

---- The first week Simmons led 29 of 30 laps before being passed on the last lap by a dominant Mike Bond. Although disappointed, Jason went home pretty encouraged about his new ride, with plans to build on it the next week, after becoming a little more familiar with the car. This last week was similar, and he jumped to the lead on lap 6 after passing early leader Nate Sitterly. But the cautions kept the field bunched up, and Jason wasn’t able to get the big lead he had established the week before.

---- On lap 13, Tim Barbeau made a move under Simmons for the lead. As Simmons moved back down the track to protect 2^nd, he was punted by the front bumper of a hard charging Mike Bond, who was in hot pursuit on Barbeau’s tail. It was a classic case of one driver saying “You came down on me” vs. another driver saying “you came up into me” - the same cause of many of the accidents. Simmons was agitated about the incident, as he felt that the contact was unnecessary from a driver who he considers his “idol”. “He was a lot faster than me - he would have just passed me the next lap anyway”, said Simmons.

---- I watched the video later at Lighthouse Lanes, and it sure appeared to me as though it was a wreck that should have been avoided. It was of course not intentional, and nobody thinks Bond would have dumped his friend on purpose. But a little more patience maybe could have been shown. Mike Bond wasn’t that concerned, and chalked it up to a “racing accident“, and thought that Jason should have known that Mike was going to follow Barbeau past him, and shouldn’t have attempted to turn down behind Barbeau. “I thought he was going to stay up high. I got on the brakes as hard as I could”, said Bond. The contact from Bond was behind Simmons’ left rear tire, not the side of the car, where you could say the front driver should have seen the rear driver. In my opinion, Jason would have had to have eyes in the back of his head, because there was no way he could have known where Bond was. Bond was not penalized for the punt, but it seems like he would have known Jason was going to try to get down to the bottom of the speedway after Barbeau went past.

---- Mike Bond is the best driver in the history of our division, and has won more features than anyone. In 2011 he is by far the dominant driver, who passes everyone in the division at will. He’s won 4 out of the 7 features that have been run, and will certainly win the championship. With the exception of one race where he was 2^nd, he has won every time, with the exception of two nights where he crashed.

---- As a driver myself that has only won a few times, I’ve always envied the hard-charging, take no prisoners, no remorse type of drivers. All winners will tell you that you’re not out there to make friends, and if a guy gets his new car messed up because I have to make every move possible, right now, that’s his problem. That’s how winners win. Did Mike have to stuff it in there on Jason on lap 13, when he was 4-5 tenths faster? Don’t ask me. Ask a winner. I’d be too busy feeling bad.

---- Tim Barbeau ran a strong race, taking the lead from Simmons. Bond passed him on lap 19, but the #50 was really cooking. Tim held on for 2^nd place at the finish. Later in the evening, the car was involved in a violent wreck during the “Hoosier Mama” ladies race, when Janine Regan took a hard ride off the inner hubrail off of turn two. The team has a huge project ahead of them this week to get it back in shape for this week’s races.

---- I was most impressed this night with veteran Jack Patrick. Especially during his heat race, where Jack passed cars on the outside and the inside to make a last lap win over Rob Pullen. “Action Jackson” started 10^th, and finished 4^th in the feature.

---- I also was impressed with first time rookie Dalton Doyle, who recently acquired the Hedger Chassis that was previously raced by Dave Danzer in 2010. Doyle looked like he’s been driving these cars for years, and was immediately moved from rookie warm-ups to regular warm-ups. Dalton finished 14^th in the feature, but not before cracking off some impressive low twenty second laps.

---- Several ladies took to the track Saturday night in small block supermodifieds for the “Hoosier Mama Powder Puff” ladies race after the night’s regular events were complete. It was an entertaining race, won by Kathy Harrington. Kathy has run all three of the Hoosier Mama events, and would not be denied this time. Right from the drop of the green, she was turning times similar to Chris Perley, and never looked back, leading every lap.

---- Lapped traffic seemed to be Kathy’s kryptonite, though. And two time defending champion Samantha Todd sensed that. Kathy’s big lead continued to grow, until she caught traffic, and Samantha started to reel her in. As the laps wound down, you could see the urgency creeping into Sam’s driving. She could see Kathy fighting with lapped cars, and pushed it a little too hard, spinning it out on the back straight. Fortunately for Samantha - and car owner Barry Kingsley - she didn’t hit anything, and nobody hit her. After the spin and the caution, Sam found a whole new attitude, passing many cars on the last lap, getting back to third.

---- So we all found out where small block supermodified driver Andrew Schartner gets his skills. His mother, Jane Redding, took the wheel of the #18, and looked pretty smooth. Jane finished 2^nd, and word on the street is that she may replace Andrew in the car for the rest of the season.

---- As I mentioned earlier, Janine Regan had a very bad wreck on lap one in the Tim Barbeau #50. It was a scary wreck, as the car caught some serious airtime when it bounced off the wall. The other drivers did a great job to miss the spinning #50, although Debbie Bond had some minor contact when Janine came across the track. Fortunately Regan wasn’t injured, but the car sure was. Bent frame, probably bent rearend, and many other parts received damage in the incident. Barbeau wasn’t too pleased about the damage I’m sure, and all of the work that goes along with the repairs. Janine’s husband Mark Regan has agreed to pay for all damages.

---- I hadn’t acquired a full or official order of finish for the Hoosier Mama race, but I think I have an unofficial top five. Kathy Harrington, Jane Redding, Samantha Todd, Jamie Crossett, and Debbie Bond were the top five unofficially. Jackie Bruce, Amy Hall, and a few other drivers completed the event, free of incident.

---- This Sunday, July 17^th, is the date of a great fundraiser, to benefit Barry Kingsley Racing, small block super #23. From event organizer Debi Kingsley: “Golf at Tamarack Golf Club. Sunday, July 17th. $30/ person includes 9 holes of golf and kart / all-u-can eat BBQ at Front Door Tavern, and Door Prizes. Captain and crew format- 4 man teams. If you don’t have a full team, not a problem. BBQ to include Burgers, Hot Dogs, Sausage, salt potatoes and salads. If you don’t want to golf, come on down to the Front Door for some food at 1:00pm, $8.00 to eat. Door prizes, 50/50 raffles and good times with friends. To sign up for the golf, contact Barry Kingsley at 529-1398 or stop by at the Front Door Tavern and let Paul know. Spread the word…..the more the merrier!”

 

Gater News - June 29th, 2011

Big race at Oswego Speedway this week to celebrate Independence Day this weekend! In addition to the regular divisions of supermodifieds and small block supermodifieds, this Saturday will also will feature the debut of the SST Modifieds. The SST’s will run three times during the regular season at Oswego Speedway in 2011, and may be added to the schedule many more times in 2012. If the racing and car counts are excellent, I can’t imagine that speedway management wouldn’t want them for more shows next year. So I would say this is probably an audition.

---- Also this Saturday is the return of the “Hoosier Mama” small block supermodified Powder Puff race. This event has been run twice previously, skipping last year due to weather and postponements. Samantha Todd is the two-time champion, and will run Barry Kingsley’s car looking for the “three-peat”. Sam will square off against 10-12 of the roughest, toughest, lady small block super drivers in the world.

---- Debbie Bond, Kathy Harrington, and Janine Regan are the returning veterans of the division. Last time, Samantha and Janine had a huge battle for the win, with Samantha pulling off a late race pass for the victory. Jackie Bruce, Caylee Heagerty, Amy Hall, MaryAnne Haynes, Binnie Litchison, and Dionne Tedd are rookies in 2011 who hope to have a little something for the veterans. What people don’t know is that Amy Hall has been undergoing intense practice and training through race simulators, and may be the “sleeper” of the event. Plus she drives a G6. Enough said.

---- Last week the NORA small block supermodifieds hit the road, since Oswego Speedway was closed in observance of graduation weekend, which has historically been a poorly attended event at the speedway. 12 small block supers showed up for the event at Evans Mills.

---- Rob Pullen appeared to be the runaway victor from the pole, but a fuel pump failure with just a couple of laps to go set off a chain of events. As the point leader going into the event, the pole starting position and problems for his two biggest competitors seemed to prove that destiny wanted him to have that championship. But everything changed when his car croaked, and 2^nd place points runner Vern LaFave landed in 3^rd place with a car that hadn’t been running well, thanks to attrition. Pullen failed to finish, but was still credited with 6^th place after only five cars finished.

---- Drama ensued when Pullen’s car failed. Although Pullen’s car was no longer running, his teammate Mike Bruce’s car sure was. He punted Steve Abt, spinning him around into the path of Barry Kingsley, taking both out of the race. As always happens though, Bruce was able to continue in the race after a pit stop, finishing 4^th on the night. Good points night for the Malachi Brothers, who have pulled into first and third in NORA points!

---- Cameron Rowe took the lead, and looked as though he would grab his first career victory. Cameron looked strong all night, but one push in the turn allowed Tim Barbeau to sneak by for the win. Congrats to Barboo on his victory! And congrats to Cameron Rowe on one of the best in-car commentaries ever from his in-car camera the week before, where some candid comments (“I didn’t even know the microphone worked”) brought a few good laughs. Find the video on Cameron Rowe or Teddneck Racing’s Facebook pages.

---- Musical chairs put A.J. Bernys in one of the Chris Tedd cars (with Brad Haynes’ engine), Chris Tedd in one of his cars, Steve Abt in the #90, and me in Barry Kingsley’s 2^nd car. It was only a good night for Tedd, who finished 5^th in the #27.

---- Bernys was taken out on the first lap, when Ivan Steen’s throttle stuck, sending him into and through A.J. and Pitt Watson. Steen went all the way across the outside of the track, hitting the outside retaining wall, kicking up dirt while the car sat with the stuck throttle against the wall. Fortunately Steen was uninjured. Bernys and Watson were both out of the race.

---- Since my own car was at Ray Hedger’s shop getting a new front and rear clip from an Oswego Speedway accident when I loaned the car out the week before, Barry and Mark Sledziona and I spent 3 nights putting an engine in and doing other repairs to Barry’s backup car. While I had hoped to call in a favor and borrow an established or race-ready car for one race since I had loaned my own car out to various friends several times over the years, none of the several available rides were offered. Available cars were offered to other people who were not SIX points out of the NORA championship point lead; or just left parked in garages.

---- After arriving at the track late due to trailer problems, one hot lap session was available to me, and the car wasn‘t too bad. A couple of adjustments, and we were ready for the heat. After hitting the speedway for my qualifying heat, the car quit, and would never fire again. We chased a fuel problem for the next several hours, but never found the issue. I watched the race - and my opportunity for my first championship - slip away. I learned a lot about friends and favors this week, and found out that my circle of racing pals was a lot smaller than I had realized. People whose fundraisers I support and promote on these pages. It wasn’t that long ago that I remember people flocking to other guys’ pits to help when a championship was on the line. One time a backup car was given to a competitor to make sure the title was decided ON the track, not in the pits. Now we give cars to people that have no stake in the battle. And those guys keep them. One of Pullen’s FFB teammates even had a car sitting on the trailer. The snub definitely dictated the outcome of the NORA championship, proving that teamwork is the key to success.

---- The NORA small block supers have one more points event. According to NORA secretary/treasurer Jackie Bruce, “The NORA SBS Series has their last race September 10, 2011 up at Evans Mills. This is after Classic Weekend. We are looking at getting as many of the SBS cars that we can to come run our last race of the year. We are also looking at making this possibly a 50 lap race depending on car count.” For more info, you can go to the NORA website at www.norasbs.blogspot.com.

---- I spoke with Roy Sova this week regarding the two-seater supermodified rides that have been taking place at Oswego Speedway. The program has been a popular promotion for the division, but fell under scrutiny a few weeks ago when a “start the feature” ride went bad. Driver Bobby Magner failed to pull into the pits as instructed after taking the green flag, and spun on the track two laps later, bringing out a caution. In the future, a new driver will wheel the car, and the car WILL be pulled into the pits before the racing drivers complete the first lap. According to Sova, who runs the program, “Start the Feature rides will continue. (I’ve had more interest in them since THE SPIN than ever before.) I have pre-practice rides available for King of Wings weekend, but the rest of July is pretty well sold out. Rides are available for all races in August. Driver to be determined.” Sova insists that “the spin” will never happen again, and the new driver that takes over will be under strict instruction to not try to change the program. Contact Sova at 315-297-2262 if you’re interested.

---- Coming up soon are two excellent and unique fundraisers.

---- The first one happens on Sunday, July 10^th. From event organizer Eric Syrell: “GoodTimes of Oswego, along with fellow sponsors Top Quality Construction, Lagraf’s Pub and Scriba Town Inn, present: Syrell Racing's "Race & Rock Bar B-Q" benefit fundraiser on Sunday, July 10^th, at the Scriba Town Inn Summer Concert Stage! Musical guests include Bob Garafolo unplugged, FrostBit’s own John Bletch and his band Vitamin X, and headlining band UNDER THE GUN! Admission is only $5.00 to get in, $8.00 for a chicken dinner (while supplies last); or $10 for both. 50/50 raffle and door prizes available. All proceeds are to raise funds for Syrell Racing and driver Dave McKnight Jr. Doors open at Noon. Music goes from 2:00 till ???”

---- The following Sunday, is another excellent fundraiser, to benefit Barry Kingsley Racing, small block super #23. From event organizer Debi Kingsley: “Golf at Tamarack Golf Club. Sunday, July 17^th. $30/ person includes 9 holes of golf and kart / all-u-can eat BBQ at Front Door Tavern, and Door Prizes. Captain and crew format- 4 man teams. If you don't have a full team, not a problem. BBQ to include Burgers, Hot Dogs, Sausage, salt potatoes and salads. If you don't want to golf, come on down to the Front Door for some food at 1:00pm, $8.00 to eat. Door prizes, 50/50 raffles and good times with friends. To sign up for the golf, contact Barry Kingsley at 529-1398 or stop by at the Front Door Tavern and let Paul know. Spread the word.....the more the merrier!”

 

Gater News - June 22nd, 2011

Keepin’ it Real by JJ Andrews

Wow. What a night of carnage at Oswego Speedway. It was the twins night - twin 20’s for the small block supermodifieds, and twin 30’s for the supermodifieds. I think the shorter distance races create a sense of urgency, and make the drivers run a lot harder - maybe too hard. A lot of wrecks and a lot of controversy! Controversy is good for the sport. Wrecks are not.

---- Congratulations first to Bobby Bond and Dave McKnight on picking up the deserved wins in the supermodified division, and Jack Patrick and rookie Dave LaTulip for picking up the small block wins. Great night for these guys!

---- Dave McKnight had the best night of anyone. A win in feature one, and a second in feature two. The Syrell Racing # 08 has been very consistent and quick this year, and has unofficially taken the points lead - by a large margin. It sure looks like they’re doing everything right this year.

---- Bobby Bond has been fast himself this year - but not fast enough to pull off a win. But this week he made it look easy in the second feature, when he ran away and hid. It was a good night for Bobby, who had a 5^th and a 1^st to show for his efforts.

---- Also a shoutout is in order for Dave Gruel, in the #50 Double Deuce Racing machine. A pair of thirds, a win a few weeks ago, and the fact that he is now 2^nd in points backs up the fact that this is a team to be reckoned with. Great night!

---- That’s the good stuff. Unfortunately, the night was filled with one wreck after another, possibly one of the worst nights I’ve seen for damage. Otto Sitterly smashed the turn three wall in his heat, and had to go to his backup car. There was a terrible wreck in the first feature that involved several cars, where Tim Snyder flipped, and Dave Danzer, Craig Rayvals, Steve Abt, Brian Sobus, and others were damaged. In a different incident, Dan Connors smashed the wall hard after contact with Keith Gilliam, doing tons of damage. As did Michael Muldoon Jr. But even those wrecks didn’t get people fired up as much as the one between two drivers going for the lead.

---- Randy Ritskes and Joey Payne are two of the most polarizing drivers to ever drive a supermodified. People either love them or hate them. In 2011, Payne has been struggling with the Strong Racing #99. I wouldn’t doubt that he’s tiring of the 5 plus hour drive each weekend from New Jersey, as well as the responsibilities of fielding racecars for his son back home. All of that stress can be soothed by a couple of wins, but it is surely magnified when you’re not running well anyway.

---- Ritskes, on the other hand, has been the breakout performer of the year in the Daratt Farms #88 Xtreme Chassis ride. His aggressive driving style had been toned down from past seasons, probably because with the caliber of equipment of this magnitude at his disposal, he hasn’t had to take as many chances. His “third turn dive” that has enraged so many drivers has been pulled out much less this year. He’s been smooth and fast, with a win and a 2^nd, and led the points going into the night’s events.

---- But the shorter features create that aforementioned sense of urgency, and you could see the pressure turned up. Randy started charging a little harder - because he had to. That’s when he pulled the “third turn dive” on Payne for the lead. (For the record for those who don’t know, Ritskes’ patented third turn dive is a late pass that often makes other drivers mad, because it’s aggressive and scares the heck out of them. In my opinion, it‘s a fair move, as long as you don’t make contact with the car you‘re passing. And awesome to watch if you‘re a fan!)

---- But Payne wasn’t having it, and dove right back under Ritskes between turns three and four, a brilliant move that I hadn’t seen anyone do yet. The two drivers came off of turn four side by side, and that’s when it got ugly. A thousand people can watch the replay as I did; 500 will see it one way, and 500 will see the exact opposite. As an objective observer, as I’m friends with both drivers and both teams, I watched the replay with an open mind. In fact, I watched the replay with Payne’s car owner Pat Strong, and we saw two opposite things. I’d like to say that only the drivers know what really happened, but it happens so fast, I wonder if they even know.

---- As the two cars raced side by side down the front stretch, it looked like the 88 of Ritskes wiggled a little, which is normal when you’re running the second groove. The 88 came down a little, and the cars touched tires. Then it looked to me as though Payne, who was still probably enraged about the third turn pass, made contact with the 88 going into turn one. Was it an intentional wreck, to take out both cars? Of course not. But after last year’s Classic incident, and knowing how intense the “Jersey Jet” can be, I’m sure he would have done a lot more than jump around on the hood of the 88 when he climbed out of the cockpit at the wreck scene if he thought that wreck was all Randy‘s fault.

---- Of course a lot of pushing and shoving and yelling ensued in the pits, but I expect this to blow over, just like all wrecks do. Two great drivers, fighting for pride - and a victory for their teams. Unfortunately it will blow over without Payne, who promptly quit the ride, according to his Racebook.

---- So what next for the Strong Racing Team and the 99? Pat and Terry Strong will regroup, repair, and return. With Oswego off this week for local graduations, the 99 will be all set for the July 2^nd races. Since Michael Barnes drove the team’s 2^nd car last week, it seems as though it would be a natural for him to slide into the seat of the main car. Or does the Jet cool off and come back? Let’s hope so. Like him or hate him, Joey Payne brings a lot to the division, and it would be a loss. I know the Strongs will stand behind their driver, and hope that he comes back. Guess we’ll find out next week.

---- The other controversy that had people talking last week involved the speedway’s two seat supermodified. Weekly rides for fans now include an opportunity to take the green flag in the feature. While it was supposed to be parked after taking the green flag, driver Bobby Magner stayed out on the track, and spun the car on lap two. I’m sure it was quite a thrill for the rider, but definitely a dangerous situation. Not to mention that it most definitely took momentum away from the cars on the track, especially leader Joey Payne. I would expect that we have seen the last of the “take the green flag” rides.

---- The small block supermodified features were almost as much of a crashfest as their big brothers. Although not as controversial, there was just as much damaged equipment. But some good stuff, too.

---- Jack Patrick has been racing small block supermodifieds since 1996. He currently sits 4^th in all-time small block super points. But prior to the night’s features, Jack acknowledged that it’s been 10 years since his last victory in the division.

---- Jack’s always immaculately prepared Chrysler powered Hedger Chassis car has been fast this year. After missing most of the 2010 season due to a non-racing injury, “Action Jackson” came back loaded for bear in 2011. Patrick jumped out in the lead in the first feature, he looked pretty comfortable and smooth. But when Mike Bond got to 2^nd place behind him, and a caution came out, it looked like he could have been in trouble. So how did he handle it? He waved bye-bye, and proceeded to drive away from Bond to score the dominating victory.

---- Jack also finished 4^th in the second feature, capping off a night that he should remember for quite some time. Jack turned a 19.2 second lap while dusting Bond, probably the fastest of the year. And the best part - Jack took his first point lead ever during his 15 year career. Congratulations on your awesome, deserved win, and great night!

---- I can’t give you as much history on the night’s second feature winner, because he‘s only raced at Oswego Speedway a few times. Rookie Dave LaTulip landed the ride for car owner Chris Tedd of Teddneck Racing during the off-season, and is obviously capitalizing on the opportunity. The Oswego Kartway has been a great feeder for the small block supermodified division, and it has fed us another solid driver. The 17 year-old LaTulip runs karts on Friday nights, and switches his focus over to run the big track on Saturday.

---- LaTulip’s car owner Chris Tedd owns three racecars, which were intended to be fielded by himself, LaTulip, and Cameron Rowe. But as the season opener neared and only two of the cars were race ready, Tedd stepped out of one of the cars. “I wanted to give LaTulip a shot at Rookie of the Year”, Tedd told me when I asked why “that kid” was driving instead of him. Tedd must have seen something in LaTulip, who gave him his first win as a car owner, and a 3^rd place in the evening‘s other feature. He was right. Congratulations to LaTulip and Teddneck Racing!

---- The controversial event of the evening took place during the second small block feature. Mike Bond, who was making a charge from the rear was running hard to get to the front, in the limited time provided by the 20 lap feature, when they usually run 30. (You remember - that sense of urgency that I keep bringing up…) In the process, he banged wheels with Rob Pullen. Neither car wrecked, but when they hit the turn, Pullen smashed Bond from behind on lap 18, spinning him into the inner hubrail.

---- “The retaliation was intentional” said Pullen as the two discussed the incident after watching the video. Pullen felt that the wheel banging between the two was uncalled for, but I don’t know if you’re allowed to wreck someone as a punishment for contact. A few heated words were exchanged, and the word “payback” certainly came up in the exchange. Been there, done that. It’s called “Pullenation”. Bond was scored as 13^th in the final rundown, Pullen 9^th.

---- Good night for Barry “Kingfish” Kingsley, who had a 4^th and a 2^nd on the night…. Mike Bruce a 5^th and a 5^th….Brian Osetek landed his first heat win, and scored 8^th and 13^th place finishes….Lou LeVea Jr. made his first appearance of the year, crashing in each feature….Kreig Heroth ended each feature in a huge cloud of steam, after finishing 7^th and 9^th.

---- Jason Simmons, however, did NOT have a fun night. After experiencing overheating problems with his own car the few weeks before, arrangements were made to borrow my own #93 ride for the week, so he could pull his engine and get it corrected for the July 2^nd event. After picking up my car, Simmons’ engine man concluded that a head gasket change would fix his own engine, so he decided to run his own car, and take mine there as a backup. At a Friday night track rental, everything appeared good with his own car, so I was considering racing my 93 on Saturday after all.

---- But after overheating with his car again in the first warm-up, it was decided that Jason would switch back to the original plan and drive my 93 for the night, while I start-and- parked his car. A fuel line issue in the heat gave him a bad starting spot for the feature, and he paid dearly on lap 4 when he got caught up in Lou LeVea Jr.’s spin. A couple hours of repairs later, Jason was caught up once again in a big wreck in feature number two.

---- This accident certainly ended Jason’s night - and my car. Bent front and rear clips will require some extensive repair, but Jason will surely step up and repair what he damaged. The Hedger Chassis car will go to Ray Hedger’s shop, where Ray will make it as good as new once again. The old girl’s been through worse wrecks than this one, and she’ll be fast again for me for Classic 2011.

---- While I was planning to run the car this weekend at Evans Mills / Thunder Alley Speedway, I don’t expect as of press time that the 93 will be anywhere near ready for action. My only remaining plans for the car were to run this weekend’s NORA show, then park it until Classic.

---- So we’ll see how it goes. If anybody has a ride for an old broken-down racecar driver this Saturday, maybe you can keep me in the hunt for the NORA points championship. I’m currently 6 points out of the lead for the championship, in a pretty stiff battle right now. After all of the loaning I’ve done, maybe I could be the borrower this time. If anyone hears of any available rides, please let me know.

---- Fifteen plus cars are expected to be in competition this Saturday, June 25^th, and Thunder Alley. The NORA small block supers put on some great shows at Thunder Alley earlier in the season. And this weekend’s feature should be another barnburner. Head north - you won’t be disappointed!

---- Current NORA point standings: 1.Rob Pullen * 303, 2. Vern LaFave 298, 3. JJ Andrews 297, 4. Mike Bruce * 287, 5. Pitt Watson 274, 6. Barry Kingsley * 239, 7. Ivan Steen 238, 8.Tim Barbeau 175, 9.Steve Abt 169, 10. Jason Simmons 166, 11. Mark Castiglia 140, 12. AJ Bernys (R) 126, 13. Guard Nearbin 100, 14. Cameron Rowe 87, 15. Chris Tedd 86, 16. Dennis Rupert (R) 80, 17. Tim Dunn (R) 46, 18. Mark Sledziona (R) 45.

---- Cool Oswego Speedway new management fact of the week: two weeks ago, race teams were asked to unhook their haulers and help dry the track after the rains fell. It was a two hour rain delay and track drying procedure, and everyone pulled together to get the show completed. Last week, track owners John and Eric Torrese went to the pits of everyone that helped dry the track, and thanked them for their help.

---- And the best part - teams that helped were handed a $25 gas card for their efforts. Teams and push truck drivers were also thanked during the drivers meeting. Very classy gesture. These guys keep doing all of the right things. And the word is spreading. 29 supers, and a $1,700 50/50 are some examples of proof that good things are happening at Oswego Speedway.

---- Excellent fundraiser coming up soon, to benefit Barry Kingsley Racing, small block super #23.: “Golf at Tamarack Golf Club. $30/ person includes 9 holes of golf and kart / all-u-can eat BBQ at Front Door Tavern, and Door Prizes. Captain and crew format- 4 man teams.....if you don't have a full team, not a problem. BBQ to include Burgers, Hot Dogs, Sausage, salt potatoes and salads....if you don't want to golf, come on down to the Front Door for some food....1pm. $8.00 to eat. Door prizes, 50/50 raffles and good times with friends.
Interested in golfing? contact Barry Kingsley at 529-1398 or stop by at the Front Door and let Paul know. Spread the word.....the more the merrier!

 

Gater News - June 15th, 2011

 

Gater News - June 1st, 2011

Keepin’ it Real by JJ Andrews

Aaaaahhhh….that feels SO good. Oswego Speedway’s opener, and first race under the new ownership of John and Eric Torrese has entered the record books. It sure was great to finally see, hear and smell the racing action again at Oswego, after what seemed to be a very long off-season. I don’t know if people realize how close Oswego Speedway fans came to not even having the speedway open this year, due to the pending sale, and problems between the previous owners. So it really felt great to see that first race get in the books, and share that special day with so many of my closest friends.

---- Congratulations first to opening night supermodified feature winner RANDY RITSKES! Randy’s first race in the Daratt Farms Xtreme Chassis turned out to be a great one, one that he and family and friends won’t forget. Ristskes was quick all day. Finishing 2^nd in his heat, and slicing through the field for the feature victory. Even a pit stop early in the feature wouldn’t keep the 88 out of victory lane, after he received some damage when Otto Sitterly and Dave McKnight wrecked.

---- But without some help from a lapped car, it may not have happened. After his return from the pits, it looked as though Ritskes would finish 2^nd to a powerful Ray Graham, who had led many laps. “I was closing in on him in the corners a little”, said Randy when asked if he thought he had something for Graham. But we all know that catching someone and passing someone are two different things.

---- Just as Graham encountered the lapped cars of Michael Muldoon Jr. and Guard Nearbin, it appeared as though Muldoon moved high to make a move on Nearbin, crowding Graham up into the third groove. Losing grip, Graham spun into outside wall, ending his chances for an opening night win. Graham later returned, with minimal damage, finishing 8^th.

---- Great way to start the season also for Jerry Curran, who grabbed a heat win and finished a solid 2^nd in the feature. The “Nuclear Banana” looked great all night, and I’m sure Jerry is very satisfied to be sitting just three points out of the lead right now.

---- “We finished 3^rd with a 10^th place car”, said Pat Strong, owner of the #99 Strong Racing ride. That sounds like an exaggeration to me, as driver Joey Payne was fighting hard with Curran for 2^nd place for the last several laps of the feature.

---- Tim Snyder is another driver who had a great shot at the win, but ended up heading the wrong way in turn one. It appeared as though Snyder got loose and spun himself out as Ray Graham went to his outside for the lead in the feature. Fortunately for Snyder, the rest of the field missed him. But unfortunately for the rest of the field, a big wreck ensued, as several cars crashed and spun in the process

---- It didn’t matter that Bobby Bond went up on the top of another spinning supermodified in that Snyder crash. After a trip to the pits, Bond returned to the track, and he was still fast. 4^th place for Bond after what looked like a night-ending crash.

---- Great nights for Keith Gilliam and Shawn Muldoon, who finished 5^th and 6^th on opening night, after not running most of 2010.

---- Probably the most controversial incident happened on lap 19, when Dave McKnight went spinning after some contact from Otto Sitterly. McKnight was able to continue, but the crash ended the day for Dan Connors, and put Sitterly laps down repairing damage. Sitterly would later wreck again when he couldn’t avoid a spinning Michael Muldoon Jr., who had looped it in turn one.

---- The fastest car on the track though, was Joe Gosek. Unfortunately Gosek pulled into the pits just after the green flag, for some repairs that would put him laps down. Gosek arrived at the speedway late, as the team appeared to be struggling on day one. After missing several laps, Gosek tore through the field, however, and probably could have passed everyone. He worked his way back to 2^nd on the track, and I’m sure he would have pushed it harder if he wasn’t several laps down. It was kind of risky business for Gosek, racing so hard with many drivers, although several laps down. Guess he just wanted to see what the car was capable of.

---- Twenty-six supermodifieds graced the pits on opening night, which is certainly one of the best opening night fields of supers in many years. (29, if you count Muldoon and Sitterly’s back-up cars, and the Bobby Haynes Jr. car, that was just there for some practice laps. It was said that Haynes will be in competition in his Xtreme Chassis ride, after it is retrofitted with a straight axle front suspension this week in place of the independent front axle that the car currently sports.) And with several cars missing that are expected to be in competition soon, a 30 car field for this weekend and other weekends is a very real possibility. Dave Cliff Jr., Jeff Holbrook, and Kelly Miller are three cars that have committed to the full season by signing up for the speedway’s “commitment program”, so you can be assured that all three of these drivers will be racing this weekend, or they wouldn‘t have taken the position away from another team. (Teams are allowed to miss one event without voiding their position in the program.)

---- The small block supermodified division race wasn’t quite as competitive as the super event, but 19 cars showed up for opening day. It’s going to be tough to get a full field of small block supers this year, after several of the drivers have moved up to the supermodified division for 2011.

---- Mike Bond took advantage of a great draw, and coasted to wins in his heat and feature. He only had to pass one car to take the lead in the feature, Mike Bruce, and seemed pretty dominant after that. Bruce would reel him in a couple times, but it was almost as if Bond would then get a signal, and pull away a little. (I was so sure of that, that I found Mike DeCare to see if he was throwing Mike a message, but he was not.) Great start to the season for the guy that I predict to win all the marbles.

---- Rob Pullen and Mike Bruce, the small block supermodified version of “The Malachi Brothers” (anybody remember the Malachi Brothers from the TV show “Happy Days”, when they ganged up on Fonzie in the demolition derby, and tried to take him out with the “Malachi Crunch“?), did their best to finish together, ending up 2^nd and 4^th. Bruce ran 2^nd for many laps, but Pullen and eventually Tim Barbeau slid by to drop Bruce to 4^th at the finish.

---- Jack Patrick ran 5^th for a good part of the race, but was being hounded pretty hard by another pair of teammates, Andrew Schartner and Kreig Heroth, who both drive cars owned by Tom Aaserud. The two shoes looked faster than Patrick, but could not get position on Jack to complete the pass. The battle got pretty intense, culminating with Patrick going around. I didn’t see what happened, but Heroth was penalized for the incident, being sent to the rear with only a few laps remaining. Schartner ended up 5^th in the final rundown, with Heroth and Patrick recovering for finishes of 7^th and 8^th in the final rundown. “Thanks to Kreig Heroth for ruining my opening night with his lack of judgment. Uncalled for,” said Patrick sarcastically on “Racebook“. 5^th to 8^th doesn’t sound like a ruined night to me.

---- A couple of rookies were quite impressive in their debut. Most impressive was Nate Sitterly, who finished 6^th in the Haegerty #79. Sitterly, son of supermodified three time defending champion Otto Sitterly, looked like he’s had a lot more experience behind the wheel than he has. I also was impressed by Dave LaTulip, in his opening night in the Teddneck Racing machine. LaTulip ran a great line, and finished near the top ten in the final rundown. (No results were available the next day on the speedway website.) Rookie Will Hadcock was in and out of the pits all night, ending up with a DNF in the final rundown.

---- Jason Simmons had a great start to the night, winning the third qualifying heat over Mike Bruce and Mark Castiglia. He looked pretty solid in the feature, running in 7^th position at the time of the lap 12 red flag. Unfortunately he was put to the rear when the race restarted, because a crew member checked one of his shocks during the red flag, which apparently violates the rule about not being allowed to work on the car under caution. A tangle later with Will Hadcock bent the panhard rod, ending his evening.

---- “Black Cloud Barry” Kingsley didn’t have such a great night of his own. Since winning the feature on April 30^th at Thunder Alley Speedway, it’s been nothing but negative for Barry. This week’s episode started with a blown engine for Barry in the heat race. So he then switched to his backup car, which was at the track to be piloted by dirt sportsman racer Mike Fowler. (After two laps in practice before the car quit with a broken distributor rotor, Fowler didn’t have any fun in it either.) Barry’s day ended on lap 12 when an oil leak from a bottomed out oil pan coated the track, causing a lengthy delay for cleanup.

---- During that cleanup, speedway officials took the opportunity to present awards from 2010, as well as the Oswego Speedway Hall of Fame class of 2010, and the Eagles Fan Club “Tony White Award.” All five of the Hall of Fame members were on hand to accept the award, and say a few words. Congratulations to Norris McDonald, Bruce Lee, Jamie Moore, Tony Osetek, and Jim Liccardi!

---- I was very honored to be presented the Tony White Memorial Award, by the Eagles Fan Club. From the Eagles website: “The Tony White Memorial Award was established in 2005, in memory of small block supermodified driver Tony White who passed away in June of that year, to honor someone of similar passion to Tony White for the Small Block Supermodified division at Oswego Speedway.”

---- It was really a great feeling to be acknowledged by my peers, members of the Eagles Fan Club, and Wayne and Debbie White, and have my passion for the division be compared to Tony’s. As I said in my unwritten, mumbling, nervous speech, (the Tony White award is a surprise award, presented to a recipient that wasn’t told beforehand) I truly do love the division of small block supers, which I’ve been involved in since 1996. While prez Larry Lee listed some of my statistics as a driver and an owner, I hope that I will also be appreciated by Oswego Speedway fans for my contributions to the speedway, sport, and division of small block supers as a writer and columnist.

---- Tony White was one of a kind, and I have many memories of Tony from the few years I knew him. While we weren’t buddies, (in fact, I bet he would have some interesting comments about me even winning this award!) we had in common that we wanted to see the division of small block supermodified racing be successful. This has grown into a great division of people, and I think that Tony White would be happy with how the division has evolved. The following is an excerpt from the column I wrote when Tony passed.:

---- “Saturday, June 11th, 2005 is a night that will always be on the minds of Oswego Speedway fans and competitors, especially those of the limited supermodified division. But it will not be remembered for the racing. Saturday night one of our own passed away during competition. And suddenly racing is a whole lot less important.

---- Tony White was a long time competitor at Oswego Speedway. His history included crewing for Mark Regan, and as a successful limited super car owner with brother Wayne and driver Billy Izyk. In 2000, Tony decided to enter the ranks as driver, building a street stock that he campaigned for two seasons. The team earned Super Stock Owner of the year award for Tony’s brother Wayne in 2000. In 2002, Tony and Wayne, along with longtime friend Dan Dennie and others built a limited super, earning Tony the Limited Super Rookie of the Year award. After the 2003 season, Tony and Wayne sold the car, in order to concentrate on their business, White’s Car Care. But Tony couldn’t stay out, and hit the tracks a few times later in 2004 in a car owned by Doug Cliff. For 2005, the Whites were back with a brand new FFB chassis. This turned out to be Tony’s last car. Tony rides in the record books as a three time winner in the street stock division, and a two time winner in the limited supers. Tony White, 37, passed away of an apparent heart attack on lap seven of Saturday night’s limited supermodified feature. After bouncing off of the inner hub rail in turn number one, car #4 skated along the outside wall in turn two before coming to a stop. He was transported to Oswego Hospital, but did not survive.

---- I will not claim to be one of Tony White’s best buddies. We have had our run-ins on the track and off of the track. Our personalities often clashed. But I was also fortunate enough to see the good side of Tony. Tony and I had come to a little better understanding of each other in recent weeks, and even discussed limited super rules and such in a rare phone conversation just two days prior to his passing. I believe our first phone conversation ever, which was initiated by Tony. Tony was a vocal crusader for fairness for our division, and we shared some concerns and tossed around ideas. We shared a few refreshments and a lot of laughs after last year’s Classic, hanging out at one of the campground parties. After a tangle last year with Tony that was my fault, I received a handshake instead of a confrontation, where Tony deemed it a "racing accident". This was the "new Tony White", who admitted that he had taken racing too seriously in the past, and was more interested in having fun. "Besides - I finished the race, and you didn’t!", Tony added with a laugh. Earlier this season, after being the victim of a low move by another driver which caused him to spin, Tony laughed it off, saying "I got Tony Whited." I’ll also relate a story from just last Saturday night. Tony got some laughs from onlookers, for mocking another driver who was complaining about some heat race action that had just taken place. I can just picture Tony rubbing his eyes in the crying motion, joking with the angry driver who was talking at the time. The "New Tony White" was having a good time at the track, and should be remembered that way. Tony’s unique sense of humor and infectious laugh will always be remembered in our pit, and our thoughts will stay with his family. Tony leaves an 11 year old daughter, Chelsea, whom he introduced to me a couple of years back, even at the height of our feuding days. Look for some special tributes this week at the speedway for Tony and his family.”

---- Rest in peace, Tony White. I’m proud to accept this award, in your honor.

---- The Jim Shampine Memorial Award was also awarded on this day. “Since the 80‘s, the Eagles Fan Club has presented the Jim Shampine Memorial Award to the person who best exemplifies the character and passion for supermodified racing of Jim Shampine.”

---- Gary Syrell, long time contributor to the supermodified division both as a driver and an owner, was the proud recipient of the Shampine Memorial Award. Syrell and his family currently field the #08 supermodified driven by Dave McKnight. Congratulations to Gary Syrell and Syrell Racing!

---- It was great to observe all of the changes to the facility, and feel the excitement from the fans on the first race under the new management of John and Eric Torrese. Many improvements have been made already, perhaps the most dramatic being a general new attitude among employees at the speedway. I noticed it personally, and I heard several people talk about it. Thank-yous and smiles go a long way when you’re speaking with customers. And they don’t cost a penny to do. Also shockingly nice was a complete new Men’s restroom in the first turn area. The crowd was great for opening day, and think people really enjoyed what they saw.

---- The only negative that I heard people talking about was lengthy awards and Hall of Fame presentations during the aforementioned red flag during the small block super feature. While this intermission had been planned for later in the evening, speedway officials felt that it would be a good time to handle it during the cleanup break. It did save some time, and it was great to see the Hall of Fame inductees get their deserved recognition, and have the opportunity to say a few words in front of the large crowd. But I did hear some small block drivers grumbling about being left to sit in the cars during the hot sun during the break. It was felt that they should have been allowed to get out of their racecars and cool off during the probably one hour break. Sounds like some poor communication.

---- That’s it for this week’s episode. I’m sure week number two will bring even more greatness to the speedway and fans. I’ll have to miss the race myself, as I’ll be celebrating my 26^th wedding anniversary this weekend with a long planned one week dream vacation to Ireland with my lovely bride April. It’s something we had planned for a long time for our 25^th anniversary, but had to put off a year due to weddings and graduations of our children last year. So I’ll wish all of my friends good luck, and see you next week.

 

Gater News - May 24th, 2011

“I am overcome with glee!” This Saturday marks the grand opening of the ”new” Oswego Speedway. Actually, it’s not new. There’s nothing new about it. It’s one of the oldest running speedways in the country. But the optimism generated by new owners for 2011, John and Eric Torrese, make it feel like a brand new track. It’s going to be a great year.

---- Changes and improvements have been ongoing, and last week’s open practice brought out a good crowd of fans. Show up this week to see for yourself, for the season opening Shampine/White/Evans Memorial races for the supermodifieds, small block supermodifieds, and RoC Modifieds. 3:00 start time.

---- So now it’s time for my annual predictions column. Each year I predict who will be the champs in the super and small block super divisions at Oswego Speedway - sometimes with amazing accuracy.

---- I started with the supermodified division, and decided that I couldn’t decide. I really wanted to pick a champion, but I couldn’t choose just one. First I narrowed it down to 12 drivers that have a legitimate shot at the championship. But I can’t pick all of them. So with great difficulty I‘ve just decided to list them all, and let you fill them in where you think..

---- But I think the champ will be one of these three: OTTO SITTERLY. Of course Otto Sitterly has to be a favorite to repeat yet again, in the Nicotra Racing machine. With all of the talent, crew, ambition, resources, and knowledge of this team, I would be crazy not to put him in my list of potential champions. Definitely the leader… Last year’s runner-up JOEY PAYNE is once again a serious threat for all the marbles. The Strong Racing entry is always up front, with one of the most talented drivers in the division behind the wheel. Payne will wheel the older car from the Strong stables on a regular basis, “my old war wagon“, as the Jersey Jet described it.… PAT LAVERY always finishes well in the points. Lavery drives for the solid Double Deuce Racing Team, as the driver of the 22. This could be the year.

---- Other contenders: JOE GOSEK is one of the most experienced drivers in the division, and will go down in history as one of the greatest drivers to ever wheel a super. This is another top team that could steal the crown…. DAVE MCKNIGHT is another long time member of the division, who will contend in the Syrell Racing #08. Dave was 5^th in 2010.…RAY GRAHAM travels from Iowa weekly to compete in the division, and cracked the winner’s circle twice in 2010. He’s got great equipment, and obviously a ton of ambition, to travel all this way. He would love to be the first champ at his buddys’ new speedway. He was 4^th last year….DAVE GRUEL is the other driver of the two car Double Deuce Racing team, and had a great run as rookie of the year in 2010, finishing 8^th, with a feature win. With a year under his belt, and a new Enders power plant, it would shock nobody to see the former small block super champ win the supermodified championship.

---- BOB BOND is an excellent point racer, and after a breakout Oswego season in 2010 when he won Classic AND King of Wings, his versatility and talent could never be questioned. Although he’s been hitting the ISMA circuit for many seasons, his return to Oswego could surprise everyone….RANDY RITSKES has the best chance he’s had in years to win a title at Oswego. This year he’s wheeling an almost new Xtreme Chassis ride, owned by Daratt Farms Racing. “Great car - nice to drive, and16.8’s all day on last year’s time trial tires” said Randy when I asked him how the car felt at the open practice.

---- DAN CONNORS JR. , JERRY CURRAN, TIM SNYDER and JEFF HOLBROOK are some drivers that could have a great finish in points if things go their way in 2011. All have excellent equipment and talent, and would love to push their way into the top three this year.

---- SHAWN MULDOON and STEPHEN GIOIA both return to the speedway in 2011 after missing all (Gioia) or most (Muldoon) of 2010 due to supermodified injuries from the 2009 season.

---- KEITH GILLIAM is back full time after running only occasionally the last few seasons. “The car was good even though I had two year old tires. New motor was great, and the new changes seemed to be good. I didn’t push it too hard”, said Gilliam….ANDY NOTO drives the team car to Randy Ritskes out of the Daratt Farms stable. Andy’s work and family schedule keeps him from running a full season, but he’s looking forward to running when he can….Haven’t heard much yet about SHAUN GOSSELIN’s 2011 plans, although the fact that he hasn’t signed up for the commitment program makes me suspect that they may not run the full season….KODY GRAHAM has signed up for the commitment program, and will travel weekly to the speedway from Iowa with his Dad, Ray Graham….And BOB BOGWICZ, who is signed up for the commitment program, apparently intends to run the full season.

---- ROOKIES! 2011 boasts one of the biggest and best fields of rookies ever at the speedway. Some excellent talent will fight for the rookie of the year award this year, with some great equipment.

---- MIKE MULDOON JR. leads the charge, as he showed up for opening day with two spotless, brand new supers owned by his Dad, past champion and numerous feature winner Mike Muldoon. Muldoon Sr.’s history as a driver AND owner for others is legendary at the speedway. On open practice day, both cars were in action, as Bobby Bond hot lapped the second car (#20) for Muldoon. But it was a good thing both cars were there, as the rookie took a ride into the water barrels with the #05 early in the practice, before turning some good times in the #20.

---- DAVE CLIFF, DAVE DANZER, GUARD NEARBIN, BRIAN SOBUS, and STEVE ABT are all rookies with a ton of talent and experience, that have moved to supers from the small block supermodified division. Cliff has a super formerly owned by the Payne family. Danzer’s brand new Hawk Chassis looks awesome! Nearbin has the old Mike Casey machine. Sobus drives a car from the Graham Racing stables. And Abt drives for Stowell Racing. Steve had a problem with the steering during open practice, but didn’t get too much damage. “The wheels went left, but the steering wheel stayed straight”, described Abt. A front bumper, nose, and two radius rods later Abt was ready for a track rental on Tuesday. T.J. WOOLSEY and ROD SAUTER are two more rookies that round out a stout rookie class. Put any or all of these guys in your top ten.

---- So who’s my pick for supermodified rookie of the year? It’s going to be a tough one. After seeing the garage photos and spares from the Muldoon shop, it’s tough to pick against him. But there are a lot of rookies with a lot more experience. Brian Sobus and Dave Cliff both logged some laps in a super last year, including amazing runs in Classic. Steve Abt has the decades of Stowell experience to call on, along with all of help from many of his FFB friends, including Dan Dennie. Dave Danzer works for Joey Hawksby, one of the most respected supermodified builders in the country. Guard Nearbin’s extended driving career has been in the small block division, but he has a lot of experience working on racecars in addition to his own. And I don’t know much about Woolsey or Sauter yet, but I’ve heard that there is a lot of experience there.

---- So who do I take? It’s a crap shoot. On a hunch, I’m going to go with Brian Sobus for ROTY in a very tight battle. This title will definitely come down to the last minute, and could be one of any of the rookies. Very exciting to watch this year!

---- So what about the small block supers? This looks like a little shorter field after all of the defectors to the supermodified division. It sure isn’t like the old days when there were 10 cars that didn’t even qualify on a given night. After making a list, I see only 18-19 cars that I expect to be in action weekly. But that still leaves a half dozen teams or so that could make occasional or more often appearances, so I still expect to see twenty plus cars weekly.

---- Top guys? That’s a challenge. Although some top guys left, including 2010 champ Dave Cliff and 3^rd place Brian Sobus, I see a clear cut favorite emerging.

---- Last year’s 2^nd place finisher already has a couple of championships. He’s the winningest driver in the HISTORY of the division. For years I’ve said that he is the best driver in the division. AND he’s a member of the Oswego Speedway Hall of Fame. Any idea who I’m talking about? If MIKE BOND doesn’t win this championship, I’ll eat my hat. And sunglasses.

---- ANDREW SCHARTNER, if he runs the whole season, will be his toughest competition. (Last year Andrew missed two races due to other commitments.) But the potent Crow Motorsports Hedger Chassis car will be fast every week, and will find victory lane more than once. I’m picking the #18 for 2^nd place this year.

---- TIM BARBEAU drives the potent Steve Abt owned #50, and finished 5^th in points last year. Now one of the veterans of the division, I’m moving him up to at least 3^rd in points this year.

---- KREIG HEROTH will certainly equal his 4^th place finish of 2010 in the Crow Motorsports ride. Kreig got his first win in the division last year, but isn’t going to be happy to stand at one. 4^th again for Heroth.

---- ROB PULLEN, another veteran of the division, returns to the division after taking off most of the 2010 season. Pullen has never won a championship, but already has three races (and one win) under his belt at Thunder Alley Speedway this year. I’m saying 5^th place.

---- BARRY KINGSLEY finished 9^th in 2010, his best points finish yet. Like Pullen, Barry also has three NORA races under his belt at Thunder Alley, with one victory. This year, I’m predicting 6th for Barry.

---- Last year’s rookie of the year, MIKE BRUCE, is another of the drivers who has a win under his belt already this year at Thunder Alley. I expect him to beat his ROTY points finish, which was 8^th, by at least one spot. 7^th place for Bruce in 2011.

---- JACK PATRICK, back after missing most of 2010 due to an off-season injury, is poised for a solid 2011 in his potent Chrysler-powered Hedger Chassis. I’m feeling 8^th place for Jack.

---- New Dad JASON SIMMONS will pilot a different ride in 2011, and improve on his 10^th place finish from 2010. 9^th place for Jason this year.

---- My prediction for 10^th place in points this year is also my prediction for rookie of the year. NATE SITTERLY looked pretty solid at last week’s open practice. And if he inherits half of his Dad Otto Sitterly’s talent and work ethic, my pick may be low.

---- But that’s not going to be an easy ROTY for Sitterly, as A.J. BERNYS will be right there nipping at his heels. WILL HADCOCK and DAVID LATULIP are two other rookies that will be in competition, and hope to make me eat my words.

---- A couple of drivers that didn’t crack my top ten are:

---- MARK CASTIGLIA missed my top ten because he didn’t run the full season in 2010, taking a week or two off after some horrible weeks of luck…. CAMERON ROWE also just barely missed my top ten in his first year as driver of the Teddneck Racing #77.…As did CHRIS TEDD, in his self-owned #37 Teddneck racing ride. Rowe and Tedd finished 4^th and 6^th in their season debuts last weekend at Thunder Alley Speedway….I’m not sure of the plans for FRED KILIAN, BRIAN OSETEK, or STAN GATES, as they have all been MIA so far this season at Thunder Alley and the Oswego Speedway open practice….And DENNIS RUPERT JR., back from service overseas last year, will gain a lot more experience in 2011.

---- Now let’s bring on the season!

---- Also happening this weekend at Oswego will be the annual selection of the Mitchell’s Speedway Press sponsored “Oswego Speedway Hall of Fame”, which took place last August. The “Class of 2010” induction ceremony will take place after the conclusion of the heat races on Saturday, May 28^th, at the infield podium with announcer Roy Sova. Lighthouse Lanes will host a Hall of Fame reception on Friday night May 27th at 7:00 in their "Hall of Fame Lounge" for fans to get to meet the new inductees.

---- The five members of the 2010 Mitchell’s Speedway Press “Oswego Speedway Hall of Fame” are: Driver: JAMIE MOORE, Owner: TONY OSETEK, Official: NORRIS MCDONALD, Official: BRUCE LEE, and Special Achievement, JIM LICCARDI.

---- Also on May 28^th, The Eagles Fan Club at Oswego Speedway will present the prestigious Tony White and Jim Shampine Memorial Awards in front of the grandstands at Oswego Speedway. Since the 80‘s, the Eagles Fan Club has presented the Jim Shampine Memorial Award, and since 2005 the Tony White Memorial Award.

---- Usually given in the fall after the racing season at the banquet, the Shampine and White awards will be issued in the spring this year due to the cancellation of the 2010 Oswego Speedway banquet. Recipients are not notified ahead of time, so the winner will be as surprised as the audience during the presentation, in front of the fans at one of the biggest races of the year. For more information on the Eagles Fan Club at Oswego Speedway, go to www.gosupers.com/eagles.

---- Congratulations to Mike Bruce on his victory last week in the NORA division at Thunder Alley Speedway. Bruce wrestled the lead from Barry Kingsley after several laps and some contact, and went on to the win over Rob Pullen, Pitt Watson, Cameron Rowe, Vern LaFave, and Chris Tedd, the last cars running at the finish. JJ Andrews, Barry Kingsley, and Ivan Steen rounded out the short field.

---- I thought it was going to be a night to remember for myself and teammate Barry Kingsley, as we started in positions one and two. We joked the night before about how great it would be if we finished one and two, then we almost finished last and second to last. Barry’s car got wrecked when he tangled with Mike Bruce while leading, and my car got wrecked when Rob Pullen “Kyle Busched” me into the infield by turning directly left into me on the back straight. (A trip to his pit earned me an apology, saying that when we touched wheels, it caused his wheels to turn left, sending me for that fateful ride. I guess it‘s possible, but it sure seemed like an obvious dump at the time.) Although tempted, I resisted smashing into Rob under caution, because that move has already been done this year.

---- At least I had fun earlier in the night, winning our only qualifying heat, and finishing 4^th in the open wheel division, “best in class” behind the three dirt modifieds. After the first week, where we “owned” the dirt mods, Jeff Rowe, Lance Willix, and Zach Aubertine showed us that the ownership had changed hands. It sure is fun racing against those guys. I wonder how many cars will be in the open wheel division when the small block supers aren’t there?

---- I had a very enjoyable conversation at the end of the evening with three guys that were asking some questions about our division of small block supers. “We’ll definitely be back to see you guys”, the one young man exclaimed. Our next race at Thunder Alley is June 25^th. I think we’re well liked there. Thanks to our NORA organizers (especially Steve Reynolds and Jackie Bruce) and Thunder Alley for three great weeks of racing there this early season. It’s been fun!

Gater News - May 17th, 2011

Open practice - or anything at Oswego Speedway in May means what? RAIN. Last weekend, the May 14^th and 15^th open practices were rained out. Which is what usually happens. Maybe this weekend? The open practice has now been moved to May 21^st, with opening day being May 28^th.

---- Prior to the cancellation of Saturday’s practice, a few cars and drivers were in the pits. Although it rained lightly the whole day, track management held off until 2:00 to pull the plug. New track co-owner Johnny Torrese went from pit to pit personally when the decision was made, thanking the drivers for coming. He also informed the drivers that there most likely won’t be early cancellations in 2011. “We’re going to wait - we want to get the shows in. Even if we have to wait until 10:00”, said Torrese of the upcoming regular season shows.

---- Optimism at the speedway appears to be at an all-time high right now. The changes and improvements are evident at the speedway. New foam blocks line the walls. Brush is cleared. New gates and stairs. New bathrooms. Roofs. Windows in the tower. Etc. etc. And throughout the whole rain delay on Saturday, you could hear the sounds of hammering and building, as one of the projects was being worked on the whole time.

---- Some of the supermodified drivers who were at the track included:

---- Otto Sitterly, who had at least one or two John Nicotra owned supers in the trailer.

---- Dan Connors Jr., with the former Doug Didero Xtreme Chassis ride, which had to have the cage modified to fit the taller Connors.

---- Pat Lavery and Dave Gruel both had the Double Deuce Racing supers unloaded and ready. Both cars were fired in the pits, and both drivers looked pretty anxious to turn some wheels. Different from last year for Gruel is a new Enders Racing Engine, built by Gruel’s stepfather, Kevin Enders. “Now we need to see what we have to do to get it (the potential extra power from the new engine) to the ground”, Gruel told me. Sounds like he’s expecting a lot of extra “juice” from the new power plant.

---- Defending Classic AND King of Wings champion Bobby Bond was at the speedway for practice, after he had recently signed up for the Oswego Speedway commitment program for 2011! Bond turned into a winged supermodified racer several years ago after a dispute with track management about rules, when his new independent front suspension car was banned soon after he got it. But as time wore on, it became apparent that Bond was more disappointed about the way he was treated, than the rule. And his return to the track now that there is new management proves that.

---- It was ridiculous that Bond, who lives about 7 miles from Oswego Speedway, and grew up going there EVERY WEEK, would hit the road to travel with ISMA, sometimes contrary to the wishes of his crew. But history will show that Bobby Bond is a man of principal.

Which is another way of saying …STUBBORN. Add yet another QUALITY supermodified team to weekly competition in 2011!!! Definite championship contender.

---- The highly anticipated return of Randy Ritskes, in the Daratt Farms #88 Xtreme Chassis car, was ready to happen. Ritskes was there with teammate Andy Noto, in the 2^nd Daratt Farms ride. Throughout 2010, Noto and Xtreme Chassis builder Paul Colloca built the new car for Noto to drive, but time and family commitments caused Noto to shockingly sell the coveted Xtreme to Daratt at the end of the season, after only wheeling it once or twice. As part of the deal, Noto will wheel the 2^nd car when time permits, or unless it’s needed as a spare.

---- Rookies Dave Danzer and Steve Abt weren’t at the rained out practice, because their cars weren’t quite complete. But both drivers expect to hit the track soon, possibly during this week’s practice. Keith Gilliam also turned some laps in his own #87 supermodified recently, on a day when he was also shaking down the two-seater supermodified, which will be used at the track for thrilling fan rides.

---- A few small block supermodifieds were in attendance for the sprinkles.

---- Rookie Nathan Sitterly was at the speedway for practice in the Heagerty owned small block supermodified. The car is the former Dave Cliff driven FFB Chassis ride. Jason Simmons, Tim Barbeau, and Rob Pullen all had their small blocks at the track, hoping to hit the speedway. Simmons, Barbeau, and Pullen have already been racing in 2011, as they had all been in action at Thunder Alley Speedway in Evans Mills, N.Y.

---- The small block supermodified division is definitely a changed division in 2011. Out of the top 20 in points in the division last year, 10 drivers - one half - don’t intend to run in the division in 2011. Two out of the top five, and four out of the top seven, have all moved to the supermodified division in 2011.

---- Dave Cliff Jr., (champion), Brian Sobus (3^rd), Guard Nearbin (6^th), and Steve Abt (7^th) all leave the comforts of the small block supermodified division, in favor of the supers. Dave Danzer (13^th) also makes the jump, making the supermodified division a very busy one. And the small block division a little scarce.

---- Dennis Richmond (11^th), who drove one of the Chris Tedd cars last year, will not be in competition in 2011. While he would like to be behind the wheel of a car in 2011, he had no plans or offers as of last week when I asked him. Bob Henry (14^th), Chris Proud (16^th), and Keith Gilliam (20^th) are three other drivers who were in the top 20 last year, who will not be in small block supers in 2011. And Lou LeVea Jr. (19^th), has recently purchased a house, stalling off his race time in 2011. He may make it out at some point, but doesn’t have a definite plan to.

---- So who’s left to compete for the title in 2011? Don’t you worry - there’s still a lot of good competition for the throne. Mike Bond (2^nd), and Tim Barbeau (5^th) are obviously two very strong contenders for the championship. Mike Bruce (8^th), Barry Kingsley (9^th), and Jason Simmons (10^th) also hope to be added to that list.

---- Jack Patrick is back in 2011, after missing most of 2010 due to an off-season shoulder injury. Jack has some great equipment, always impeccably maintained, and has been in the division for longer than anyone, with the possible exception of Mike Bond. You know Jack’s Hedger Chassis will make a lot of noise in 2011.

---- I was concerned that the division would lose the Crow Motorsports cars of Tom Aaserud, as he stated that his two cars and drivers would NOT be in competition in 2011, unless he received his point fund money from 2010. Fortunately for drivers Andrew Schartner, Kreig Heroth, the division, and their fans, Aaserud has decided to go racing anyway.

---- These are two of the finest Hedger Chassis cars in the division, and Heroth (4^th) and Schartner (12^th, despite missing two races), are two very strong young drivers, both feature winners in 2011. It would have been a terrible loss to the speedway and the division if a justified grudge against the previous speedway owners had kept them from competing.

---- But don’t worry too much about the division. There are still PLENTY of quality drivers looking to make their mark in 2011. Mark Castiglia is hoping to shed some of his bad luck from 2010, and has a new (to him) car. Cameron Rowe returns to the division full time in 2011, driving the Chris Tedd owned FFB car. Dennis Rupert Jr. is geared up for a full season. Rookies A.J. Bernys, Will Hadcock, Nathan Sitterly, and Dave LaTulip will keep the division strong.

---- Coming next week: my predictions about Oswego Speedway!

---- Also coming up this Saturday, May 21^st, will be the third installment of the NORA small block supermodified series at Thunder Alley Speedway, in Evans Mills, N.Y. The two previous races on April 30^th and May 7^th were very hotly contested, and were won by Barry Kingsley and Rob Pullen, on a last lap move.

---- Most of the small block supermodifieds also compete in the open wheel division, so if you’re a fan of the small block supers, this would be a great opportunity to see us race in two features. Two weeks ago, we raced along with some dirt modifieds, and I’m told that it was quite interesting to see the low-slung small block supers racing wheel to wheel with the tall, aggressive dirt modifieds.

---- Evans Mills, N.Y. is just north of Watertown, N.Y., on Route 11, not too far off of route 81, at exit 48.

---- In closing, I would like to express my condolences to the family of Dick Lindsay, who passed away last week. While I didn’t know Dick real well, I had known him for probably 30 plus years at the races. I had had many conversations with Dick at the track over the years, usually at Brewerton Speedway, including a hello at Brewerton just a couple of days before his passing. Dick was usually there as a fan, but I also remember when he drove in the street stock division, a few decades ago. It will seem a little strange not seeing Dick at the dirt tracks.

 

Gater News - May 10th, 2011

The NORA Small Block Supermodified series now has two events under its belt, as two back-to-back events at Thunder Alley Speedpark in Evans Mills N.Y. have given fans a lot to talk about.

---- Last Saturday’s event had all of the elements of a race that people will talk about for awhile. Side by side racing, nasty wrecks, a leader wrecking with a car that was sent out of the pits, and a pass for the win on the last lap, were all part of this show. How do the guys top that for the next event, which happens on May 21^st? I’m told it was a GREAT show for the fans! Please make plans to attend.

---- Heartbreak. The winner on opening night was Barry Kingsley, in the #23, who ran a solid race, leading them all and capturing the win. But night number two was the exact opposite of night number one for Barry. A hard crash in Barry’s heat race eliminated his #23, with a ton of damage and even a bent front clip. It appeared as though something broke in the front end of the car, and he immediately headed toward the front wall, bouncing off with such force that the crippled car ended up in the infield. Barry’s neck was a little sore the next day as he surveyed the damage.

---- For the open wheel race, Barry jumped in his second car, which was at the track for Mark Sledziona to drive. But early in that event, a tangle with A.J. Bernys sent him for another ride, doing a ton of damage to that car. Two wrecked racecars, and he didn’t even get to start the feature for the small block super division. Needless to say, Barry was pretty down when I saw him the next day. Even considering taking some time off. But we’ll get Barry back on track. He’s worked way too hard to get to this position, and he’ll be back - stronger than ever. As I told Barry, as bad as it is, I’ve seen a lot worse wrecks. And even though he said that he doesn’t plan to be ready for this Saturday’s open practice at Oswego Speedway, I’m confident that with enough peer pressure, he’ll be there.

---- Steve Abt was another driver who experienced some heartbreak. After getting a little overaggressive and raising some eyebrows on opening night, Steve had completely calmed down for last week’s event, even finishing behind me in our heat without touching my bumper. (Perhaps it was the “fist of intimidation” that I waved at him prior to the green flag.)

---- In our feature, Steve let his teammate Tim Barbeau do his “dirty work”, capitalizing on a couple of holes that Barbeau opened up with his bumper. Abt then took off and checked out, opening up a big lead for what would appear to be an easy win. But then the next surprise of the night happened when Dennis Rupert was sent onto the track from the pits, just as the leader was heading into turn one. The two cars tangled, and Abt’s lead - and chances for the win - were taken away when he spun out in turn three with a damaged car. “Karma’s a bitch”, said Abt the next day.

---- J.J. Andrews (yes, me!) inherited the lead, and away we went! After leading the next 8 laps without much warning from behind, I started driving more and more defensively. I was very careful to not make any mistakes, as I know that it’s very difficult to pass on the outside at Thunder Alley. “As long as I keep it low, nobody can pass me”, I told myself. Racing at Thunder Alley is less about having the fastest car, and more about situation.

---- But little did I know, there was an apparent firestorm going on behind me as Rob Pullen, Mike Bruce, Vern LaFave, and Pitt Watson were fighting furiously for my position. But as I took the one lap to go sign, the cars behind me had lost their patience, and whoever was behind me (I’m told Mike Bruce) smashed me hard enough in turn two to upset the car, and the momentum that I lost trying to correct it allowed Rob Pullen to get position to make a run in the outside groove. Teamwork!

---- You have a lot of time to think when you’re in the lead by yourself, and I made the decision earlier in the race that if anyone was going to try to pass me on the outside, I’d do anything necessary to keep it from happening. Even if I had to do it the dirty way. It’s been a long time since I won a race, and I wasn’t about to lose this one. But I couldn’t bring myself to smash Pullen off of turn four like I had planned, and he made a great move to steal my win. (Congratulations Rob - that was a great move!) Once again, screwed by my lack of “killer instinct” that comes natural to the great drivers.

---- Well it was fun for awhile. The car - even with the old tires from last year with the literally hundreds of laps on them - is still a lot of fun to drive. Other than my excessive defensive driving, I had some fun and passed some cars. And I also won my heat earlier in the night.

---- But even the next day, April couldn’t understand why I was “in such a bad mood last night” after finishing second. “Second is awesome”, said a lot of people. It sucks for me, as a part time racer getting up there in years, knowing that there aren’t going to be many more opportunities to see victory lane in this antique car, with my limited budget, help, and ambition level. But even worse, it really sucks to let down your family and friends, who need that win as bad - or worse - than I do, as payment for their support. If you guys think I wanted that win just for me, you are sorely mistaken. “It’s not fun to go to the races with you when you’re like that”, I was reminded. Really?

---- As the sting of the loss fades and I put things in perspective, it’s not really a big deal. The car is still fast and fun, and I get a few more shots at a win this summer at Thunder Alley. May 21^st, June 25^th, and September 10^th. And hey - I’m in 2^nd place in NORA points right now, only 4 points behind Vern LaFave, another old timer in a dinosaur car. We’re having fun - win, lose or draw. I’ll get over myself. But I…no, we… could have really used that win.

---- We should definitely take some time to recognize how great Vern LaFave is running in the old Steve Austin car. The former supermodified, dirt modified, and pavement modified driver seems to be having a good time racing with us again like the old days. Vern was the president of NORA for several years, and lives just a few miles from Thunder Alley. After finishing 2^nd on opening night, and 4^th this week, he’s started his season off well, and is the points leader. Vernie also won his qualifying heat.

---- Speaking of heat race wins, I would like to thank Norm Dunn of Number One Speed in Watertown for sponsoring the NORA heat races. Vern and I collected $25 cash for scoring the heat race wins. Thanks for your support!

---- It’s also good to see Pitt Watson behind the wheel again. Pitt has finished 5^th and 7^th in the two races and rides 4^th in points. Pitt, Vern, and I did a lot of racing together “back in the day”, which was probably 6-8 years ago. Vern, Ed Watson (Pitt‘s Dad), Chip Wood, and I used to run the NORA group, and we had a lot of fun traveling around a little and hanging together. Rob Pullen is the only other “old timer” that is currently racing with us that raced with us in those days. Now if we can get Chip back in a car, along with Shawn Walker, and three or four Bartletts, it will be just like the old days!

---- Tim Barbeau is another top car that has had no luck in the division so far this year. Sure to be a title contender at Oswego, Barboo has finishes of 8^th and 10^th to show for his efforts so far in 2011. The FFB Chassis car, which is owned by Steve Abt, has been in tangles both nights so far. It doesn’t look like Timmy’s having any fun so far, but I bet he’ll be back - and in great shape - next time we come back.

---- A.J. Bernys, who had such a solid run on opening night in the open wheel division, didn’t have such a great time last week. Since I was in the race, I didn’t get much of a chance to watch him, but he seemed to be caught up in several incidents. I saw a lot of wrinkled body panels, especially the nose. I’m not sure if he read his press clippings from opening night and got a big head, or if his hair got so long this week that it was in his eyes. His small block super feature ended before it started, when he had to bail out of the car before the initial green when some of the wiring shorted out in the cockpit.

---- NORA POINTS AFTER 5/7/11: 1. LaFave 208, 2. Andrews 204, 3. Pullen* 199, 4. Watson 177, 5. Barbeau 175, 6. Bruce 175, 7. Abt 169, 8. Jason Simmons 166, 9. Ivan Steen 160, 10. Kingsley* 155, 11. Mark Castiglia 140, 12. Bernys (R) 126, 13. Guard Nearbin 100, 14. Dennis Rupert (R) 80. 15. Tim Dunn (R) 46, 16. Mark Sledziona (R) 45.

---- The “Open Wheel” division race last week was quite a different race than opening night. The first week out, the small block supers had a decided advantage, and hogged all of the top spots, relegating the dirt mods in attendance to the rear finishing positions. This week…not so much.

---- That’s because Zach Aubertine and Tyler Bartlett weren’t there. It was a whole different story this week, as Aubertine was AWESOME to watch. “ That's how a DIRT driver does it. I was telling the guys, "we're (wimps)! That's how it's done." Good run, man. You scared the (crap) out of a few guys, but I'm a dirt driver, so I get it. I only run these cars because I'm old - and can't afford a dirt car”, is what I told my new Facebook friend Aubertine.

---- In true dirt driver form, he was sideways and aggressive, flying over the inner berm with the left side of his car, flexing his “ride height” muscle like the small block supers can’t do. If we try to throw our left tires over the inner berm, we bottom out or swallow the nose or spin out, because of our three inch ride height. But ROAAARRR! is all I could hear. Then he blew by me on the inside, on one or two wheels, before dusting all of the cars ahead of me the same way. I love dirt cars and drivers. Tyler Bartlett also passed a bunch of “our guys” to finish 4^th.

---- Over at Oswego Speedway, optimism is at its peak! Work is going on all around the speedway, as the gates are scheduled to swing open this Saturday, May 14^th, for an open practice session. A TON of repairs are being done by new owners John and Eric Torrese, and a TON of money is being spent.

---- I heard this week that over $20,000 has been spent to order new impact reducing foam blocks to replace the broken pieces that have lined the walls for several seasons now. Bathrooms, roofs, brush, cleanup, painting, tower, etc are just some of the improvements I’ve heard about. Even a many thousand dollar scoreboard is on its way.

---- From the speedway website:

---- “The Oswego Speedway begins the 2011 racing season with an open practice session on May 14. All classes that will be racing during the 2011 season are welcome to participate, so you can expect to see Supermodifieds, Winged Supermodified, Small Block Supermodifieds, RoC Modifieds, Super Stocks, Late Models, and SST Modifieds.

---- Oswego Speedway Race Director Chuck Handley has announced that pits still open at 10:00 AM, and tech inspection for Oswego Speedway’s regular divisions will get under way at that time. The main grandstands will open at noon, with free admission. Practice will start at 1:00 and continue until 5:00. “We expect a lot of cars,” said Handley, “so the race fan will get a really good sampling of what they can expect to see this year at the Oswego Speedway.”

---- One thing the Supermodified fan is looking forward to is the large number of rookies that will be in competition this year. Brian Sobus, who got started last year running a car out of the Ray Graham stable Classic Weekend and at the MSA non-winged show at Sandusky Ohio, is one of more than a handful of new drivers looking forward to the season. Sobus said, “we got off to a great start with two very good runs at the end of last season, but we know we’ve got our work cut out for us. The car is ready to go, and I’m looking forward to practice, and the season opening Port City Weekend.”

---- Also looking forward to the new year is Guard Nearbin who, like Sobus, is moving up from the SBS division. Nearbin has purchased the former Mike Casey Super and plans to be ready for practice day. Nearbin said,“I’ve always wanted to get behind the wheel of a Super, and this was the perfect opportunity. Mike was putting his car up for sale at a good price, and I could sell my Small Block Super.”

---- There could be as many as a half dozen Supermodified rookies in 2011. Dave Danzer will move up from the SBS division, Rod Sauder has bought the Tim Timms super, Gnomey Racing has purchased the former Johnny Payne 67super and Canadian T J Woolsey is ready to go with the former Scott Martel Super. Along with the new faces in the Supermodified field, you will also see the return of three drivers who sat out all or most of the 2010 season. Keith Gilliam, after taking a year off to help with the 2-seat Supermodified will be back behind the wheel of a new design #87, Shawn Muldoon in the #1 and Stephen Gioia in the #9 will be back after they both took a year offto recuperate from injuries. You can also look for several new faces in the Small Block Supermodified field.

---- In addition to the cars, the fans will also be treated to a number of new and improved things at the track this year. With the recent sale of the famed lakeside oval two brothers John and Eric Torrese, a number of improvements havealready been made. The fans will notice some improvements, and others they probably won’t notice. For instance, said John Torrese, “there is already a new roof on the tech barn, and we are putting a new roof on the infield concession stand. Restroom concerns have been addressed and we think the fans will be pleased.” The Lighthouse Lanes VIP Tower is also seeing renovations, and the area outside the turns 3 and 4 area, which over the years has collected all sorts of foam that has been thrown over the wall, is being cleaned up.”

---- It sounds like a great start to the season, and I expect this weekend’s practice session to be one of the most well-attended practice sessions in the history of the speedway. Like many fans, I am anxious to enter the hallowed grounds of Oswego Speedway and see just what has been done already, and get to know the “new regime” a little better. See you there!

Gater News - May 3rd, 2011

NOW we (Oswego Speedway fans) can move forward - the sale of Oswego Speedway has been completed! It’s officially closed, as of last Tuesday, April 26^th. Pat Furlong Sr. and Steve Gioia Jr. have sold to Johnny and Eric Torrese, long time Oswego fans and businessmen. The Torreses currently live in Florida, but are originally from central New York. Thanks to Pat Furlong and Steve Gioia, for saving the track seven years ago, and thanks to the Torreses, for assuring its continuation..

A meeting was held at Lighthouse Lanes in Oswego, N.Y. on the night of the closing, where drivers, owners, and fans were invited to meet the new owners.

 “Sorry it took so long. It’s over. Let’s go racing!” That’s how the meeting was opened, by new speedway co-owner Eric Torrese. Tonight’s meeting finally confirms that the speedway sale has been completed, and it’s now time to move forward.

 The meeting was moderated by race director Chuck Handley, who shared some information, then opened up the floor for questioning. John and Eric Torrese made themselves available for any and all questions from the overflow crowd. The brothers seemed enthusiastic and easy to speak to, and left a lot of optimism to the fans, owners, and drivers who were in attendance.

 “Every week, you’ll see more changes”, said Eric Torrese when asked about what changes or improvements are upcoming at the speedway. While no specific improvements were indicated, there has been enough talk to prove that the Torreses will leave an excellent mark on this facility.

 The first turn of wheels at the track will take place on Saturday, May 14^th, for an open practice. A rain date of May 15^th will be the backup for that, and if neither of those happens, May 21^st will be an open practice day. Track rentals will also be available. The speedway will sell the tires and fuel, and the supermodified tire rule will be the same as in 2010.

 The originally scheduled May 7^th ISMA date which was postponed hasn’t been rescheduled yet, but speedway officials will be working with ISMA officials to find another date.

 Not much discussion was held at the meeting regarding tech for the new season, but “the rules will be the rules”, said John Torrese. No personnel changes have been announced, but Torrese stated that they “are not looking to make any changes”.

 All in all, I thought that the meeting was a huge success. The Torrese Brothers appear to be committed and approachable, and I could tell that there is a lot more good stuff to come. “We have a great staff, and we’ve got more coming”, said John Torrese later in the evening.

 The two owners stuck around for an extended period of time after the meeting to spend time with anyone who wanted to visit. “I’ve got time for any of you”, said John Torrese during the meeting. “Anybody has concerns, get with me.”

 A few days after the meeting, the mood is very positive for most of the people I spoke with. The timing was right for “a new pair of eyes” on the speedway, as I think most would agree. The outgoing owners should be commended for keeping the place afloat since the Carusos sold to them in 2004, and now the Torreses have the opportunity to build their own legacy.

 Probably the only negative that came out of the meeting was the subject of the still unpaid point fund from 2010. Team owners have still not been paid by the now previous owners, and it’s still a very sore subject for a few owners. Many feel that at the bare minimum, they are entitled to the proceeds from the sale of the 50/50 tickets, which is announced weekly as the “driver’s 50/50 raffle”.

 “My cars will stay parked if I don’t get my point fund from 2010”, said two car small block supermodified owner Tom Aaserud. Aaserud’s two cars finished 4^th and 5^th in owner points in 2010, with 3 wins, and are a very professional, well-run team. The loss of these two cars would leave a big hole in the division. Aaserud is adamant that he feels that the 2010 point fund should have been part of the closing. “It’s not the money, it’s a matter of principal. I will absolutely park those two cars if I‘m not paid.” And he’s not the only one that feels that way.

 “We’re going to move forward - that will be handled by 2010 people”, said Chuck Handley when asked about the point fund by Tom Aaserud. Handley was referring to the outgoing owners, Gioia and Furlong, who have been mum since the end of 2010 about the point fund. But the statement that it will be “handled” leads me to believe that some funds may be forthcoming. “But remember, $16,000 of last year’s point fund was added to the purse money”, cautioned Handley. Handley is referring to commitment program funds that apparently came out of the point fund. I’m not sure that drivers were aware of that fact. I expect that more information and explanation will follow soon.

 “We do have a commitment to the point fund for 2011”, said Eric Torrese. It was announced that drivers would be notified of exactly what the point fund would be, prior to the start of the season. Sounds to me like the guesswork is in the past.

 In my opinion, the Torreses aren’t to be held responsible for the point fund of the previous owners. And I’m saying that as a car owner who should have point fund money coming from 2010. BUT if the owners never receive any point fund money from 2010, it will cast a dark cloud for some over the optimism that is currently covering the Oswego Speedway racing community.

 Is there still a possibility that point fund money is still coming for some of the teams, from the proceeds of the sale? Maybe that’s a possibility, after the dust settles from the sale. Both Steve Gioia and Pat Furlong’s sons compete in the supermodified division at the speedway, and I fear that they would probably hear some flack from team owners who felt that they were short-changed, when they came to watch or help their sons at the speedway.

 I like to believe the best about people, and hope that everything will work out. But this needs to be addressed, one way or another, with an announcement or a press release. If the 50/50 isn’t being paid because of the “$16,000“ that Handley spoke of at the meeting, then the numbers need to be explained in more detail. One comment at a meeting is not enough to settle an issue of this magnitude.

 The NORA Small Block Supermodified division had their season opener at Thunder Alley Speedpark, in Evans Mills, N.Y. last Saturday. The race was well attended, as 14 cars were in action. And the action was quite interesting, to say the least. A lot of action, some wrecks, some HOT tempers (present company included) and a new driver in victory lane.

 Barry Kingsley was the winner of the small block supermodified event, taking the lead early on after a tangle with Mark Castiglia on the initial green flag. I didn’t see exactly what happened, but Kingsley landed on the pole after the tangle, while Castglia was sent to the rear. Barry led the rest of the event, even opening up a decent lead during a long green flag run.

 Congrats to Barry Kingsley, now a two time feature winner in the small block supermodified division! Even though I dabble as a part-time driver in the division, I’m still a crew member and sponsor of Barry’s car, so I was very excited that “we” won! And even more exciting for me was the fact that Barry’s bride Debi, who missed Barry’s win at Oswego last year, was there to see Barry snag the victory. THIS is why Barry busts his butt so much, working hard on his car to make it fast. I’m very happy for our buddy Barry!

 At Thunder Alley, the small block supers get to run in two separate races. In addition to the small block division, they also run a mixed division called “Open Wheel”, where drivers of any division that has open wheels can compete together. 10 small blocks entered the open wheel division, along with two dirt mods and an IMCA mod. It sure was interesting squaring off with a dirt mod, as I ran side by side with a guy who was driving the paved track sideways like a dirt driver would! But our cars seemed to have a distinct advantage, so it was basically like a twin feature night for drivers in our division.

 While there wasn’t much passing in the top 3-4 positions in the small block division feature, a lot of dicing took place a little further back. Probably the driver who got the most POSITIVE attention (a few guys got negative attention!) was A.J. Bernys. A.J. only ran a couple of times last year, so it was very impressive to see him passing cars and running in the 2^nd groove. Unfortunately, he went in a little hot outside of me as we fought for 4^th place, and lost it in the marbles. But he recovered for a damage free 9^th place in that event.

 But Bernys was even more impressive in the open wheel feature. Starting last, A.J. powered to a solid 2^nd place, right on the bumper of an equally impressive Mike Bruce, who won the race. He had a lot of people talking, that’s for sure. Keep an eye on this kid - he’s got it!

 Bruce was involved in an early incident in the small block feature, but had a great run in the open wheel competition, passing several cars to snatch the victory. It’s tough to pass or drive in the second groove at Thunder Alley, but these young guys didn’t get the memo. Last year’s Oswego Speedway rookie of the year drove a solid race for the win, showing how he acquired all of the accolades in 2010 at Oswego. Bruce finished 8^th in the points as a rookie, in the Rob Pullen owned car. The family owned team purchased Shawn Walker’s car late last season, and will campaign that car as the #22 in 2011.

 Vern LaFave earned a solid 2^nd place finish in the small block feature in the Steve Austin #66, followed by Guard Nearbin, J.J Andrews, and Rob Pullen. The #66 has been sitting around for several seasons since Austin quit racing, so Vern must have done a great job of putting it back together. Vern ended up smashed into the outside wall in the open wheel feature, and jumped out to give the offending party the “point of death”. I don’t know who it was, but I’ve seen that point before. (From Vern.)

 That wasn’t the only incident that happened to the small block supers. A couple of guys were a little cranky or aggressive on opening night. Guard Nearbin was a guy that I seemed to spend a lot of time behind. It looked like he drove pretty clean in the small block feature, but he was a totally different driver in the open wheel feature. He wrecked Steve Abt under caution, as he apparently didn’t see the caution flag come out early in the race. Then he was crashing into leader Rob Pullen, until he eventually cut his own front tire. Nearbin, who is moving up to the supermodified division at Oswego Speedway in 2011, looked like he was trying pretty hard to get his first victory before he leaves the small block division.

 There was also a pretty heated incident in the small block feature between myself and Steve Abt, another driver who plans to run in the supermodified division in 2011. My car was pretty good, but I couldn’t get position on the cars ahead of me to make a pass. Running behind me, Steve was getting more impatient than me, and started turning me sideways coming off of the corners. I’m pretty good at saving a car, but it gets kind of annoying after awhile. The more years I race, the less tolerance I have for rough-riding, so after Steve turned me sideways enough to pass me, I gathered up the car and dumped him.

 I’m not big on driving like that, but “race rage” is a powerful tool. If you make me mad enough on the track, I will retaliate if I can catch you before I cool down. Fortunately for both of us, no further damage was done to the cars as a result of my action, but Steve was “sent packing” with a black flag for smashing into me under caution. He powered through the field under caution and drove into my right front tire, but fortunately no damage was done to my car from that shot. I found out after the race that the rear bumper and cage of the car was broken from the earlier contact.

 “You can’t get anywhere if you’re not aggressive”, Steve told me later. That conversation was held the next day over the phone, because as bad as I wanted to, I sure wasn’t going storming down to his pits where all those big guys were hanging out. Steve and I have known each other a long time, and I’m glad he initiated contact with me via an ice-breaking text message (“you’re supposed to turn left, not right”) then a phone call to patch this up. “We both know what we did to each other. It’s cool”, said Abt on Sunday. We had our conversation, and I’m more than happy to put that incident in my rear view mirror.

 I’m often surprised at how people who are friendly with each other react to things that happen on the track. It sounds small in the scheme of things, but in that moment, driving that car is the most important thing in our minds. I’m sure Steve wasn’t thinking about the cash I recently contributed to his race team at his recent fundraiser, or the cash I spent at car owner Chris Tedd’s fundraiser just a couple of weeks ago. We talked awhile, then agreed to owe each other a beer and move on. Steve even offered to help me fix my frame, which was good. The good thing about racing, and that it was handled right on the spot, is that we can move on. Now it’s over. Done deal.

 Prior to the open wheel feature, I was surprised to be warned by the pit steward that “they’re watching you up there - you better be on your best behavior”. That helped me take ownership for my own actions. Fortunately no other cars were caught up in our “low rent” maneuvers when we handled it on the track. But I wouldn’t change a thing about the way I handled it.

 Coming up this Saturday, May 7^th, is “round two”. The NORA small block supers are in competition again at Thunder Alley Speedpark, where many of us will run both the small block race AND the open wheel race. We put on an action-packed show, and I think the crowd enjoyed seeing our division in action. Last week we had 14 cars - the most of any division. (Thunder Stocks also had 14.) We’ll also be back on May 21^st. See you there!

Gater News - April 24th, 2011

 

Gater News - April 19, 2011

Gater News - April 12, 2011

 

Gater News - March 29, 2011

Keepin’ it Real by JJ Andrews

Is it sold? Is it not? What’s going on?

---- Oswego Speedway fans are in a frenzy right now about the pending sale of the speedway, which has been going literally for months. But as of press time, March 27^th, the deal still has NOT officially closed. Any amount of behind the scenes checking that I have done indicates that while the deal is still moving forward, it’s not done yet. Day after day people are discussing and theorizing and spreading rumors about whether or not the sale of Oswego Speedway, from owners Pat Furlong and Steve Gioia to potential buyer Johnny Torrese has closed, or WILL close.

---- Adding fuel to the fire was an official message, on www.oswegospeedway.com, that the sale would close on March 23^rd. What’s more official than that? Well that fact also, even though it was on the speedway’s official website, appears to have been a rumor.

---- A couple of different attempts to contact Torrese have been unsuccessful, so as near as I can tell, the official word is that there is no official word. I can only assume that, if there were definite words to tell, we’d get them, but since nothing is definite in business, it’s not done until every one of the final details are resolved. Hurry up and wait, race fans.

---- So what can we, as race fans do now, while we wait in this limbo zone? We need to just CHILL. My assignment to you: take a cleansing breath. We can’t do anything to change or fix the deal. Let’s let the people that are handling it, handle it. As long as it takes. Without spreading rumors as to when, or why. And whatever the outcome, we will support. Because here’s one fact that I AM confident in, and I reiterate: Oswego Speedway will be open in 2011 no matter whose name is on the deed. And it will be a great year, with a lot of promise. The excitement is building for opening day, just about one month away!

---- The next newest official addition to the supermodified division is a driver who has been a very successful small block supermodified driver, who was itching to move up to the supermodified division. Defending small block champion Dave Cliff Jr. already said that he wasn’t interested in coming back to the small block division in 2011, even if the family hadn’t sold both of their FFB Chassis small block cars. (One had been sold at the end of the 2010 season.)

---- The Cliff Family had been looking for a supermodified, but with the other car sitting there unsold, it’s not so easy to step up financially. But a deal has been cut. From Dave’s mother / team press agent Dayna: “ We are hoping to go pick up our Super this coming weekend. We are in the process of buying the former 67 of Johnny Payne. Hopefully if all goes well, and with a little sponsorship help we will be able to run the full season, that is our goal. It would go a long way towards our goal if we could sell the 36 SBS car, but we'll see.”

---- How’s that for some exciting news for the supermodified division? The additions just keep coming. Want more?

---- As I reported in the last edition, Steve Abt has purchased the #61 supermodified from Mark Castiglia, which was campaigned last year by Lou LeVea. But the motive has changed a little. While Steve initially told me he bought it for a “parts” car, it looks as though that plan may change. Now the talk is that the car may be put together as possibly a winged car for Steve to drive in selected wing races, or possibly a second car, for Abt’s teammate Tim Barbeau to roll a few times. Abt has spoken to Castiglia about possibly purchasing a wing and supermodified engine that Castiglia still has in his collection. Stay tuned on that one - but the good news just keeps coming for the supermodified division.

---- Speaking of Castiglia, he has stepped up his own small block supermodified position. He has purchased the #77 small block super from Chris Tedd. Although the #77 came with an engine, he’ll have to use his own engine from his #90 car. Castiglia has his #90 car for sale, for just $3,500 as a roller, and is looking forward to a much more solid season than his “season of Hell” in 2010.

---- Chris Tedd’s stable of small block supers has had weight reduction surgery, as his collection went from almost five cars, to three, with Castiglia’s purchase of the 77. And now he’s considering trimming that back a little more, to two cars, as Dennis Richmond may not be behind the wheel of the #7 in 2011. As of this last weekend, Tedd and Cameron Rowe will be the only two drivers piloting small block supers for Teddneck Racing.

---- Cameron Rowe is pretty excited about the season, and can’t wait to hit the track. “This is a great opportunity for me”, said Rowe of his ride in the former Kevin Knopp championship car. “This is great equipment - probably the most prepared that I have ever been.”

---- Dave Danzer has been hard at work on his all new Hawk Jr. supermodified. “It’s coming really good”, said Danzer. “The motor is in it, and Joey (Hawksby) started the body the other day. Should be all ready by May 1^st!” Although that was a text conversation with the rookie of the year hopeful, I could definitely sense the enthusiasm.

---- One rumor that I checked into has turned out to be just that - a rumor. The story was that multiple track champion Otto Sitterly’s son Nick would be in competition in 2011 at Oswego Speedway, in either a small block super or a supermodified. “You heard it here first - no, Nick is not racing at the speedway this year”, said Otto when I approached him for the hot scoop. It would have been a fun story - in fact I’m so disappointed that maybe I’ll just make one up.

---- Tim Snyder also offered to help make up some news stories. When I asked if he had any fresh news stories, he said “I could start something if you would like. Like J.J. to fill in in the #7 for Davey Hamilton…”. I told him to stand down - I’ll fabricate my own stories, thank you.

---- While Snyder will still be teamed up with Shaun Gosselin in 2011, Gosselins will be working out of their own shop, with help from the Snyder crew at the track. But look for a “new look” for the cars this year. And, as with most teams, Snyder Racing is actively on a sponsorship hunt for 2011, as “money is very tight” right now. Best of luck to the Snyder and Gosselin racing Team(s) in 2011.

---- Jason Simmons’ new Mikey O’Connor small block supermodified isn’t done yet, and opener is about a month away. He sold his own car to Dennis Rupert last year, and won’t be driving the Terry Solazzo car in 2011. So to make sure he’s not ride-less when the season kicks off, he recently acquired a car from Barry Kingsley. A couple of months ago, Kingsley picked up the Jan Donnelly #66, a Doug Reaume built car. Simmons bought the rolling chassis from Kingsley last week, and will put the car together with his own engine, to run until the new car is ready.

---- As racing season approaches, people are starting to get cranked up. The first supermodified race of the season comes to Ace Speedway, in Altamahaw, North Carolina. The event will be an MSA sanctioned winged event, the first of its kind at the speedway. Many supermodified teams and fans will be headed for warmer weather, and will be able to enjoy the smell and taste of methanol, and enjoy the sweet sing of big block engines. Hope it’s a great show, and a great turnout!

---- Racebook. You can learn a lot about your favorite drivers, owners, and mechanics by being Facebook friends with them. Some hang back and read what others write. Some drop in some info every once in awhile. And some pour their hearts out on Facebook, telling you a lot of details - sometimes details that you didn’t really want, or shouldn’t have been told. So for fun, I thought I’d go through some of my “Racebook Friends”, and see what’s doing on their FB sites. Here are a few of them., alphabetically. Let’s see if I get any “un-friending”.

---- Steve Abt (supermodified rookie): Had a trip to Florida and Disney with his son Joey, along with a trip to Daytona.

…Tim Barbeau (small block supermodified): Thanks everyone for a successful fundraiser. May run a super. And recommends Gino and Joe’s char-grilled wings.

… Michael Barnes (supermodified): Feels that SU basketball is overrated. And is a NC fan. (I never liked that kid.)

…. Michael Bruce (small block supermodified): He’s working on his racecar at college. (Now that’s my kind of college!) And he got a new outfit.

…. Mark Castiglia (small block supermodified): Mark’s on vacation in the Dominican Republic - and didn’t take me! I nearly took his spot, though. I just couldn’t find my backwards hat, and tangerine speedo.

…. J.J. Courcy (IMCA Modified and Late Model): He’s not sure he’ll be running a full season in 2011, and he’s looking for some help swapping motors. And is quite unhappy with SU basketball player Scoop Jardine.

…. Chris Cunningham (Pro Stock): He’s got pictures of a very stripped racecar - “lots of work!!”.

…. Ricky DeGroff (mod lite): He’s got a new mod lite, and recently bowled a 300 game. And shows you the pin to prove it.

…. Greg Doust (sportsman): Looks like he spends most of his off-season going to hockey games with his sons. Oh - and Tully’s.

…. Mike Fowler (sportsman): Mike’s not sure if or when he’ll be racing this year, because his job may take him to Albany this year. He also quotes Spongebob Squarepants.

…. Mark Green (IMCA): Mark’s got the engine in his car. And acknowledges that he’s not young and foolish any more - just foolish.

…. Doug Heveron (retired supermodified legend): The “Young One” as he was called back in the days when he dominated supermodified, racing turns 50 years old.

…. Steve Hulsizer (dirt modified): Steve’s headed to Myrtle Beach on vacation. Lucky!

…. Danny Kapuscinski (small block and big block supermodified, and karts): he’s been working on his kart, and observing comments from little boys at Target. “I’m going to wear skinny jeans all week at school”, said the little boy.

…. Barry Kingsley (small block supermodified): He ran the DT100 - and had fun shoveling snow off of his roof.

…. Lou LeVea (supermodified): Loves the McGriddle. And hopes his truck isn’t robbed again.

…. Andy Noto (supermodified): He’s working out of town, and also bought a new cell phone. Apparently he couldn’t afford the iPhone.

…. Howard Page (supermodified): Howard has been in snowmobile riding mode all winter. But he did also share with me more than once that he’s getting the major itch to go supermodified racing again.

…. Jack Patrick (small block supermodified): “Fireman Jack” has been battling fires, and waiting (impatiently) for racing season.

…. Joey Payne (supermodified): The “Jersey Jet” has been spending a lot of time working on his son Anthony’s racecars. He has also been very outspoken about the fact that he will NOT race at Oswego Speedway in 2011 unless ownership changes hands. One would think that his team’s recent fundraiser would obligate the Jet to Oswego in 2011. “If it sells, I’ll be there. If it doesn’t, I’m gone.” My prediction: the sale will eventually happen, and the Jet and Strong Racing will be there with bells on.

…. Chad Phelps (big block modified): Chad somehow got into trouble, and bought some lovely flowers to square it up. I think it worked. And he also went to Monster Jam, presumably learning some new tricks.

…. Matt Rainville (mod lite): Matt’s been working on his racecar. And is also not a fan of Scoop Jardine.

…. Cory Reed (marketing director for Brewerton and Fulton Speedways): Raised over $1,500 for St. Baldricks Pediatric Care Research by having his head shaved bald on March 27^th. Quite admirable!

…. Randy Ritskes (supermodified): Randy’s team is having a fundraiser on April 9^th, (at LaGraf’s Pub in Oswego at 1:00), and there may be an awesome prize available to be raffled off.

…. Dennis Rupert (small block supermodified): Dennis recently displayed his sweet ride at the Gater News Motorsports Expo. You can see pictures of the car on Racebook accompanied by a very attractive individual. And there are also some pictures of beauty contest entrants with the car.

…. Joe Scanlon (ISMA supermodified): Scanlon, from Salem, N.H., has been working on the racecar, and is looking forward to competing in the ISMA opener at Ace Speedway.

…. Andrew Schartner (small block supermodified): Andrew is attending college at UNC Charlotte, and is of the opinion that “women don’t shop, they hunt”.

…. Jason Simmons (small block supermodified): He actually googled directions, and made his way to the race shop. Where he watched the pros work on the car. While eating Friendly’s ice cream.

…. Brian Sobus (supermodified): Brian doesn’t say much on Racebook, but I have learned that he has been given a very cute nickname by his girlfriend Danielle.

…. Chris Tedd (small block supermodified): I would have to conclude from looking at Chris’ FB that he builds the most amazing snowmen. He also is secretly proud that he made the “Smash N’ Crash” tape.

 

Gater News - March 7, 2011

Keepin’ it Real by JJ Andrews

“We may not always win the race, but we never lose the party.” No, that’s not a quote from Charlie Sheen. That’s direct from small block supermodified driver Barry Kingsley, after the 3^rd annual “DT 100” for Make-A-Wish Kart race and after party, in Maine.

---- From organizer Dave Thomas Jr. “On Saturday, the 3rd Annual “DT 100” for Make-A-Wish was held at Maine Indoor Karting in Scarborough. The buzz surrounding the event had been heard all around New England for some time as not only would this be the first year the event would be held on a road course, but event promoter Dave Thomas Jr. had increased the field of talented drivers to a whopping 100! This year 10 states were represented including Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Georgia. All of the major short track touring series were well supported, including NASCAR, ISMA, PASS, ACT, NEMA, among others. Along with many track champions representing Beech Ridge, Lee U.S.A., Star, Monadnock, Seekonk, Thompson, Stafford, Oswego, Canaan Fair, and more.”

---- As a competitor in this event, it was great to be a part of it. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to transfer to the A-main, but it was a great time squaring off against champion drivers from all over the northeast. Only 16 drivers qualified out of nearly 100. And not only was I at a disadvantage because of those numbers, but I also observed that lighter drivers are at quite an advantage (illustrated by the fact that drivers are weighed prior to the event, and the lightest drivers are put to the rear.) I held my own in my three qualifying attempts, but I don’t believe anyone 200 pounds or above made the show. Sure was fun trying though! The closest I could come was a 2^nd place finish to Joey Pole in the B main.

---- Mexico, N.Y. supermodified pilot Michael Barnes was the only one of “our guys” that made the show. Mikey was pretty happy to run the A main, and finished 13^th in the final rundown. “It’s the biggest accomplishment I’ve had in racing in a few years”, joked Barnes. More on that a little later…

---- Other Central New York drivers that made the trip were Randy Ritskes, Barry Kingsley, Peter Palmieri, John “Luther” Gray, and myself. Every one of us had a great time, and look forward to the 4^th annual event, next spring, also at Maine Indoor Karting, in Scarborough, Maine.

---- Alby Ovitt, of Barrington, NH captured the victory. Ovitt runs the “Wildcat” division at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway, where he finished 2^nd in points in 2010. Bill Fiske was 2^nd, NASCAR K&N Pro Series driver D.J. Shaw was 3^rd, NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour driver Ryan Preece was 4^th, and ISMA Supermodified driver Joe Scanlon finished 5^th. Other drivers of note who made the main were Mike Ordway Jr. (7^th), and Erica Santos (11^th). Notable DNQ’s included Vern Romanoski, Dan Bowes, Rob Summers, Jeff Locke, Woody Pitkat, Chris DeRitis, Andy Suess, Lou Cicconi, Dan Lane, and Artie Rousseau.

---- An excellent after party for everyone involved took place at the Comfort Inn Suites in Biddeford, Maine, after the event. Laughs, a pig roast, and dancing finished the night with the band NIMBUS 9. I acquired a new “swagger coach”, made some new friends, sang with the band, and even “made it rain” during my race.

---- But most importantly: over $23,000 was raised for Make-A-Wish - an amazing feat! Great job by the competitors and event organizer Dave Thomas, on a job well done, by a special group of people, for a great cause. It was a perfectly organized event, and went off without a hitch. Thanks to everyone involved for a great weekend!

---- Next subject: the sale of Oswego Speedway. In the last issue of Gater News, I told you about my conversation with potential buyer Johnny Torrese. Torrese was pretty non-committal, but said that he may have some more information “in ten days”. More than ten days later, (I’m writing this on March 6^th), there are still no more definitive answers. That’s all that I have for you at this point. I’ll remind you - any business transaction of this magnitude is very complicated, and a lot of planets need to align to close. I’m left to assume that this is still NOT a done deal.

---- But I still believe this: whether or not the proposed sale of the speedway transpires, all systems are go for a great 2011 season. A lot of great things are happening for drivers and teams and car counts, and we’re all very excited about this season at Oswego Speedway. No matter who owns it, the excitement is building for opening day - only two months away!

---- ISMA competitor Scott Martel’s #14 supermodified recently changed hands, and will be campaigned in 2011 by Canadian T.J. Woolsey. I expect to see Woolsey in competition at Oswego Speedway in 2011. Woolsey is the nephew of many time Oswego Speedway feature winner and champion Doug Didero.

---- Mark Castiglia has sold his supermodified, which was campaigned in 2010 by Lou LeVea. LeVea had nothing but bad luck all season, recording one of the roughest seasons ever. Wrecks, failures, etc. “I’ve spent a lot of money, and have nothing to show for it”, Castiglia told me once last year in disgust. In addition to owning the super, Castiglia also owned and campaigned the #90 small block supermodified, also with mixed results.

---- So for 2011, Castiglia will be a small block supermodified only team. He’s looked at a couple of cars to purchase in order to upgrade his position. He was negotiating with Steve Abt awhile back to purchase his car, but Chris Tedd eventually bought that car from Abt. So Castiglia, while not exactly sure of his plans for 2011, will definitely see time behind the wheel of either the #90, or another ride, if he ends up purchasing a different one.

---- So who bought the supermodified from Castiglia, less engine? Steve Abt picked up the “roller“, which has a lot of usable parts for the Stowell Racing super, that he will be driving in 2011. Abt has been working hard on the Stowell supermodified, with “all new stuff. Spindles, axle, hubs, calipers - all the updates”, according to Abt. Also, “I think Dan did a lot to clean up the air”, Abt said about some body changes, performed by Dan Dennie.

---- Speaking of the Steve Abt small block supermodified, which was purchased by Chris Tedd, there has already been a change in drivers for that car. Tedd purchased that car recently with the intention of teaming up with talented driver Chris Proud for the 2011 season. Tedd was pretty excited about the season, as he told me in an interview in my most recent Gater News column. But that plan has already changed.

---- “Chris Proud just bailed on me because he’s gonna buy a dirt chassis”, Tedd told me just after the last episode went to print. So he’s not sure if he will drive the car himself, and scale back to a three car team (he already plans to campaign cars for himself, Dennis Richmond, and Cameron Rowe), or if he will give someone else a shot at the ride. Sweet opportunity for someone! (Expect to see Abt back in the car possibly for some NORA shows that don’t interfere with his supermodified season.)

---- The Xtreme Chassis car that was campaigned last season by Doug Didero was sold during the winter to Dan Connors for promising youngster Dan Connors Jr. to run in 2011. The only problem is that Connors is much taller than the diminutive Didero, and certainly couldn’t fit inside the car. So the car is currently at Joey Hawksby Jr.’s shop, getting a new, obviously taller, cage installed. Connors will be quite impressive in that car.

---- Supermodified driver, and “DT100” A-Main qualifier, Michael Barnes is planning his 2011 supermodified season. His plans again call for him to be behind the wheel of the supermodified that he helped build with Chris Osetek and Steve Buske. While work commitments may keep him from running the whole season, Barnes is anxious to have more time to work with the chassis. A lot of new ideas have gone into the chassis, which has not reached its potential, and Barnes is enthused about the prospect of getting the car going.

---- “I’ve got a lot of time in that car”, said Barnes, explaining why he has been driving it, despite the less than impressive results so far. “I helped build it.”

---- Michael Barnes splashed onto the supermodified scene in 2006, when he picked up a mid-season ride in the Double Deuce Racing #22. After a short but successful small block supermodified career that yielded three feature victories, he capitalized on the supermodified opportunity on August 5^th of that year, scoring a win in I believe only his 3^rd or 4^th time in a supermodified. That early success was followed up by an even more impressive campaign in 2007, which saw him win two features, and nearly a championship. (Barnes was 2^nd in points in 2007, losing by just 18 points, possibly the result of a controversial rules call during the season.)

---- Then in 2008, Barnes shocked the supermodified division by leaving Double Deuce Racing and his hometown Oswego Speedway for a ride with ISMA supermodified owner Clyde Booth. “If I hadn’t taken Clyde’s offer, I would have always wondered about it”, Barnes told me recently, when I asked him if he wishes he would have stayed with Double Deuce. Clyde Booth’s creations are often considered radical, and have been very successful, and at times dominant over the years.

---- Unfortunately for Barnes, the ride didn’t work out, and team parted amicably after a few races. Since the split, Barnes hasn’t seen a lot of success. Occasional rides in various cars, including some horrible wrecks due to stuck throttles, and the Buske-Osetek ride haven’t brought Barnes any positive results in a few years. He wasn’t really joking when he said that qualifying for the A-main in the “DT100” was the highlight of his last few seasons of racing.

---- But he remains positive, and enthusiastic about 2011. Despite not having any solid results the last few seasons, the “tiger blood” is still there. And people know that. Offers still come to him occasionally to drive other cars, sometimes in other divisions. And the family still owns a NEMA midget, which they run occasionally.

---- If the supermodified team gets motivated and dedicated for 2011, and if Barnes’ work schedule allows, look for him to get his “mojo” back this year. He’s confident that this car CAN work, despite what it has shown so far. Michael Barnes is one of the good guys, who many consider untapped talent. A lot of us Barnesy fans are hoping this is the year that that talent is allowed to show again. If you want, Mikey, I’ll introduce you to my swagger coach…

---- How many of you will be attending this weekend’s “Motorsports Expo and Trade Show”, at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse, N.Y. this weekend? This year is the 25^th annual show, and takes place in the Verizon Center of Progress Building, on March 12-13. New York State’s largest show of its kind will feature speedway displays, sanctioning body booths, auto racing publications, diecast, novelties, sponsors, and many other things to see and do. And most importantly - RACECARS!!! This is a great place for race fans - see you there!

 

Gater News - February 21, 2011

“I want to make sure I know exactly where we’re at. I don’t want to spread any rumors”, said new potential Oswego Speedway owner Johnny Torrese, in a telephone interview last week from Florida. While nearly admitting that he was involved in a deal, Torrese reported that he would have more information for me soon. “If you call me in 10 days, I’ll have some answers”, shared the businessman, part-time supermodified driver, and full-time Oswego Speedway fan.

---- As with any business or real estate purchase, it’s a very complicated process to close a deal of this magnitude. There are tons and tons of details to work out - and a lot of ways that a deal could fall through. So the hundreds of reports around the rumor mill and internet message boards that the purchase is a “done deal” are still premature as of this writing.

---- “I have all hopes that everything will go well. We’re looking over stuff, but I’m not in position to say anything right now”, said Torrese. So although I got the impression that a deal is imminent, I wouldn’t call it a definite. Yet. Stay tuned….

---- In doing some more sniffing around about the potential new owners, I called Torrese’s friend, fellow winter Floridian, and three time defending supermodified owner John Nicotra.

---- “They’re not scared. They’re up to the challenge”, said Nicotra about the likely new owners, John and Eric Torrese. He doesn’t know if anyone else is involved in the purchase, but would doubt that the Torreses would want a partner. Nicotra obviously couldn’t tell me one hundred percent about when / if the sale will go through, but I’m sure he knows more about the sale than he felt comfortable discussing. “We go out to lunch all the time, but I try not to ask him”, said Nicotra.

---- Nicotra himself was mentioned as an investor in the purchase at one time, but that is no longer the case. “I’m not involved in it.” But when pressed about the impending purchase, Nicotra added, “I think it’s going to happen. It’s just a matter of time. It’s no secret that Johnny and Eric are longtime Oswego Speedway fans, and are successful in real estate, farming, and business. They want to bring this place back to its former glory”, leaked Nicotra.

---- “If that thing (the speedway) makes twenty cents, that whole twenty cents goes right back into the speedway. They don’t need it. And if it makes $100,000, then $100,000 goes back into the speedway”, is one of the best things John Nicotra said to me.

---- A lot of teams have been planning and working on their rides for 2011. Successful drivers know that championships are won during winter as much as they are won during the season. Cars are being prepared for the season’s wars, spare parts are being made, parts and supplies are being inventoried, and many teams will be shining and polishing their machines for the upcoming Motorsports Expo, at the New York State Fairgrounds, on March 12^th and 13^th.

---- While I was speaking with John Nicotra, I also took the opportunity to discuss his supermodified team’s plans for 2011. During the off season, a brand new Hawk Chassis has been added to the team’s inventory. “The new car, and the #7 car that Otto drove last year will be the main cars for the season”, said Nicotra. “As always, Otto (Sitterly, Nicotra’s primary driver, who has driven to those three consecutive Oswego Speedway supermodified championships) will have first choice, and the other one will be all ready for Davey”, added Nicotra, speaking of Indy 500 veteran and part-time supermodified pilot Davey Hamilton. The third car, run last year as #6, will most likely be used as a winged car, and/or a backup for the two non-wing rides.

---- But that’s not the only plan for that car. There has been some discussion of making that car available for Classic Weekend, for one of the most decorated WINGED supermodified drivers of all time. As part of the deal, Nicotra hopes that a deal could be made for Sitterly to hop into the winged ISMA team car of this wildly successful team. Who is it?

---- “Perley”. That’s all I had to hear. Chris Perley has won multiple features and championships in Vic Miller’s cars, but hasn’t ever showed anything too exciting in a supermodified without a wing. Consequently, Sitterly’s experiences in a winged super have also been less than stellar. “Maybe we should let them do what they do, and let us stick to what we do”, said Nicotra.

---- So although no definite deal is in place to do this swap, it sounds like it could be quite a “super” team if it pans out. “I’d give Perley a great shot - same equipment as the other teams”, said Nicotra. “Perley would have to supply his own crew, but we’ll park him right in between Otto and Davey for Classic.” And a ride in Vic Miller’s 2^nd car for a winged race or two may bring the winged success that Otto has reached for in the past.

---- Teddneck Racing’s Chris Tedd has also been busy during the off-season, preparing his own fleet of small block supermodifieds. And when I say “fleet”, I do mean fleet!

---- “I’ve got an interesting little crew”, said Tedd of his four car team. No less than FOUR small block supers will be fielded by Tedd in 2011! All four will be weekly, full time supporters of Oswego Speedway and the division, and some guest drivers will compete in some of the cars for the NORA races.

---- The cars will be housed at Bloss Machine in Kirkville, N.Y. “Skip Bloss has put together a great package for us”, said Tedd. “We’re running out of his shop, and he is doing a lot of dyno work on the engines.” FFB Chassis guru Dan Dennie will still do the bodies for the teams, which was almost a five car team at one point.

---- Tedd’s latest acquisition is a pretty substantial ride. With Steve Abt moving to the supermodified division, he decided to sell his 2010 Classic winning small block, and he spoke with a couple of different potential buyers, including Tedd and Mark Castiglia. Tedd was ultimately the purchaser of the machine, and has enlisted the Brett Favre of small block supers.

---- Chris Proud has been in and out of racing more times than many of us can count. Last year, driving Tim Barbeau’s car, Proud was very successful before he quit the ride while running 2^nd in points. Citing financial reasons, Proud left the class. But like most drivers, racing is very addictive, and I know Proud wanted to get back behind the wheel. Hopefully everything works out for the team, and their season is a success. Tedd hopes to secure #87 for the car.

---- Cameron Rowe will drive another of Tedd’s rides. Cameron has raced in the division on and off for a few seasons, and will drive car #77 in 2011. Dennis Richmond will wheel the Teddneck Racing #7, and Tedd himself will drive the #37. In addition, Tedd hopes to have Steve Abt, Keith Gilliam, and Dave Gruel behind the wheels of some of the cars for some NORA races at Thunder Alley Speedway in Evans Mills.

---- “All four cars will be incredible”, enthused Tedd. “All top notch stuff!”

---- Jason Simmons will have a new small block supermodified for the 2011 season, currently under construction by Mike O’Connor and Brian Dana. Simmons drove for Terry Solazzo in 2010, but will field his own equipment for 2011. Simmons will team up with Dennis Rupert Jr., and both drivers will sport new numbers and a new crew chief for the new season.

---- “Dennis and I are teammates, and both cars and haulers are kept and maintained by Mikey O (Mike O’Connor) and crew”, explained Simmons. Jason will drive car #98 this year, and Rupert will wheel the #99. And Andy O’Connor has purchased a small block super from Guard Nearbin, that will be used as a backup and NORA car for the team, until O’Connor’s son David, 14, is old enough to drive it.

---- Robert S. “Bird” LaBoda has been acquired by the team to provide guidance, advice, refueling, and moral support. Bird moves over from the Barry Kingsley team after a long association. The split was amicable, and Kingsley is currently interviewing replacements to handle refueling duties in 2011 for the #23. “Bird has been a great asset to the team, and we wish him the best of luck in his new venture with Dennis and Jason”, said Kingsley. “We’re still friends, and we’ll see him at the track every week.”

---- One small block super driver who won’t be back in 2011 is defending champ Dave Cliff, Jr. Cliff and his family owned team have decided that they want to run a supermodified, and have already sold one of their two potent small block cars. They have not at this point purchased a super or secured a ride for the talented driver, but are still hoping to put something together for the 2011 season.

---- “David says even if we don’t get a super, he doesn’t want to drive the small block”, said Dave Cliff Sr. That car will be actively marketed for sale, and perhaps a sale of this car, along with the money already acquired from the sale of the other car would be enough to purchase a super for the season. But as of last week when I spoke with Dave Sr., no definite deals to either sell the small block or purchase a super were imminent. Stay tuned!

---- I saw a sweet picture the other day on Dave Gruel’s cell phone. “This just LOOKS fast!”, said Dave, showing me a picture of the team’s new Enders power plant for 2011. Gruel drives the Double Deuce Racing supermodified, and won a feature in 2010 on his way to earning rookie of the year in the division.

---- Gruel’s stepfather Kevin Enders has done some research over the winter, and has come up with a combination that Gruel is quite excited about. The power plant has been dynoed, and looked ready to fly, from the picture. I could see the pride on Dave’s face when we were talking about it. This is an enthused driver, and a great team, poised for a very successful 2011.

---- Oh - and the dyno numbers? Dave was of course secretive about that, and talked around giving me that information. A smart driver never gives away all of his secrets.

---- Coming up this weekend, racing people from all around the northeast will head to Maine for a charity go-kart event to benefit Make-A-Wish. This will be the third annual “DT100”, and is put together by Dave Thomas Jr., of Epping, N.H. Here’s the description, from the “DT100 Facebook page”

---- “The "DT 100" is an annual charity karting event that features some of the top racing talent from NASCAR, ISMA, MSA, PASS, ACT, and many other touring series and weekly tracks. Their competition? Their own fans! Drivers and race fans battle it out in equally-prepared Sodi racing karts, through a series of qualifying events and feature event to determine the "DT 100" winner! Created in 2008, and hosting its first race in February of 2009. The "DT 100" has featured drivers from many states including: ME, NH, MA, CT, NY, OH, NC, GA, and even AZ! In two short years, our event has already raised over $22,000.00 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Our next race to be held on February 26th. will be our most ambitious yet! 100 drivers will compete at the new home of the "DT 100" (Maine Indoor Karting of Scarborough, ME) for the 3rd Annual "DT 100" crown! With 100 drivers, an expected 400-500 race fans, and a new goal of $20,000.00 in fundraising set... it should be our best show yet! Hope to see you all there.”

---- I will be competing in this event myself for the first time this year, along with some pretty big names. Other Oswego Speedway drivers that are on the entry list include: Andy Noto, Barry Kingsley, Michael Barnes, and Randy Ritskes. John “Luther“ Gray will try his luck. ISMA drivers on the list include: Vern Romanoski, Eddie Witkum Jr., Chris Perley, Dan Bowes, Rob Summers, Jeff Locke, Mike Ordway Jr., Chris DeRitis, Lou Cicconi Jr., Joe Scanlon, and Dan Lane. Whelan Mod drivers Ryan Preece, Woody Pitkat, and Andy Suess are on the entry list. And even stand-up comedian Jimmy Dunn will flex his driving muscles.

---- It’s a great event for a great cause, and I’m looking forward to this weekend’s road trip! I’ll have a full report for you in the next issue.

---- Congratulations to the recently announced Class of 2010 Oswego Speedway Hall of Fame inductees. Five new members will be entered into the HoF in an induction ceremony of May 28^th at the speedway. From www.oswegospeedway.com:

---- “The annual selection of the Mitchell’s Speedway Press sponsored “Oswego Speedway Hall of Fame” took place last August and the names can now be announced as an induction date is firmly in place. The “Class of 2010” represents some of the hardest workers in their categories over the length of their careers and or employment. All four categories, Driver, Car Owner, Official and Special Achievement, have at least one inductee again in 2010. The induction ceremony will take place after the conclusion of the heat races on Saturday May 28th at the infield podium with track announcer Roy Sova. All inductees to the Hall of Fame for 2010 will receive five VIP Tower Passes and will share VIP Room #3 for the Memorial Day Weekend racing action. Roy Sova will escort the inductees to and from the VIP Tower for the Hall of Fame ceremony. Lighthouse Lanes will host a Hall of Fame reception on Friday night May 27th at 7:00 in their "Hall of Fame Lounge" for fans to get to meet the new inductees. The following are the five members of the 2010 Mitchell’s Speedway Press “Oswego Speedway Hall of Fame”.”

---- Driver: Jamie Moore, Owner: Tony Osetek, Official: Norris McDonald,

Official: Bruce Lee, and Special Achievment: Jim Liccardi. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate these five deserving members, and I look forward to your reception and induction coming up in May. What a great honor!

 

Gater News - February 8th, 2011

 

Gater News - January 12th, 2011

 

Gater News - December 15th, 2010

As the year 2010 winds down, I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a happy new year. Hopefully 2010 was a great year for you and your family, and hopefully 2011 will be even better. 2010 was a year to remember for my family, as my oldest child got married, and my youngest child graduated from high school. Along with those celebrations, my wife April and I celebrated our 25^th wedding anniversary. It’ll be tough to top that excitement in 2011, but you can bet we’ll try! (Maybe that postponed 25th anniversary vacation “across the pond” can happen next year!)

---- At Oswego Speedway, 2010 was a pretty exciting season. A lot of cool stuff happened. Here are some of the stories and memories that I found most interesting at Oswego Speedway this year.

---- The first small block supermodified wins for the two guys that I worked with. Veteran Barry Kingsley and rookie Bobby Henry Jr. both grabbed feature wins in 2010. Very exciting nights for me, as I’ve been crewing for Barry for a few seasons, and Bobby was driving my own #93 car. Great memories! If Jason Simmons or Guard Nearbin would have won one, my season would have been complete.

---- The first supermodified wins for a very deserving supermodified driver named Bobby Bond. Bobby had been winless for over ten years in the division, but broke through this year with wins in two of the biggest events of the year - the King of Wings AND the Classic! (For those of you scoring at home, that’s a win with a wing, and a win without a wing, with the same car - unheard of in these times.)

---- Another great part of that memory, was that Bob’s brother Mike also won the feature in the small block supermodified division on the night that he won the King of Wings feature. The look on Mike and Bob’s father Dave’s face that night was probably the best image of the year for me. What a night.

---- Maybe not a positive memory for some, but the fistfight on the track between Joey Payne and Doug Didero during Classic will be a memory for many of us. Two intense drivers, crashed out of the biggest race of the season, punching each other in the helmet.

---- Chris Proud was having a solid season in Tim Barbeau’s small block super, and walked away while riding 2^nd in points. It was quite a shocking development, as Proud cited financial reasons for the sudden defection.

---- Jerry Curran won his first full feature in 2010 in the supermodified division. Jerry had won a “twin 30” event previously, but enjoyed the win in the 45 lap regular event a lot more.

---- Steve Abt emerged as the fastest driver in the supermodified division in 2010. Two DQ’s for having illegal engines created a lot of suspicion amongst the division, but he came back faster after each DQ. Later Abt became the first driver ever to lead every lap of the Classic, and sailed through tech.

---- How about Dave Gruel joining the ranks of winners in the supermodified division, in only his first season? Dave later won rookie of the year, and had a great season for Double Deuce racing in his first season.

---- Small Block super veteran Dave Cliff Jr. secured his first ever championship in the division, topping off an amazingly consistent season. Cliff hopes to move up to the supermodified division in 2011.

---- Or supermodified expert Otto Sitterly’s third championship in the last four seasons. He started off winning the first four features of the year, and coasted to yet another championship for owner John Nicotra.

---- For the first time I think ever, the whole season of small block supermodifieds went by without many of the veteran drivers who had been in the division for years. It was really weird not seeing greats like Shawn Walker, Kevin Knopp, Gregg Davis, Mark Regan, Chip Wood, and Chris Lupa in competition. (Yes, I put Chalupa in there for comedy.) Also, mainstays like Jack Patrick, Rob Pullen, and Bill Moore only ran partial seasons.

---- Noted supermodified drivers Michael Barnes and Bentley Warren both struggled horrendously in 2010, experiencing wasted seasons.

---- Supermodified drivers Keith Gilliam and Vern LaFave returned to the small block supermodified division for a few races in 2010.

---- Greg Furlong’s contact with Doug Didero’s rear bumper during Classic will be remembered by many. That slam precipitated the previously mentioned Payne / Didero incident. Furlong later said that the contact was an accident, but many doubted that a driver of Furlong’s talents could be guilty of such a miscalculation.

---- Mike Bruce had a solid rookie season in Rob Pullen’s ride. Bruce nailed the rookie of the year award - and almost nailed a feature win in his first season.

---- Andy Noto and friends scrambled all season to complete his new Xtreme Chassis supermodified, and hit the track toward the end of the season, but experienced a bunch of engine problems. A month or two later, Noto sold the car to Randy Daratt, for Randy Ritskes to drive in 2011.

---- I’m sure that you have your own memories from this season. I can’t wait to start on the 2011 memories in the spring.

---- The next race coming up for me will be the Gambler’s Classic Indoor races in Atlantic City at the end of January. Our annual trip with a bunch of crazy people will be a great time. My most recent race was the Turkey Derby at Wall Stadium in New Jersey, on November 27^th. That was my 2^nd Turkey Derby, which is a must-see event. It was very cold, but it‘s really an exciting race to see.

---- In my two trips to the Turkey Derby, one pattern has been established: it’s called the Jimmy Blewett show. He’s won both times that I went, and made zero friends in the process. The first time I called him “The man without a conscience”, and it appears that that is still an accurate depiction. He pushed, shoved, and caught some breaks along the way for the win. Many felt that some of the “breaks”, like well-timed cautions and the lack of the black flag were connected with the fact that Blewett’s family was involved in promoting the event. It was a controversial event that had a lot of people talking. But one that I will definitely attend again.

---- Myself and my family would like to extend the warmest of holiday greetings to you and yours. Have a great rest of the year!

Gater News - November 16th, 2010

Think it’s not racing season any more? Think again!

---- At Black Rock Speedway, in Dundee, N.Y., the fall season means more racing, as the last event of the season was held on November 6^th. Sure it was cold, but it was dry, and the racing was great! A $10,000 to win front wheel drive 4 cylinder enduro headlined the event, which was also was joined by a 50 lap sportsman race, a 50 lap street stock event, and a rear wheel drive four cylinder feature.

---- Unfortunately threatening weather kept the crowd down, but the fans that were there saw some good stuff. Track owner Dean Hoag and the Black Rock crew know how to make an enduro fun for the fans, and it was a great show to see. And be in. (More on that later.)

---- This was no wussy 20 car enduro, where they run 30 laps, and clean the stalled cars off the track along the way. Black Rock enduros are hardcore. Imagine the urgency of 77 cars, starting three wide, racing for $10,000 to win. You wreck or quit, you sit there. Wait it out until a fire, flip, or some other type of danger brings out a red flag. Bumpers, cars, tires - they all sit there on the track. It’s total carnage - a major obstacle course, at high speed. Drivers must avoid the many tricks, as well as all of the other moving cars on the track. It’s a riot to watch, and if you’ve never seen an enduro at Black Rock, start making plans for 2011. The first one happens on April 2^nd ($2,000 to win), and they have at least one a month, culminating with next year’s $10,000 to win on November 5^th, 2011.

---- Ronnie Hill drove the most impressive enduro performance I’ve seen - at least for 90 laps. A surprising mistake should have cost him $10,000, but he was so dominant that he could still hold on for the win, despite nearly ripping the right rear tire and suspension off his car. Hill was over a lap ahead of the entire field at the time, and thanks to some problems for some other drivers, was able to keep the dough.

---- The race takes a break at lap 50, and Hill took off at full speed on lap 51, after the track surface had been cleared and heavily watered (to slow the cars down.) It was a pace that I was positive Hill could not keep up, but he did. I would have thought that he could not avoid so many obstacles, on such a slippery track, at such a high rate of speed. But he did it successfully (other than that lap 90 blunder) and scored the earned paycheck.

---- “To keep the integrity of the event and the $10,000”, Hoag informed me that over four hours was spent during post race tech, to ensure that the winning car was within the rules. The camshaft, cylinder head, and even the crankshaft are inspected, to make sure that the engine is stock. Numbers are taken off of many of the parts, and tech wasn’t completed until midnight that day. Twenty positions are paid, so there is a lot on the line. $10,000 to the winner and $300 for 2^nd place makes for a pretty exciting race when the drivers are together. “If you’re side by side on the last lap, it’s up to you!”, said Hoag. Remember - rough riding IS allowed in enduros!

---- Hoag is working hard to build this series, which certainly wasn’t profitable for him on this day, most likely due to the cold, cloudy weather. “We were down about 30% on cars, 60% on people”, Hoag said. “You can’t control the weather.” But it’s obvious that he’s in this for the long haul. “I’d like to get a crew member from every division that runs here to build a car”. Last year there were over 100 cars for this race.

---- Your favorite columnist was fortunate enough to pick up a ride in the $10,000 to win enduro, but I unfortunately fell just short of the ten gee. As a guest on Joe Marotta’s “Around the Tracks” radio program on the morning of the race, Joe hit Hoag with the “you should put Jay Andrews in a car” line when Hoag called in to promote the race. A deal was cut when I called Hoag after the show, and I hopped in the car to head to Dundee. While the car wasn’t completely ready, Derrick and I put some finishing touches on the car, and it was done in time for the race. I made it in time for the driver’s meeting, where one driver asked, with a straight face, “can you bring a spare tire in the car with you?”

---- Starting almost exactly in the center of the 77 car field, my game plan was to take it easy and not damage the car. But these guys aren’t messing around. With cars blowing past me on both sides, I started questioning my strategy. After a lap two or three red flag for a dangerous accident, I decided to step it up a little. I still wanted to be careful, because it was a borrowed car. Pushing a little harder, I passed a few cars, but there were still a lot of them blowing me away. Another red flag gave me more time to ponder.

---- I couldn’t take it. I knew I could drive faster, but bald tires and iffy brakes would make it tough to miss the inevitable crash in front of me. And that’s exactly what happened. The Dodge Spirit was cookin’, and I started passing a lot of cars. Big wreck, couldn’t miss it, wrecked Spirit, game over, lap 6. I wished that I had stuck with my original plan of going slow, but that’s tough to do. It was a fun time though, and fortunately Dean wasn’t mad that I wrecked the car. It looked repairable, but I’m not sure. Thanks to Dean Hoag, Mark Sincock, and Derrick for helping me out with the ride and giving me some fun. And Joe Marotta for helping to put the deal together. I highly recommend competing in these enduros, and I hope to do it again some day.

---- The top twenty finishers were: RONNIE HILL, Nate Peckham, Jarrad Fox, Clayton Weaver, Larry Miches II, Greg Turner, Matt Prescott, Ricky Breed, Joe Povoski, Terry Ostrander, James Hays, Eric Boynton, Rich Post, Tim Gillett, Todd Koegel, Kenneth John Harper, Dave Lowe, Chet Cobb, Bill Werner, Jeremy Warner.

 

---- The other divisions were excellent, close races, as well. He sportsman race saw Donnie Lawson come from the rear after an early crash to collect the $2,000 top prize. Top ten were: DONNIE LAWSON, Jeff Crambo, James Cornell, Ray Bliss Jr., John Juhl, Brady Fultz, Steve Gray, Loren Lincoln, Anthony Perrego, Dave Marcuccilli. The street stock $600 was won by BOB BUONO, followed by Nate Peckham, (who also finished 2^nd in the enduro), Frank Guererri Jr., Dave Fultz, Nate Daggett, Paul Harrington, Chris Fisher, Chuck Winslow, Tom Harrington, and Joe Buske. And the four cylinder feature was won by RICH SHARPSTEEN II, followed by C.J. Winslow, Mike Ziarno, Les Irwin, Justin Schenk, and Derrick Puryear.

---- Last week the Eagles Fan Club at Oswego Speedway had a “payout party” , to distribute the money that the Eagles had collected during the racing season. The Eagles Fan Club board works VERY hard to organize fundraisers and collect cash to promote the drivers and owners of the supermodifieds and small block supermodifieds at Oswego Speedway, and also raise capital for an injured drivers fund. Hats off to president Larry Lee, Vice President: Jason Kingsley, Vice President: Shirley Letcher, Secretary: Debbie White, Treasurer: Mike Foster, Internet Coordinator: Sue Delong, and Jessica Lee for all of your efforts. It’s really amazing what all of you do for the good of others.

---- As an owner of a small block supermodified, I received a check in the amount of $565 for supporting the division. It’s not a points deal or a results award. The Eagles distribute their fund just for supporting the division. Show up, be a member, support racing and the Eagles, and we’ll give you back ALL of the money that we collect for you.

---- So what to do with the $565 that the Eagles collected for ME? I’ve got a lot of bills, like anyone. Christmas is coming, I could use it for that. I’ve got credit card bills like crazy. Five hundo could take me and the Missus on an excellent weekend getaway. Hey - I would really love some new Oakleys or a sweet new pair of kicks.

---- Nope - that’s RACECAR money. These folks busted their humps all year, walking through the pits, sitting at tables while others were relaxing, beating the bushes and making phone calls for one reason: to PROMOTE RACING AT OSWEGO SPEEDWAY. They didn’t do all of that work so I could get some cool new shades. They did that so that every driver can race more. That’s the ONLY reason. So more people can do more racing more often.

---- So that 565 clams goes aside. I’ll save it to buy something for my racecar. Parts, supplies, tires for the few times I race in 2011. Most importantly: I may race more than I planned to in 2011 BECAUSE of the Eagles cash! That’s what I’m doing with my Eagles point fund money, And I hope you do, also. And don’t forget to lay huge thank-yous on all of the above mentioned members of the Eagles board.

---- The NORA small block supermodified organization also had a meeting this past weekend, where the new season was discussed. Some new board members were elected, as well. President Steve Reynolds remains in the position. Craig Tyrell is the new VP, and Jackie Bruce is the new secretary / treasurer. Board members Steve Abt, Chris Tedd, Frank Bruce, Tim Barbeau, and Vern LaFave will help steer the group in 2011, and Sue Delong remains as internet coordinator.

---- Many ideas were tossed around. Thunder Alley Speedway General Manager Greg Smith was on hand to brainstorm with the group about the upcoming season. No scheduling will be made official until after Oswego Speedway announces their own sked for 2011, but Smith expressed interest in having the NORA small block supers several times in 2011. A higher paying, longer lap event may kick off the NORA season at Thunder Alley in early May, with possibly two events prior to the Oswego Season.

---- The meeting was well attended, and there is a lot of optimism for the 2011 season. Look for more races, and new faces at the NORA races next season.

---- Many teams are working on their cars, and planning for the new season. We’ll be hearing a lot more concrete stories over the off-season. For example, Eric Howell has purchased a small block supermodified that he plans to have his step-daughter drive, as soon as she becomes old enough. Kalyn Rupracht will wheel the Sweet 16 Jr. car, as soon as she’s old enough. “In August she’ll be old enough to run NORA shows”, says Howell of the presently 13 year-old kart driver.

---- Chris Tedd plans a three car small block supermodified team again in 2011. He’s committing himself to the full season of driving in 2011, along with Dennis Richmond in the second car. The third car isn’t locked in yet, but he does plan to have it on the track weekly. He has a couple of people in mind, but a definite plan has not yet been made.

---- A lot more bench racing will take place this weekend at the National Parts Peddler Newspaper Trade Show. The 31^st annual event takes place at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse, N.Y., and is the meeting place for race fans and owners all over the northeast. The show takes place Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, November 19-21.

 

Gater News - October 26th, 2010

 

Gater News - October 19th, 2010

 

Gater News - October 12th, 2010

 

Gater News - Sept 14th, 2010 - CLASSIC EDITION

 

Gater News - August 30th, 2010

Classic Weekend. For fans of supermodifieds and Oswego Speedway, this is the key weekend of the year! For many teams, the entire season revolves around getting ready, or putting yourself in position to have a successful Classic Weekend. All of the stops are pulled out maintenance wise, and no expense is spared preparing for the big race. In fact, many drivers acknowledge that if they only run one race a year, the Classic is the one. And some drivers, (such as myself), ONLY own a racecar so they can run the Classic. That’s how big of a deal it is.

---- The International Classic for the supermodified division has run consecutively since 1957, and carries an immense amount of tradition and history. Only the greatest drivers in the history of the division have a Classic victory on their resume, and supermodified fans from around the country are aware of the winners of this event.

---- Only three drivers have won this event six times in its history, and two of the three will be in competition in 2010.

---- Well into his 60’s, Bentley Warren won his first Classic in 1969, and his most recent in 1998. Bentley is still driving, and if he wins his 7^th Classic this weekend, it will be the most ridiculous celebration you could ever imagine. Fans around the world would love to see Bentley Warren pull off another one. Unfortunately, in my opinion, I have Bentley only in the COULD department.

---- Greg Furlong won his six Classics between 1999 and 2007, quite a record for such a short span of time. Winless since 2007, Furlong is one of those drivers who focuses on the Classic, and only races occasionally during the regular season. Furlong elicits a lot of fan reaction due to his brash personality and dominance in the 2000’s. You will see many “Anybody But Furlong” shirts in the stands this weekend.

---- One of the coolest names in the sport, Nolan Swift, has been retired from the supermodified division for many years. A member of the Oswego Speedway Hall of fame, Swift won his last Classic in 1972, and his first in 1960.

---- Dave Shullick Jr. will be behind the wheel of the Xtreme car that he drove to third in 2008, which was recently bought back from John Nicotra. Shullick, who reportedly recently split from winged super car owner Clyde Booth, will be a solid threat in the ride.

---- Best rumor I’ve heard so far is that Brian Sobus will be in a supermodified, possibly the former Ray Graham CNC car. Attempts to contact Brian to confirm were unsuccessful by press time. I heard that rumor just four days after hearing about how he won’t be racing the small block Classic. Stay tuned.

---- Of course OTTO SITTERLY is a favorite. He won last year, and has been the dominating champion of the division for the last three years…. JOE GOSEK is one of the best drivers ever in the division, and has a very fast Xtreme Chassis. He’s already won this race three times, so he knows what to do….Indy car veteran DAVEY HAMILTON is quite overqualified for this race, and has already won one before. Don’t be surprised if he pulls it off…. BOBBY SANTOS III is one of the most talented drivers in the country to not find a home in NASCAR - yet. He’s landed a ride in a brand new, yet untested, Mike Muldoon car…. Jeff Holbrook has given up the ride in his crazy looking Allegresso Chassis #35 to RUSS WOOD, who is another of the most decorated supermodified drivers to never win a Classic…. Can’t forget JOEY PAYNE, who finished 2^nd in points this year in the Strong Racing ride….DOUG DIDERO is a favorite in anyone’s book, in the Xtreme Chassis house car….And anyone would be crazy to not put GREG FURLONG on a list of drivers with the best chance to win this event. Let’s see how my prediction works!

---- I spent some time last week interviewing some of my “partners in crime”, my fellow drivers in the small block supermodified division, about their thoughts about our 100 lap Classic event, as well as some other questions. Here’s what I found out:

---- Andrew Schartner - Strategy: “Based on last year, we’ll use the same strategy as a regular race. Keep the wheels straight and the nose clean for at least the first 20 laps.” Celebration if he wins: “There will definitely be a burnout of some sort. Plans for 2011: “I’ll either drive Joey Logano’s car, or I’ll keep going with the small block super car for one or two more years until I graduate from college, then see what happens.” Favorite character from the reality TV show “Jersey Shore” : “Mike ‘The Situation’”. Other comments: “I give all the credit to Tom Aaserud, my Dad Karl, the crew, and my Mom, Jane Redding.” His prediction: Dave Cliff, Andrew Schartner.

---- Keith Gilliam - Strategy: “would like to qualify in the top ten”. Then he’ll lay back and let the race sort out. Celebration: “It’s fun to see (owner Chris Tedd, and the crew of “Teddneck Racing“) enjoy it when we run well.” Jersey Shore character: “That’s the last show I would watch!” Plans for 2011: “My supermodified will be ready. I don’t know if I’ll run the full season or not. Maybe try both (divisions).” Other: “I’m really enjoying racing the small block. It’s fun being around the guys in the small block pits. The super is just more intense.” Prediction: Shartner or Mike Bond, pulling for himself.

---- Mike Bond - Strategy: “Good time trial up front, stay there”. Celebration: “few beers. Like we always do.” Plans for 2011: “We’ll get this year done, and go from there”. Other: “Like to thank our sponsors, Terry Solazzo, my wife Debbie, Mike O’Connor, Mike DeCare, Larry VonHoltz Jr.” Prediction: Mike Bond.

---- Rookie Doug Williams - Strategy: be careful, and race harder toward the end. Celebration: “I’m going to Disneyland! Or maybe climb the fence like Tony Stewart. Or burn the tires”. Plans for 2011: “If Eddie (car owner Eddie Horne) doesn’t sell the car, we’ll run for rookie of the year and the championship next year”. Other: “I’d like to thank Eddie Horne, and let’s all be safe”. Prediction: Russ Brown or J.J. Andrews. (He then laughed uncontrollably after saying my name. For like five minutes. It was awkward…)

---- Mark Castiglia - Strategy: “try to keep pace, save the tires until later in the race. Some guys are going to push to the max.” Celebration: Mark has a bet that he would get married if he wins a feature. Plans for 2011: “Probably sell both cars”. (Castiglia, in addition to the small block #90, also owns the supermodified that Lou LeVea drives.) Other: Mark hopes that Jason Simmons gets his first win in the Classic. Prediction: Andrew Schartner or Mike Bond.

---- Kreig Heroth - Celebration: Go to “Luther’s” and hang out. Plans for 2011: “Haven’t discussed it yet. I’d like to stick around Oswego. And run our SST mod.” Other: “Thanks to Tom Aaserud for the opportunity. If it wasn’t for him, we’d never have a small block super win. And thanks to my parents, Duane and Carol, my girlfriend Rachel, and Jim Schefcick. Prediction: Kreig Heroth.

---- Bryan Haynes - Strategy: “qualify for the show on time trial this year. Do some qualifying runs during practice. Daytime time trials should help me a little“. Plans for 2011: “I plan on selling the car, and buying a house in Maryland (where he works), and get a legend car or mod lite to race near home”. Other: “Thanks to everyone that helped - Danzers, Crow Motorsports, Pitt Watson, Will Hadcock, etc. I’m thankful for the opportunity to run at Oswego. It’s a special place.” Prediction: Dave Cliff.

---- Steve Abt - Strategy: qualify well, get up front, and stay there. Celebration: “Lots of Bud Light with all my friends. I guess you (JJ) can come too.” Jersey Shore character. “Don’t watch it. Or maybe that hot one”. Plans for 2011: “Championship in the SBS and some super races part time.” Other: “To thank everybody that has helped with our team. We can’t do this without the help of everyone. And special thanks to Dan Dennie and Bob Hoefer for all the help and guidance through the year.” Prediction: Steve Abt or Tim Barbeau.

---- Dave Danzer - Strategy: “Last year I took it easy and didn't want to burn the tires off the car but we got lapped in the first 30 laps. Then when it was time to go, we couldn't really go anywhere. So if we start up towards the front, I plan on getting the lead and try leading all the laps and hopefully getting a win.” Celebration: “Maybe I can get Craig, Jayne, and Casey to do back flips off the car.” Jersey Shore character: “Pauly D!” Plans for 2011: new supermodified. Prediction: Dave Danzer.

---- Barry Kingsley - Strategy: “I just want to stay out of trouble, on the lead lap and finish in the top 10.” Plans for 2011: “Not really sure yet. I'd like to try some dirt racing.” Jersey Shore character: “Sookie Stackhouse” Other: “I really have had a lot of fun this year. I'd like to thank my family, friends, crew and sponsors for their support this year.” Prediction: Brian Sobus or Andrew Schartner.

---- Stan Gates - Strategy: “Stay away from Jason Simmons. He keeps whining that Barry won, and Bob won, now it‘s his turn!” Plans for 2011: Not sure. Favorite Jersey Shore character: “South Park’s Eric Cartman.” Other: Stan will be thinking about his 8 year-old nephew Justin Gates this weekend, who was just diagnosed with cancer. “It has been hard on the entire family, and a benefit is in the works”. Prediction: Jason Simmons.

---- Jason Simmons - Strategy: “run as hard as I can”. Plans for 2011: “I hope to race, and have a way better season than this one”. Jersey Shore character: Mike “the Situation”. Other: “Camp Sour patch is the spot to be at Classic this year”. Prediction: Jason Simmons.

---- Tim Barbeau - Celebration: “A win would mean everything and I'm sure there would be some pretty good partying at camp FFB.” Plans for 2011: “I will be driving the same car, the #58, out of the Abt Motorsports stable.” Jersey Shore character: “they all act the same, but I do however like the nickname "J-Wow"“. Other: “Hopefully all the fans come out and support Classic Weekend at Oswego Speedway and are treated to some great racing!”. Prediction: someone who starts in the top five.

---- J.J. Andrews - Strategy: I always run conservatively for the whole race, and that’s why I’ve finished the last ten in a row, all in the top ten with the exception of an 11^th place finish in 2007. But after my 3^rd place finish last year, I couldn’t help but wonder what could have happened if I had been more aggressive earlier. I was stuck behind a slower Shawn Walker for probably 20 laps. So maybe I’ll push a little harder this year, take some chances. Although I fluked into an 8^th fastest time trial last year, I’ve got a better chance of seeing Madonna than starting higher than 12^th or 14^th this year. If I avoid the wrecks, which is my specialty, you never know. Plus, after Bobby Henry dialed the car in for me by racing it all year, and with a fresh motor for the first time in several years, I might just have another solid Classic run, and maintain my 3^rd place in all-time Classic points.

---- Celebration: I can’t even imagine my reaction. It would be crazy insane. I’d probably wreck the car, and spend the winnings on beer. I’d climb fences. I’d steal flags and the pace truck. Nudity would be involved. If I don’t end up in jail or the hospital, it will be a wasted night. Plans for 2011: I’m loaning my car to me. Most likely it will sit in my garage until Classic 2011, or maybe a race here and there. Jersey Shore character: “The Situation” is very charismatic, but it’s hard to not recognize the “talents” of J-Woww. Prediction: J.J. Andrews, Brian Sobus, Keith Gilliam, or Andrew Schartner.

---- Other: Special thanks to Rob Pollitt for bailing me out. Thanks to Mark, Barry, Corey, Bobby, April, Chrissy, Bethany, Samantha, Jeff, Rob, Bird, and the whole Oswego Speedway fraternity for a fun weekend, win lose or draw. Classic Weekend is my favorite weekend of the year, and I just could not be any more excited about it. And not just for my race, but for all of it. The camaraderie, the laughs, the parties, the Sunday morning get-togethers, the friends, the 200 lap super race…all of it! Enjoy, everyone!

---- A sentimental favorite to watch will be Dennis Rupert Jr. in the former Jason Simmons owned #91. Rupert has been serving in the military in Afghanistan for the last several months, but when he was given the choice as to when to take his leave, he chose Classic Week. Dennis then made an arrangement from overseas to purchase the car from Simmons, and arrangements were made for the car to be prepared for him to race the Classic. Dennis keeps up on the local racing action via the internet, and information from his wife Ashley, who he married just prior to leaving for Afghanistan. I think it’s amazing that while he’s so far away in another part of the world, “it was 115 there degrees when I left”, Dennis told me, he still has time to think about his racing buddies back home. Good luck in the Classic!

---- I very much enjoyed the World of Outlaws Late Model event at Brewerton Speedway last week. I can’t believe the acceleration and brute force of these cars. I saw the Lucas Oil Late Models at Utica-Rome this summer, but I enjoyed them a lot more on the smaller Brewerton surface.

---- Ricky Elliott won the event, after some quality dicing with Shane Clanton and others. Very exciting to watch, for sure. I highly recommend checking out this event if they come back next year. Just amazing. Rick Eckert passed Clanton near the end to finish 2^nd, as Darrell Lanigan and Clint Smith rounded out the top five.

---- Dirt modified drivers Billy Decker, Larry Wight, and Dale Planck finished 6^th, 12^th, and 13^th. Former local dirt modified drivers Vic Coffey, Tim McCreadie, and Tim Fuller finished 7^th, 9^th, and 21^st. McCreadie’s recovery came after a pit stop for a flat tire.

 

Gater News Column - August 24th, 2010

Oswego Speedway’s regular season is officially over, after a night that was terrorized by first rain, and then a generator failure. But the championships have been officially decided after an abbreviated night of racing.

---- After a week long forecast of good weather, rain and clouds moved in on Saturday and destroyed what should have been a great night. Twin features for both divisions, along with the “Ms. Hoosier Mama” ladies race were on the card to finish off the regular season. But after some warm-ups, the rain started, and stayed for awhile. Once it stopped, the track drying process began, as the decision was made by speedway management to move forward with the show, despite the fact that the inclement weather would create a financial disaster. “We had exciting point races for the fans and teams that we felt should end on the track, not by Mother Nature”, stated race director Chuck Handley.

---- With the track not ready for competition until around 9:00 due to the rain delay, the decision was made by management to just run the four features, and scrap the qualifying races. With a short window of opportunity before the next rainstorm that showed up on the radar, it was the correct decision. The first small block super feature was completed as scheduled, and the supermodified feature took to the track. Six laps into it, the track went dark.

---- On July 31st, generator or lighting problems struck the speedway, causing the balance of the last feature race to have to be postponed until the next day. But this time it went completely dark during the feature, as the supermodifieds were at full speed down the back straight. No warning - just darkness. Fortunately and amazingly the cars were all able to get stopped without incident. The thought was that the generator had overheated, and with some sufficient time to cool off, everything would be okay. After another delay - with rain still looming from the west - the generator was re-fired, and the lights lit brightly.

---- The super race restarted, and the night continued. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. But several laps and cautions later, the lights shut down again, during a caution period. Apparently the generator had overheated for a second time. After another delay and discussion in the tower, the scheduled 30 lap super feature was called complete after 26 laps, and the balance of the program was cancelled. It was already midnight, and with the rain still haunting, and the uncertainty of the lighting, no other decision would have been okay.

---- As you can imagine, it was a PR disaster for the speedway. After some repairs, and several tests, including another night of racing and a run of seven hours during the previous week’s Rev N Rock concert, speedway management was confident that everything was okay. Handley stated that, “After the July 31st lighting problem we contacted 2 commercial generator companies that both said we did not have a generator problem, we have a lighting problem. Hundreds of man-hours were put in by professional electricians who followed every inch of line and inspected every single light pole with our bucket truck and they actually found some problems and fixed them.” But since this did turn out to be a generator problem, it would appear that either A. the commercial generator companies didn’t do a very good job, or B. they only “contacted” these companies, and didn’t have anyone there for a physical inspection.

---- I expect that every possible precaution and inspection and repair will be done in time for next week’s Classic Weekend. Handley’s statement on “Pinner’s Message Board” was a good explanation of the situation, and put many people’s minds at ease. But not everyone’s. I think the best way to successfully move forward and get peoples’ confidence back is if fans and competitors are kept informed of the specific corrections that have been made. Updates from the track, as well as Handley’s explanation should be posted on the speedway website. People need to know that everything is going to be properly addressed.

---- I also submit that, just in case, perhaps the speedway could rent some huge construction lights that could be staged along the infield of the track. That may put people at ease also. I’m sure there are logistics as far as expense, glare, etc., but maybe it could be worked out.

---- See the speedway website for details about “credits” for fans that did not get to see the show that they had paid $20 for. Many fans were disgruntled about the partial show, but I’m not sure of any other resolution for the speedway. Since it was the last regular race of the season, they sure couldn’t issue rain checks. And since the drivers and teams that raced needed to get paid, the speedway sure couldn’t issue refunds. It was a unique situation, and hopefully the speedway’s offer of $10 off of the purchase of tickets for Classic will help peoples’ situations. This applies to the grandstands as well as pit passes. Just an ugly deal all around. I’ll keep you posted on these pages next week about what solutions have been made, and I expect the speedway to, as well. Now it’s time to move on, and support the track.

---- Congratulations to Otto Sitterly and Nicotra Racing for winning the supermodified championship, and Dave Cliff Jr. for his first small block supermodified championship. Two very deserving champions, with two top quality teams. Great seasons for both teams!

---- I thought that veteran Pat Lavery was finally going to score his first career feature win in the first of the proposed twin 30 lap features. Nobody in the field is more deserving of a feature win than Pat Lavery, and I was disappointed when he got passed by eventual winner Joe Gosek. I spoke a few weeks ago about Pat’s “curse of consistency”. By running consistently in the top 5-8 positions every week, he always has to start behind several other cars. Unfortunately, many of the races in this division are won by the guys who start in the top few positions, so the consistent guy ends up stuck behind several other cars.

---- The good news is, since Pat is a solid driver, he usually finishes, and they don’t have a wrecked car to repair. More good news. Lavery finished third in points this year. And third in 2009. And 2^nd in 2007. And 4^th in 2006. And 6^th in 2005. History will show that Pat Lavery is one of the more dependable drivers of the decade, and Pat will have that fact to hang his hat on. I know that isn’t very comforting, but many drivers in the division would love to have the career and accomplishments that Pat Lavery has had. Congrats on another great run, and another top three points finish to Pat Lavery and the Double Deuce Racing Team!

---- And congratulations to Lavery’s teammate Dave Gruel on winning the rookie of the year award, as well as finishing 8^th in points. I would call that a successful season for Double Deuce racing.

---- It also looked for awhile as though Tim Snyder may slip out of his slump and get in the win column before the season ended, but he eventually faded to 4^th place. I’m sure, like many other drivers, the focus was on working on his Classic setup. “The year I won Classic (2001) was a horrible season like this one, too”, said Snyder earlier in the night. For those who don’t remember, Snyder, who now lives in Maryland, was on the verge of quitting the sport, when that 2001 Classic victory - his first ever - rejuvenated the team for a long time. Snyder ended up 9^th in points in 2010 after an up and down season.

---- Three drivers made their first appearances of the season last week, with mixed results.

---- Kelly Miller made his debut in the recently purchased former Tim Gareau car, which was owned by Tim Dewine. Miller’s night was the cleanest of the three season first-timers, bringing the car home in 12^th place, on the lead lap.

---- Randy Ritskes didn’t have the return to the speedway that he and his legion of fans had hoped for. On lap 22 of the feature, the Daratt Farms #88 “tipped over”, as he described it. The always colorful Ritskes did an interview with track infield announcer Danny Johnson after he got out of the car, and didn’t seem the slightest bit rattled by the result. Surprisingly, the car was rolled back to the pits after it was put back on its wheels, and probably would have restarted the race if the lights hadn’t crapped out. “It was just a simple spin, but then it tipped over”, was Randy’s description.

---- Todd Stowell’s return was even worse, however. Stowell had a hard collision with the wall on the back straight, and the car received a ton of damage. Stowell appeared uninjured, but you can’t say the same for the racecar. Hopefully he’ll be able to get the car back together in time for next weekend’s Classic.

---- Same can be said for Larry Muroski. Muroski was in a horrible accident himself during the warm-ups, when something apparently broke on the Coon-France #38, sending him hard into the fence. Muroski was so dazed that he took a trip to the hospital for a checkup, where it was determined that he always looks that way. (Sorry - I haven’t taken a shot at Larry in months…) Fortunately everything was okay, and Muroski was back at the speedway looking sad in a couple hours.

---- The small block super division was the first feature of the night, and although there were some incidents, they at least got to complete their event. Tim Barbeau was able to finally land a feature victory after dropping out of a couple while leading earlier in the season. The Steve Abt owned #58 was very quick, and Barbeau opened up quite a lead at one point. It was a close finish at the end though, as Mike Bond’s attempts to pass Barbeau were unsuccessful. Congratulations Barboooo!

---- Mike Bond looked pretty quick, passing everyone except Barbeau for the runner-up finish. Bond’s hopes for a 3^rd title were lost, as Dave Cliff was fast and aggressive. Although I said that Cliff looked like he was “points racing” the week previous, I saw none of that this week. Cliff’s 4^th place finish clinched his team’s first championship, a well deserved honor. Congratulations to “Gnomey Racing” for a great season! Bond was 2^nd.

---- Steve Abt finished 5^th in the feature, with a big part of the car’s nose flopping in the breeze, acting like a big parachute. Abt had a weld break that held the front of the nose down. Under normal circumstances, a car would be sent to the pits for safety reasons if a hood was waving around like that. But since eventual champion Dave Cliff wasn’t sent to the pits earlier in the season for a similar problem, track management had no choice but to let Abt stay on the speedway, as well. Quite a dangerous precedent that the speedway has set. Watch me get parked now for the same thing Classic Weekend…

---- Brian Sobus, who was also in the running for a championship, had quite an altercation with rookie Dennis Richmond. Sobus and Richmond came together, with Sobus spinning around. Sobus obviously thought it was a pretty bad move by Richmond. He then attempted to drive through Richmond under caution, doing his best imitation of a crash test dummy driving into Richmond’s rear bumper. Not only was Sobus not penalized for the over-retaliation, he didn’t even get a punch in the jaw from Richmond. The two spoke about it later, and both parties seemed over it. Turns out Richmond is a pretty good sport. That information will come in handy if I get the urge to stuff somebody during Classic…

---- Jason Simmons and the team had quite a busy night. Engine problems in the Terry Solazzo #25 necessitated an engine change, which is always a huge task on race night. Since push trucks and personal vehicles were drying the track, speedway officials refused to let the team get across the speedway to retrieve the spare engine, which was kind of upsetting to the team. But with a phone call to Bobby Bond, he was available to bring the engine to the speedway for the team, and the track did eventually let that engine across the track.

---- The engine swap was not completed in time for the first feature, so Simmons was able to hop in the #91 car, which often served as the Terry Solazzo team’s backup. But the job was finished soon after that, and Jason would have competed in the #25 for the second feature, if disaster hadn’t struck. “Please thank everyone who helped us get the motor changed over”, Jason asked me to say. “My crew, the crews from the 78, 95, 00, LeVea’s guys, Bobby Bond…and a lot of people I didn’t know. I just appreciate the effort put in by everyone”.

---- Congratulations to rookie Mike Bruce, who landed the coveted rookie of the year title in the small block supermodified division. Bruce drives the Rob Pullen owned #2 FFB Chassis car.

---- Nobody was more disappointed about the lighting problem than Bobby Henry. After a 12^th place finish in the first feature, Henry drew the pole starting position for feature #2, prior to the lighting fiasco. If you remember, the last time Bobby started on the pole, he lead all of the laps, and got his first feature victory, in his rookie year! He was bummed.

---- Barry Kingsley took some hard damage when he was involved in contact with the wall during the feature. Things got a little jumbled, and Dave Danzer got into his rear bumper. Danzer was quick to loan some parts, confirming his guilt. The car was back together in time for the second feature, but there were still a lot of tweaked parts in it. It was just “one a them racin’ deals”.

---- A.J. Bernys made his rookie debut in the #24 FFB car. The 15 year-old shoe was quite shortchanged practice wise due to the rain issues, and some problems with a bad distributor that they were having in the recently purchased ride. A.J.’s first laps in the car came during the feature, which is not the most desirable time to be getting your feet wet. After a couple laps, he ended up spinning the car out, but did a good job of keeping it out of the wall and avoiding contact. That wasn’t the way A.J. and dad Jim planned to run the night, but things happen. They’ll be back for Classic.

---- “I’ll never race at Oswego Speedway again, unless it’s a car with a roof on it”, sneered Russ Brown after his last race in a small block super in 2009. Brown drives a modified (that’s the car with the roof that Brown is referring to) for Ray Hedger on occasion. But that’s not the first time he said that, and his presence in the Oswego Speedway pits indicates that he’s up to something, probably looking for a ride for Classic. Of course the obvious ride, the #60 car that he drove for Ray Pike in 2009 is currently sitting idle, so many would theorize that he’ll work something out to drive that car for another shot at Classic.

---- “I’m going to rent the car out for Classic”, Pike told me. “There’s a dirt guy that I’ve been talking to that wants to do it. Maybe somebody else. I‘m not sure who‘s going to be in it.” But when I tried to get him to admit that Brown is the most likely choice, he would neither confirm or deny. He certainly didn’t rule out Brown’s possible return in the division in the 60.

---- Prediction: of course Brown will go back on his word, and drive a car “without a roof” at Oswego Speedway. And probably in the #60. And everyone will still hate him for the mean things that he said weekly about his competitors last year, and not give him an inch on the track. And after that race he will again say that he’s never coming back.

---- I made a trip to Brewerton Speedway last week to see the Empire Super Sprints, their first appearance in 17 years. Sure quite a difference from when they used to run there in the old days, when I called them the “Empire Super Spinouts”, because they used to spin so much. These guys put on a nasty show, and there sure were a lot of them! I was a little disappointed that the mods weren’t there that night, but I guess that’s my fault for not looking at the schedule.

---- 31 cars attempted to qualify for the events, sending several drivers home without making the show. It’s rare that you see 31 cars in any division these days, and it’s even more amazing when it’s a traveling series. Justin Barger was quite dominant this night, taking home the victory over Jason Barney.

---- I’m sure it would have been a sentimental victory if Barney could have pulled it off. Barney’s late father Mark Barney fielded a car at Oswego probably 25 years ago for Chuck Whitney, who was often the man to beat. Barney’s 2^nd felt good too, I’m sure.

---- It was also good to see Shawn Donath run so well at Brewerton. Shawn has been driving for decades himself, and raced a lot of laps there with me in the pure stock division back in the 80’s. As many years as I raced with Shawn, I never had a run-in of any kind with him, which is rare. I still picture his pink pure stock, with a pink panther attached to the roll cage. Shawn finished 5^th last Friday.

---- The crate late model division was pretty sparse, as only 9 cars were in competition. But they are still pretty exciting to watch. A.J. Kingsley won the race, holding off point leader Dale Caswell. Jim Southard was fun to watch when they started him in the front row.

---- The mod lites are still doing very well at Brewerton. Always great fields and exciting racing are the rule for these guys. 26 cars started the feature this week, which was won by Matt Magner in a great war. He held off Lowell Zehr and Tim Devendorf.

---- Best quote of the night came from Clayton Brewer, who was the victim of a takeout from Jeff Isabell. Soon after climbing out of the flipped over and destroyed car, Brewer, who said that this was the third time this year that Isabell had wrecked him, was interviewed by track announcer Bill Foley. “I’m very disappointed”, was Brewer’s understatement of the year.

---- I was also surprised at the thinning field of IMCA modified cars, which was also a lot stronger earlier in the season. Only 13 cars started the feature, and a lot of the names that I’d seen there for years were not there. Like Rob Keller or J.J. Courcy. Those have been some of the fastest cars when I usually go there.

---- Rick Keller won the feature, which they said was his first. Which certainly surprised me, because he’s been fast there for years. Kevan Cook, who was telling us some pretty crazy stories in the pits, was 2^nd.

---- I’m really looking forward to Tuesday’s upcoming World of Outlaws late Model show at Brewerton. Maybe some of you will be reading this while you’re at that show. See you there!

 

Gater News - August 17th, 2010

This is it - the FINAL night of points at Oswego Speedway. Just a couple days from now (depending on when you are reading this), Oswego Speedway fans from all over will know who the champs of the 60^th season of racing will be.

---- Actually, the supermodified champ is pretty much decided. Otto Sitterly sits 97 points ahead of his nearest competitor, a pretty comfortable cushion even on a double feature night. While it is still mathematically possible for him to lose, it would be the biggest collapse in history if he lost it. With probably the best prepared team, and one or two John Nicotra owned backup cars at his disposal, only a ridiculous catastrophe could take away Otto’s third consecutive championship, and his 4^th in the last five years.

---- Since starting in the supermodified division in 2000, Sitterly has NEVER finished out of the top ten in points. Quite an accomplishment. Here are his finishes, from www.jakessite.com: 2000 - 7^th, 2001- 8^th, 2002 - 3^rd, 2003 - 2^nd, 2004 - 5^th, 2005 - 10^th, 2006 - 1^st, 2007 - 5^th, 2008 - 1^st, 2009 - 1^st, and of course, let’s mark him down for another 1^st in 2010. That’s a pretty impressive record, which will surely earn the future Hall of Famer a place as one of the best un-winged supermodified drivers of all time. Congratulations to Otto Sitterly and owner John Nicotra - the 2010 Oswego Supermodified track champion!

---- The race for 2^nd isn’t that clear cut though. Joey Payne, Dave McKnight, Pat Lavery, and Ray Graham are all within 45 points of each other as they fight for 2^nd in points. Only 6 points separate McKnight and Payne, and there may be some experimentation going on in the Strong Racing (Payne) pits this week, since they aren’t that concerned with 2^nd in points. Payne will drive the “new car” this week, which was recently badly damaged in a trip into the wall when it was being driven by small block super pilot Dave Cliff. But the “old car” will be Payne’s choice for Classic. So with two features full of points on the line in the twin 30’s, watch for a lot of excitement between these drivers.

---- The small block supermodified division championship, however, is wide open, and will be a wild shootout. Dave Cliff Jr. leads the way going into the twin 20’s, but only 13 markers back sits Brian Sobus. And as if that isn’t enough reason to panic, Mike Bond sits just 29 points back. As you can see, this race is wide open, and should be quite exciting to watch unfold.

---- What makes it more interesting is the fact that at the last race, Cliff appeared to be changing his driving style, driving very conservatively, perhaps “points racing”. Although 2-3 tenths faster, Cliff was content to ride and finish behind Guard Nearbin, while Bond and Sobus both blew past. It’s a tough spot for a points leader. You sure don’t want to take a chance and give the lead away, while your chasers have nothing to lose by “going for it”. I can’t wait to see how this unfolds this week.

---- My prediction for the 2010 points champion is based on the above paragraph. If Cliff races his race as he had all season, chances are good that two more solid finishes in the twin features will ice Cliff’s first championship. But if he’s too careful, Sobus or Bond will charge around him and bump him back.

---- So what will happen?

---- Bond has been here before. Racing in this division on and off since 1995, he’s already got two championships on his mantel. 29 points are not that many points, and the week off has given him plenty of time to go through the car with a fine-toothed comb. But Mike’s car doesn’t seem to have the “juice” that it had earlier in the season, evidenced by his inability to catch or stay with winner Steve Abt during the most recent race. In addition, I sense some “urgency” in Mike’s driving style recently, and I thought he drove a little harder than he should have on the final points night last season. Will he chill, and finesse his way to the championship, as he did in 2003 and 2004? Or will he fall short, and finish in the wrong part of the top three, as he did is 2009 (3^rd), 2008 (2^nd), and 2007 (2^nd)? Obviously Mike Bond is my sentimental favorite.

---- Sobus has been solid, and as a veteran of the division, he’ll be ready. Since his first full season in the division, 2005, Sobus has never finished out of the top ten in points. A 4^th in 2009 and a 3^rd in 2008 prove that he can race for points. As the 2^nd place guy, he’ll be going for it, you can be assured. The car’s been fast, and I don’t think he’ll be over thinking it. My gut tells me that this is going to Sobus’s night, and he will be the 2010 small block supermodified track champion after the dust settles from the two features. Should be an interesting night!

---- After the top three duke it out, Kreig Heroth appears to have enough separation ahead or behind him to where he will probably finish 4^th. But the fight for 5^th in points should be quite a war. Only 20 points separate Tim Barbeau, Guard Nearbin, rookie of the year Mike Bruce, Barry Kingsley, and two time feature winner Steve Abt. Only one of these drivers ends the night in the top five, so it will be interesting to see what happens.

---- Silly season started in the supermodified division when Keith Shampine left the Randy Daratt owned #88 supermodified a couple of weeks ago. After a solid season which saw him just barely miss a feature win while sitting 8^th in points, just 27 points out of 5^th after the most recent point show, some disagreements among the team and crew chief Johnny Richichi caused Shampine to walk away from the ride prior to the last night of points. Shampine will not be behind the wheel for the final point night, the twin 20’s on August 21^st. For whatever reason, the team will apparently not be reunited, leaving a pretty sweet ride available for the remainder of the season. Shampine is rumored to be behind the wheel of a different supermodified soon, but nothing official has been announced yet.

---- A few days later, on Friday the 13^th (hopes that’s not an omen!), I was fed the hot scoop on who the new driver would be from one of my “secret sources”. Did the new driver call me, since we have been friends for years, and used to work together? Nope. That wasn’t the case. In fact he even denied it when I called him, apparently after the suggestion of our buddy Diamond, who thought it would be fun to bust my chops. But he came clean just a few minutes later via text message, before we discussed it again on the phone. Very funny, you guys!

---- Special thanks to Pete “The Hogman” LaFave, for the hot scoop! See Pete at the speedway driving his push truck, which this week will feature a new “white lighted pig on the hood of the truck, for the first time in 20 years“, as he described it. Thanks again Hogman! Good thing you told me - my other friends sure weren’t helping me with any “scoops.”

---- But I was very excited to learn that RANDY RITSKES will be the new driver of the #88 car for the remainder of the season. Randy is one of the best drivers to ever sit behind the wheel of a supermodified, and will be very exciting to watch in this car. He’s won many supermodified races, including some IN THIS CAR. Randy drove this car when it was owned by Eddie Shea, as well as Jeff Carson, and is very excited to be back behind the wheel of it.

---- Randy will definitely put on a show this weekend in the twin 20’s. “We’re running the twin 30’s, and both the wing show and Classic during Classic Weekend”, Randy enthused. This is a fast car, and he’ll drive it a few tenths faster than most people would. Watch for his patented “third turn dive”, where he passes a lot of cars, often scaring people and making them angry in the process. This is a driver who can certainly bring some excitement to the division, and win some races for the Daratt Farms #88. Go Randy!

---- Also exciting this week, in addition to the twin, championship-deciding features, will be the third annual “Hoosier Mama” ladies race for the small block supermodified division.

---- Samantha Todd has swept the first two events, driving the Barry Kingsley #23 machine. But a spin - and meeting with the wall - during a recent practice may slow her down a little. It hasn’t been easy, and the first two races were very exciting. Some side by side racing and excellent dicing between Sam and Janine Regan for the win have made these races a lot of fun to watch. This year, 12 cars are pre-entered, and ten of them participated in an open practice session a couple of weeks ago.

---- The starting lineup finds veterans Debbie Bond and Kathy Harrington on the front row, followed by Regan and Todd. Tracey Finke and Jamie Crosset comprise the third row, followed by Jayne Danzer and Margi LeVea. Robin Phillips and Casey Danzer (row 5), and Jackie Bruce and Morgan Cliff round out the field. It should be quite interesting. There has been surprisingly no little trash talking on Facebook amongst the girls, but there is plenty of time to get that cranked up this week.

---- The NORA small block supermodifieds finally got their first event under their belts last Saturday night, at Thunder Alley Raceway in Evans Mills, N.Y. I was not in attendance, but the following is a recap of the events, lifted from the NORA website, at www.norasbs.blogspot.com.:

---- “The NORA Small Block Supers finally got their first show of the season in at Thunder Alley (this evening). Ten cars made the trip north, and once again proved why they are some of the best short track racers around. Heat race wins went to Guard Nearbin (78) and Dave Gruel driving the #58, normally driven by Tim Barbeau. The feature started out with Pitt Watson in the Watson Family #43 spinning out before the green flag in some speedy dry put down during the previous race. After that, it was clean and green with the guys going green to checkered without incident. Winning the feature was Gruel, followed by Steve Abt(85), Rob Pullen driving the Bruce #22 (formerly the Walker #68), Dave Danzer(52), Guard Nearbin(78), Mike Bruce(2), Brad Haynes(86), Ryan Crawford(37), Carl Crawford(7) and Pitt Watson(43). The next NORA race will be on Saturday, September 18th at Thunder Alley.”

---- Kelly Miller has apparently purchased a supermodified, the former Dewine / Tim Gareau car, and will be at the track this weekend with it, I’m told. Of course I’m sure his plan is to use this weekend as a shakedown for Classic Weekend, where he will attempt to work his way into the 200 lap event. Good luck to Kelly Miller!

---- I also had a visit with Andy Noto, who had his brand spanking new Xtreme Chassis ride on the track on August 7^th for the first time. “That (blank) car is AWESOME!”, Andy glowed. He loves the car, and can’t wait to get back behind the wheel of it this weekend. He didn’t get to finish the feature that night after pulling in with some overheating, but he did get to drive the car enough to fall in love with it. The extra week off came in handy, though, as Noto had to pull the engine out to do some repairs, but he’ll be back this week ready to roll. A 17.3 second lap in his first warmup proves how fast he’ll be after a little more time to work out the bugs.

---- The following information was recently posted on Pinner’s internet message board by Oswego Speedway race director Chuck Handley, regarding finishing times for the races at the speedway this year. Although some people have felt that the track has been running shows too late into the evening, the following post by Handley sure looks like some timely runoffs to me. Check this out:

---- “ I'd like to thank all the fans who came out to support a great night of racing at Oswego Speedway. Both divisions put on great shows and the checkered flag flew at 9:35pm. While on the subject of getting done early I think all the employees strive very hard to keep the show moving and finishing before 10pm. As you can see, we've had great success with this all year long. 5/15 10:20pm. 5/22 9:32pm. 5/29 10:18pm - with Mods. 6/05 9:53pm. 6/19 9:40pm - rainout. 7/03 9:15pm. 7/10 10:46pm - King Of Wings - 37 supers. 7/17 9:19pm.
7/31 generator (problem) - yuck! 8/07 9:35pm. Again thanks for all your support and hope to see you all at the First Annual Rev 'n Rock Classic Rock Festival. Chuck.”

---- These are some great statistics, and certainly tell a positive story for the speedway. This information should have been on the speedway website, and spread around as much as possible. I bet a lot of race fans at other speedways with their nights of racing were done by 10:00!

---- Bob Bogwicz is looking for some help for his low-buck supermodified team. “The Bogwan” is having what he calls “Bogwan-A-Thon”, which is a fundraiser to help get the car back to the speedway for Classic, and hopefully this weekend’s twin 30’s. Bogwicz has been struggling for the last couple of years to field his super, as it is very tough in this day and age to run a super without a huge bank account. Then, to add insult to injury, the transmission on Bob’s truck blew the last time he raced, which will set the team back even further. So he’s struggling, and is asking for some help. Here are some details, from an e-mail from Bogwicz:

---- “I will be drawing a winner for an iPod Nano and a Garmin Nuvi GPS unit through my online store. Anyone interested can go to www.super09.com for info and then follow
directions to the online store. Also, you can buy a can coozie or a T-shirt and get a raffle ticket for free. The coozie/ticket is $12.00 and the T-shirt/ticket is $21.00. Mastercard and Visa are accepted with a secure shopping cart and email notification. The winners will be draw live on Bobby G's "Wailing With Wingside Up" web cast (www.wingsideup.com) on Monday August 30th. Thanks in advance to all for the assistance and support!” Bogwicz can also be reached at 585-202-6033 if anyone has any questions or other ways to help.

 

Gater News - August 10th, 2010

 

Gater News - August 3rd, 2010

Ray Graham is Mr. Supermodified, and Andrew Schartner is Mr. Small Block Supermodified at Oswego Speedway! The “Mr.” races at Oswego are some of the most important races of the season, and it’s a huge honor to take the ride around in the pace truck, waving the checkered flag. Congrats to both drivers on your quality victories!

---- Graham was quite dominant, leading all 50 of the laps, which were run on Sunday at noon due to a problem with the lighting system the night before. (More on that later.) Graham also won his qualifying heat on Saturday night before the lighting problem, flexing his muscle. The $10,000 victory was Graham’s 2nd feature win of the season, and probably the biggest super win of his career. Graham finished with a huge lead, but race fans were certainly looking for a caution once Otto Sitterly moved into second place, to see the two drivers square off.

---- Twenty-five supers were on hand to shoot for the big bucks, one of the best fields of the season. As the season winds down, it’s great to see more cars showing up and getting ready for the upcoming big shows.

---- Greg Furlong has only competed a couple of times in 2010, and looked quite solid. Furlong raced to a 4^th place finish, and was satisfied with the progress. A bent nose wing from an early race incident may have slowed him down a little. He’ll be back on the track this weekend for the 60 lap 60^th anniversary special event, as he continues to set the car up for the Classic.

---- Joey Payne, however, was not satisfied with his 5^th place finish. An interview on www.lakesideracingnews.com illustrated Payne’s frustration with the Strong Racing #99. It will be a busy week this week in the Strong Racing garage, as the search for speed in the car Payne drove this week, the “old” car, will no doubt be intensive. But that’s not the only project. The Strong’s newer car, which had been driven the last few weeks by small block super point leader Dave Cliff, took some major damage when Cliff pasted the wall on the back straight.

---- Bobby Bond unstrapped the wing and rebooted his Xtreme Chassis ride to take a shot at the big bucks, as well as tune up for Classic Weekend, which is only a month away. Bond runs most of the ISMA winged races, and his fans were very excited just a couple of weeks ago, when he won his first feature in the Oswego King of Wings event. Bubs finished 7^th last week after a heat race incident saddled him with a caboose starting spot. As is his style, Bob looked faster and faster as the race wore on. Look for Bob to run both nights, with and without the wing, when Classic Weekend rolls around.

---- On the opposite end was Pat Lavery. Lavery looked very fast at the beginning of the race, but the car was certainly “going away” as the race wore on. Pat still finished 8^th, but early in the race I thought he had a shot.

---- Good to see Jerry Curran, Bob Bogwicz, and Davey Hamilton back at the speedway, in competition. Curran blew a motor a couple of weeks ago, after rebuilding all year from a huge wreck in 2009. Jerry DNF’d, however, and was credited with 12^th. Bogwicz was at the speedway several weeks ago, but loaded up before ever turning a lap. He got a few more bugs ironed out this week, but also DNF’d, getting paid for 21^st at the end of the day.

---- Hamilton only races supers occasionally, around his Indy car schedule, as well as other interests. The supermodified and Indy 500 veteran was quite fast in the John Nicotra owned super, which is fielded and maintained by Otto Sitterly and crew, as a team car. Hamilton did a few appearances around the area during the weekend, before finishing in 6^th position.

---- Larry Muroski had a horrible collision with the first turn wall during the feature, doing extensive damage to the Coon-France ride. It wasn’t apparent how that incident happened, but Muroski looked quite agitated when he climbed out of the car. He was left alone by safety officials as he walked near the oncoming vehicles under the caution. Close call!

---- Many were anxious to view Andy Noto’s Xtreme Chassis supermodified, which had just been completed after many late nights in the shop. At the last minute, the car was parked, and was not in competition on race day due to some family complications. Hopefully we’ll see the new ride this weekend.

---- A major problem with the lighting at the speedway derailed what started out to be one of the biggest nights of the season. A huge crowd was on hand to see the big races, and it appeared as though the night was going off without a hitch. Heats for both divisions were completed in decent time, and a caution-filled small block supermodified race finished up at a decent hour. But then the lights started to flicker as the supers were getting lined up for the feature. A long delay to shut down the track lights to “cool off“, then let them power back up made some fans antsy, but then they finally came back on and lit up bright. After over an hour delay, the feature was started, but during a caution period on lap 7, the lights flickered once again, causing darkness in some areas.

---- After a discussion with the super teams, the decision was made to run the remaining 43 laps of the feature at noon on Sunday. This decision was appreciated by some, and hated by others. But you can’t please everyone in a situation like this, and the race went on Sunday, to a surprisingly great looking crowd. The race was done by 1:00, and the show was great.

---- All in all, it was disappointing to many fans who planned to see the race Saturday night, but couldn’t make it back on Sunday. While maybe the lighting problem could have been avoided, these situations happen, and I hope the speedway doesn’t get too much of a black eye over the deal. For whatever reasons, they just seem to be having a lot of trouble “getting it right” at the speedway, and I hope things turn around.

---- I do think that a major opportunity to make a positive out of a negative was wasted on Sunday, however. While the track was very gracious in not asking for tickets, and allowing people in for free to watch the feature, it was shockingly not announced on the speedway website, or mentioned on any of the internet boards or websites! What great PR it would have been, to invite anyone and everyone to see one of the biggest races of the year for FREE! Maybe some new people would have showed up for the race who hadn’t been there the night before, and liked what they saw. Then maybe come back the next week.

---- But at least they had the concessions. A promoter told me years ago that races were just an excuse to get people to come out and buy hotdogs, because there’s a lot of money in selling food and drinks. If they broke even on admissions and purses, the profit would come from the concessions. I don’t know if that’s still true today, but I’m sure there’s some money to be made there. So they should have spread the word: FREE admission, then come and buy some grub.

---- So with people rushing in the gates for free, the opportunity was there to sell them a bunch of snacks, right? WRONG. Only one concession stand was open, and the line was 20 or 30 people long when I walked in. Talk about missed opportunity. I understand that some of the employees maybe weren’t available for the unscheduled event, but there had to be someone available to sell food. Owners, family, friends, whoever. Too bad they missed out on that potential windfall. I know a lot of people who went out to eat after the race, that would have bought hotdogs if they could have.

---- Watch for a HUGE recovery this weekend, when the place fills up for the 60^th Anniversary night, which features a 60 lap feature for the supers. And the best part? Only $6.00 adult admission! I expect a large, enthusiastic crowd for this show. And a great field of cars!

---- Andrew Schartner won his 2^nd feature of the season in Tom Aaserud’s Hedger Chassis car, and looked quite powerful in the process. It was a solid performance, and he’s having a great season. Schartner is solidly in the top ten in points, despite missing a race earlier in the season. This weekend, Schartner will miss another race while he attends a family event (I believe a sister’s wedding), but the Crow Motorsports #18 will not be parked. Aaserud has tabbed Ron Loveless to pilot the car in Andrew’s absence. Bobby Henry piloted the car the last time the seat was vacant.

---- Two drivers had to be heartbroken at the end of the small block feature.

---- Jason Simmons, for the second race in a row, dropped out while leading. Jason looked great, and I was starting to feel another first time winner, then he pulled into the pits. “It was either the rearend or the transmission”, Jason told me afterward. He was quite disappointed, but when your luck is bad, your luck is bad. “I don’t care. I’m leaving for the Keys on vacation tomorrow”, Jason sold me. Nothing like a fruity drink with a little umbrella in it on a beach to help you drown your sorrows.

---- Mike Bruce, who has been in the top three now for three races in a row, barely missed his opportunity again. Bruce ran 2^nd to Simmons, and was several tenths faster. But passing is tough in this division, and he wasn’t quite able to close the deal. Doing the right thing, Bruce attempted an outside pass of Simmons, but couldn’t close the deal, and lost 2^nd place to Schartner in the process. Then, a couple of laps later, Simmons broke, which would have left Bruce in the lead. With a fast car, and nobody left to pass, Bruce would have likely won the race. 2^nd place, and another great finish. Just not the one he wanted.

---- Mike Bruce and his family are in the process of purchasing Shawn Walker’s FFB car, so Rob Pullen can get back behind the wheel of the #2 that Bruce had been driving. That car may hit the track this weekend. Also look for AJ Bernys to hit the track in the former Tim Barbeau #50 this week, recently purchased from Barbeau by his Dad, Jim Bernys.

---- Guard Nearbin’s excellent season continues. A 6^th place finish last week keeps him solidly in the top 7-8 in points. Keep up the good work, Smoochy Lips!

---- “Keith” Heroth is also having a great season. A 5^th place finish keeps him solidly in 4^th in the points. I wonder, if maybe he was top three in points, or wins his 2^nd feature, if announcer Joe Marotta would then remember that his name is “Kreig” - not “Keith” Heroth. Love ya, Joe!

---- Cameron Rowe pulled Kenny Pierce’s FFB car out of storage, and looked pretty quick. Cameron finished 7^th, sporting a #50 on the car to keep Tim Barbeau’s top four in owner points status in good shape.

---- A couple of tangles in the feature caused some havoc. Early in the feature, Tim Barbeau got into Barry Kingsley’s left rear, causing him to spin. Several cars were damaged, including Barbeau’s car owner Steve Abt. “It was just one of those deals. I‘m not mad at Timmy - he‘s NEVER hit me before”, Barry said afterwards. Barbeau is known for being a clean driver, and this incident will be chalked up to hard racing and tight quarters. Dennis Richmond and Keith Gilliam were also both out for the night as a result of the wreck.

---- Dave Cliff came together with Mike Bond late in the race, sending Bond spinning. The video showed that Mike was a little out of shape when the two cars came together, and around he went. The wreck had huge points implications, since Cliff is the leader, and Bond was one of his major pursuers. Bond recovered for 10^th, but Cliff’s 4^th gave him an even bigger lead.

---- Bobby Henry’s season of “fun” continued last week, when he broke before the green flag to the feature even waved. A freak broken center on the left front wheel sent him into the wall just after the pre-race warmup laps. Not a ton of damage to the 93, fortunately, but enough to knock him out of the feature for the night.

---- A Thursday night trip to Utica-Rome Speedway last week for the Lucas Oil Late Models and dirt mods was a great bonus. I don’t get to many mid-week shows these days, but it worked out well for us this time.

---- Points leader Scott Bloomquist dominated the evening, as he led all 50 laps, including the most important one. Amazingly, this was career win # 492 for the 46 year-old Bloomquist, a number that few people could even dream about. A couple of late-race cautions gave Ray Cook a shot at Bloomquist, but he held his off valiantly. It was close though!

---- These cars are so powerful that it’s really impressive to watch them power off the turns. They are amazing machines, for sure.

---- The highest finishing local driver was modified star Billy Decker, who finished 6^th. Decker was driving a John Wight owned late model, who is also his car owner in the dirt modified division. Tim Devendorf (13^th), Vic Coffey (15^th), Joe August (16^th), and Dale Caswell (19^th) were the other local guys who attempted to go up against the “big boys”.

---- The modified race was a lot more hotly contested. Brett Hearn jumped out to the early lead, which was great news for a Hearn fan like me. But Stewart Friesen took over not long after lap ten, and looked like he may wrap it up. Hearn stuck with him, but couldn’t make the return pass.

---- Meanwhile, Billy Decker was working through the pack, setting up a great battle eventually between Decker and Friesen. Decker made a great move to finally seal the pass, grabbing the well-earned $5,000.

---- Ronnie Johnson ducked past Friesen in the closing laps for 2^nd, followed by Friesen, Jimmy Phelps, and Paul Kinney. Hearn must have guessed wrong on tires or gear, fading to 6^th at the finish.

---- It was a really late night at Utica-Rome, as the modified feature didn’t end until just about midnight. I know U-R is usually better at getting things done in a timely fashion, but it was definitely rough to be out that late on a work night. Extended intermissions to groom the track had us all tired the next morning. I still love the place though, and if you haven’t been to Utica-Rome Speedway lately, make a trip.

---- In closing, I would like to take this opportunity to wish a happy 40^th birthday to birthday boy Bob “Bird” LaBoda! Bird’s big day is August 5^th, and he’s having “Bird’s Birthday Bash” on Tuesday, August 3^rd at Lighthouse Lanes. Everyone is invited to Bird’s party - the more the merrier! See Bird’s Facebook for gift ideas. And just so people know, even though my birthday is also this week, on Saturday, we are NOT twins! But you can feel free to shower us both with affection at the track this weekend. Happy Birthday Bird!

 

Gater News - July 27th, 2010

Three. That’s it - just THREE regular Saturday night races left at Oswego Speedway. Not included are Classic Weekend, and a “penciled in” USAC Silver Crown race on Wednesday, August 4^th. But that’s it. With the track closed on two Saturdays in August (14^th and 28^th), this season is winding down quite rapidly. In light of that information, I highly recommend that you mark the next two Saturdays, as well as August 21^st on your calendar. I can’t believe the season is winding down so fast!

---- This week’s show at Oswego is a huge one. It’s the coveted “Mr Supermodified and Mr. Small Block Supermodified“ $10,000 to win event for the supermodifieds, and $1,500 for the small block supers. This event is always very well attended, and you’ll see some great action. That big check on top sometimes makes the guys do some crazy stuff….

---- Also on the schedule this week is the third annual “Ms. Hoosier Mama” women’s race for the small block supermodified division.

---- Samantha Todd has swept the first two events, driving the Barry Kingsley #23 machine. But a spin - and meeting with the wall - during a recent practice may slow her down a little. It hasn’t been easy, and the first two races were very exciting. Some side by side racing and excellent dicing between Todd and Janine Regan for the win have made these races a lot of fun to watch. This year, 12 cars are pre-entered, and ten of them participated in an open practice session a couple of weeks ago.

---- The starting lineup finds veterans Debbie Bond and Kathy Harrington on the front row, followed by Regan and Todd. Tracey Finke and Jamie Crosset comprise the third row, followed by Jayne Danzer and Margi LeVea. Robin Phillips and Casey Danzer (row 5), and Jackie Bruce and Morgan Cliff round out the field. It should be quite a war.

---- Coming up next week, August 7^th, is the 60 lap “pack the track” race. For just a $6.00 general admission, there will be a ton of fans flocking to the track. As for the upcoming USAC Silver Crown race that is on the schedule for August 4^th, I have some concerns about that race still happening. No advertising about this race on the speedway website just a week and a half before the date is what makes me skeptic. Stay tuned!

---- Andy Noto may be at the track this week with his brand new Xtreme Chassis ride. They’ve been putting in some long hours at the Xtreme shop, but Andy expects to be ready for this week’s $10,000 to win show. With everything being new on the car, I’m sure ten grand would really come in handy!

New owner for the Tim Barbeau #50 small block supermodified

SOLD! That’s the story on the Barbeau #50 FFB car, previously driven this year by Chris Proud and Vern LaFave, and to the championship in 2009 by Dave Gruel.

“I was going to sell it at the end of the year”, explained Barbeau, “but when Chris quit driving it, it was kind of getting to be too much of a headache maintaining that car, also”. Barbeau currently sits 5^th in points as the driver of the Steve Abt #58, but 4^th in owner points for the #50 car. “Jim was kind of going to buy it anyway at the end of the year, but somebody else made me an offer on it, so I gave him first shot. It’ll be a good car for him to learn with”, added Barbeau.

Vern LaFave was tabbed to drive the car after Chris Proud decided to jump out of the ride, citing financial reasons. “Vern was having a good time driving it”, said Barbeau, and the guys split on good terms. “He said he’d like to drive for us in the future.” Barbeau’s plans for 2011 are to continue to pilot one of the two small block supers that Steve Abt owns. “Steve may get a super for next year, but he’s still going to keep both small blocks. That was the deal”, added Barbeau.

The new owner is Jim Bernys, who bought the car for his son A.J. Bernys to pilot. A.J. has extensive experience in quarter midgets and go-carts, and has been jonesing for awhile to get in a small block super. “Maybe I should be shot in the head”, Bernys joked. “I wasn’t really ready to buy it financially until the end of the year, but there were a few people looking at it. I’ve got a lot to do to get ready. We still have to get a new seat, Hans device, and some other stuff.”

The plan is to get him out a couple times this season, do some warm-ups, maybe a practice session. “We’re taking very small steps. He still has to learn how to use a clutch. The easy part is done - the car is ready. I’m happy to start with a great car”, said Bernys. But you won’t see a lot of hard racing from A.J. this year. “Our goal is to make Classic this year, then run for rookie of the year in 2011.” The car will definitely not be at the track this week (July 31^st), but possibly after that. Jim’s on vacation next week, so he’ll have plenty of time to tinker and fuss with the car. “But we do both have season pit passes, so the only expense to take the car to the track (for rookie warm-ups) is fuel.”

As many people find out, buying a car is the easiest part of going racing. You still need a ton of other stuff like crew, tools, shop, hauler, knowledge, etc. Bernys is aware of this, and knows that he has a lot of work ahead of him building a team. The car is currently stored in Jim Losurdo’s garage.

“I’m happy to give my kid the opportunity to live his dream. But even though he’s the driver, I’m still the owner”, finished Bernys. “If he screws up, I can put somebody else in it.”

 

Gater News - July 20th, 2010

It’s been a fun year at Oswego Speedway in 2010. Yes, it is always fun at Oswego Speedway. But this year has been even better because of all of the new winners! Two of which happened just last week.

---- In the small block supermodified division this year we have seen Kreig Heroth, Bobby Henry, and now Barry Kingsley all get their first wins in the division. In the supermodified division, Bob Bond won his first feature ever two weeks ago, and this last week rookie Dave Gruel scored his first victory. New winners sure do put a smile on peoples faces! Drivers, crew, AND fans!

---- And what small block supermodified driver deserved a win more than Barry Kingsley? I can’t think of one. Barry has been at Oswego Speedway since he was a little kid. Barry crewed for several different supermodified teams, but the itch was always there to get behind the wheel.

---- Barry’s first crew assignment came in 1987, when he helped out Tony Pafumi in the super division. Over the years, Barry worked on cars driven by Howard Page, Keith Gilliam, Danny Kapuscinski, and NASCAR driver David Reutiman (David ran dirt modifieds in the area for a summer several years ago). A paid crew chief position for D&D Racing took Barry and wife Debi to East Andover, New Hampshire many years ago to maintain supermodifieds for drivers Doug Boisvert and Joey Payne.

---- But many guys that work on racecars are distracted. While they’re working on the car for their driver, they are secretly thinking about being the one behind the wheel. Maybe hoping one night that maybe their driver would “come up missing”, leaving no option other than to get in the driver’s suit instead. I think that was Barry.

---- So in April of 2006, Barry bought a small block super from Bobby Garafolo, and the rest is history. Running that car for awhile, then upgrading to the newer Proud Chassis (currently numbered as 24), then this year making the move to Chris Lupa’s Hedger Chassis, Barry has continued to move up the ladder. Maybe not as fast as he would have liked at times, but it all culminated with his first victory this last weekend. Things looked good in the heat, when only a punt from Steve Abt kept Barry away from his first heat win.

---- As a member of Barry’s raceday crew, I’ve seen him go through a lot of ups and downs. Actually, probably more downs than ups. So it’s really gratifying to see someone who has worked so hard finally get his just due. Most of the work is done by Barry himself in his garage, under the watchful eye of Debi, and their daughter Paige. People have no idea about the amount of blood, sweat, and tears that Barry has put into this division. I would be willing to bet that Barry doesn’t have one enemy in the whole pit area, and the mob of people slapping Barry on the sweaty back and rubbing his brush cut was huge.

---- Victory lane was emotional for all of us. Unfortunately Debi and Paige were not at the speedway for the win, but showed up later to help him celebrate, Paige sporting her “victory pajamas”. Barry kept it together, but told me later that the one person that he would like to talk to about the win was his Dad, Donald Kingsley, who passed away soon after he bought his first racecar in 2006. For those of you who don’t drive a racecar, you probably can’t appreciate the magnitude of a win for us at Oswego Speedway. But it sure gets the juices flowing for those of us who do “get it”, and brings out all of the emotions. Barry will simmer in this win as if it were a sauce, and will actually enjoy it more on Monday, Tuesday, etc., when he has some quiet time to let it sink in. I couldn’t be happier for Barry and Debi, and I know of hundreds of people who feel the same way.

---- On Sunday, Barry was overwhelmed with the amount of phone calls, e-mails, Facebook messages, and pats on the back that he had received from people. “It’s really overwhelming to see how much support and friends that we have out there”, said Barry. “It’s really gratifying to see what a close knit group we are at Oswego, and see how many people are really behind me.” Please say it aloud when you see Barry - feature winner, Barry Kingsley!

---- Sometimes many stars have to align for a first time winner, and this week was no different. One of the most important parts of winning a race is having a clean, honest driver behind you, and Barry had that Saturday night. Rookie Mike Bruce has shown huge amounts of talent this year in the Rob Pullen owned #2, and now has two third place finishes in a row. Bruce was faster than Barry, but as I’ve discussed before, if you’re running the right line, and don’t make any mistakes, it’s really hard for someone to pass you, unless you’re a lot faster.

---- Barry did make a couple of slips here and there, but Bruce was not able to capitalize, partially because he was also involved in a fight with Dave Cliff to maintain the 2^nd spot. “Dave was my ace in the whole”, said Barry, knowing that Bruce’s defense was cutting into his time on offense.

---- But I - and many others - were very impressed with the poise and talent of the recent high school graduate Mike Bruce. Cliff robbed him of his earned 2^nd place on the last lap, just nipping him at the line. It was a great finish, and an awesome run for all three drivers.

---- A few incidents on the track got a couple of guys riled up in the hot temperatures, and gave the fans something to talk about. A low move into the third turn by Bobby Henry sent Vern LaFave spinning. It was an obvious mistake, and Henry apologized to Vern after the feature ended. Vern needed some cool-down time, as he stormed to Bob’s pit stall while we were doing some quick repairs to the car during the feature. Fortunately, we sent Bobby back onto the track before Vern got to speak his mind, in the heat of the moment. Vern was fine later, but like everyone, he’ll probably make a mental note. Vern wasn’t really amused when I reminded him of a conversation he and I had just a week earlier, when he said how he was just out there to have a good time, and wasn’t going to get too mad or cranked up about it. I’m sure I’ll needle him about that a little more next time I see him, as well. Vern’s one of the nicest guys in the pits, and we’ve been friends for years, so I know I can get away with a lot of chop-busting with him.

---- I haven’t asked him, but I bet Andrew Schartner has officially chosen a least favorite driver. The week before, Andrew felt a lot of contact from the front bumper of the Steve Abt ride from behind him throughout the feature. This last week, the same guy sent him spinning when he attempted a low move going into the first turn, ending his shot at a good finish. It’s always a bummer when you get caught up in someone else’s mistake, but it’s really a bummer when it’s the same guy two weeks in a row. I bet 75 percent of the accidents at Oswego in the small block super division happen when someone is underneath a car going into the turn, but not far enough for them to see him when he turns down for the turn.

---- Also a bummer for Jason Simmons, who looked like he wanted to cry last week. Starting on the outside pole for the feature, Jason took the lead from Barry Kingsley, and led the first six laps. A broken throttle linkage on the lap six restart made it impossible for Jason to take off, taking away what could have been his own first career victory. Jason won his qualifying heat earlier in the night, and looked great for those first few laps. That could have been his night, and maybe I would have been saying all of those nice things about him instead of Barry right now.

---- Mod lite driver Doug Williams drove the Eddie Horne owned small block super, and looked pretty impressive for his first time in one of these cars. This car has been sitting in mothballs for a couple of seasons, and I was quite impressed to see it go so fast, with a driver that had never driven one of these before. He cranked off a 19.817 second lap in the feature. If it wasn’t for a mid-race spinout, he probably would have finished much better than his final spot of 12^th. “Please sell that car for me”, said owner Eddie Horne. $7,500 is the asking price.

---- The supermodified division also found a new winner in victory lane last weekend. Rookie supermodified driver Dave Gruel had been struggling all season in the Double Deuce Racing Team #50 car, chasing some injection / engine problems that they just couldn’t figure out. Big things were expected from Gruel, who had just come off a five win, championship season in the small block supermodified division. But they had not lived up to the expected potential, fighting to even crack the top ten in points.

---- But once again, everything worked out for the team, and a great charge by Otto Sitterly in the closing laps was fought off bravely. Sitterly was very quick, and maybe one more lap would have painted a different picture. But we run 45 lap features on a regular night at Oswego Speedway - not 46. It was a solid win for Gruel, a night that he will certainly not forget. And probably just as exciting for the team as winning the feature, is the fact that the problem that they had been chasing is cured, so they can be on board for a great rest of the season. Congratulations to Dave Gruel and the Double Deuce Racing Team!

---- Gruel’s teammate Pat Lavery is one of the most consistent drivers out there, and is shockingly still looking for his first feature win. Pat’s been driving in the division for years, and often finishes in the top five or better in the features and the point standings. I have a theory though on why he hasn’t cracked victory lane. It’s called the “curse of consistency”. Finishing well every week obviously hurts you in the handicapping, so if you have regular top five finishes, you will have a bad starting position in the feature and heat. I suffered from the same problem when I was a weekly racer, which kept me out of victory lane.

---- So it’s a good news / bad news thing. The good news is: you’re a good driver, you’re fast, and you don’t wreck the car. The bad news is: several guys that had some bad luck the last couple of weeks will be starting ahead of you every week, making it real tough to get to the front. Dooming you to yet another 4^th place finish. Which is great, but I’m sure Pat’s had enough 4^th place finishes. He wants that “W”, but that “curse of consistency” is working against him each and every week.

---- A couple of comeback kids by the name of Bentley Warren and Greg Furlong made their season debuts last week in the supermodified division at Oswego. Two of the greatest drivers of all times in the division are now part-timers, and happened to make their return to the track on the same night.

---- Both looked pretty good for being out for the first time of the season, turning times just a couple of tenths off of the winner. Warren finished in 7^th place in a car that was purchased from Clyde Booth, passing several cars. I look forward to seeing Bentley back next week for the $10,000 to win “Mr. Supermodified” race. Furlong had a 16^th place DNF on the night, only completing 23 of the available 45 laps. And he’s a several time “Mr. Supermodified” winner. Should be a fun week next week!

---- It was great to see teammates Shaun Gosselin (12^th) and Tim Snyder (17^th DNF) back in action, after launching engines the previous week. Jerry Curran, who also toasted an engine on King of Wings night was not back last week.

---- In closing, I would like to mention the passing of my beloved cousin, Dick Delaney. Oswego Speedway fans from decades ago would remember Dick, as he was a huge fan of the speedway. I believe Dick’s old camper / bus that he took to the track, that had the names of track champions and Classic winners painted on it, still sits in a junkyard behind my brother Bob’s house.

---- Dick was best known for his booming laugh, and his always positive attitude. Always with a smile and kind words, Dick was a great guy to be around. As he moved to Florida several years ago, we didn’t spend much time together. But a few years ago, his interest in Oswego Speedway was rekindled, and he joined the crew of our small block supermodified #93. Dick spent some time with us, and even bought some property in Williamstown so he could spend summer here, and spend a lot of Saturdays at Oswego Speedway, with us and his daughter Lynn. I have some autograph cards that feature a very proud “Cuzzin Dick”, in his crew shirt, when we won best appearing car and crew. I’m sure Rose still has that shirt somewhere.

---- Dick eventually sold the New York house, and hadn’t made it to the track in a couple of years. Fast moving cancer took Dick, 72, much sooner than he deserved, and he will be missed greatly by those that knew him. Our family will remember the good times with Dick, and I bet a lot of his Oswego Speedway friends will remember him, as well. Rest in Peace, cousin Dick Delaney.

Gater News - July 14th, 2010

It was officially BOND night at Oswego Speedway last week! No, not James Bond. (Although he was there. Bob and Mike Bond‘s Dad‘s name is actually James Bond, even though he goes by Dave. There‘s a family secret for you.) Both divisions were dominated by people named Bond, and it was a great night to see.

---- Bobby Bond has been racing in the supermodified division over ten years, and has gone winless the entire time. Fast cars, close calls, and some tough wrecks have been the story for Bobby. It’s been a shock to everyone for the last several years that he has gone winless in the division. Bob spent ten years as a weekly competitor at Oswego from 1998 - 2007, finishing as high as 3^rd in points in 2005, but was never able to seal a victory.

---- After the 2007 season, Bond chose to switch to the winged ISMA series with his car, after a disagreement with Oswego Speedway management, which had changed some supermodified rules over the winter. The new Xtreme Chassis that he had just had purchased, with at that time new independent front suspension technology would be “outlawed”, unless he wanted to cut the car up. Man of principal that he is, the decision was made to stop racing at his beloved Oswego Speedway, which is located about 7 miles from his home. He hadn’t missed a race as a driver or a fan in over 30 years at Oswego.

---- An 8^th place in ISMA points in 2008 was followed by a nasty foot injury in 2009, which sidelined him for most of the season. 2010 didn’t start off well for Bond, when he wrecked on the first lap of the first practice of the first race of the year. A couple of 9^th place finishes later, Bond came into the Oswego race 17^th in points. Not many, including “Bubsy” himself, expected what would happen next.

---- “Not very good”, is how Bobby told me his car was running after warm-ups. The perennial “Debbie Downer” never has anything good to say about himself. In the thirty plus years that I’ve known him (Bob and his brother Mike were in our wedding in 1985) I’ve probably seen Bobby get enthused maybe two or three times, and that conversation sure wasn’t one of them. “It’s not too bad” is what Bobby would tell me, even if he was getting ready to lap the field.

---- But July 10^th was certainly his night, as he would make history when he and brother Mike both won their qualifying heats AND features, the first time in 60 years that brothers had swept the action at Oswego Speedway. Just a great night for the family and crew, and I was very happy to be there to watch it unfold.

---- The iPhone picture that I have of Bob, Mike, teary-eyed dad Dave Bond, and longtime crew man Ed Matteson in victory lane is one of my new favorite pictures. (Must be Larry VonHoltz, Larry VonHoltz Jr., and Travis Cole were too overcome with emotion to make the picture.) I can only imagine what it felt like for Dave to see both of his boys win on the same night, and I’m tearing up just thinking about the look on Dave’s face. Mom Nancy wasn’t at the track that night due to some health reasons, but “changed out of my jammies” and called her sister Donna for a speed run to the speedway for the celebration. The laughing and hugging went on for hours. I couldn’t be happier for the whole family, who have dedicated decades to racing as a family. What a great night.

---- But just Bobby’s luck. In 2009, the King of Wings event paid $10,000 to win. This year, I believe the cash was distributed more through the field, leaving $5,000 for the winner. Yes, I’m sure Bob was happy with the five gees, but I bet he’s thinking a little today about what he could have done with that other five large.

---- And what more can be said about Mike Bond, the best driver in the history of the small block supermodified division? Mike now has 21 career feature wins, more than anyone. Ever. Some nights he makes it look easy, and this was one of those nights. But hour after hour in the shop, and a knack for driving are what make Mike the winner that he is. Mike spent hours and hours working on the car after a wreck the previous week. This win moves him to 2^nd in points, just four points behind Dave Cliff. I’ve never seen a prouder brother in victory lane than the picture I have of Mike standing with baby brother Bobby after his win.

---- Bobby Bond had to hold off a huge field of winged supers to take home the “W”, as 37 winged supermodifieds were in attendance. Cars from all factions of supers from Oswego, MSA, and ISMA worked together to make up this astounding field. The title “King of Wings” is certainly an appropriate name when you have this type of representation. It was a great example of all of the groups working together, and I look forward to more of this in the future.

---- Great to see a couple of Oswego regulars strap on a wing and run well. The Oswego supers don’t often do well with wings on, but a few of them looked pretty stout. Bobby Magner, who runs both ISMA and Oswego, finished 4^th. Joe Gosek ran to 5^th in the 00. And Otto Sitterly, who often dominates the un-winged races but fails to live up to his potential when he flies the kite, came across with a solid 8^th.

---- Paul White in the Steve Miller Sweet 16 looked great in the feature. They were running very well in the feature, and moved into third place just a few laps from the end, before retiring to the pits in a cloud of smoke. “We fought the engine all night. We knew we had trouble. It was way down on horsepower - we couldn’t get over 7,000 RPM’s”, Steve explained. But the car was fast in spite of the tired motor, and expired just three laps from the end. “There was oil and water coming out of places that it shouldn’t have come out.” This old Evans motor has been around so long that Eddie Bellinger ran it in the early 90’s when he was driving the Graves car. “It’s been around since Hector was a pup!”, said Miller.

---- A new Enders Motor has been in the works since before the new year, but some parts have been tough to come by. “Kevin Enders is real particular and real fussy”, said Steve, not looking to rush him. It will be a brand new engine, from the base all the way to the “Kinsler Dragon Claw injection”, Said Steve. He doesn’t know, as of last Sunday, when he will be getting the new power plant. But it looks like the team will be in pretty good shape when they get it.

---- Some other unfortunate casualties of blown engines were Tim Snyder, Shaun Gosselin, and Jerry Curran. It’s especially heartbreaking for Curran, who had just spent almost a whole year rebuilding from a huge wreck. He sure doesn’t need a huge engine bill to pay for after all of the digging and scrambling to get the car done. And Shaun Gosselin’s father Steve told me “I’m not sure what we’ll do. I just sent in a big check for Shaun’s (college) tuition.” There will be a lot of scrambling this week. Hopefully some guys will be able to salvage some parts, and get back soon.

---- When there are 37 cars attempting to make a 26 car field, some have to go home empty-handed. Snyder, Gosselin, and Curran are three of the Oswego regulars that didn’t make the show. Dave McKnight and Danny Connors were both on the outside looking in come feature time. McKnight never even got to attempt to qualify for the show after a warm-up crash. Connors spun in his time trial, and finished 9^th in a consi that took four cars. Dave Gruel (6^th) and Larry Muroski (8^th) were two drivers who just missed the cut. Ray Graham got into the feature via provisional after having problems, and finished 18^th in the feature.

---- Other Oswego regulars who did make the show were Pat Lavery (15^th), Lou LeVea (19^th), Jason Spaulding (21^st), Joey Payne (22^nd), Keith Shampine (23^rd), and Jeff Holbrook (24^th).

---- Ridiculously scary wreck for Danny Lane, who took a flyer off of Tim Snyder’s right rear tire during the heat, when Snyder’s engine blew. Lane piled into the first turn at what looked like full speed, ripping the front end off of the car, sending the front axle flying through the air. The balance of Lane’s car then barrel-rolled, coming to rest upside down, with the engine still running, the spinning rear tire dangling in the air.

---- It was a horrifying scene, but Lane eventually emerged uninjured, after some extra time to get him extricated from the car. I was really shocked to see him looking so calm when he finally did get out of the car. I expect to see some amazing pictures of this wreck, as many photographers were right on the scene. The front axle and tires, after flying high into the sky, ended up dangerously near where some photographers stand - in the infield, nowhere near the remains of the car.

---- The biggest story in the small block supermodified division was Mike Bond winning the feature, setting up the aforementioned clean sweep for the Bond brothers in both divisions. But the other shocking story was the story of who was NOT racing.

---- With one feature win already under his belt, and sitting poised in second place in the points, Chris Proud chose to step away from his ride in the Tim Barbeau owned # 50. “On Thursday, Chris called me and said he wasn’t going to be racing the car, and brought it back to me”, said Barbeau. The car was returned, and Barbeau went to work to find a driver for it.

---- Vern LaFave had already wheeled a car for Steve Abt earlier in the season, and the deal was cut for him to drive it the rest of the year. “Vern wasn’t my first choice. I called Mark Regan, but he didn’t want to do it”, said Barbeau. There are a couple of other things that Vern had planned for some Saturdays, but he thinks he’ll be able to make all or most of the remaining four race nights. “That car’s an animal!”, said Vern when I asked him how he liked the #50.

---- So how could Proud walk away from such a potent ride? “I’m just running low on funds”, said Proud, summing up his stunning decision. Proud’s arrangement with Barbeau was that he was to pay the expenses on the car, such as tires and fuel, and he was also responsible for repairs, maintenance, etc. As everyone knows, racing is not a cheap sport.

---- The car was ready, and he could have raced it, “but I told Timmy that if I wrecked it, I wouldn’t be able to afford to fix it”, said Proud. Trying to avoid a possible disaster, Proud decided that the sensible thing to do would be to avoid that possibility. “My race money was set aside, and when that was gone, that was gone”. Chris also had some unexpected bills come up for his son, who has had some medical problems. It was a decision of paying bills or racing, and paying bills had to win.

---- Proud reached out to some of his sponsors for some help, but nobody was in a position to help get him over the hump for the remaining five weeks. Money is tight for everyone right now, and with no money coming in, it was impossible for the whole racing budget to come from his paycheck. Winnings from the car during the season went to the car owner, so money raised from Proud’s fundraiser and sponsors evaporated quickly.

---- Some theorized that Proud’s decision was based on the fact that he was involved in an incident that happened on the track the previous week. That was not the case. That had nothing to do with his decision, as that stuff had all blown over by last Saturday. The two drivers spoke just a few hours after the blowup, and put it in the past.

---- Great runs last week for Dave Danzer, and rookie Mike Bruce. Danzer has been struggling all year with a car that looked haunted at times, so it was great to see the team pull together a solid finish. I know Dave and his Dad Craig work very hard on this car, so it’s great to see them get some positive results. Unfortunately, they are the only ones who do all the work, because Jayne and Casey will NOT help.

---- Mike Bruce moves into the top ten in points unofficially, surging into the lead in the rookie standings with the solid third place finish. Bruce looked very fast and smooth, and shows a lot of promise behind the wheel. But he doesn’t dare relax too much. If I’ve figured it correctly, Dennis Richmond sits only five markers behind in the rookie points. Nice run for the youngster!

---- Steve Abt was bluffing when he said he was going to protest Brian Sobus’ engine, as a retaliation from a protest the previous week. No protest happened, and no DQ’s or penalties were handed down after tech inspection last week. Head games are fun!

---- But Steve was NOT bluffing when he said he would be using the bumper if he needed to. He caught some crossfire from Mike Bond after the qualifying heat, where Mike thought he almost was spun. Then he wore out Andrew Schartner’s rear bumper for a good portion of the feature, repeatedly nailing and muscling him, throughout the race. Schartner was irritated, but not intimidated, keeping the car straight to finish 5^th. The usually calm Andrew was still quite animated an hour later when I asked him about his feature experience. Maybe even walking a little funny.

---- Say what you want about that Steve Abt (and they do!), but he sure is making some noise for himself in the small block super division, and making things exciting. I haven’t decided yet if he’s the new Russ Brown, or the new Larry Muroski. Either way, we sure know he’s there!

---- Kreig Heroth took a flyer up onto the inner hubrail in the heat race, after colliding with Guard Nearbin. It looked like Nearbin came down into Heroth after pushing high, possibly not seeing Heroth dive underneath. Fortunately the previous week’s winner didn’t receive too much damage, and was able to come back for a 12^th place finish in the feature. Which moved him to 4^th in the points.

---- With Proud bailing out, it now looks like a three man separation for the small block supermodified championship. Dave Cliff (680), Mike Bond (676), and Brian Sobus (663) have busted out from the rest of the field, and appears as though these three drivers will be the ones who will decide the title. It would be Cliff’s or Sobus’ first championship, if they can pull it off. Heroth sits in 4^th, with 593 points, and Tim Barbeau is 5^th, with 577. And yes, these digits are unofficial numbers that I figured myself Sunday night. Go ahead and sue me if I’m wrong.

---- Good news: both Bryan Haynes and his brother Brad Haynes were in competition last week in the small block supermodified division. Bad news: both guys had problems, and struggled to finishes of 15^th (Bryan) and 18^th (Brad). Good news: I think this was the first time that two brothers had competed against each other since the infamous Andrews Brothers raced together in the division in 2001. Bad news: many people chose to stay home when they heard the Haynes Boys were going to racing, afraid of the dreaded “Malachi Crunch”, that these dudes are certainly capable of!

---- Bryan was driving his own car, the #86, for the first time this season. Bryan lives out of state these days , and doesn’t get to go racing as often as he would like. But he was able to wrestle the ride away from Brad this week, because the Pitt Watson owned #43 had been completed. Watson and B-Rad had been working on the car all season, and last week was its first time on the speedway. Good luck to both drivers in the future!

---- My own car, the #93 driven by Bobby Henry Jr., should be back at the track this week. Henry heard through the grapevine, then received a letter the next day that he was suspended for an additional week after a skirmish with safety officials sent him to the principal’s office on July 3^rd. It was called a one week suspension, but it cost him two features. An appeal with myself and speedway officials Steve Gioia, Chuck Handley and Craig Tyrell was unsuccessful, as the video footage of the incident was mostly inconclusive when the isolated camera shot of the scuffle was recorded over accidentally.

---- The gentlemen were courteous in meeting with me, but the discussion did not go as I had hoped. Any chance of a different outcome evaporated with the lost video footage, so we were all going on what we had heard - not seen. Which are different stories. So the two week red-ass (classified as a one week suspension by track officials) has now been paid, and we’ll put this all behind us. This is the first driver suspension that has occurred in many many years at the speedway (they couldn’t tell me how long ago the last one was, it was so far in the past.) We will agree to disagree, and attempt to salvage a good run or two before the season runs out.

---- So did Henry sit around and whine about it? Nope. He picked up a ride in a sportsman car at Skyline raceway, and raced it to second place. Not a bad night off, at all.

---- Jason Simmons had to jump into his old car, the #91 that has been hanging around as a spare, due to an engine problem in his regular ride, the Terry Solazzo owned #25. It has NOT been a good season for Jason. Jason also informed me that the 91 has actually been sold, to soldier Dennis Rupert Jr., who will be back from overseas deployment in time to run the car Classic Weekend. They will have the car all ready for Dennis when he gets back from Afghanistan.

---- And one other sale of a small block supermodified sees Chris Tedd buying the #05 car from Steve Abt, that Bill Moore, then Vern LaFave competed in during the season. This purchase makes Teddneck Racing a three car team, that will now field cars for Dennis Richmond (#7), Keith Gilliam (#37), and an occasional different driver now in the third car.

---- Tedd tells me that he may see some time in the third car, along with Zack Crawford, who he may have on board for a full season in 2011. No amount of hinting or looking moon-eyed has been able to get me a ride in any of these extra cars. Don’t you guys know that the older I get, the faster I used to be? Come on boys - my birthday is coming up - and it just happens to be on a race night! (August 7^th.)

---- This Sunday is the fun / fundraiser event that’s coming up in a couple of weeks to benefit small block supermodified competitor, and all-around good guy Barry Kingsley. Here are the details:

---- Sunday, July 18th. KINGSLEY RACING #23 Small block super GOLF TOURNAMENT AND BBQ. Tamarack Golf Club, Oswego and Front Door Tavern, Oswego, 10am-5pm. Golf- 4 man captain and crew 9 hole golf tournament- $30 per person- this includes 9 holes and cart and the BBQ that follows at the Front Door Tavern. Teams and tickets are still very much available, and will be right up until game time. Call Barry any time to set up your team, or to purchase a hole for the event at 315-374-6195. I will see you there!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gater News - July 7th, 2010

Wow! Talk about fireworks on the 4^th of July! We definitely saw our share of fireworks at Oswego Speedway last week!

---- Of course I’m going to begin by talking about all of the excitement involved with my own car, the small block supermodified #93. All of the emotions came into play this week.

---- Our driver Bobby Henry Jr. started on the pole for the first feature of the night, which was the rained out event that was supposed to take place on June 19^th. Obviously the pole starting position is a big advantage, but it takes a lot of things to fall together to win a feature in this division when you don’t have the fastest car.

---- The first thing it takes is a clean driver behind you. Tim Barbeau started on the outside pole and ran 2nd for all 30 laps, but he drove him clean. He tried everything he could to get under him in the turns, but he never quite got up next to him enough to complete the pass. There were a couple of times where it was a really close call, as Bob came down in the turns while Barbeau was under him, but not quite enough next to him for Henry to realize he was there.

---- Was he intentionally blocking? I don’t think so. But was he taking up a lot of space? Absolutely. That’s the way it’s done at Oswego. I know any car I ever passed at Oswego sure made me work hard for it. There’s one groove on that speedway that if you run it perfectly, it’s almost impossible to get passed, unless the guy is a ton faster than you, or uses his bumper. Barbeau was definitely faster, but he did not use the bumper. I thanked him for that. And Bob’s definitely lucky that it was Tim behind him instead of a lot of other guys, who would have laid the iron to him. “The wideness is just built into that car”, someone said in the pits afterwards.

---- Barbeau wasn’t particularly pleased with the outcome, but the two drivers talked at the tech shed. No lasting hard feelings will haunt the friends. The story I heard later about someone from the crew wanting to fight with Henry about it in victory lane was one of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever heard in my life.

---- Although Bob Henry is a newcomer to the division, a lot of effort is what put him in victory lane. To the people that think he just jumped in my car and started racing it, nothing could be further from the truth. He and his buddy Dave Gruel worked on that car all winter, going through it from front to rear in Dave’s garage. They checked every part on that car, and did a ton of changes and maintenance to a car that had pretty much been neglected for the last few seasons. New shocks, springs, heims, brakes, transmission, clutch, etc. Not to mention the motor that Bob’s Dad, Bob Henry Sr. of Henry Performance built.

---- This win was no fluke. It happened because of hard work, driving talent, and the necessary amount of luck and opportunity. Just like every other win.

---- So that was the cool part of the day for the 93. In the heat race for the night‘s second feature, things got ugly. And I do mean ugly.

---- Running hard, Henry and Chris Proud came together on the front stretch. I saw the video, and talked to Chris about it. “We came together when I tried to get under him, and we brushed wheels. You know what happens sometimes when these cars hit wheels”, he said. The cars came together when Chris drifted into him coming off of turn four, and around they went. The 93 went hard into the front straight wall, wrecking the body on the left rear, bending a spindle, heims, rim, etc. The full extent of the damage will be assessed this week, but it looked a lot worse than it actually was. Bobby and Proud talked calmly about the incident later in the evening.

---- “When I got out of the car, I saw dollar signs!”, said Henry, explaining his anger. Our deal is that Bobby is responsible for the car - not just the labor, but also replacing parts and repairing whatever happens. They’ve put a lot more money into that car than I have this year, and they are also competing Sundays at Utica-Rome Speedway with their dirt modified.

---- It all went downhill when Proud started gesturing at Henry after the incident, possibly in response to some jawing from Henry. That would set anyone off, and when Bobby tried to cross the track to answer the call, he was aggressively restrained. Some bruises on his arm show that he was grabbed pretty hard, but it is also possible that they were trying to prevent him from walking into traffic. In the process, he also fell getting out of the car, and was bent down trying to pick up his radio.

---- The scene got ugly after that, because one return shove from an angry driver brings an army of safety workers defending their own. It was a huge show of force, as I have a picture of exactly EIGHT safety officials escorting him to the gate. The situation escalated to where Henry was paraded across in front of the grandstand and booted out the front gate.

---- So was Bobby wrong to be angry? No. He’s an old school racer, and from the time I’ve spent around him and his Dad, they’re not the type of guys to take any crap. But you can’t return shove track safety workers, even if you feel that they shoved you first. Maybe he’d take that back. I didn’t see the whole exchange myself, but I wonder if maybe the scene could have been diffused with a little hug around the neck and calm talk. Yelling in someone’s face to calm down is not how you get someone to calm down. Adrenaline makes everything tricky in these instances, and a lot could be gained by just a couple of deep breaths, or maybe a count to ten. That didn’t happen. I wish it had, for the sake of everyone involved. And I don’t want any of these words to be taken negatively by the speedway officials. I still think Oswego has the best safety / security crew of any track, and I’m sure the same guys that flexed on Bobby will be the first ones there to help him if he’s injured in an accident.

---- Bobby came back after the races were over to get the car, and we hung out the rest of the night. I’m expecting that this thing will all blow over soon, and hopefully he’ll be back on the track this weekend. I assume that the one race suspension that he served that evening, and the ensuing loss of points will serve as his penalty, so hopefully he will be back this week. This isn’t the first time I’ve seen an incident that seems like a huge deal at the time calm down real soon, and I imagine this will too. I wish it hadn’t turned into such a big public scene. He was made out to look like a real gangster, and he didn’t need groups of people standing around glaring at him while he was being berated. “He was really angry and upset, but that’s to be expected in a situation like this”, said track official Craig Tyrell. “He apologized after he got calmed down”. I’m sure some things were said that he wished he wouldn’t have said. “I just didn‘t think they had to treat me like that”, said Henry.

---- Bottom line, and this will be a controversial statement: incidents like these are not necessarily bad for the sport. It’s a very emotional sport, and you would never want to take that out of it. Fans want to see passionate drivers. Have you ever seen a guy win the feature, then be dragged out by his ear like the angry lunch lady in middle school? It’s a first for me. This drama will give people something to talk about all week. You can’t judge how you would react in this situation unless you had as much on the line as Bobby, or any driver does. Please don’t judge our guy until you’re in the same spot. As his car owner, I’m not that embarrassed by the incident. Bobby’s a passionate dude, and he’s good for this track, as well as the dirt tracks where he runs his modified. I’ll only be mad if it happens again. I love this kid. Don’t hate him because he’s beautiful.

---- Now he has earned a new nickname from me. He’s not “Handsome Henry” any more. Now he’s “Hothead Henry”.

---- Oh, and there was one other good thing that happened this night. With Bobby in the principal’s office, the guys really wanted to put the car back together and get it out for the feature. I was too annoyed to care actually, but Mark insisted. “Find a fire suit - you’re taking this $%&*ing car out in the feature!”, Mark told me after the car was cradled to our pit. We started looking at things, cobbing on body panels, changing bent parts, and I went shopping for safety equipment. Chris Tedd’s racing shoes, a borrowed blimpo fire suit that Barry bought on Ebay but is way too huge for anybody under 400 pounds to wear, Bobby’s helmet and Hans. I tried to get into Kevin Knopp’s old fire suit, but we didn’t have enough butter for my hips.

---- After a slow lap around the pits I was interested again, and I had a fun time racing to a 9^th or 10^th place finish from scratch, after a gray area trip to the rear for jumping the start once during a huge brake check incident. ¾ inch of toe didn’t help it much, but the car still felt pretty drivable and fun. I had been itching to turn a wheel, so that itch was scratched. It was fun, and I really like the changes that Bobby made to the car.

---- Okay enough about me. I understand that there were some other people that raced at the track this week, as well.

---- Congratulations to Kreig Heroth on his first win, also! Kreig won the second feature of the evening in Tom Aaserud’s #44 car, in what I heard was an excellent race. Tom has assembled quite a team of drivers for the 2010 season, as Andrew Schartner won a feature earlier in Aaserud’s other car, the #18. As a Hedger Chassis guy myself, it was really great to see Hedger guys sweep the evening. We’re definitely outnumbered by the speedy FFB’s, but we still have some quality representation at the speedway!

---- Steve Abt finished 3^rd in both features, but an extended, closed door stay in the tech shed after a protest from another team may prove to be a change in the order of finish. I spoke with Steve on Sunday, and he confirmed that he was deemed illegal due to an illegally modified crankshaft. But he’s not cool with it.

---- “Sobus better bring a lot of tools this week! I’m protesting his engine. He’s pulling a piston out, and we’re checking the ring size”, promised Abt. Sobus’ sponsor is who put up the cash to protest the engine, and Steve’s not happy. “He’s mad because I beat him in the heat”, said Abt, who felt the protest was not done within the guidelines of the rules, which dictate that a protest must be filed previous to the qualifying heat, not after it. So he’s ready for some retribution this week. “We’re definitely protesting one car a week, every week, for the rest of the season. Sobus is first, and a lot of other people will follow”, said Abt. Steve told me that at press time he hadn’t been informed what the penalty will be for the transgression, but I’m sure it will be announced soon. Abt now has a new Morrison Engine being built for his car. The speedway’s website shows that Abt was moved to 24^th position in the second feature, but was allowed to keep the third place finish from the first feature of the evening, prior to the protest.

---- A few welcome additions to the field were Keith Gilliam, Danny Kapuscinski, and Fred Kilian, making up a full field of 24 cars for the second feature.

---- Gilliam was asked to drive the Chris Tedd #37 car, and looked pretty good. He won the “fireworks” heat, and finished 7^th in the second feature. Tedd would like to see Keith back in the car, Gilliam said.

---- Kapuscinski was driving the second Barry Kingsley car, numbered 24. Last week was just a shakedown for the car, but this week the North Carolina resident will put some tires on the car and see what he can really do with it.

---- Fred Kilian came back out with his #02 Twinz Racing ride for the second time of the season. Fred pulled in early, however, credited with 23^rd in the second feature. Great to see Fred back in action.

---- Some solid runs for Dave Cliff, who had a 2^nd and a 5^th on the evening. Also a good night for Guard Nearbin, who rattled off 6^th and 8^th place finishes. And it was no fun staring at Brian Osetek’s rear bumper, as he finished 9^th in the night’s second feature. Nice run!

---- The supermodified events were also pretty exciting. Maybe not AS exciting as the drama-filled small block races, but pretty cool nevertheless.

---- The surprise of the night was that Otto Sitterly, who had won every other event at the speedway this year, did NOT win. You know you’re good, when people are shocked when you don’t win. But Otto was definitely off his game this night, finishing 4^th and 9^th in the two features. He looked really quick in the day’s first feature, but needed a couple more cautions. But he wasn’t himself in feature number two, for whatever reason.

---- Jeff Holbrook grabbed a feature win in his #35 machine, after leading the whole race. He also led some laps in the early feature, before falling out early in the race. But he made up for it in the nightcap, and grabbed his third career victory in the supermodified division at Oswego Speedway.

---- Holbrook had to stay ahead of Keith Shampine, who finished 2^nd at the end. It was a bittersweet night for Shampine, who almost snatched his first career victory in the early feature. Shampine spun the car while leading on lap 21, possibly due to some fluid that was on the track from another car. It’s a real heartbreaker for Shampine, who continuously almost wins in the division.

---- Ray Graham was also a winner at Oswego, capturing the earlier race after Shampine spun. Graham went on to score the victory by a very large margin, and we’ll always wonder if he would have beat Shampine if he hadn’t spun out. Some quick evasive action was taken by Graham to even miss the spinning #88. Graham was 7^th at the end of the second feature.

---- Once again, Mr. Consistency Joey Payne landed two excellent finishes, while just missing a win in the newer Strong Racing #99 car. 2^nd and 3^rd place finishes would be a relief for anyone, for sure. Dave Cliff Jr. ran his first and second supermodified features ever in the other Strong Racing entry, pulling down 14^th and 12^th place finishes.

---- Dave McKnight also headed home with some solid results. 4^th and 3^rd place finishes, in a damage-free evening in the Syrell Racing #08 would be appreciated by anyone. Joe Gosek scored 5^th and 6^th place finishes. And Dan Connors landed 6^th and 8^th place finishes when all was said and done.

---- Davey Hamilton flew in from the west coast to race one of the John Nicotra owned cars, but he looked like he wasn’t hooked up as much as he had hoped. Hamilton was 11^th in the 2^nd feature of the evening, the last car on the lead lap at the finish.

---- And it was great to see Jerry Curran back at the speedway for the first time since a horrible incident last season put him on the sidelines. The “Nuclear Banana” looks great, and Jerry turned some good times with the car before retiring on lap 33. The car was so fast that when I saw Jerry later in the evening, his hair had turned completely orange, and turned into an afro under his hat. Just when you thought he couldn’t get any more handsome. Welcome back, Jerry!

---- This weekend is the second annual “King of Wings” weekend, which will feature winged supermodifieds on both Friday and Saturday nights. Regular Oswego Speedway race teams will strap on wings for the MSA sanctioned event. An excellent $55,000 purse awaits the teams for the weekend of racing action. Twenty four cars will qualify into each feature event with two promoter’s options, one each for MSA and the Oswego Speedway, which could push the starting field each night to twenty six cars. Race teams will get $600 to start the 40 lap feature on Friday night with the winner getting $3,000. On Saturday night, race teams will get $700 to start the 50 lap feature with the winner getting $5,000. Saturday night carries a rain date of Sunday afternoon. Joining the winged supermodifieds on Friday night will be the Tobias SpeedSTR's presented by Parts Plus and on Saturday night the small block supers will be running a "$1,000 to Win" 30 lap feature event. This should be a weekend to remember, just like last weekend!

---- I finally made it back to Brewerton Speedway, and once again I was not disappointed. Every time I go to Brewerton it’s a solid show, and last week was no different. Photo finishes, new winners, and plenty of side by side action!

---- It was great to see mod lite and small block supermodified competitor Andrew Schartner get his first win in the mod lite division. Schartner switches back and forth from pavement to dirt every weekend driving in the two divisions, and does it effortlessly. Andrew has won on both surfaces this year, proving that if you have enough talent, anything is possible.

---- The mod lite feature was a tight race, as many of the drivers were commenting about how the track surface was so much different than it usually is prepared. Shartner led most of the laps in the middle groove, although eventual second place finisher Joe Garafolo was doing all of his business in the low line. As the laps wound down, and three time winner Garafolo was charging underneath Schartner, we were hoping he would move to the low groove to block Garafolo, but he stuck to his guns. Excellent decision. And a great win. Doug Williams and Tim Devendorf, who usually also fight for most wins, finished 6^th and 7^th.

---- The IMCA modified race also saw a first time winner, and a photo finish! I couldn’t call who the winner was, as Michael Smith and Dale Caswell came across side by side for the checkers. Smith led most of the laps, but the often dominant Dale Caswell made his charge through the field. When a caution took Smith’s lead away, it seemed obvious to me that Caswell would use the help to close the gap, and win another feature. But Smith held the position, for the rewarding first victory. Great show!

---- The Crate Late Model division, although still suffering from smaller fields, puts on a great show. An 11 car field is still not what fans expect to see, but it’s an improvement from what was available the last time I was at Brewerton. They really are cool cars to watch, though.

---- Alan Fink was the winner, but AJ Kingsley, in the Patriot Trucking / Finkel Distributing ride was the driver to watch. Kingsley charged high on the cushion, momentarily taking the lead from Fink, before jumping the cushion, falling back several positions. But he never gave up hope, and at the finish he was side by side with Fink for the victory. Looks like that cushion was an effective yet dangerous tool for many of the drivers. After it cost Kingsley some spots, he then used it to get them - or most of them - back. Fun to watch!

---- In the modified feature, it looked for awhile as if Larry Wight or Tony Steiner would steal the glory away from regular winners like Billy Decker, Alan Johnson, Jimmy Phelps, Matt Sheppard, Pat Ward, and Michael Storms. But Wight’s big lead was eventually negated by a caution flag, allowing the cream to rise to the top.

---- We were wondering for awhile if there would be any “team orders” for Decker to maybe take it easy on Wight, who happens to be the son of his car owner John Wight. That was not the case, as the drivers ran side by side for awhile before Decker pulled away.

---- Jimmy Phelps was the dominant car, catching and dusting Billy Decker, who had just wrestled the lead away from his teammate Larry Wight. He was definitely the car to beat, and nobody would do that this week. Decker was 2^nd at the finish, and Wight would eventually fade to 8^th.

---- Matt Sheppard was in the pits more than he was on the track, it seemed. After a hard wreck into the first turn fence early in the race, and another pit stop or two during the feature, he still came back for an impressive third place finish. Maybe that car thrives on drama.

---- Chad Phelps borrowed Larry Wight’s backup car for a “start and park” in the feature, after finding some engine problems after his qualifying heat. I knew it wasn’t a good thing when I saw that dreaded gray water/oil mixture on the ground behind Chad’s car when I went over to say hello. And then I really knew it was bad when I saw a couple of the spark plugs, which had flattened ends on them Not good.

---- Early leader Tony Steiner walked away from a hard double flip late in the race, which looked quite nasty. Nothing scares these guys.

---- People are getting geared up for a fun / fundraiser event that’s coming up in a couple of weeks to benefit small block supermodified competitor, and all-around good guy Barry Kingsley. Here are the details:

---- Sunday, July 18th. KINGSLEY RACING #23 Small block super GOLF TOURNAMENT AND BBQ. Tamarack Golf Club, Oswego and Front Door Tavern, Oswego, 10am-5pm. Golf- 4 man captain and crew 9 hole golf tournament- $30 per person- this includes 9 holes and cart and the BBQ that follows at the Front Door Tavern.

 

Gater News - June 30th, 2010

With the Oswego Speedway season half over, everything is in line for an excellent second half of the season. A lot of cool stuff is on the schedule in July and August, and of course Classic Weekend in early September.

---- For example: July 3^rd - double features for the Supermodifieds and Small Block Supermodifieds, along with an autograph session and fireworks. (Important note about this show: races start at 4:00PM, instead of the normal 6:30 starting time.) July 9^th and 10^th - two nights of winged supermodified racing. July 31st - “Mr. Supermodified and Mr. Small Block Supermodified” night which pays $10,000 to win for the supers, plus the “Hoosier Mama” Ladies Race. August 7^th - 60^th Anniversary night, for just $6.00 admission. And on August 21^st, twin features for both divisions. A lot of fun stuff coming up, for sure!

---- I had a conversation with track owner Steve Gioia last week about the Oswego Speedway season, and sensed a lot of optimism. It’s been a tough season so far for the track due to weather, low car counts, and other issues, but things are looking up from here forward. Many of the issues that have been gossiped about this year have been corrected, including a shortage of tires and fuel at the track. “Yes, there have been some problems, but we have rectified the situation and we’re ready to move ahead and run the speedway as it should be run”, said Gioia when I asked him about rumors of some disagreements with co-owner Pat Furlong. As with any partnership, people aren’t always going to agree on everything, but that goes with the territory. “We need to do a better job of getting the show done”, Gioia acknowledged, and changes are being made to do that. I predict a quick show this week, with limited intermission.

---- The Wednesday, August 4^th USAC / Silver Crown remains on the schedule, and details are still being worked out for this event. Kasey Kahne promoted the event in 2009, which was a huge success, but will not be promoting it in 2010. The race will be an Oswego Speedway promoted event. The toughest part of putting a race of this magnitude together is lining up some “name” drivers. Kasey Kahne and Ryan Newman competed last year, which is the main reason for the success of the event. Gioia has been working with some agents to make that happen for 2010, but could not give any names at this time. He also acknowledges that the Cup drivers were the main reason for the big crowd in ‘09, so much that the show may not even go on if he can’t get a commitment from any of the Sprint Cup drivers. Stay tuned.

---- Looking at the mid-season point standings at Oswego, I see some interesting stuff. Some surprises, and some not so surprising.

---- For example, nobody is surprised to see Otto Sitterly in the super points lead. He’s been the lead dog the last few seasons, and it would be a surprise if he wasn’t in the lead. Let’s face it - he’s won all of the features. Nobody’s catching him. They may as well write the check today. He is 80 points ahead of Dave McKnight currently.

---- But if it wasn’t for Sitterly, it would be a pretty tight race. McKnight being in second is kind of a surprise to me, because he hasn’t been a regular competitor at the track for years. But he’s fast in the Syrell Racing #08, and he’ll get a win before the season is over. Pat Lavery and Joey Payne are 3 and 11 points behind McKnight, which can be made up very quickly.

---- It’s good to see Keith Shampine running 5^th, since he hadn’t been a steady driver at the speedway in some time either. Joe Gosek and Tim Snyder, in 6^th and 7^th, are a little lower than many thought, but even Snyder is only 30 points out of 2^nd place. Dave Gruel leads the rookie standings in 8^th, over Larry Muroski (12^th) and Shaun Gosselin (13^th). Craig Rayvals is 14^th currently, but may be done racing at Oswego on a weekly basis.

---- The small block super point standings are a lot closer, with Dave Cliff running the show. But Chris Proud sits just 14 points behind. Brian Sobus and Mike Bond are well within striking distance, as only 24 points separate the top four.

---- Steve Abt sits in 5^th place, after a DQ a few weeks ago. At many speedways, a competitor loses their handicap and all of the points earned on the night of a disqualification, but Abt was able to keep many points from that evening. At 47 points behind the leader, a run for the title is still not out of the question.

---- Stan Gates is currently listed in 6^th place, but will fall this week because he wasn’t at the speedway for the June 19^th rained out event. Barry Kingsley (329) is currently listed in 7^th, but hot on his trail are Kreig Heroth (328), Jason Simmons (322), Guard Nearbin (320), and Mike Bruce (317).

---- The biggest surprises in the small block standings are Tim Barbeau (13^th), who has dropped out of two races while leading, and Andrew Schartner (15^th),who missed a race a few weeks ago. These two drivers certainly were expected to be in the top five. It should be a very interesting rest of the season!

---- People are getting geared up for a fun / fundraiser event that’s coming up in a couple of weeks to benefit small block supermodified competitor, and all-around good guy Barry Kingsley. Here are the details:

---- Sunday, July 18th. KINGSLEY RACING #23 Small block super GOLF TOURNAMENT AND BBQ. Tamarack Golf Club, Oswego and Front Door Tavern, Oswego, 10am-5pm. Golf- 4 man captain and crew 9 hole golf tournament- $30 per person- this includes 9 holes and cart and the BBQ that follows at the Front Door Tavern.

 

Gater News - June 23rd, 2010

 

Gater News column - June 15th, 2010

Keepin’ it Real by JJ Andrews

What will happen this week at Oswego Speedway? The last few weeks have caused havoc at the track for many in the supermodified division, and last week’s scheduled week off may have been just what the doctor ordered. A lot of supermodifieds have been damaged so far in 2010, and that will hopefully be behind us all when we get back to racing this week.

---- This week’s scheduled events feature another $12 admission night, or $10 with advanced sale tickets purchased at any Price Chopper grocery store. Many different racecars are expected to be back at the speedway this week, many for the first time this season. A look at the roster on the speedway website shows several drivers that may be out this week, or soon, that we haven’t seen much of in 2010.

---- Bentley Warren, Greg Furlong, Jason Spaulding and Jerry Curran are four drivers who are rumored to be in attendance this weekend. Coming soon also will be Andy Noto, Michael Barnes, and Davey Hamilton. Keith Gilliam has picked up the motor for his supermodified, and will see action in a few weeks. Hal LaTulip, Joe Chillemi, Bill Sharkey, Todd Stowell, and Bob Bogwicz are all on the roster at www.oswegospeedway.com, but haven’t seen any track time so far this season. And Stephen Gioia III and Shawn Muldoon are two drivers still on the mend - both physically and financially - from nasty 2009 accidents. So although car counts have been off, we’re very close to seeing a big field of cars any week now.

---- Then after another scheduled week off on June 26^th for graduation week, July promises to be a huge month at Oswego Speedway. July 3^rd finds the fireworks, kids autograph night, and the “Hoosier Mama” powder puff event, which will once again be won by Samantha Todd. Then on July 9^th and July 10^th, two huge nights of winged supermodified racing will take place at the speedway. A rare Friday / Saturday show will feature two nights of supermodifieds, topped off by the MSA “King of Wings” show on Saturday night. And then on July 31^st, the supers will compete for $10,000 to win in the “Mr. Supermodified” event, while the small block supers will get a huge boost to $1,500 for the win. Youngsters also will be able to meet the drivers for autographs on this night. July promises to be a huge month at Oswego Speedway!

---- Another big promotion at the speedway that is sure to get a lot of people excited is the recently announced “Ride with the Legends” event for the 2-seat supermodified at Oswego Speedway. The following is a press release provided by the speedway.

---- “Oswego, N.Y. - Classic Weekend at the Oswego Speedway you will have the opportunity to ride in the 2-seat Supermodified driven by Oswego Speedway Hall of Fame and future Hall of Fame drivers. Five members of the Oswego Speedway Hall of Fame, and a two other drivers who are sure to become Hall of Fame members will be behind the wheel of the 2-seat Supermodified giving fans rides, and raising money for Cleaning for a Reason. Imagine hitting speeds up to 150 MPH with an Oswego Speedway Hall of Fame Driver behind the wheel!

---- Cleaning for a Reason is an organization whose mission is to provide free home cleanings to women who are undergoing cancer treatments. Tom Heveron’s Beachland Cleaning, with 3 Florida locations, is one of more than 650 partners in all 50 states and 3 Canadian provinces supporting this program. Beachland Cleaning is the sponsor of the 2010 Oswego Speedway Supermodified Rookie of the Year and Supermodified Classic Rookie of the Year programs.

---- Oswego Speedway Hall of Fame members Pat Abold, Eddie Bellinger, Davey Hamilton, Doug Heveron, Bentley Warren, and future Hall of Fame members Greg Furlong and Joe Gosek have all committed to take part in the program. All will be behind the wheel of the 2-seat Supermodified Classic Weekend to help the Cleaning for a Reason program.

Starting immediately, a maximum of 3 rides will be sold with each of the following drivers, Pat Abold, Eddie Bellinger, Greg Furlong, Joe Gosek, Davey Hamilton, and Doug Heveron. Each ride will consist of a push off lap and 5 green flag laps. From now until August 1 you can schedule a ride with these Hall of Fame drivers for $200.00 each, with a portion of the proceeds going to Cleaning for a Reason. After August 1^st, if there are any rides remaining, they will be sold at $250.00.

---- On Friday night of Classic Weekend, during the Party in the Pits, one additional ride with each Hall of Fame and future Hall of Fame drivers will be auctioned off, with the minimum bid being $150.00. At that time one ride will be auctioned off to have Bentley Warren as the driver. Bidding for the ride with Bentley Warren will start at $250.00. All rides will be taken starting at 9:00AM on Saturday, September 4. In the event of inclement weather all rides will be rescheduled.

---- During the Ride with the Legends the Oswego Speedway main grandstand will be open with free admission for those who want to watch the greatest drivers of all time return to the Big O. To schedule your ride with an Oswego Speedway Hall of Fame driver Classic Weekend call Roy Sova at 315-297-2262.”

---- A last minute trip to Utica-Rome Speedway last week turned out to be a good idea. I don’t get to Utica-Rome very often, but when I do, I’m always impressed. Since I got there at about 10 minutes after the starting time of 5:30, I had already missed two sportsman heats. A prompt starting time is important on a Sunday race, and Utica-Rome management is obviously very aware of that. Qualifying heats for FIVE divisions of racecars were completed by 6:20, as the show is moved along rapidly. Unfortunately a rain delay held things up for around an hour, but I was still on the way home at 9:30, after seeing all five features. Which means without the rain, it would have been a three hour show, getting me on the road by 8:30 or so.

---- I enjoyed the whole concept of the show.

1. Start promptly. No dilly-dallying.

2. Plenty of racecars. Even though no divisions had more than 24 cars, five divisions of cars placed over 90 different cars on the speedway surface during the evening.

3. Keep the night moving. A short intermission was filled with an uneventful four car spectator race. There were no big groups of time where there was nothing to watch. And no excessive caution laps before the races start. When you hit the track, you see the white flag. You had better be ready to line up and go, or else they’re starting without you.

4. And a very nice facility, with friendly track employees at every turn makes a big difference. Just a smile from the guy checking your pit pass, or a kind word at the ticket booth goes a long way toward making your visit enjoyable. That, to me, is the most important part of running any business - make your customers feel comfortable.

---- Not everything was perfect, but it’s easy to overlook a negative here and there when there are a lot of positives. Obviously the speedway couldn’t control the weather, but they made the best of it. And a huge opportunity for the track to sell a lot of food was lost when concessions were either closed or out of food during the rain delay, and the rest of the evening. Concession prices were on par with most tracks (not cheap, by any means), but that early closure certainly spelled missed opportunity. And a seeping water hole in the front straight never stopped gushing water, no matter how many cars raced across it.

---- Bottom line: the product is there. Utica-Rome is an exciting, fast track. Plenty of cars and a really impressive crowd made for a great show. I loved my trip to U-R, and maybe the owners of some other speedways would do themselves a favor by heading down there on a Sunday night and taking in the show. Look around. Compare notes. The crowd was excited, and everyone was having a great time. And there was no time for people to nit-pick over concession prices or long intermissions.

---- It sure helped that the racing was excellent, too, which is something track management can’t control. Side by side battles for the lead in all but the modified division kept it exciting for all. Pete Taylor won his first race since 2003 and was very happy about that. He bested Willy Decker, Ronnie Johnson, Paul Jensen, Todd Burley, and Pat Ward.

---- Steve Way and Mike Button swapped the lead repeatedly in the sportsman feature, putting on a very exciting show for the fans. Mike Janczuk grabbed second near the end of the very competitive event.

---- The “602 crate sportsman” division made one of three scheduled events at the speedway, which was won by John Scarborough, was also hotly contested. Jeff Leslie was right there with Scarborough, followed by Jeremiah Munson, Kory Wilder, and Jack Gentile.

---- I chose the right place to sit in the stands during the pro stock feature. I always enjoy animated fans, and I happened to sit right in the middle of “Shawn Frost Country”. Shawn Frost was the winner of the pro stock event, and it was fun to see his friends and family and fans enjoy the win. But just as excited as they were for their car to win, they were equally excited about the misfortunes of another driver, who apparently isn’t their favorite. “Learn how to drive!”, was just one of the barbs yelled at Pro Stock driver Mark Effner by the animated fans. Effner’s car, which has a “rubber ducky” attached to the roof, was definitely a target for these fans, and they were very happy to see him not make it back into the top ten after a trip to the pits with a flat tire, possibly due to a run-in with Frost early in the race. The “rubber ducky” was even a target of some insults. Plenty of fun, for sure. The only insult I didn’t hear, which I expected, was “eff you Effner!”

---- I think Bret Belden was the fastest car in the division, but coming from the back of the field, Belden never quite got his shot to tussle with Frost. He missed stealing 2^nd place from Rocky Warner by inches, but a few laps more and he would have had the position. Great drive by Bret, who we used to call “Bretski” back in the days when we raced together at Brewerton and Fulton. After the race, in a moment of extreme brown-nosing, Belden thanked track owner Gene Cole twice in a victory lane interview, yet thanked his wife Brenda a total of zero times. Possible tactical error.

---- I also had someone to cheer for in the pure stock division, as my old arch-nemesis Chris Cunningham had probably the fastest car in the pure stock race. Like Belden, Cunningham had to come from deep in the field, and made it as far as second at the finish. It was a solid drive for Cunningham, who has the best looking car in the field. Even if it is a Chrysler. It’s even better looking than “Junkyard” Jim Thomas’ 55 Chevy pure stock. I’m proud to say that I’ve finally stopped holding a grudge against Chris for an on-track incident we had around 20 years ago. Maybe I’m growing up.

---- One more thing that I really enjoyed at U-R is the interviews for the top three drivers in all divisions. It’s tough to get to the top three, and I’m sure the guys are grateful to get to say their thanks and pat their sponsors on the back. And also it’s great for the fans to get to know the drivers.

Gater News column - June 8th, 2010

What were you doing when you were 16 years old? Playing video games? Watching TV? Chasing girls? Thinking about sneakers? Outrunning adults in $50,000 racecars?

---- That’s what 16 year old Daniel Connors is doing. Connors has established himself as one of the top drivers in the supermodified division at Oswego Speedway in only his second year in a super. On opening night, Connors finished a solid third, after dusting a couple cars off in the closing laps.

---- Last week, Connors looked as though he would have his first trip to victory lane, leading - and at times running away - for the first 39 laps. He ran a great line, and if it wasn’t for “Mr. Domination”, Otto Sitterly, he would have had his entry into the “Thousand Dollar Club”. One slip, on lap 39 of 45, and Sitterly blew by for the lead, and 4^th victory of the four race season. But everyone in the house went home talking about Dan Connors, Jr., and his future in the sport. The crowd did go pretty wild earlier in the day also, when he captured his first ever heat win in the division.

---- Sitterly’s domination must be recognized, however. He’s absolutely the guy to beat, week in and week out. Although people are starting to get sick of seeing Otto win every race, please take a minute to appreciate the hard work and dedication that is required to win at this level. Yes, he has a great car owner in John Nicotra, but John will be the first to tell you that Otto works harder than anyone on the cars to keep at this level. Equipment is one thing, but it takes a lot more than excellent equipment to run like Otto does. There are very few guys that could do what he‘s doing - even with the same equipment. “I got lucky to hook up with Otto just at the right time in his career”, Nicotra told me last year.

---- Another horrible wreck swallowed up a bunch of supers again last week. It appeared as though a top five running Dave McKnight slowed down coming down the back straight. As Lou LeVea, who was running behind him lifted for the slowing McKnight, he was collected by Jeff Holbrook, who was trapped. All hell broke loose, as Pat Lavery, his teammate Dave Gruel, Ray Graham, Holbrook and others were caught up. Lavery scared everyone, flipping the 22. It was a nasty, costly, damaging wreck.

---- Although the Lavery car was badly damaged, LeVea’s Mark Castiglia owned ride may have received the worst damage. It was a shame, because for the first time this year, LeVea was running great. A horrible season for the team seems to keep getting worse. LeVea limped away from the scene holding his side, “probably broke a rib or two”, he told me on his way back to the pits. He was later transported to the hospital, heading home without any broken bones. I heard on Sunday that he was in plenty of pain, but was “already trying to work on the car”.

---- Lavery was uninjured in the accident. The team was quite relieved to see that he was okay, and looked pretty shook up before he walked away. Very scary and upsetting scene, for sure. “I’m fine - it wasn’t too bad”, Pat told me later. That’s easy for you to say, buddy!

---- When racing finally resumed, Rookie Shaun Gosselin had the best run of his short rookie supermodified career, finishing in 6^th place. And rookie Larry Muroski also was credited with a solid 7^th place, continuing his wreck-free season.

---- Chris Proud won his first feature of the season in the Tim Barbeau owned #50 ride, holding off a determined Brian Sobus and Dave Cliff. Proud survived some major bumper-banging in the heat with Kreig Heroth, which was punctuated with a huge shot to Heroth’s rear bumper after the checkers. The car was definitely straightened around for the feature though, landing the FFB car in victory lane.

---- The race was a wreck-filled contest as well, with one wreck after another sending guys to the pits. Sobus’ rear clip was crushed around his fuel cell from some heavy contact with Cliff, as the two were caught up in one of the many tangles. Cliff’s front lower wing was pushed under the car, dragging on the ground for the rest of the race. Cliff’s upper nose also flapped and waved in the breeze for most of the race, but he was allowed to continue anyway. Seemed dangerous to me, but I was relieved that it never came flying off.

---- The number of laps in this race was eventually shortened from 30 laps to 25 laps for the small block feature after all of the wrecks. The official word was that it was because of impending bad weather, and too many wrecks. But the rest of the story is that since the speedway wasn’t able to supply the small blocks with enough fuel, there was concern that many of the cars would be running out after all of the caution laps. There was fuel at the speedway, but the tank was empty before everyone got what they needed for the night.

---- Track tech and a few of the drivers were seen traveling from pit to pit scavenging fuel for the cars that needed it, since the speedway had no fuel for the cars after warm-ups. I know Barry Kingsley shared a couple of gallons with Brian Osetek and winner Chris Proud, that didn’t have enough fuel to race. It was definitely a bad situation, but fortunately everyone made it. If the speedway is going to make it mandatory to buy the fuel at the track, they had better be able to provide you with that fuel. I am sure that many people will be bringing their own fuel to the speedway from now on, even though it is against the rules or wishes of the speedway. I know if I was racing, I sure wouldn’t want to be going from pit to pit begging my competitors for a gallon or two of fuel.

---- Jason Simmons had a shot at his first ever win in the Terry Solazzo owned #25 car. After inheriting the lead when Tim Barbeau’s engine launched, Simmons led some laps. But mechanical problems then attacked Jason, and he had to start driving the car one-handed, with the transmission jumping out of gear. Simmons held on for 6^th in the final rundown.

---- That’s two heartbreakers in a row for Tim Barbeau, who dropped out of the race while leading both times. After winning heat number two, engine builder Doug Holmes was called to Barbeau’s pit because of an oil pressure problem with the engine. There’s usually not much you can do at the race track to cure an oil pressure problem though. “I put duct tape over the gauges and told him to run it”, car owner Steve Abt told me later. Barbeau lasted ten laps in the feature, and turned the fastest time of the race, before “grenading“ the engine.

---- It was a solid, and nearly damage-free night (other than the rear bumper that was caved in by Chris Proud after the heat) for Tom Aaserud’s Crow Motorsports team. Kreig Heroth finished 5^th, and one-time driver Bobby Henry finished 7^th. Great run for both cars.

---- Henry, who usually drives my #93, was enlisted by Aaserud to fill in this week while regular driver Andrew Schartner had to fulfill a “previous commitment”. It was a great night of experience for Henry, who has been hampered by a few problems in the 93 so far in 2010. Schartner will be back in the car for the next race, although there is one other race night later in the season that he will have to miss.

---- The original plan, incorrectly reported by me, was for me to drive the #93 and work on setup last week while Henry drove the #18, but that plan changed on Saturday morning when Bob chose to not bring the 93 to the track. Since he’s been racing his dirt modified as well on Sunday nights, the 93 wasn’t quite ready, so the decision was made to leave it home. But some changes were made on the car, and it should be ready to win when it comes back on June 19^th. (The speedway is closed on June 12^th, giving everyone a week off.)

---- Our bro Barry Kingsley is starting to drive with an attitude.. and I LIKE it! He’s getting the Lupa-Kingsley #23 dialed in better every week, and has now landed in the top ten every night out this year. He was involved in an incident trying to pass Dennis Richmond early in the race, dinging up the car and cutting a tire. But despite a horribly long tire change by his unprepared crew, we still got him back on the lead lap, and he came back for 8^th place at the finish. He also finished 2^nd in his heat, after leading a few laps. I think he’s feeling this Hedger Chassis…..

---- Can Mark Castiglia’s fun times at the speedway be any worse? First, a grinder accident in the shop on race day gave him some nasty gashes. After a violent wreck the previous week that everyone was shocked to see repaired by race time, a lap 4 crash in the feature ended his night again, with another bent race car. But don’t forget - that wasn’t the extent of his bad evening. Castiglia also owns the supermodified that Lou LeVea drives, which was destroyed in an accident Saturday, as well. I’m sure that week off will come in quite handy.

---- Also a very rough and stressful night for Stan Gates. The Ray Pike owned machine showed up at the track after warm-ups, which always puts you way behind the eight-ball. It’s tough watching Stan pace nervously waiting for his ride to show up. Then he struggled adjusting to a new setup without having the warm-up time. A 6^th place finish in the qualifying heat, and a 17^th in the feature after a lap 7 crash were not what the team had in mind.

---- The Eagles Fan Club at Oswego Speedway has been doing a lot of work this year to build up the point fund for the drivers of the supermodified and small block supermodified divisions. Coming up on Sunday, June 13^th, the Eagles and LaGraf’s Pub will present a captain and Crew Golf Tournament at Tamarack Golf Club. A $250 prize will greet the winning team, and a driver’s shootout and skins will add to the fun. $55 /person includes 18 holes with the cart, and a great buffet and prizes afterwards at LaGraf’s Pub. For more information, contact Larry Lee at 315-529-1504, or Bob Garafolo at 315-254-6528. Or email oswegoeaglesracingfanclub@yahoo.com. ALL proceeds benefit the Eagles Fan Club general fund and injured drivers fund.

---- I wonder…

---- Ed Horne told me awhile back, and I’ve heard a few times since that mod lite driver Doug Williams would be trying out the division in Horne’s small block at some point. I wonder when that will happen.

---- What happened to small block rookie Fred Kilian, who I featured in a story in the Post-Standard about being the oldest rookie in the small block super division? He raced one time out of four weeks, in week two, and I haven’t seen him since. As he had never driven any type of racecar before that, maybe he just didn’t like it, as some people decide.

---- I wonder if Chris Tedd will be back behind the wheel of his Teddneck Racing #37 next week, after handing the seat of the #37 over to Dennis Richmond, who handed the seat of Tedd’s other car, the #7, over to first time driver Zack Crawford. Confused yet?

---- I wonder if Dave Danzer found out what that hideous skip was in his small block super. Sounded nasty.

---- I wonder if Vern LaFave will tie a string around his finger to remember to take his firesuit to the track, so he doesn’t have to miss the first set of warm-ups, driving half way home to Philadelphia, N.Y. to get it.

---- I wonder how bad the #26 small block super got damaged when it hit the fence head-on last week? “I didn’t even look at it - just pushed it in the trailer”, said driver Mike Bond.

---- I wonder if you’ll support the following fundraisers?

…. Saturday, June 12^th. Gnomey Racing, Dave Cliff, small block supermodified. LaGraf‘s. 1:00 - sold out. Steak Bake!

…. Saturday, June 12^th. Crow Motorsports, Andrew Schartner and Kreig Heroth, small block supermodified. Ukranian National Club in Auburn, N.Y. Chicken barbecue and car show. Noon - ?.

…. Sunday, June 13^th. Eagles Fan Club golf tournament at Tamarack Golf Club. See more information above.

…. Sunday, July 18^th. KINGSLEY RACING #23 Small block super GOLF TOURNAMENT AND BBQ. Tamarack Golf Club, Oswego and Front Door Tavern, Oswego, 10am-5pm. Golf- 4 man captain and crew 9 hole golf tournament- $30 per person- this includes 9 holes and cart and the BBQ that follows at the Front Door Tavern.

 

Gater News column - June 3rd, 2010

 

Gater News column - May 26th, 2010

 

Gater News Column - May 19th, 2010

 

Gater News  - May 12th, 2010

 

Gater News - May 5th, 2010

 

Gater News - April 28th,2010

 

Gater News - April 21st, 2010

 

Gater News - March 31st, 2010

“Dear Mr. Andrews. Thank you for a postcard and autographing them. Your soot is ausome! We liked the books that you read to us. We all liked your car. Thank you for taking time off your day and reading to our class. From Owen and Jason.”

---- One of my all-time highlights in auto racing happened a few weeks ago, and it had nothing to do with driving a racecar. This was my payoff for my several years as a driver, earned by knowing the right people. This was a GREAT day for me. A day that I will not forget any time soon.

---- “Dear Mr. Andrews, thank you for coming to Weedsport Elem. School. The pictures are nice of your racecar. It was wonderful that you read to us. We appreciate that you took time off from work to read to us. We hope u have a grate day. From, Maddie and Alex.”

---- Jane Redding, mother of small block supermodified driver Andrew Schartner, and teacher at Weedsport Elementary School, arranged for me to attend the school’s “Rev up for Reading” campaign on March 8^th, along with several other drivers from the Central New York area. This was a day of school dedicated to encouraging the students, grades K-6, to read books, and every driver in attendance was very happy to help with that encouragement.

---- “Dear Mr. Andrews, We love the stories you read. Thank you for spending time with us. Thank you for the autographs. We love your racing outfit. Reading is important to us and to you. It helps us everyday. Love Gwen and McKenna.”

---- I read books to three different 2^nd grade classes, while the other seven racers in attendance also took turns reading to the other students at the school. Late Model racer Joe Gwilt, small block supermodified drivers Andrew Schartner and Brian Sobus, sportsman and modified driver Tom Juhl, former sprint car and small block supermodified driver Mike Bozzuto, driver of pavement modifieds and many other divisions, Rick Zacharias, and sportsman driver Katelyn Kane, all took turns, while wearing their driving suits. Gwilt had his late model at the show for the students to admire, along with the small block supermodified

and the mod lite cars that will be campaigned by Andrew Schartner in 2010.

---- “Dear Mr. Andrews, We appreciate you taking the time to read to us. Our class appreciates you giving us pictures of your car. Reading helps you write your articles and helps us to read and write in school. Your racing fans, Jenna and Aaron.”

---- Mrs. Loperfido’s second grade class sent me these well-written letters with perfect penmanship, which brought a smile to my face, and a tear to my eye. Kelly Voll wrote a story about this campaign for the March 9^th edition of The Citizen newspaper (www.auburnpub.com). Previous to the reading in the classrooms, all of us drivers were introduced at a special assembly in front of the entire school. We were treated as heroes this day, and I will never forget the looks on these children’s faces. Thanks to everyone involved for allowing me to spend some time with this great bunch of kids.

---- (on the cover) “J.J. Andrews is in first! (Inside) Dear Mr. Andrews, Thank you for coming to Weedsport Elem. to read. We loved the post cards that you gave us! You taught us that reading is important. From: Michaella and Aubrey.”

---- Now for a story about driver with a new ride, that was originally posted on my blog at www.gaternews.com. Note: while the blog section of the Gater News website has been hampered by some technical difficulties lately, rest assured that it will be corrected soon….

---- “This is a whole new environment - I’m ready to go out and have some fun, and win some races!”, said Jason Simmons, the new driver of the Terry Solazzo owned #25 FFB small block super. This rumor had been floating around for awhile, but it was never an officially done deal until just recently.

---- In 2009, Solazzo’s two car team found Mike Bond 3rd in points, and Rob Pullen 9th. With Pullen not returning to the seat, Solazzo had to decide whether he was going to just field the one car, for Bond, or link up with another driver. Of course at the end of last season, the talk was of only returning with the one ride. But I know how racing season is. Many of the season’s frustrations and woes that build up during the racing season seem to cool off with the cool weather, and are often mostly forgotten with the first big freeze. It’s just the way it works - I see it every year.

---- Simmons will supply his own engine for the Solazzo #25, a Mike O’Connor built power plant that was new near the end of the 2009 season. Jason’s own car though, will be at the speedway weekly, and be ready as a backup, or “in case you want to hop in it”, Jason offered.

---- The #25 will have some new body panels and bumpers, and will be gone through thoroughly before the season takes the green. “It’s a level playing field now”, Jason enthused, looking forward to trying a newer car than his own, with all of the current updates. “I want to push the envelope…”

---- Simmons also still owns an SST modified, which he ran once last year. That car will also be prepped and ready for a few events at Oswego, and maybe Shangri-La2 or Spencer Speedway. The SST will also sport a new O’Connor motor, and driving duties will be shared by Simmons, and Mike Bond. It’s not a full-time deal for either one, as the focus will be on the small block supermodified division, but there will definitely be a few shows for the #91 SST mod.

---- Brian Sobus, who retired from small block supermodified racing after the 2009 season, admitted recently that he’s coming out of retirement…again. He’s not sure yet if he’ll run the full season, but he’ll be there when the green flag drops.

---- “To be honest with you, I don’t really want to do the whole season. We’ve got to see how the first couple of races go”, Brian informed. But we all know what an illness racing is. My prediction is that once they race a few times, they will be locked in. It happens every year. Especially with Brian and his family owned team.

---- They did consider moving to the SST modified division. “I love the speedway, and don’t want to give it up yet”, Brian shared. Sobus and the family team were involved in some controversy at the end of ‘09, so it wasn’t definite that they would come back - or be allowed back. But things always blow over, and in the light of spring, racing at Oswego Speedway looks like fun again.

---- So add the #79 back into the equation for the weekly (I predict) drivers. Although the division looked like it may be faltering at one point, I think car counts will be equal with, or maybe even a little ahead, of the 2009 field.

---- Rob Pullen, who reportedly wasn’t planning to race much in 2010 due to the startup of a new business, may still have the car at the speedway on a weekly basis. I heard recently that mod lite driver Mike Bruce may be wheeling the car on several race nights, and that Pullen himself may still hop behind the wheel for selected races. The division grows again!

---- And yet another small block super has been purchased by rookie Chris Tedd. In addition to the former Kevin Knopp car, renumbered as #37, Tedd has bought the former White’s Car Care # 4, and will campaign that as a second car under the “Teddneck Racing” umbrella in 2010. Teddneck’s crew chief Dennis Richmond will be behind the wheel of the car a few times, and other “guest” drivers may see some time on the track.

---- Tedd is looking for someone to bring some sponsorship or cash to run the #7 car (formerly the #4) a few times. The car is also signed up for the commitment program in ‘010, and hopefully will be there weekly. Several open nights are available. If you’re interested, get in touch with Chris Tedd, and work out a deal.

---- The prep work on the #37 car (formerly #04) is almost done, and is going back together this week. Dan Dennie is building a new body for the car. The #7 (formerly #4) was in very good shape, and didn’t need a lot of work to be ready for the season. The engine will be freshened.

---- Chris is still very excited about the new season and the new challenge, and will be a great addition to the small block supermodified community. He has a track rental scheduled for April 30^th. And he’s very appreciative of all of the help that he has received from guys like Dennis Richmond, Steve Abt, Dan Dennie and others. And most importantly, “my family’s still excited about it!”, said Tedd.

---- You can also possibly add in Chris Lupa’s #46 car, as several inquiries have been made recently about the fully updated Hedger car, which has recently been offered at a closeout price of $6,500. I predict that this car will be sold soon, and see laps at the speedway in 2010. That’s a ridiculous deal for that price. And Shawn Walker’s #68 is still for sale for $5,500 or best offer or trade for whatever.

---- One dedicated longtime small block supermodified driver may have a tough time supporting the division in 2010, as originally planned. Jack Patrick suffered an injury to his shoulder in the off-season, and is unsure at this stage in his recovery if he will even be okay to drive when the green flag flies on May 8^th. Like Arinze Onuaku for the Syracuse Basketball team, only time will tell how soon the recovery will happen. Jack has said that he will consider putting another driver behind the wheel of the car temporarily if he’s not healed up by the season’s opener. “I do want to have the car there for every race, even if I can’t drive it”, said Patrick. He definitely wants to support the division, live up to his obligation to the commitment program, and give his sponsors the visibility that they deserve.

---- Former supermodified driver Bob Reis is hitting the dirt in 2010. After driving other divisions of racecars including pavement modifieds and supers, Reis has purchased a dirt sprint car that he will compete on the ASCS Patriot Series in 2010. “I don’t have any dirt experience”, Bob told me, but he’s anxious to give it a try.

---- The scheduled 31 race ASCS series will not be enough to satisfy Reis’s “need for speed” this year though. Bob still has his asphalt modified in the garage, and plans to hit the Race of Champions pavement mod trail when he can.

---- But does that mean Reis’s legion of supermodified fans have seen the last of him in a super? Absolutely not. He’s not done with supers. His couple race stint in the Daratt Farms Racing entry in 2009 was enough to keep him interested in the “world’s most awesome racecar,” as I like to call it. Bob has actually looked at a supermodified recently to purchase, and may be behind the wheel of that at some point in 2010. Quite an ambitious schedule for the personable driver. Best of luck in 2010!

---- It’s officially Fundraiser season. This is the time where many race teams organize fundraisers and parties to start raising some funds for our season of racing. It’s a great way to support your favorite driver, as well as a fun time to touch base with your racing buddies. I go to as many as I can. Here’s a list of some upcoming fundraisers, and the information. Please let me know about yours, so I can plug it here. Here are the ones I’ve heard about.

…. Saturday, April 3^rd. Double Deuce Racing. Lighthouse Lanes. 1:00- 7:00. Chicken barbecue, and Millenium Music.

…. Saturday, April10^th. Jerry Curran. Dominick’s Sports Bar in Scriba (new location). 1:00 - ? Chicken barbecue.

…. Saturday, April 10^th. Proud Motorsports. LaGraf’s. 1:00 -7:00. Chicken barbecue. Race simulators. Music.

…. Saturday, April 17^th. Steve Abt. Lighthouse lanes.

…. Sunday, April 18^th. Chris Tedd’s Teddneck Racing. Change of Pace Tavern in Syracuse. Noon to 6:00.

…. Saturday, April 24^th. TTR Racing. (Luther Gray, Nick Demling and Jason Vickery’s Kart team.) LaGraf’s. Noon - 9:00. Chicken barbecue. Millenium Music.

…. Saturday, May 1^st. Mike Bond. Lighthouse Lanes. (After open practice.)

---- There’s an initial list of the upcoming fundraisers. More to come. Please support when you can.

---- Also, I’d like to add one more subject on fundraisers. I recently saw a Facebook message that stated “thanks to those who came to my fundraiser, and (profanity) to those who didn’t”. While many people support fundraisers, we can’t hate the ones who don’t attend, for many reasons. Although I have gone to this racer’s past fundraisers, It was impossible for me to support the aforementioned person’s party at the time it was held since I was out of town. But the nastyBook that I received while I was down there made sure that I didn’t contribute later, as I often do. Yes, we do make mental notes of who doesn’t come to our fundraisers, but we must try not to take it personally. I prefer to focus more on what people DO for me, than what they don’t do.

---- I did get some interesting feedback from my last column which featured some of my personal favorite columns that I had written in the past. I came across this one recently that gave me a chuckle, from April, 2007…

---- I suppose you’re all wondering why I’ve called you here today. I’m here to speak with you all about a subject that is very near and dear to my heart. I suspect that if you are reading this today, that we are of similar mind, and that many of you may be suffering from a parallel condition. I am here today to speak to you about addiction.

---- Addiction is a chronic relapsing brain disease. Brain imaging shows that addiction severely alters brain areas critical to decision-making, learning and memory, and behavior control, which may help to explain the compulsive and destructive behaviors of addiction. Many of you are familiar with addiction. You may have a friend of a friend who has an addiction. You may have a relative with an addiction. Some of you may even have an addiction of your own. People in all walks of life are subject to addictive behavior. Poor people in the ghetto often suffer from addictions. A wealthy man in a high-rise office building may be addicted to something. Soccer moms - often addicted. Doctors - lawyers - Indian chiefs. Many are addicted.

---- Gater News columnists - I know one with an addiction. It is with a heavy heart that I go public with this confession. MY addiction. This column is a cry for help. I’ve dropped hints with my friends. My family, aware of my torture, refuses to help me. I need an intervention. Does anyone out there care enough to help me? Or are you too wrapped up in your own sicknesses to be my “knight in shining armor”?

---- Okay - out with it. Enough beating around the bush. Time for my confession: I’m addicted to… auto racing. There - I said it. That confession in itself was very liberating. A huge weight has been lifted off of my shoulders. Thank you. I can’t get enough of auto racing. Fast cars. Slow cars. Cars with doors. Cars with tops. Cars with wings. Cars with expensive parts. Noisy cars. Quiet cars. Cars driven by men. Cars driven by women. Cars driven by people with nappy hair.

---- For years I’ve replaced the word “addiction” with the word “passion”. “Racing is my ‘passion’. But let’s be honest here. I’m not gonna lie. The lies are over. According to my calculations, this is the year 2007. Since my formative years in the 70’s, approximately several years ago, I have been forced to hear the rumble. Brewerton Speedway and Weedsport Speedway (yes, I called it Weedsport Speedway - not today’s weird name of CCFS. That in itself should illustrate how severely this addiction has gripped me) were the haunts that my parents unwittingly used to lay the groundwork for my pain. Why would they do it? Why did I love to hate Will Cagle and George Mowry, and love to love Fran Kitchen and Frankie Doll and Stoney Stoneburg and Deek Decker and Dale Weigand? In their defense, my parents had no idea what they were doing to me back then. Just like cigarette smoking and Diet Pepsi and broccoli, the research wasn’t out there in those days, informing us of the dangers of such actions.

---- Next came the beginning of what I call “the driving years”. I’ll never forget the rush. I was hooked the first time I tried it. Although I’ve never tried any actual drugs, I think the symptoms of driving a racecar are the same. Surge of euphoria ("rush") accompanied by a warm flushing of the skin, a dry mouth, and heavy extremities. Mental functioning becomes clouded due to the depression of the central nervous system. It was a cool night, July 8th, 1979. Weedsport Speedway. 1967 Chevy Impala. 283 cubic inch engine. Painted with a brush. First place trophy. Interview in front of the grandstands with announcer Joe Marotta. (Note: some of these facts may be inaccurate or embellished for dramatic license. For example, the “amateur division” was so disrespected in those days that I doubt that there was an interview with Joe Marotta, maybe a two word comment from the flagman. The facts are a little fuzzy after all of these years. But I’m being honest about the first place trophy. Although I only finished third in the six lap, seven car race, during intermission, they gave me the wrong trophy. Yes, I kept it, and didn‘t say anything. Track management was in a big hurry to get our ugly cars off the speedway in favor of the Gremlin and Pacer bodied modifieds.) I’ll never forget that day. Or was it night…

---- Bottom line - I was hooked. Fast forward to 2007- approximately plenty of years later. It’s been an outstanding career. Multiple championships. Countless feature wins. Trophy hotties. Champagne. High-paying offers. The envy of my peers. (Again, don’t mind the dramatic license.) Just one year removed from my worst season in many years of competition at Oswego Speedway. I was THISCLOSE to quitting. Don’t have the time. Can’t justify the expense. Crew guys getting busy. Kids getting older. Business issues. Competitors threatening petitions against me. It was time to hang it up. Good run, lot of fun, time to be done. I even ditched a week of racing, for the first time almost ever. Heck with it.

---- Then BOOM! I don’t know how to explain it. Now look at me. Somehow I’ve gone from being ready to get out, to now having the best available car to race in 2007. Ray Hedger’s cars frequently dominate the division of small block supermodifieds, and I’ve got one. Doug Holmes builds the best engines for small block supermodifieds, and I’ve got one. New aftermarket spindles, best of everything. How did this happen? How did I go from having my fill, to having the best equipment in my garage? I’ve got one word: addiction. If anyone has the name of a good counselor, please get me an appointment. If not, I’ll see you at the opener. But not because I want to. Because I HAVE to.

---- Do any of you suffer from “racecar-itis”. That is why I’ve started a self help group, called “R.A.”. Racer’s Anonymous meetings will be held starting May 5th, on Saturday nights. Meetings will be held at my pit stall at small block supermodified car #93 at Oswego Speedway after the races. R.A. does not keep membership files, or attendance records. You do not have to reveal anything about yourself. No one will bother you if you don’t want to come back. Don’t be nervous about seeing people that you know there. They will be there for the same reason you are there. They will not disclose your identity to outsiders. You will find people talking about what racing did to their lives and personalities, what actions they took to help themselves, and how they are living their lives today.

---- Just ask one of our members, we’ll call him “Chip W.” in the interest of anonymity, how he feels about R.A. “Ever since I joined R.A., I have led a more successful and happy life. I now spend my Saturday nights watching T.V. and occasionally even conversing with my family, when they are not at the evil races. I purchased a boat when I sold my racecar, and I expect that I may use it one day. Yes, I have fallen off the wagon a few times, usually around Classic Weekend, but I’m trying to get better. Yes, my beer bill has increased, but my tire bill hasn’t. I even buy another small block super every now and then to prove my strength, which will all sit around my garage in various states of repair. I love not racing, and I extend my hand to anyone who would like to join me this summer for R.A. meetings. I will be contacting some drivers/owners, whom I also will leave nameless, such as “Mike B“, “Russ B”, “Eddie H”, “Kevin K”, “Pitt W”, and “Jack P” (names abbreviated to maintain their privacy), who were recommended to me by “JJ A”, that he feels could benefit from our meetings.”

---- Just remember our slogan, made up by fellow members, ex-racers named “Andy N” and “Chris P” - a non-racer is a happy racer! It makes sense.

 

Gater News - February 24th, 2010

 

Gater News - February 10th, 2010

 

Gater News - January 12th, 2010

 

Gater News - December 14th, 2009

 

Gater News - November 18th, 2009

 

Gater News - October 21st, 2009

 

Gater News - October 14th, 2009

 

Gater News - October 7th, 2009

 

Gater News - Sept. 30th, 2009

 

Gater News - Sept 22nd, 2009

 

Gater News - Sept. 10th, 2009

 

Gater News - Sept 3rd, 2009

 

Gater News - August 26th, 2009

 

 

Gater News column - August 19th, 2009

 

Gater News Column - August 12th, 2009

 

Gater News - August 5th, 2009

 

Gater News - July 30th, 2009

 

Gater News - July 23rd, 2009

 

Gater News - July 16th, 2009

 

Gater News - July 2nd, 2009

 

Gater News - June 24th, 2009

 

Gater News - June 17th, 2009

 

Gater News - June 10th, 2009

 

Gater News - June 3rd, 2009

 

Gater News column May 26, 2009

 

 

Gater News - April 22, 2009

 

Gater News - April 2, 2009

 

Gater News - March 12, 2009

 

Gater News - Feb. 25, 2009

 

Gater News - Feb 4, 2009

 

Gater News - January 14, 2008

 

Gater News - December 18, 2008

 

Gater News - October 23, 2008

The 2008 Oswego Speedway Hall of Fame and Awards Banquet is happening this Saturday night, at the Turning Stone Casino in Vernon, N.Y., and I wonder about a lot of things.  Welcome to my annual, totally farcical, completely unfunny, pre-banquet B.S. column. 

 

 ----  Is this the year that the government steps in to run the Banquet?  Although moderators Joe Marotta and Roy Sova do a great job of steering the ship, I think that Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin would do a great job.  She knows a lot about “Joe Sixpack”, so she should be very good at speaking to “Joe Thirty Pack”.

 

 ----  Will track champions Otto Sitterly and Kevin Knopp make a lot of cash charging for autographs this year?  Both drivers are offering autographed pictures of themselves - in slinky swimwear - with the proceeds from the sale going to their favorite charities.  Knopp’s charity of choice is “The  KK Foundation for Wayward Women and Injured Overweight Pole Dancers”.   Sitterly’s proceeds will go to the “Bo-Sid Makeover Foundation”.  This fund supports broken-down racecar drivers who require implants (that’s hair implants) and Botox injections to keep their boyish good looks.  It is rumored that later in the evening, both drivers will be appearing on the dance floor and posing for pictures in their same swimwear, for a fee, of course.  The champions have already chosen a special Goo-Goo Dolls song for their special dance.  Please give ‘til it hurts!

 

 ----  Although this is his second championship, Otto’s car owner John Nicotra will accept his first championship as a car owner, in his second season as an owner.  Nicotra also fields a supermodified for Davey Hamilton on occasion.  It is rumored that Nicotra will be one of the judges of Ron Gray’s Millenium Music Driver Dance Contest after the awards ceremony, with the winner receiving a one time ride in the #7 Nicotra supermodified.  I’m bringing my dancing shoes! 

 

 ----  Dave Gruel, who will drive the Tim Barbeau owned small block super in 2009, has been working on some special moves for that dance contest.  I’m told that he and his girlfriend Shanna have been attending dancing lessons, and that Shanna was once a participant on “Dancing With the SuperStars”.  What the two lovebirds don’t know, though, is that this isn’t hip-hop dancing.  All the time they have spent working on the “booty-back-and-forth” dance will be wasted, as this is clearly a “Redneck Dance” contest.  Favorites to win are supermodified drivers Tim Snyder and Craig Rayvals, and FFB Chassis builder Dan Dennie.  Good thing it’s not belly dancing.

 

 ----   I’m being told that Head Tech Mike Bozzuto has prepared a special presentation to the “most legal car at the speedway” in the small block supermodified division.  This special award recipient earned his honors by cheating the least amount of anyone.  “Hey - if he’s that slow, he must be legal”, stated an un-named source when announcing the winner of the award to members of the media in a double-secret pre-banquet ceremony.  As I am not considered a legitimate member of the working media, I wasn’t allowed access to this meeting.  But after 20 plus years as an illegitimate member of the press, I do have spies.  I have secured the answer to the winner of this year’s “most legal car at the speedway” award, for the small block supermodified division.  The envelope please?  Jack Patrick is the winner of this prestigious award.  Congrats, Jack!  We all owe Jack a congratulatory drink at the banquet.

 

 ----  I’m excited about a new edition to the banquet this year.  There will be a celebrity dunking booth, where fans will have the opportunity to make their least favorite driver, owner, announcer, car builder or speedway promoter fall into a tank of bacteria-filled water, possibly bruising their elbow or hitting their head on the way down.  Appearing in the tank will be such stars as Chip “the water will be over my head” Wood, Shawn “wait till you see me in a wet t-shirt” Walker,  Pat “I don’t need you…  to dunk me” Furlong, and  Keith “I wreck every other week” Gilliam.  It should be fun.  But don’t get all excited,  Chalupa.  I said DUNKing booth, not DRUNKing booth.

 

 ----  I’ve seen Chris Lupa’s new outfit for the banquet.  He’s spent a lot of time looking for just the right attire.  (As if anyone would ever want to take his picture.)  He tried real hard to duplicate Russ Brown’s purple leisure suit from a few years back, but couldn’t find one.  But Chalupa modeled his attire recently at a fashion show, making his “special lady” Jamie very proud.  From the pictures I’ve seen, he looks great in pink and orange, in my opinion.  Kind of like the character “McLovin”, from the movie SuperBad. 

 

 ----  Ed Horne will not be in attendance, as the car owner of the 4th in owner points, small block super #10, will be out of town for the event.  But Eddie has secured me as the person responsible for collecting his pay in his absence.  So…  good news, you guys.  Eddie’s buying the next round!

 

 ----  2008 Oswego Speedway Hall of Fame inductee Mike Bond has some special thank-yous in store for his speech.  In addition to the obvious family, sponsor, crew, and car owner acknowledgements, I’m hearing that Mike will offer thanks to some others.  For example, his barber, for the “special haircut” that has become his trademark. (A.K.A., his Mom, and the salad bowl.)  Gianni Versace for the special HoF outfit that was designed for the special occasion.  Henry Ford, for inventing the automobile.  A. Cornelius Light, inventor of the beverage known as “Bud Light”.  And of course, his parents, for making him.  Should be a great speech!

 

 ----  There are some wagers going around about who will have the longest Hall of Fame acceptance speech among the six inductees.  Doug Heveron, Jerry Rich, Mike Bond, Carol Haynes, Bob Goutermout, and Jim Ferlito are this year’s inductees.  Jerry Rich has already warned me that his speech will discuss his childhood, when he rode to school on a horse and buggy, in a one room schoolhouse. 

 

 ----  So is it still true, as was stated earlier in the season by a driver interviewed for www.sbsracingnews.com, that it is a negative thing to spend 15 years racing at Oswego Speedway, instead of moving on to other presumably bigger forms of auto racing?  I wonder if entering the Oswego  Hall of Fame makes it worth it.  The wisecrack was said about Hall of Famer Mike Bond.  Many of us “Old Timers” were offended by those comments, which is why we plan on “punking”  Kreig Heroth’s motel room with silly string, and a water bucket leaned against his door.  Maybe we’ll even do an “upper decker”, if we can get in his room.  Of course those comments are old news, and were made in the heat of battle, but bringing it back up now just gives us license to bust his chops the whole night.  Better keep an eye on your shoes, Kreig!  Let the games begin…

 

 ----  A special retirement gold watch will be presented to Larry Muroski, who has announced that he will be leaving the small block supermodified division.  The watch was purchased by his appreciative ex-competitors, as a token of their gratitude for “cutting them some slack by bailing out”, as the engraving on the watch states.

 

 ----  Many people are excited about the Halloween costume contest that will be taking place at the banquet again this year.  I’ve heard of a few of the costumes that  people will be wearing.  For example, Lou LeVea, Jr. and Brian Sobus will be dressed as Lloyd Christmas and Harry Dunne from the movie “Dumb and Dumber”.  Reality TV character costumes are also very popular this year.  Barry Kingsley and wife Debi will go as show contestants “Beauty and the Geek”.  Lou LeVea Sr. will be disguised as “Average Joe”, and Pat Lavery will be the shirtless guy in the trailer park from the show “Cops”.  My wife April and I will be “Dog” and “Beth” from the show “Dog the Bounty Hunter”.  I haven’t heard yet who will be attending as characters from the shows “Intervention”, and “Biggest Loser”.

 

 ----  Okay - enough of the ball busting.  In all seriousness, I’m very much looking forward to this weekend’s banquet.  The Oswego Speedway banquet staff always do a great job of putting this party together, from the dinner, to the awards, the HoF ceremony, to the music (now that they’ve hired Millenium Music instead of bands), right down to the hospitality room afterwards.  I remember Pat Furlong last year going to bat for us with Turning Stone security, trying to get the hours extended for that room.  A good time will be had by all.  We’ll be there early, and look forward to seeing all of our racing friends, some for the last time this year.  See you there!

Super Dirt Week is in the books, along with all of the satellite races that were held at area speedways.  Race fans had a rain-free, and somewhat warm (for October) weekend, which made it very enjoyable for all teams, fans, and mostly, speedway owners.  Weather can make or break the track promoter, who has the most on the line of anyone.  So as tough as it has been to own a racetrack in the last few years, I’m happy to see some of biggest the risk-takers make some money last weekend. A good SDW can put a lot of people in a solid position for the 2009 season.

 

 ----  Although I ended up attending four different races during the weekend, I only attended one as a reporter.  (Which means that the others were last minute ideas, and I didn’t receive any free admissions - a.k.a. credentials, since it is necessary as a media member to request credentials in advance.)  But I thoroughly enjoyed that Thursday night small block race at Brewerton Speedway. 

 

 ----  Brett Hearn was clearly the class of field on this night.  But that doesn’t mean that he won the race.  In heat #2, Hearn stated his position right away by making an incredible last lap, last turn pass of Todd Burley to take the checkers.  It was an awesome power move on the outside, just as the checkers fell.  He then charged from his 9th place starting position into the lead on lap 17, and proceeded to lead the next 42 laps.  Gary Tomkins kept him in sight, but it’s hard to say if he could have passed him back.

 

 ----  But lap 60 changed everything.  That’s when Hearn stalled out with a flat right front tire, ending his shot at the victory.  I expected Hearn to make a solid charge back through the field at least into the top ten, but that was not meant to be.  But he still was able to play a part in the outcome of the race, controlling who the winner was, even though he wasn’t around for it.  Read on.

 

 ----  Vic Coffey was the most exciting car to watch.  Involved in an early tangle, Coffey was forced to pass the entire field of quality cars to have a shot at the victory.  He passed cars high and low to saw through the field, and finally wrestled the lead from Gary Tomkins on lap 70.  It appeared as though Coffey would then cruise to the well deserved victory from there.  He worked for it and earned it.  But it was still not quite in the bag, as a lap 71 (of 75 scheduled) caution extended the pressure for Coffey.  Although he held off Tomkins on this restart, he still wasn’t quite done.  That’s when Hearn stepped back into the picture, shutting down his machine on the speedway surface, bringing out the caution, causing a second overtime restart.

 

 ----  That’s when Tomkins seized the day, taking advantage of a slight cushion jump by Coffey to slide underneath and snatch the gold from Coffey.  Coffey wasn’t happy, as you may expect, as he felt that Hearn should have been able to make it off the speedway when his car faltered.  That last momentum break was just enough to put Tomkins back at an advantage, and that was it. 

 

 ----  It’s a good thing that Chad Brachmann had earned a guaranteed spot previous to the qualifiers.  Brachmann was in two nasty wrecks, one in his heat race, and one in the consolation.  But fortunately, Brachmann never gave up, and was rewarded with an 11th place finish in the final rundown, after starting 28th.  Tough night for Brachmann, but he had to feel satisfied in the end, under the circumstances.

 

 ----  I enjoyed watching the #42 of Kevin Bates.  I always like watching the guys who run the hardest, and throw their cars around the most.  Bates sure cranks it around pretty hard, so I always look forward to seeing him at Brewerton.  After a bad finish in his heat race, Bates had to fight to make it through the consi.  But he did work his way into the show, starting 21st, and finished in 12th at the checkers.

 

 ----  Tim McCreadie, who has been winning some huge money races on the Late Model circuit (three big wins in the last few weeks put $85,000 in the bank for him and his team)  showed up at Brewerton in the Pierre Dagenais car for the small block event.  McCreadie looked solid finishing in 2nd place in heat #5, but his day ended in an early crash that also ended the day for Alan Johnson.  But it wasn’t a total wasted trip home for the gypsy superstar, who I heard recently on the “Bubba the Love Sponge” radio show on Sirius Satellite Radio.  I eavesdropped on quite a hockey discussion between T-Mac and Bill Gill during the driver’s meeting.  I bet McCreadie enjoyed catching up with his old buddies from the area when he came back to run Dagenais’ car.

 

 ----  Gill was even less lucky than McCreadie, going home as one of 26 unqualified cars for the evening.  I always root for Bill Gill when I see him.  He’s another one of those cool guys to talk to. 

 

 ----  Tim Fuller is another Late Model racer who spent the weekend driving modifieds.  But his Thursday night small block race also didn’t even go as well as McCreadie’s.  Fuller was involved in a crash on the opening lap of his heat race, which sent him pitside.  A terrible starting spot for his consi made it impossible for Fuller to get into the top two positions, and was added to the huge list of DNQ drivers.  Along with another experienced driver by the name of Danny Johnson.  And Ted Lamb, who took a horrible shot into the fence in heat #3, in Mike Prentice’s car.  Lamb never made it back out for the consi.

 

 ----  Despite my past experiences of not really caring for Super Dirt Week, I found myself strangely drawn to the fairgrounds this last week.  I didn’t go to the feature events on Saturday and Sunday,  but I did pop in for some of the events on Thursday and Friday.  Still maybe not my favorite type of racing (I think I still prefer tracks where you can easily watch the cars all the way around the track), I am starting in my old age to appreciate the “happening” of the whole deal.  A little.  No, I’m not planning an all-out assault on SDW in 2009, but maybe a trip through the pits to watch the teams would be interesting for me.

 

 ----  And I’m also starting to develop a little taste for sprint cars, which I’ve always hated.  An early-season trip to Rolling Wheels for the World of Outlaws should have killed it for me (terrible show), but I still gave sprinters a few more chances in support of my buddy Andy Noto, who now races with the ESS and Patriots on an irregular basis. 

 

 ----  That being said, I have to admit that the Patriot sprint show at Weedsport Speedway last Friday night was awesome.  Yes, a bunch of tangles and cautions almost killed it for me, but watching these guys pass and fly on a short track made it all worthwhile.  Thanks to Andy’s invites, I’ll see more sprint races in the future.  But it’ll only be on a short track.

 

 ----  But maybe I shouldn’t go to support Andy Noto.  I seem to bring him bad karma when I’m there.  He DNQ’d last week, after a fuel line leak ended his shot in the consi.  So, according to my calculations, I think that’s three times I’ve gone to watch Andy flip his sprint car, and he’s let me down every time.  Some friend.  Hope I’m there for the first time it happens.  (Note: don’t consider me a sadist.  Sprint car drivers always flip.  It barely fazes them.  I was there when Andy flipped his supermodified, and he only soiled himself a little.)

 

 ----  Next week I’ll have a preview of the Oswego Speedway banquet, and the havoc I’m planning to cause.  We’ve got some interesting people being inducted into the Hall of Fame this year.  I have heard that Mike Bond has purchased a purple leisure suit for the occasion.  And I’m also hoping to see Jerry Rich wear his “dilligaf” hat during his speech, the same hat that he was wearing last weekend at Syracuse selling programs.  (If you don’t know what “dilligaf” stands for, shoot me an e-mail and I’ll enlighten you.)  His speech should be interesting!

 

 ----  If you like what you’ve read here, and want more, I can lead you to more.  I also have fun writing a “blog”,  which can be seen on the Gater News website at www.gaternews.com.  I hope you’ll go there and check it out, and please leave a comment. 
 

I love the Schneider Brothers (formerly known as the Victoria) 200, the 23rd annual $25,000 to win modified race, which is held yearly at Fulton Speedway.  This year’s edition was one of the better ones in recent memory.

 

 ----  Yes, Danny Johnson won the race.  But it wasn’t a typical win for Danny, as he didn’t really become a factor until the end.  His fastest lap of the day didn’t even come until lap 168, which, coincidentally, is the same lap that he took the lead.  It was a great win for Johnson, a win that I sure didn’t see coming.

 

 ----  I really thought that this was the year that Brett Hearn would finally get his elusive first win.  Hearn led many laps, and appeared to be the man in charge.  But several battles throughout the day made it tough to assign a favorite.

 

 ----  But it wasn’t Danny Johnson who first wrestled the lead from Hearn.  Dave Camara was also at or near the front the whole day, and looked for awhile as though he may have been in position to steal his first Schneider Brothers 200 win.  Camara led a lot of laps earlier in the race before Hearn and then Johnson took charge, and had a legitimate shot at the win all day.  He showed a lot of muscle, but at the end of the day he fell short.  Camara ended up 4th in the final rundown, as Pat Ward passed him in the late going for the final podium shot.

 

 ----  Ryan Phelps also ran a great race to land his first top five finish in the historical season-ending Fulton Speedway event.  Ryan’s father Roger Phelps currently sits in the top ten in all-time points for the annual affair, so the kid’s got some catching up to do before he takes over the family bragging rights.  I wonder if he ever got that chicken wing pizza that he was asking for - with a megaphone - later that evening at the campfire.  I agree with his statement that he deserved the delectable delicacy after his top five finish.  A young man after my own heart.

 

 ----  Prior to last weekend, I hadn’t heard much about Paul Kinney.  But last week’s performance at Fulton got my attention.  First, he won one of two coveted guaranteed starting spots by turning in the second fastest time in hot laps on Friday.  Then he battled with Dave Camara early in the race, leading several laps.  Kinney was 8th in the final rundown.

 

 ----  I really thought Billy Pauch would be a contender.  Pauch is the only guy to win six of these races, although this year was his first appearance in a few years.  But he found out that what used to work - running the extreme outside cushion - wasn’t the answer in 2008.  Yes, 11th place is a great finish for most, but this is Billy Pauch.  I give him a lot of points for sticking with it, and he tried to develop a cushion lap after lap, but it never really panned out for him.

 

 ----  “I had a 7th place car”, is what Roy Bresnahan calculated after the event.  I thought that he should be happy with a 12th place finish, but he was not.  The “Wild Man”, as he is known, wanted better, and felt that if things went a little differently that he would have been well into the top ten.  The best racers are never satisfied unless they win.

 

 ----  Billy Decker was all set to give the boys a run for their money as the race wore on.  Decker had methodically worked his way into the top five in the lap 150’s, advancing as far as third on lap 156.  But his day ended on lap 161 with a trip to the pits.

 

 ----  Tim Fuller has been running in the Late Model division for a few years now, and cherry picks the modified shows when time permits around the late model schedule.  Saturday looked for awhile as though this may be a major $25K cherry pick, as he was shot out of a cannon.  Fuller was hooked up, and advancing to the front.  Then, just like that, his run was over with some mechanical issues that ended his day.

 

 ----  Of course there’s gambling that goes on in the grandstands.  Big money gambling.  For $5.00 each, a bunch of us race fans were able to choose a driver (at random), with the winner and another finisher paid back at the end of the race.  Since I was feeling lucky,  I got in three times, and assembled my team.  Bob Henry, Jr.(30th), Chris Hile (32nd), and finally Dale Planck (38th) were my three drivers.  If you’re reading this Bob, Chris, and Dale, you each owe me a “fin” for making me the laughing stock of the whole grandstands.  Or at least the part I was sitting in.

 

 ---- The luck of the draw is everything at this race.  Good cars can have some pretty bad results if they don’t get the right starting position for their qualifying race.  For example, despite all of my best efforts, (I wore my Chad Phelps Racing shirt under six other layers of shirts and jackets) my man Chad Phelps wasn’t able to qualify, after starting poorly in both his heat and his consolation race.  Chad was quite disappointed  that he didn’t make the show.  He even sacrificed his Friday night festivities so he would be at his best on Saturday, leaving Luther’s camp well before 4:00AM to get some shut-eye.

 

 ----  The support divisions, as they are sometimes condescendingly called, are also a great part of the Schneider Brothers Weekend.  Huge fields of racecars are on the premises for the weekend’s events, and they always put on a great show.  All of the qualifiers, as well as most of the pro stock feature, were run on Friday night before the rain settled in.  The remaining features were added to Saturday’s events, which made for a fantastic day of racing.

 

 ----  My favorite race of the “other divisions” was the IMCA modified race.  I wasn’t always a fan of this division, which replaced pure stocks at Brewerton Speedway years ago (which explains why I copped an attitude for them for so long.)  But last week’s race was an excellent show.  I was really glad they were added to the field, after Thursday night’s IMCA series race was rained out in Fulton.

 

 ----  Rich Keller raced his way to the lead in the IMCA race, riding the cushion in the high groove.  He had ‘em covered, until he jumped that cushion, allowing a bottom-running J.J Courcy to get by.  After the next restart though, Keller jumped right back into his groove, and wrestled the lead back from Courcy.  It was a great side by side race, and Keller likely would have held on for the win if he had stuck to his guns.  But he didn’t.  Seeing Courcy’s car underneath every lap caused Keller to change his line, moving to the center of the track where there wasn’t much bite left, allowing Courcy to gain the advantage, and ultimately the win.  It was a very nice piece of driving by Courcy, and I’m proud to let him use my first name (J.J.- no relation).  Keller’s melt-down led to an accident on the last lap, landing him in 11th place in the final results.

 

 ----  Gary Roberts, Bob Banks, Aaron Jacobs, and Les Hubbard scratched to the rest of the top five positions in the final rundown.  Kevan Cook finished 10th, Rob Keller had a 16th place DNF, while Dale Caswell also fell out early for an 18th place DNF.  Hottest car on the track was Brandon Carvey, whose race ended when his #5 caught on fire in front of the grandstands as he started to walk to the pits.  (Get it?  Fire?  Hot car?  That’s my little joke.)

 

 ----  So why don’t all IMCA mods pick their left front tires off the ground about three feet?  It’s crazy to watch, but sometimes it looks like they’re going to flip right over because they’re leaned over so hard onto the right rear corner.  I think it looks pretty cool, and usually the fastest cars (at least the ones that I watched this year at Brewerton) are set up that way.  I bet it’s rough on equipment though. Courcy, Caswell, Cook, and Rob Keller all run like that at Brewerton - and win most of the races.

 

 ----  The sportsman division sure does mix it up.  I can’t believe how durable those cars are, because they are constantly smashing into each other, and keep going.  They put on a great show though, and it’s fun to watch.  I’d probably feel differently if I had any money invested.

 

 ----  Jeremy Wilder was the winner, followed by Dave Marcuccili, Jeremy Pitcher, Alan Fink, and Mark D’ilario. 

 

 ----  Pete Stefanski has now won four in a row in the pro stock division, this time coming from way in the rear in the rain-shortened race.  Stefanski started 17th after being penalized for an incident that took place in his heat, which he had won prior to the penalty.  This is quite a record for Stefanski, who proved once and for all that he has this race figured out better than anyone.  His 2001 victory puts him at FIVE total wins in this event.

 

 ----  Dion Oakes, Don Carlson, Jocelyn Roy, and Allen Peters rounded out the top five.  Bret Belden finished in 10th place.

 

 ----  The street stock division was quite the opposite of what I expected.  For example, Dave Mannise, who has won this race at least twice, struggled throughout before leaving the track with a flat tire.  Mannise started almost last, and was never a factor in the race before calling it a day.  Rusty Marsden is one of the most dominant drivers in this division, but also started - and stayed - in the rear of the field before pulling off of the track surface.  Bubba Burnell hasn’t finished worst than second in the last three of these annual events, but also ran near the rear, for a 17th place finish in the final rundown.  I was disappointed to not see any of these guys slice through the field.  I guess it just wasn’t their year.

 

 ----  Shawn Frost drove a great race to score the street stock victory.  Nathan Peckham, Kevin Smith, Andy Fisk, and Adam Depuy rounded out the top five.  Larry Bezner was 8th.

 

 ----  Let me just say that I had nothing to do with the mattress surfing episode in the campgrounds at Fulton Speedway on Friday night.  I wasn’t the one who saw that on “Redneck Weddings”.  I don’t know whose truck was towing it. And I have no idea who the man was on the mattress, who was wearing a helmet and Hans device.  It was a comical sight, for sure. We…I mean they… were just having fun, and it was totally entertaining from the back of the truck.  Or so I’m told.  The perpetrators were let off with a warning after a brief conversation, which involved a lot of laughing from both sides, where it was requested that the offending mattress be put away.  If  I find out any information, I’ll be sure to report it to the authorities.  These television shows sneak into the fabric of peoples daily lives, and are doing their best to “dumb down” society.  (Yes, I love the show “Redneck Weddings” on CMT.)

 

 ----  Speaking of dumbing down society, you internet people should check out my blog, at www.gaternews.com.  It’s a lot of fun, and sometimes interesting.  And while you’re killing time online, and want to read more of my monkey business, you could go to www.sbsracingnews.com, and read my “SuperStar of the Week” column.  Look around a little bit when you get there - I did one of those weekly during the season.  Had some fun with it, and only angered a few people with my sarcasm.  This week’s episode features some of my best jabs ever!

 

 ----  You guys have a good time at Super Dirt Week this weekend.  I won’t be there, but I bet a lot of you are reading this from there right now.  I’ve never been that into SDW, so I’ll probably be getting the house ready for snow while you’re reading this.  And no mattress surfing!

This week is the week that many dirt track fans have been waiting for.  It’s usually my favorite dirt race of the year, and often one of the best dirt races of the year.  It’s the 23rd annual Schneider Brothers 200 at Fulton Speedway this Thursday - Saturday. 

 

 ----  Yes, I’m having a tough time calling this race anything other than the Victoria 200, as it has always been called, but some type of politics, which saw the name “Victoria 200” sold to Utica Rome Speedway, forced that change.  I don’t know what the connection or relationship was between Utica-Rome’s owners, and the late Victoria Benway (who the Victoria was named in honor of) was, but I think it is real nice of them to honor Mrs. Benway’s memory by using that name at their speedway.  It’s too bad that the name can’t be used at Fulton Speedway, which Mrs. Benway and her husband Bub built and ran for decades, but these things happen.  But to me - it’ll always be the “Victoria 200”, no matter what the lawyers say.  No disrespect meant for the Schneider Brothers, the sponsors of the season ending event at the speedway.  Fulton Speedway was Victoria and Bub Benway’s home, and they should always be honored there. 

 

 ----  But no matter what it’s called, this race is usually my favorite dirt race of the year, for a long time now.  I’ve seen a lot of drama and crazy things happen in this race over the years, and I always look forward to what will happen this year.  In the past, nearly 100 cars have entered this race to vie for the 40 or so starting positions.  For example, in 2007, 80 cars were entered for the race.  In 2006, 98 cars entered.  That’s what you get when you put up a $60,000 plus purse to be divvied up.  The cars and stars will be here.  A check for twenty - Five grand greets the winner.

 

 ----  Only TEN drivers in the world have ever won this race.  Those drivers are: Billy Pauch (6 times), Alan Johnson (4), Tim Fuller (3), Tom Kinsella (2), Danny Johnson (2), and Frank Cozze, Paul Jensen, Dale Planck, Kenny Brightbill, and Billy Decker. 

 

 ----  One key factor that makes this race so entertaining is the fact that there are no time trials.  Nope, not at the 200.  This is a real race, with real qualifying.  Want to make the show?  You better cinch up your seat belts, and finish in position one or two in the heat.  There will be 9-10 cars in that heat, by the way.  And the luck of the draw will predict where you start that heat, because there’s a sealed envelope waiting for you in front of the grandstand, which sets that lineup.  And you won’t have the benefit of your spotter telling you when or where to block if you do get up there, because two-way radios are not allowed. 

 

 ----  There will be some guaranteed starters in the field, and you’ll get another shot in one of the 4-6 consolation races.  But you had better hit the right setup, because an awesome field of great drivers will be going home without even qualifying for the big show.  Every year there are at least 10-15 excellent teams, along with a flock of others, that are left on the outside looking in, heading home with a DNQ attached to their resume.

 

 ----  Oh, and one other thing.  It used to be that if you were one of the big buck teams, you could line up a couple of different cars, run them in different heats, and have a few chances to qualify.  A nice luxury for a well financed team.  Not going to happen this year.  “Only one Schneider Brothers 200 entry per driver” is rule number ten on the speedway’s website.  You get one chance - just like the po’ folk.  You had better make it count.

 

 ----  Okay - there’s one other way to get into the show.  And this is the craziest thing I’ve ever heard of.  Recently announced, you can earn a guaranteed starting spot by practicing.  I’m not making this up.  Read this press release, from www.fultonspeedway.com: “On Thursday and Friday nights (October 2-3) of the Schneider Brothers 200 weekend there will two sessions a night of Modified Hot-Laps, one during the intermission and one at the end of the night. The fastest overall Modified timer each night will receive $300 and a guaranteed starting spot for the 23rd Annual Schneider Brothers 200.”  That’s right - show up, run hot-laps, and maybe you’ll make the show that way.  Relax on Saturday.  I’m not sure what the speedway management’s motivation is for putting such a HUGE emphasis on hot-laps, but that should work.  You’ll see some awesome hot-laps, for sure.  Oh - and maybe the speedway will sell a couple more pit passes as a result.

 

 ----  Who will win?  I’ve got it down to a few guys:

 

 ----  Billy Decker has won almost every other modified race that he’s run this year.  He won the Vic last year (when it was still called that.).   He has to be a favorite.

 

 ----  Brett Hearn is one of the all time greatest drivers to ever run a modified.  He’s won Syracuse, and probably every other big race, numerous times.  But he’s never won this race.

 

 ----  Jimmy Phelps lives just down the street, and would love to take the honors.  He’s had his share of wins this year, so nobody would be surprised to see him in victory lane.

 

 ----  Perhaps you’ve heard of a gentleman by the name of Billy Pauch?  He’s got six of these trophies, including the first five in a row.  Nobody could count him out.

 

 ----  Pat Ward has come close, but has never put it together yet for all of the marbles.  He wins a lot of races for owner John Wight, and his consistent driving style is perfect for the 200 lap, break at half event.

 

 ----  Then there’s a couple of guys named Johnson.  (No, not Jimmie Johnson.)  Alan and Danny Johnson have been racing in this division almost since cars were invented.  Both have won this race more than once.

 

 ----  Local hero Chad Phelps, also known as “The Other Phelps”, or “That Phelps Kid”, would be my sentimental favorite to win the race.  Chad drives the “X” car, which I believe ties him to the roman numeral “ten”.  When I inquired as to what the significance of the “ten” was for Chad, all I got was a chuckle.  Which may explain why there are always good looking women around Chad….

 

 ----  Tommy Sears won the modified championship this year at Fulton.  I would love to see my old teammate grab the 200 and sweep the season.  That would be awesome - and wouldn’t surprise me one bit.  Tommy’s always been one of the best drivers around.

 

 ----  But the winner?  I’m picking Dale Planck.  Planck owned this track back in the pre-DIRT sanctioned days, winning NASCAR national titles.  He’s a previous winner, and nobody has more experience at this speedway than Planck.  (Well, maybe Tommy Sears has more laps here than anyone.  But Planck still has run more in a modified, because a lot of Tommy’s laps were in the street stock division.)  He’s had a solid season, won at Fulton this year, and has a quality ride.  Make that check out to “The Natural, Dale Planck”.

 

 ----  Sportsman winner will be Sammy Reakes IV.  In the pro stock division, Pete Stefanski has won the last three in a row, so it’s tough to bet against him.  And I’ve got to take veteran Dave Mannise, who has probably been in every street stock (formerly called pure stock) Schneider Brothers 200 race, to win the show.

 

 ----  There was a whole bunch of winged supermodified racing action last week.  An ISMA double-header at Delaware Speedway and Berlin Raceway found Dave McKnight and Chris Perley in victory lane on Friday and Saturday.  Also on Saturday, an MSA event rescheduled by rain took place at Sandusky Speedway, which was won by Tim Jedrzejek.  It was too bad that the super field had to be split on Saturday, but it says a lot about the strength of the division when you realize that 40 super teams (25 at Sandusky, and 15 at Berlin) were in competition on Saturday, between the two different locations.  Awesome support for the division.

 

 ----  But did they HAVE to run against each other?  Since the MSA Sandusky race was the one moved to the date against the previously scheduled ISMA Berlin race, couldn’t they have chosen another date after the other date rained out?  Possibly - but I’m sure that a lot of extenuating circumstances played into the decision.  But what if the MSA race was run on Sunday, for example?  Three straight days of winged super races would have been quite a weekend for the fans and teams of winged supermodified s. Wow! The ‘Dusky show would have been kind of on the way home for the racers that competed in Berlin, which is in Michigan.  Too bad that didn’t work out - but I can also understand a track not wanting to take a chance on a Sunday show for traveling cars.

 

 ----  Bobby Bond landed his first podium finish with a winged supermodified, at Berlin Raceway.  Bond switched to full-time winged racer for the 2008 season after a disagreement with speedway management caused him to lose interest in the speedway that he grew up at, which sits just about 7 miles from his home.  I caught up with Bob on his way home from Berlin on Sunday afternoon, to congratulate him on his third place finish, and ask some nosy questions, thanks to the wonders of cell phone technology.

 

 ----  But he’s enjoying traveling around with the ISMA series, and has no intentions of having Xtreme Chassis builder Paul Colloca retrofit his independent front suspension car to a solid axle car, which is what you need to race at Oswego.  Again, relentless soldier that I am, I tried to let him know how easy it would be to change his car over.  “I don’t know….  It’s not just the axle.  I’d still have to buy spindles, do something different with shocks, they’re talking about changing some stuff.  I don’t think I want to do that.”, said Bond. 

 

 ---- Plans for the remainder of the season call for a trip to Thompson for the final ISMA race, but probably not to the North Carolina race in November.  The rules for that shoot-out apparently favor the other super factions, and puts the ISMA teams at a disadvantage.  Tire softener, and 300 pounds less weight are a couple of examples of what ISMA cars are not allowed, but others are. 

 

 ----  Plans for next year call for more of the same.  “I’m pretty sure I’ll run ISMA next year”, said Bond.  Like this year, he may not attend all of the traveling races, but he’ll run for fun when he can get there.  He enjoys running ISMA, and chooses ISMA over MSA because “it’s a lot better purse”.

 

 ----  Changes over the winter?  “A few small changes.  I want to try a different wing, different design.  And I need a better motor.  I bought some heads, but I didn’t have the money to finish the motor this year.  I’m down on horsepower.”  Doug Holmes does Bob’s engines, and will be the one putting together the new one.

 

 ----  Bond bent a front pushrod (suspension part) in his heat at Delaware on Friday night, which caused the poor starting position in the feature, which left him with a 12th place finish.  He felt that he may have been a top five car with a better start, but passing was very difficult on the tight, rough track surface.  He was quite happy with his 3rd place finish at Berlin, but more for his crew, than for himself.  Ed Matteson and Larry VonHoltz made the haul for the weekend, and he’s glad to get them results.  “These guys work awful hard on this car, so it was good for them, too.”

 

 ----  So did you have anything for Perley on Saturday night?  “Probably not.  I closed in on Woody a little bit.  By the end of the race, everyone was getting loose.”, said Bond.  

 

 ----  If you like what you’ve read here, and want more, I can lead you to more.  I also have fun writing a “blog”,  which can be seen on the Gater News website at www.gaternews.com.  I hope you’ll go there and check it out, and please leave a comment. 
 

The 58th annual Race of Champions, at Oswego Speedway is officially in the record books. 

 

 ---- I’ve never really had much time around the pavement modified division, but I’m getting more and more familiar with the names from seeing the Race of Champions Tour at Oswego Speedway a few times a year.  There were definitely a ton of cars and stars in attendance, despite the fact that NASCAR had scheduled a Whelan Modified tour race right exactly against the Oswego RoC show.  Yes, there were plenty of big names at the Whelan race in Martinsville, but there was plenty of action and drama and names at Oswego.  39 cars started the event, but there were plenty others who did not make the show.  Great field!

 

 ----  Tony Hirschman was the winner at the end of the day, his third win in the event.  But it was not easy.  The 200 lap grind brings out all of the drama and strategy and luck and talent - and experience.  Tony Hirschman put the whole combination together for the historic win, a win that he will never forget.

 

 ----  It sure appeared as though Jan Leaty would be the driver to beat for quite awhile.  Leaty led several laps, and appeared to have things in order for the victory.  But in the blink of an eye, all of that can change.  As a wreck unfolded in front of him, Leaty just barely touched the right rear tire of the car that was in front of him, sending him into the outside wall.  Done for the day.

 

 ----  Erick Rudolph is always impressive when I see the mods race.  The young third generation driver drove another smart, consistent race to finish in second place after 200 laps.  We all know that it’s only a matter of time before Rudolph wins all of the big races in the division.

 

 ----  Tony Hanbury had a weekend that will bring back some memories.  Not only did he finish in third place in the modified race, he was also a winner in the previous night’s SST modified event. 

 

 ----  Rusty Smith, Earl Paules, and Daren Scherer filled out the top six positions.  The rest of the top ten consisted of Terry Cheetham, Tommy Farrell, Pete Brittain, and Lee Sherwood. 

 

 ----  Doug Reaume, who we were all cheering for because he used to compete in the small block supers, was 15th in the final rundown.  Nice to see one of “our guys” slugging it out.

 

 ----  J.R. Kent was another driver who had a solid shot, as he was moving through the field.  But Kent was involved in a hard impact with the outside fence that ended his evening.

 

 ----  The SST modified division was packed with cars on Friday night, as over 50 of them attempted to qualify for the 32 starting positions.  It was such a great field that a “b-main” was added for the cars that did not qualify, which was run on Saturday.

 

 ----  The race appeared to be a win for driver Pete Brittain, as he held a decent lead as the laps wound down.  But pretty soon his engine started to sound “different”, (as Barry put it), and he eventually left the track in a cloud of smoke.  Brittain was credited with 18th at night’s end.

 

 ----  At the end of the day, Rick Kluth was credited with the win.  But things are not always what they appear.  Kluth was later disqualified for being illegal in tech inspection, bumped back to 32nd - and last - in the final rundown.  Tony Hanbury was awarded the win, and was allowed the pageantry and prestige of getting his picture done in victory lane on Saturday.

 

 ----  Jeff Hammond, Tom McGrath, Kevin Timmerman, and Zane Zeiner rounded out the top five.

 

 ----  Another one of “our guys”, supermodified competitor and former small block super track champion Keith Gilliam made the show, but was a DNF 30th in the final rundown.  What originally felt like a motor problem turned out to be a hung up brake caliper for Gilliam, who was relieved.

 

 ----  In heat race action, Tommy Cloce looked like the man to beat in the Late Model division.  He looked like he was 50 MPH faster than all of the other cars, and we all predicted cakewalk for him come feature time.  But it must be that the other cars all caught up, or he made some incorrect adjustments.  Cloce was second in the feature.

 

 ----  Todd Hoddick was the “Cloce killer” in the Late Model feature, keeping the #49 out front as the laps wore down.  It was a fun race to watch, despite the multi-cautions.  David Regan, Lee Gill, and Josh John rounded out the top five.

 

 ----  I always love the street stocks at Oswego Speedway.  The RoC street stock event was an excellent battle, that was won by Mike Nichols.  But I really thought that Frank Reakes would get him.  Reakes looked faster, and took several shots high and low, but could never quite close the deal.  40 - yes, 40 street stocks started the street stock feature, which lasted 75 laps.

 

 ----  Multiple time champion Joe Miller, who was the guy to beat when the street stocks ran regularly at Oswego, was in competition.  Joe ran at Adirondack International Speedway during the 2008 season, but couldn’t resist a return to his stomping grounds for the Roc event.  Unfortunately for Miller, things didn’t go as planned, and he was the involved in one of the race’s crashes.

 

 ----  Jason Brigham won the mini stock event, and Tom Casabrande owned the factory / pure stock event.  Congratulations to all Race of Champions champions!

 

 ---- The Small Block Supermodified division ran under a NORA sanction at RoC.  NORA is an organization that has for many years organized events for a mini-series of races for the small block supers at other speedways, as well as Oswego Speedway.  In 2008, the weekend’s event at Oswego were the only NORA event of the season, for several reasons.  Times are tough right now for teams and speedways, so the NORA series  drivers ended up staying close to home. 

 

 ---- NORA prez Steve Reynolds is currently in the process of determining what direction to head for the 2009 season.  He will of course welcome suggestions from anyone with ideas for the future, and is planning a general membership meeting for that purpose in the next month or two.  Since I don’t plan on racing my own car at Oswego Speedway more than two or three times in 2009, I think a  4-5 race NORA series, all at different tracks, would be fun.  I’m aware that it’s not that easy to find speedways that are looking for new cars, and all of the logistics that go along with it.  That’s the challenge, for sure.  But as a guy who’s not running a full season, I think I would enjoy a short series, at a few new tracks.

 

 ---- Spencer?  Adirondack?  Wyoming County? Holland?  Chemung?  Lancaster?  What other tracks would be fun to try?  Or what other tracks would be willing to take us?  How many teams would make the commitment to travel?  (It would really require a firm commitment from the teams, as tracks won’t be happy about twelve car fields.) These are all very difficult questions, that our man in charge has to somehow find the answers to.  I’m just throwing some ideas out there, to get people thinking.  Hey small block super teams - what do you think would be fun?  Let me know, or let Steve Reynolds know.  And also - ATTENTION paved speedway owners - any interest in setting up a show with a good group of guys, with some really cool and fast racecars?  Get ahold of Steve Reynolds the following ways: steve@inkspotinfo.com, or (315) 532-2693. Steve is also campaigning for some help in running the NORA show, so if you’re interested in becoming a part of NORA, or helping with some projects, please help out, and contact him.  Let’s hit the road in ‘09!

 

 ---- The race was won by Dave Gruel , but not in his normal ride.  During a totally average season in the Tom Aaserud fronted Crow Motorsports ride, Gruel and his friend Tim Barbeau started to discuss the prospect of teaming up.  Barbeau had been running well at times, but had his struggles in 2008 as well.  Although he won a couple of features, there were some periods of terrible luck mixed in.  Since Aaserud was considering an escape or break from campaigning a car in 2009; and Barbeau was considering stepping out of the driver’s seat for 2009, the timing was perfect for Gruel to jump right in behind the wheel.  A tentative deal was made for Gruel to pilot the #50 car, and was etched in stone after he fell in love with the car during a Thursday night practice session.  “I’m ready to sign the contract!”, Gruel joked after cranking off some times dangerously close to the untouchable 18 second bracket.  Deal was done - Gruel would be the driver of the Barbeau Racing #50 for the Race of Champions NORA race, as well as the 2009 season.

 

 ----  And the rest is history!  Gruel led every lap, by a sizeable margin at times, for the runaway victory.  Congratulations to Dave, Tim, and the new #50 team.  I don’t know if they’ve chosen a name for their team yet, so I’ll make a couple of suggestions down the road.

 

 ----  The small block super race ran green to checkers, with zero accidents or caution laps.  Quite an achievement for the excellent drivers in our division.  Everyone was clean and green.  Nice job, guys!

 

 ----  Mike Bond, soon to be named to the Oswego Speedway Hall of Fame, finished in second, but was hoping for a caution at the end, as he felt that he may have had something for Gruel as the race wore on. 

 

 ----  Dave Cliff  also needed a caution, as he had to come from 8th position to get to the front.  He worked his way to 3rd at the finish, passing Kevin Knopp late in the race, who landed in 4th.  Brian Sobus rounded out the top five, after starting outside pole.

 

 ----  Apparently Rob Pullen can drive one-handed.  But he still uses his other hand though.  It appeared as though Pullen is of the opinion that Dave Cliff is indeed “number one”, as Pullen’s center finger indicated during the early stages of the race.  Cliff got into Pullen’s bumper coming off of turn two, putting Pullen sideways and prompting him to express his opinion.  As good as he is, imagine how good Rob could drive if he kept both hands on the wheel!

 

 ----  Josh LaRochelle drove the Eddie Horne owned Outdoor Power #13 once again, after bailing out of the seat two weeks before the end of the season.  “This is my last race”, indicated LaRochelle prior to the event.  Josh has been looking at boats and motorcycles, and has taken up basket weaving and pottery as his new hobbies.  I am told however, that the ballroom dancing thing didn’t really work out.  Prior to the race, I asked Josh’s dad Tim if they would consider a 2009 comeback if things went really well in the RoC race, but it sounded like that wasn’t in the cards even if that did happen.  An 11th place finish is probably not going to be the finish that pulls him back into the sport.  Maybe the weaving and pottery things will work out.

 

 ----  I will give Josh credit for the quote of the night.  Apparently there was quite a bit of contact from Josh’s front bumper during the heat race to Shawn Walker’s rear bumper.  An enraged Walker stormed to LaRochelle’s pit after the race to confront Josh about the contact.  Josh’s reply?  “My bad.”  Nothing more could be said to that, and Walker eventually returned to his pit.  I will certainly use that one.

 

 ----  In the feature, Walker lost several positions on the last lap of the race, when his transmission suddenly either blew, or jumped out of gear.  Big Daddy faded to 13th place, after he slammed it into second gear to finish out the lap. 

 

 ----  “Patty Cakes”, also known as Pat Mullen dusted off his fire suit after a long hiatus to drive the Guard Nearbin #78 for the evening.  Pat was credited with 15th place at the end of the day, one lap down to the leaders.

 

 ----  Rick Curtis drives the #66 car that was originally built by Doug Reaume, and most recently owned by Charlie Pike.  Curtis’ son was supposed to be driving the machine, but has been unable to coordinate his military career with racing in Oswego, N.Y..  It was nice to meet Curtis, who is hoping that his son can get things squared away for the 2009 season to be able to compete.  But I could tell that he’s not too disappointed to be driving the machine instead.  “If my son does get to race it next year, maybe we’ll have to find another car - for me”, Curtis confessed.

 

 ----  Terry Solazzo took a few laps in his #25 car that was driven by Rick Zeigler this year.  Solazzo owns that car, as well as the Mike Bond #26 machine.  Solazzo will not be competing in the small block super division next year, so it’s still up in the air as to who will be Solazzo’s other driver in ‘09.  Or if he will even field two cars.  “What are you offering to bring to the team?” was what Solazzo’s talent coordinator Dan Dennie replied to a semi-retired writer who was inquiring as to who the next driver would be.

 

 ----  A shout-out goes to the Race of Champions staff, as well as Lighthouse Lanes owner Bob Hoefer for providing the second largest purse that we’ll see all year, on RoC Weekend.  Hoefer added some cash to the purse as a gesture of support for the division.  Thanks again, to Andrew Harpell, and Bob Hoefer!

 

 ----  As for myself, I was content to finish off the season with three damage-free runs, and three top ten finishes.  My own car started in 5th, and finished 8th after the 35 laps of green flag racing.  Nothing exciting, but I wasn’t too far off.  I got passed by three pretty fast cars, and kept them honest.  I’ve really enjoyed this part-time racing deal, and have seen a little resurgence in my confidence level after at least running respectably with limited tires, and an engine that hasn’t been freshened for two seasons now.  My plan for now is another season just like this one - 3-4 races, and definitely Classic.  I still love the driving, but the 3-4 night a week of working on the car, along with the expense of fielding a car will still keep me away from competing full time in the future. 

 

 ----  The secret to my success last weekend?  For the first time ever I was able to coordinate an exclusive new “hot chick” crew that consisted of April Andrews and Amy Hall.  Yes, we did have “Bird” take over crew chief duties as Corey, Mark, and Scott were all among the missing, but his dual-crew chief duties for me and Barry Kingsley kept him quite busy doing the calculations for the feature.  (Barry was also crew challenged on this night.)  But if I hadn’t had my “hot chick” crew on the scene, we would have never had our tires ready and on the car in time for the feature.  It was truly a “Hot Pit”, to say the least!