OSWEGO, NY (August 18, 2019) - G.O. Racing teammates Tony Pisa and Greg O’Connor shared the front row for Saturday’s 30-lap Pathfinder Bank SBS main event and it was O’Connor who went the distance for his third career Oswego victory presented by Skip’s Fish Fry.
“This is definitely a confidence booster going into Classic,” O’Connor said. “The car is the best it has been all year right now and probably last year too. I just can’t thank my guys enough for busting ass and getting this done for me. I couldn’t do it without them.”
On the initial start, O’Connor shot outside of Pisa’s No. 89 going into turn one and was able to virtually drive away for the remainder of the event. Pisa got pinned down low while O’Connor brought the Josh Sokolic No. 26 on the high side with him.
When Pisa kicked the rear end out on lap 2, this would open up the door for fifth starting David LaTulip and seventh starting Andrew Schartner to go past, now inheriting positions three and four. Meanwhile, O’Connor and Sokolic were already opening up an advantage over the field.
Unfortunately for Pisa, he remained hung out to dry for the first four laps, and before long, ninth starting Brad Haynes and tenth starting Anthony Losurdo had found their way under the No. 89 for the sixth and seventh positions.
In a close battle for third, LaTulip worked for ten laps to reel Sokolic in before finally making the move to take second on lap 13. This pinned Sokolic to the outside, and he was just barely able to clear Schartner and Haynes to hold onto third for the moment.
With ten laps to go, LaTulip reeled in and eventually began to pressure O’Connor for the race lead. Behind him, Schartner was working Sokolic over for third, only to drop out of the event with apparent engine issues just as he looked underneath the No. 26.
On lap 23, the leaders caught lapped traffic. When O’Connor went to the outside of a slower car, this opened the door for LaTulip, but the driver of the No. 27 car was unable to capitalize for the race lead.
With O’Connor hanging on, Sokolic, however, did undergo misfortune in that traffic. The No. 26 again went wide in between turns one and two and this time Haynes, Losurdo, and Bruce were all able to get by for positions three, four and five.
Back out front, O’Connor kept LaTulip at bay for his first Pathfinder Bank Small Block Super checkered flag in just over a season. O’Connor brought LaTulip, Haynes, Losurdo, Bruce, Sokolic, Pisa, Dave Cliff, Russ Bartlett, and Cameron Rowe across the line behind him.
Losurdo’s fourth place run secured the defending champion back to back track titles for car owner Mark Castiglia and Missile Motorsports. Losurdo won the points race over Cliff and teammate LaTulip.
With Oswego Speedway’s regular events now in the books, the 2019 season will conclude with the 63rd edition of Budweiser International Classic Weekend scheduled for August 30 through September 1.
For more information on Oswego Speedway, be sure to visit online at OswegoSpeedway.com. You can also FOLLOW on Twitter @OswegoSpeedway, Instagram @OfficialOswegoSpeedway or LIKE on Facebook at Facebook.com/OswegoSpeedway.
About Oswego Speedway: Oswego Speedway is a 5/8 mile semi-banked pavement racing oval located off the shores of Lake Ontario in scenic Oswego, NY. The speedway has been a continuously run weekly racing venue since August 1951. The premier open-wheel pavement short track cars in the world, Supermodifieds, run weekly at the Oswego Speedway making it the only weekly Supermodified racing venue in the world. The Small Block Supermodifieds and 350 Supermodifieds accompany the full blown Supers on a weekly Saturday night schedule which runs from May through September. Oswego Speedway is mentioned in racing circles as the “Indy of the East,” as no fewer than a dozen past and present competitors have competed at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway including Mario Andretti, two-time Indy 500 champion Gordon Johncock, and former International Classic Champions Bentley Warren, Joe Gosek, and Davey Hamilton.
BOX SCORE
Skip’s Fish Fry Track Championship Night
Oswego Speedway
Oswego, NY
Saturday, August 17, 2019
Pathfinder Bank SBS
Feature (30-laps): 1. 90 GREG O’CONNOR, 2. 27 David LaTulip, 3. 88 Brad Haynes, 4. 1 Anthony Losurdo, 5. 04 Michael Bruce, 6. 26 Joshua Sokolic, 7. 89 Tony Pisa, 8. 50 Dave Cliff, 9. 02 Russ Bartlett, 10. 77 Cameron Rowe, 11. 15 James Babcock, 12. 18 Andrew Schartner, 13. 03 ® Travis Bartlett, 14. 93 Steve Wood
Heat 1 (10-laps): 1. 26 Joshua Sokolic, 2. 90 Greg O’Connor, 3. 50 Dave Cliff, 4. 27 David LaTulip, 5. 02 Russ Bartlett, 6. 77 Cameron Rowe, 7. 15 James Babcock
Heat 2 (10-laps): 1. 88 Brad Haynes, 2. 1 Anthony Losurdo, 3. 18 Andrew Schartner, 4. 04 Mike Bruce, 5. 89 Tony Pisa, 6. 03 ® Travis Bartlett, 7. 93 Steve Wood
Group Time Trials: 1. 18 Andrew Schartner - 18.785, 2. 27 David LaTulip - 18.792, 3. 1 Anthony Losurdo - 18.806, 4. 50 Dave Cliff - 18.830, 5. 04 Mike Bruce - 18.834, 6. 90 Greg O’Connor - 18.882, 7. 88 Brad Haynes - 18.935, 8. 02 Russ Bartlett - 18.995, 9. 89 Tony Pisa - 19.033, 11. 77 Cameron Rowe - 19.242, 12. 03 ® Travis Bartlett - 19.289, 13. 26 Joshua Sokolic - 19.342, 14. 15 James Babcock - 19.694
2019 Pathfinder Bank SBS Track Champion: #1 Anthony Losurdo
D&S Landscaping Hard Charger: #88 Brad Haynes
Lighthouse Lanes Up and Comer: #26 Joshua Sokolic
White’s Car Care 4th Place Award: #1 Anthony Losurdo
- CAMDEN PROUD on Aug 18, 2019
- Article Date: 8/18/2019