OSWEGO, NY (May 3, 2021) - More than 40 cars from the Novelis Supermodified, Pathfinder Bank SBS, J&S Paving 350 Super, Super Stock, and Mini Stock divisions packed the Oswego Speedway pit area on a beautiful afternoon for practice this past Saturday, May 1.
Leading the speed charts for their respective divisions were 9-time and defending Novelis Supermodified track champion Otto Sitterly, and Pathfinder Bank SBS and J&S Paving 350 Super rookies Griffin Miller and Kreig Heroth.
A total of 13 Supermodifieds were in attendance, with 11 getting on the track.
In terms of speed, Sitterly led the way at 16.343 seconds, while 2019 championship runner-up Jeff Abold and current track record holder Brandon Bellinger went second and third fast, both at 16.6.
The other two drivers under the 17 second bracket on the day were rookie Mike Bruce, who did a tremendous job piloting the former Shaun Gosselin No. 77. Bruce, a many-time SBS feature winner, clocked off laps at 16.9 seconds in his first time behind the wheel of a Supermodified.
Michael Muldoon, who plans several starts at Oswego in 2021, spent the afternoon getting the gorgeous Muldoon Racing No. 15 up to speed. At 16.967, Muldoon ended up fifth fastest on the day with his brand new machine.
The only woman to ever win a Supermodified feature; Alison Sload, had the Nicotra Racing No. 39 back on the track after a 2020 practice crash as she prepares for year two at the controls of the Nicotra Racing No. 39.
A surprise driver in the pits was the defending winner of the Budweiser International Classic; teenage sensation Tyler Thompson.
Just days ago, it was announced that Thompson would not be driving the No. 98 in 2021, with car owner Jason Simmons tabbing Super DIRTcar Series star Max McLaughin as new driver.
On Saturday, it was confirmed that Thompson will indeed be the driver of the Jason Simmons Racing ride which he won the Classic with in September 2019, while ‘Mad Max’ moves to the former Dave Gruel No. 50 just purchased by Simmons last week.
Sload and Thompson both hit 17.0 seconds.
Doug Didero and Dan Connors Jr. went on the track for one session each, with Didero shaking down the No. 3 and Connors John Colloca’s No. 41, however neither car got up to speed.
Starting off his sophomore Supermodified season, 25-year Speedway veteran Jack Patrick had his beautiful No. 90 on hand, but did not quite get his ride up to speed either.
Cole Smith; a longtime crewman on the Gosek Racing No. 00, and son of late Supermodified veteran Bobby Smith, fulfilled a ‘bucket list’ moment by taking out the backup Gosek Super.
Unfortunately, Cole’s track time ended with a hard shot into the third turn foam, but to no fault of his own. A brake failure on the No. 00 was to blame for the incident.
Smith, a former Quarter Midget racer, turned heads during the laps he was able to put down, clocking off several 18.0 circuits and nearly cracking the 17 second bracket.
After an impressive outing, Cole said, “we are going to get the car back together, but whether or not I get out this weekend (for the Opener) is to be determined.”
Father and son; Lou LeVea Sr. and Lou LeVea Jr, were pitside hoping to get some laps, but unfortunately neither car got on the track after issues firing both the No. 66 and 83.
15 Pathfinder Bank Small Block Supers took advantage of their first opportunity for track time in 2021, and incredibly; over half of the drivers in attendance were rookies.
At the top of the heap was talented young gun Griffin Miller, who was the only car under the 19 second bracket at 18.940.
Miller also led 2020 testing of over 18 SBS cars that took to the track, but unfortunately, his day ended with a tough lick to the inside hub rail after the car broke loose coming out of turn four.
Second fastest on the speed charts at 19.256 seconds was veteran Dan Kapuscinski, who was sporting a sharp new look on the Steve Flack owned No. 23.
Still gunning for his first career SBS win, Kapuscinski will be a full-time competitor in 2021, and certainly a driver to keep an eye on.
Former Classic champion Cameron Rowe sat third fastest at 19.269 seconds. Rowe was doing double duty driving both the RBI Racing No. 77 SBS and 350 Super. He will compete in both classes full-time this season.
Young Joshua Sokolic, another driver that has been close to his first Oswego Speedway win a number of times, was fourth fastest at 19.305, while former Supermodified shoe Brian Sobus completed the top five turning in a 19.495 in the Schartner Racing No. 18.
The two other teenaged rookies in attendance, Joey DeStevens and Noah Ratcliff, both looked sporty as well, going sixth and seventh fastest at 19.539, and 19.664, respectively.
Robbie Bruce, Mike’s younger brother, also turned in some more respectable laps throughout the day with a 19.749 being his best.
G.O. Racing teammates Greg O’Connor and Tony Pisa rounded out the top ten in testing times at 19.792 and 19.967, while Dennis Rupert, who has been tabbed as the team’s third driver in 2021, made his return to the Steel Palace with a best lap of 20.298 seconds.
The four other rookies; Mark Denny Jr, Darrick Hilton, AJ Larking, and Josh Wallace all made it trackside, but only Denny and Hilton got up to speed at 20.4 and 20.8 seconds.
Larkin was piloting the former Russ Brown No. 13 Hedger House Car, while Josh Wallace, who is the nephew of Speedway Hall of Famer Ronnie Wallace, acquired a former Kreig Heroth car over the offseason.
Nine J&S Paving 350 Supers, six of them being rookies, took part in the session and it was former SBS track champion Kreig Heroth leading the way by a long shot in the Mike Barbera owned No. 45 with a lap of 17.091.
Kali Spaulding, daughter of longtime competitor Jason Spauldong, showed tremendous strides of improvement in her No. 23 by going second fastest on the day with a very impressive lap of 17.352.
Dalton Doyle debuted his brand new Hawk Chassis and went third fastest on the speed charts with a 17.771.
Rookie Nick Kinney, in his beautiful No. 7 Belfab Chassis, sat fourth at 17.952.
Vern LaFave, who returns to competitive action at the Speedway this season for the first time since his horrendous crash in June 2019, rounded out the top five with a 17.994 lap in his No. 97.
Rookies Dave Cliff in the Barbeau Racing No. 50 and Kyle Perry in the Bellinger Chassis No. 20 each got down to the 18.0 mark.
Oswego Speedway will hold another Open Practice session this Friday, May 7 from 4 to 8pm. It will be open to only Novelis Supermodified, Pathfinder Bank SBS, and J&S Paving 350 teams.
Helena-Agri Enterprises Opening Day at the Speedway is this Saturday, May 8. A full program for the Supermodifieds, SBS, and 350’s is on the card.
Times for Opening Day have been moved up two hours with heat racing now scheduled to take the green flag at 4:30.
Tickets for Opening Day will go on sale at OswegoSpeedway.com Wednesday morning at noon.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, only general admission tickets will be available for purchase until further notice. There is no weekly or season reserved seating or VIP passes.
Camping is open and on sale for the 2021 season. Email Paul at oswegospeedway@gmail.com to reserve a spot.
For more information on Oswego Speedway, visit online at OswegoSpeedway.com. You can also LIKE on Facebook at Facebook.com/OswegoSpeedway or FOLLOW on Twitter @OswegoSpeedway or Instagram @OfficialOswegoSpeedway.
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.
NOVELIS SUPERMODIFIEDS -
- 7 Otto Sitterly - 16.343
- 05 Jeff Abold - 16.600
- 02 Brandon Bellinger - 16.634
- 22 ® Mike Bruce - 16.950
- 15 Michael Muldoon - 16.967
- 39 Alison Sload - 17.034
- 98 Tyler Thompson - 17.044
- 3 Doug Didero - 17.623
- 41 Dan Connors Jr. - 17.700
- 00 ® Cole Smith - 18.023
- 90 Jack Patrick - 18.199
- 83 Lou LeVea Jr. - NT
- 66 Lou LeVea Sr. - NT
PATHFINDER BANK SBS -
- 9 ® Griffin Miller - 18.940
- 23 Dan Kapuscinski - 19.256
- 77 Cameron Rowe - 19.269
- 26 Joshua Sokolic - 19.305
- 18 Brian Sobus - 19.495
- 05 ® Joey DeStevens - 19.539
- 73 ® Noah Ratcliff - 19.664
- 32 ® Robbie Bruce - 19.749
- 90 Greg O'Connor - 19.792
- 89 Tony Pisa - 19.967
- 99 Dennis Rupert - 20.298
- 14 ® Mark Denny Jr. - 20.426
- 66 ® Darrick Hilton - 20.886
- 13 ® AJ Larkin - 23.969
- 49 ® Josh Wallace - NT
J&S PAVING 350 SUPERS -
- 45 ® Kreig Heroth - 17.091
- 23 ® Kali Spaulding - 17.352
- 08 Dalton Doyle - 17.771
- 7 ® Nick Kinney - 17.952
- 97 Vern LaFave - 17.994
- 50 ® Dave Cliff - 18.029
- 20 ® Kyle Perry - 18.035
- 06 Barry Kinglsey - 18.971
- 77 ® Cameron Rowe - 19.825
- CAMDEN PROUD on May 04, 2021
- Article Date: 5/4/2021