OSWEGO, NY – official release — Bill Taylor photo — Oswego Speedway and Supermodified fans rejoice.
Saturday’s weather forecast for the Port City of Oswego has dramatically improved, showing all potential rains to be out of the area by late morning, giving a full green light for the 53rd annual Novelis Supermodified Kickoff on May 10 at the ‘Steel Palace.’
A full field of over 24 Novelis Supermodifieds is expected to pull through the Speedway’s main gate on Saturday looking to land in Turning Stone Resort Casino Victory Lane, including defending champion Davey Hamilton.
Hamilton, known as a part-time invader of the Speedway, will again be driving the Nicotra Racing No. 6 Supermodified, but will have to deal with a host of top notch Supermodified shoes to gain the victory.
Teammate Otto Sitterly, Pat Lavery, Joe Gosek, Dave Gruel, Bob Bond, Shaun Gosselin, Randy Ritskes, Dave Danzer, and others will be chomping at the bit to join a heralded list of opening night winners at the Speedway.
Among those trying to chase down history will be the Graham Racing stable of Ray Graham, Joey Payne, and Jessica Zemken.
In all, including the A-Modified days at the Speedway, 35 different drivers have won the Speedway showcase opening night.
Jim Shampine leads all drivers with seven opening night wins coming from 1971-1976 and again in 1979. Bentley Warren is second on the list with five wins in 1980, 1986, 1987, 1989, and 1994.
Of all active drivers Joe Gosek is tops on the list of opening night victories with triumphs in 1988, 1991, 2005, and 2007.
Today’s grand champion, Otto Sitterly, joins Gosek with four victories to open the season in 2006, 2008, 2010, and 2012. Each year Sitterly won on opening night, he also went on to win the Speedway’s championship.
The opening night win list is a who’s who of champions from Shampine, Warren, Gosek, and Ordway; to Swift, Bellinger, Abold, and Muldoon.
Other active drivers expected to be in action Saturday night that have won opening night mains are Ritskes, Graham, and Hamilton.
The 53rd annual Novelis Supermodified Kickoff presented by Mitchell’s Speedway Press and Planet Fitness will feature a 50-lap main event for Oswego’s showcase division as well as the season opener for the Pathfinder Bank Small Block Super division.
Saturday night will mark the first opportunity for race fans to see racing action on the fast 5/8 mile oval, as the Speedway’s opening event on May 3 was washed out due to rain.
Grandstand gates will open at 3 p.m. on May 10 with time trials for both divisions set to begin at 5 p.m. followed by the season’s first heat race at 6:30 p.m.
To purchase tickets for Oswego Speedway’s 53rd annual Novelis Supermodified Kickoff call the Speedway box office at (315) 342-0646. General admission seating is available for only $15, with reserved seating on sale for $20, and VIP tower seating with all you can eat food and drink for $75.
Adult general admission Price Chopper Tickets to Go are available for Saturday’s event at any Price Chopper Supermarkets store for only $14.
Once again in 2014, kids 16 & under will be admitted free of charge with a paid adult with active military also admitted free with I
For more information on Oswego Speedway visit online at www.oswegospeedway.com, follow on Twitter @OswegoSpeedway, or like on Facebook at facebook.com/OswegoSpeedway.
Oswego Speedway Opening Night Winners (A-Modifieds, Novelis Supermodifieds: 1951-2013)
1951 – Charlie Barry
1952 – Dick Jerrett Sr.
1953 – Newton Ward
1954 – Nolan Swift
1955 – Dick Jerrett Sr.
1956 – Jack Murphy
1957 – Jack Murphy
1958 – Nolan Swift
1959 – Ed Bellinger Sr.
1960 – Ed Bellinger Sr.
1961 – Billy Blum
1962 – Art Bennett
1963 – Dave Paul
1964 – Nolan Johncock
1965 – Art Bennett
1966 – Bob Smith
1967 – Gordon Dukes
1968 – Red Barnhart
1969 – Ken Andrews
1970 – Norm Mackareth
1971 – Jim Shampine
1972 – Jim Shampine
1973 – Jim Shampine
1974 – Jim Shampine
1975 – Jim Shampine
1976 – Jim Shampine
1977 – Kempton Dates
1978 – Ed Bellinger Jr.
1979 – Jim Shampine
1980 – Bentley Warren
1981 – Chuck Ciprich
1982 – Doug Heveron
1983 – Steve Gioia Jr.
1984 – Warren Coniam
1985 – Ed Bellinger Jr.
1986 – Bentley Warren
1987 – Bentley Warren
1988 – Joe Gosek
1989 – Bentley Warren
1990 – Mike Ordway
1991 – Joe Gosek
1992 – Pat Abold
1993 – Pat Abold
1994 – Bentley Warren
1995 – Doug Didero
1996 – Cliff Graves
1997 – Mike Muldoon
1998 – Randy Ritskes
1999 – Mike Muldoon
2000 – Greg Furlong
2001 – Bob Goutermout
2002 – Mike Ordway
2003 – Mike Ordway
2004 – Mike Ordway
2005 – Joe Gosek
2006 – Otto Sitterly
2007 – Joe Gosek
2008 – Otto Sitterly
2009 – Ray Graham
2010 – Otto Sitterly
2011 – Randy Ritskes
2012 – Otto Sitterly
2013 – Davey Hamilton
About Oswego Speedway
Oswego Speedway, a sports entertainment company, is a 5/8 mile semi-banked pavement racing oval located off the shores of Lake Ontario in scenic Oswego, NY. Oswego 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 Oswego Speedway making Oswego the only weekly Supermodified racing venue in the world. The Small Block 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, arguably the greatest driver of all time, two-time Indy 500 champion Gordon Johncock, along with former International Classic Champions Bentley Warren, Joe Gosek, and Davey Hamilton.