Shullick, Cliff Lead Oswego Into Hot Summer Stretch
Story By: CAMDEN PROUD / OSWEGO SPEEDWAY – OSWEGO, NY – After a three week hiatus, Oswego Speedway will return to action this Saturday, July 1 with its annual Independence Weekend Grand Prix special presented by D-Bus and Holiday Inn Express and Suites of Oswego.
The action packed program will feature preliminary action for the Novelis Supermodifieds and Pathfinder Bank SBS plus a total of 115 laps of feature action between the two divisions, with the Supermodifieds running a 75 lap main event and the Small Block Supers going 35 laps in distance.
Heat racing action will get underway at 6:45pm on Saturday following group time trials for both divisions. Small Block Supermodifieds heats will be first to see action followed by the Supermodifieds before feature attractions get underway shortly thereafter with the SBS 35 first followed by the Supermodified 75. A gigantic fireworks show will cap off all of the action immediately following Supermodified victory lane.
Oswego Speedway’s present-day Independence Weekend Grand Prix specials kicked off in 2013 after Supermodified specials were run at 100, 50 and 45-laps in distance in years prior on Independence Weekend events.
The competition has been quite even in the ‘Grand Prix’ events for both divisions as Dave Gruel, Joe Gosek, Bobby Bond and Aric Iosue have all won on Independence Weekend since the inception of the Grand Prix back in 2013.
Otto Sitterly also holds two wins in Independence Weekend specials, one coming in 2006 and another in the unique July 4th running of the Jim Shampine Memorial back in 2009 which was ran as a 58-lap event.
Joey Payne will also be in action Saturday, joining Sitterly as a former Independence Weekend winner when he pulled the track back in 2011.
The competitiveness in Oswego Speedway’s SBS division also shows when looking at past four Independence Weekend winners, all four of which have been different drivers in 2013 season rookie Jeremy Pitcher, Mike Bruce, Mike Bond, and most recently current series point leader and defending champion Dave Cliff.
Independence Weekend ‘Grand Prix’ Supermodified Winners
2013 – Dave Gruel
2014 – Joe Gosek
2015 – Bobby Bond
2016 – Aric Iosue
Independence Weekend ‘Grand Prix’ SBS Winners
2013 – Jeremy Pitcher
2014 – Mike Bruce
2015 – Mike Bond
2016 – Dave Cliff
Heading into this weekend, Dave Shullick Jr. has retaken the lead atop the Novelis Supermodified standings ahead of Michael Barnes, Sitterly, Keith Shampine and Gosek.
Cliff leads the Pathfinder Bank SBS contingent over Andrew Schartner, recent first time winner Jesse Bearup, Dalton Doyle, and Jack Patrick.
Expected to join Oswego’s regular campaigners this weekend will be several new competitors in the pit area including returning Supermodified drivers Joey Moriarty and Bill Sharkey as well as veteran SBS driver and former feature winner Alex Hoag.
This weekend’s events are also part of the Triple Crown Championship Series of Supermodified racing, which as of press time, is led to Oswego by Shullick and Gosek in the Bentley Warren Driver of the Year and Jim Shampine Supermodified of the Year standings.
