Oswego Speedway Reveals Dates For 68th Season Of Action
Story By: CAMDEN PROUD / OSWEGO SPEEDWAY – OSWEGO, NY – With Oswego Speedway’s 2017 campaign officially in the history books as of last Saturday night’s championship banquet at the Lake Ontario Event and Conference Center in Oswego, officials are pleased to announce dates for the track’s 2018 campaign, which will be the 68th annual season of action at the ‘Steel Palace.’
The 2018 schedule for Oswego Speedway is set to include a total of 10 regular weekends of championship action for the Supermodifieds and SBS divisions, plus the 62nd annual Budweiser International Classic Weekend which will be held from August 31 to September 2.
“We are very excited to reveal our dates for the 68th season of racing at the Oswego Speedway,” said track owner John Torrese. “This coming season, fan interaction and involvement is something we are really trying to focus on. Each week will consist of a big show, and each race will also include a special activity or event for fans of all ages to enjoy.”
Although the schedule does not yet officially include touring series very familiar to Oswego fans such as the ISMA Supermodifieds and Race of Champions Asphalt Modified Tour among others, track management is working diligently with officials from various sanctioning bodies to put race dates together for 2018. With schedules not yet announced for some of these series, Oswego is forced to hold off as well. Race laps are also expected to be announced by Saturday, December 1.
“Right now, we are working with ISMA, the Triple Crown Series, and all of the visiting sanctions our fans are familiar with to put together events for this coming season,” Torrese mentioned. “We’ve also been busy working on rule books, adding event sponsors and banging out details for some of the special race night events we plan on holding. All of that is coming soon. We are looking forward to a fantastic season.”
The speedway will officially open its doors for the first time of 2018 on Saturday, May 19 when open test sessions will hit the track. This test session will run from 1-5pm and include all 2018 divisions on the schedule.
A week later, the 68th annual Opening Day will commence on Saturday, May 26, which right now is set to include the Jim Shampine Memorial for the Supermodifieds and the Tony White Memorial for the SBS division. More details on what is expected to be a huge Memorial Day Weekend of racing action will be revealed in the coming weeks.
With one event in May to kick off the season, championship hopefuls in the Supermodified and SBS divisions will then turn their attention to the month of June which will now see three ‘Road to the Championship’ events in 2018, although the track will go quiet on June 23 for High School Graduation.
With Independence Day falling on a Thursday next year, the Independence Weekend Special will now be contested on Saturday, June 30 and is set to include the Supermodifieds, SBS, plus the fan favorite fireworks display which will serve as the nightcap to an eventful evening of racing.
As done the past several years, teams will then prepare for the grueling month of July with two more regular events scheduled for July 7 and July 14, before the 32nd annual $10,000 to win Mr. Supermodified and the 27th annual $1,500 to win Mr. SBS closes out the month of racing on Saturday, July 21.
Following Mr. Supermodified, the track will again be off the final week in July for Harborfest festivities as well as the Sandusky Speedway ‘Hy-Miler’ for the ISMA Supermodifieds, before returning with three more championship events in August.
The month of August will see a plethora of fan favorite events this season, including the return of ‘Retro Night,’ which this year is tentatively tabbed for Saturday, August 4 to work in conjunction with the ‘Old Timer’s Reunion’ to be held at Lighthouse Lanes that same morning.
One more regular ‘Road to the Championship’ show will be held on August 11 before the points race comes to an end on Saturday, August 18 for the popular $5 Admission Track Championship which will return in 2018.
Despite the points season ending in August, race fans know this is not the end of Oswego’s schedule as the headlining 62nd annual Budweiser International Classic Weekend will close the season from August 31-September 2.
As always, Classic Weekend will include the Budweiser International Classic 200 for Supermodifieds plus the Bud Light Classic 75 for Small Block Supers, which will both be contested on Sunday, September 2. Friday, August 31 will once again serve as ‘Pole Day’ for the Supermodifieds and SBS with at least two more divisions set to be added to the already jam-packed weekend on Saturday, September 1.
With race dates officially public, the speedway will now shift attention to the aforementioned race laps, event sponsors, special race night events and festivities, plus pricing and season ticket options throughout the coming weeks.
“Our team is eager to continue the hard work over the winter months in order to tab additional divisions, continue putting together race night festivities, plus finalize weekly and season ticket pricing for 2018,” said speedway public relations director Camden Proud. “Those following Oswego Speedway online will have a whole lot to look forward to throughout the offseason and we are very much anticipating seeing our fans back in the seats for Open Practice on Saturday, May 19.”
Once available, additional divisions, pricing, season ticket, and further event information will be added to the ‘Schedule’ page at OswegoSpeedway.com which is now updated to include 2018 events.
For the latest news regarding Oswego Speedway, be sure to visit online at OswegoSpeedway.com. You can also FOLLOW on Twitter @OswegoSpeedway or LIKE on Facebook at Facebook.com/OswegoSpeedway.
To speak to a track representative, please call the box office at (315)-342-0646.
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.
2018 68th Annual TENTATIVE Oswego Speedway Schedule of Events (Subject to Change):
Saturday, May 19 – Open Practice Session (All 2018 Divisions)
Saturday, May 26th – 68th Annual Opening Day (Supermodified Jim Shampine Memorial, SBS Tony White Memorial) – More info TBA!
Saturday, June 9th – Supermodified and SBS ‘Road to the Championship’
Saturday, June 16th – Supermodified and SBS ‘Road to the Championship’
Saturday, June 23rd – OFF / High School Graduation
Saturday, June 30th – Supermodified and SBS ‘Road to the Championship’ – Independence Weekend Special
Saturday, July 7 – Supermodified and SBS ‘Road to the Championship’
Saturday, July 14 – Supermodified and SBS ‘Road to the Championship’
Saturday, July 21 – $10,000 to win Mr. Novelis Supermodified and $1,500 to win Mr. Pathfinder Bank SBS
Saturday, July 28 – OFF / Harborfest Weekend
Saturday, August 4 – Supermodified and SBS ‘Road to the Championship’ – Retro Night
Saturday, August 11 – Supermodified and SBS ‘Road to the Championship’
Saturday, August 18 – $5 Track Championship Night – Supermodifieds, SBS
Saturday, August 25 – OFF / Classic Week Begins!
CLASSIC WEEKEND
Thursday, August 30 – Oswego Kartway Classic
Friday, August 31 – Classic Friday ‘POLE DAY’ – Supermodified and SBS Time Trials, SBS Heats, Party in the Pits
Saturday, September 1 – Classic Saturday – More Info TBA!
Sunday, September 2 – Classic Sunday – 62nd annual Budweiser International Classic 200 for Supermodifieds, 27th annual Bud Light Classic 75 for Small Block Supermodifieds
Monday, September 3 – Classic Weekend Rain Date
