Story By: CAMDEN PROUD / OSWEGO SPEEDWAY – OSWEGO, NY – Ohio native Trent Stephens scored a convincing win at the 2024 ISMA-MSS Supermodified Series opener Saturday night at Oswego Speedway in the Shea Concrete / CORR/PAK Winged Challenge 50.
Stephens, who now resides in Salisbury, N.C., started second outside of pole-setter Mike McVetta and jumped to quick lead into turn 1 on the initial start when the yellow and eventually red flag waved for an accident on the front straightaway involving Mike Bruce. Bruce’s No. 22 was heavily damaged, and he was OK.
Once racing resumed, Stephens and McVetta raced side-by-side for over a half lap until the two made contact into turn 3, which nearly sent Stephens’ ACME Racing machine into a spin. The multi-time MSS champion was able to save it, and the incident proved to be the closest call he’d have all race.
Mark Sammut brought out the race’s second yellow flag in turn 2 on lap 12. The front end on the Canadian’s No. 78 suffered substantial damage, but Sammut was OK.
Once racing resumed, Dave Danzer gave Stephens a solid run into turns 1 and 2 on the restart, and Stephens was able to hold off the Oswego, N.Y., driver. Meanwhile, Canadian Mike Lichty was shooting through the top five, passing multiple cars on the restart and then moving into P3 with an outside turn 4 pass on Dave Shullick Jr.
Lichty would use the same turn 4 move on Danzer a few laps later to move into P2, and he’d set his sights on Stephens, who’d built a strong lead.
Lichty would close the gap as the pair sliced through lap traffic on a long green flag run that would eventually finish the race. The two-time ISMA series champion would make things interesting down the stretch, but he wouldn’t have enough to overtake the Buckeye native, as Stephens would cross the finish stripe 0.306 seconds in front of Lichty’s No. 84 for his sixth career series victory.
Shullick would finish behind Stephens and Lichty to round out the podium. Danzer held on for P4 and McVetta rounded out the top five.
“We had a really good car,” Stephens said in Oswego’s victory lane. “We showed up and this thing was fast all day. I have to thank the crew; those last 10 laps were a little hairy, and I just didn’t want to make a mistake and it worked out.”
“It was a weird day,” Stephens admitted. “Normally we don’t touch wheels with anybody, and there was a bunch of contact today. We had a real fast car and I was watching the board and saw Mike get into second and I knew I had to go. Again, thanks to the crew, Ken Ganley Buick / GMC, S&S Cleaning and DMI rear ends. It’s a good way to start off the season, that’s for sure.”
Alex Hoag Dedicates Win to Late Father Dean Hoag After Return to SBS Division in Jim Paternoster-Prepared #41
After several years away from SBS racing, Alex Hoag made a triumphant return to the Pathfinder Bank SBS division with a Jim Paternoster-prepared No. 41, a tribute to his late father Dean Hoag. It only took two weeks for Hoag to charge to victory lane, securing his second career SBS win with a late-race pass three laps from the finish in the 35-lap feature event this past Saturday.
“I didn’t expect to be here this quick, but driving a Jimmy Paternoster prepared machine, the pressure is on. I had a lot of long car rides listening to my Dad talk about what he did and how he did and how he got to the front,” said Hoag in victory lane. “I couldn’t have done it without Jimmy and my wife, my in-laws, Joe, Roger, and my cousin Terry who has been at every race I’ve ever had, I think. As we get older and we lose those that we love, everybody in the world should have a best friend like Jimmy Paternoster, who stepped up and prepared a race car for his best friend’s son. I couldn’t ask for anything more, and we’re here.”
The field lined up with Darrick Hilton and Carter Gates on the front row. As the green flag flew, Hilton surged into the lead from the outside line in turn one, while third-starting AJ Larkin quickly got by Gates for second.
The race began with plenty of action as fourth starter Robbie Wirth attempted to pass Gates but went wide, allowing DeStevens and Hoag to slip by, dropping Wirth to fifth. On the second lap, Larkin made a bold move for the lead, diving under Hilton in turn one. Simultaneously, Gates was shuffled back from third to the tail end of the top 10. When Hilton was passed for the lead, Gates went wide, then allowing DeStevens, Hoag, Shuman, and Wirth to move ahead, setting the initial top five.
A caution came out on lap 3 when Gates and rookie Matt Matteson tangled in turn one, resulting in a simple spin for Gates. This brought the first choose restart of the race, with Larkin selecting the bottom and DeStevens taking the high side. Hoag and Shuman occupied the second row, with Haynes rounding out the top five.
On the restart, the outside lane prevailed as DeStevens claimed the lead, with Shuman moving into second while Larkin slipped to third. Hoag advanced to fourth, and Haynes still held on to fifth. Hoag then passed Larkin for third, and Haynes followed suit on the ninth lap, dropping the 35 back to fifth.
By lap 10, the top three of DeStevens, Shuman, and Hoag began to pull away, though fourth-running Haynes gradually closed the gap to the lead pack. Shuman stayed glued to DeStevens’ bumper, searching for an opportunity to take the lead. The leaders encountered lapped traffic on lap 20, with DeStevens, Shuman, and Hoag nose to tail.
A second and final caution came out on lap 29 when Gates spun in turn three. On the choose restart, DeStevens opted for the bottom lane with Shuman to the outside, followed by Hoag, Haynes, and Larkin. DeStevens retained the lead, but Shuman got loose, allowing both Hoag and Haynes to move into second and third, respectively, dropping Shuman to fourth.
With three laps to go, Hoag closed in on DeStevens and made the decisive pass for the lead going into turn three on lap 32. Hoag built a gap, securing the victory as DeStevens settled for second. Haynes finished third, followed by Shuman in fourth and Wiirth rounding out the top five. Larkin, Cameron Rowe, Hilton, Matteson, and Gates completed the top 10.
Josh Sokolic from Start to Finish for First J&S Paving 350 Supermodified Win of 2024 Season
In the J&S Paving 350 Super feature at Oswego Speedway this past Saturday, defending track champion Josh Sokolic dominated from green to checkered flag, securing his first victory of 2024 in the renumbered 6 car, dedicated to his Mom, Tina.
Sokolic led all 25 laps, leaving the field in the dust and crossing the finish line over 3 seconds ahead of the pack. Talen Hawksby, overcoming a right front hub issue that plagued him from a win in the heat race, showcased resilience by securing second after the Hawksby team made quick repairs.
Rookie Brendan Young impressed with his first-ever podium finish, clinching third, while Kyle Perry and Griffin Miller rounded out the top five.
“We got a good starting spot tonight after a wreck last week and had a bent front axle in the car that we thought we had fixed, but checked some numbers this morning, and it’s still bent up, so we’ll take care of that this week and start to remedy some of the other issues we are having with the car,” explained winner Sokolic. “First and foremost, I’ve got to thank everybody in the stands that donated and put some money in the helmets. We’re all missing Dave Cliff, and hope that he has a speedy recovery to get back out here and race with us. Thanks to my sponsors Lakeland Auto, All Weather Power Equipment, Logos Custom Embroidery, Lamptiques, my family, friends and anyone who helped this week to get this thing back out here.”
Don’t miss out on the excitement this Saturday, June 8, for Circle T Ready Mix Division ‘Pack the Back’ Grandstands Night! General admission tickets are just $30 out back or $20 out front, featuring championship events for the Novelis Supermodifieds, Pathfinder Bank SBS, and J&S Paving 350 Supers. Fans sitting out back are free to bring their own food and drinks, including a 6-pack cooler of their choice. Tickets are available at OswegoSpeedway.com – just click on “Buy Tickets.”
ISMA / MSS Supermodifieds
A Feature 1 (50 Laps): 1. 19-Trent Stephens[2]; 2. 84-Mike Lichty[8]; 3. 95-Dave Shullick Jr[6]; 4. 52-Dave Danzer[3]; 5. 22-Mike McVetta[1]; 6. 11-Ben Seitz[5]; 7. 98T-Tyler Thompson[11]; 8. 11E-Kyle Edwards[13]; 9. 41-Dan Connors Jr[15]; 10. 32-Moe Lilje[21]; 11. 7-Otto Sitterly[14]; 12. 96-Tyler Shullick[17]; 13. 15-Michael Muldoon Jr[7]; 14. 74-Johnny Benson[22]; 15. 14-Kody Swanson[19]; 16. 54-Camden Proud[16]; 17. 83-Lou LeVea Jr[18]; 18. 55-Rich Reid[9]; 19. 61-Mike Ordway Jr[10]; 20. 78-Mark Sammut[20]; 21. O2-Brandon Bellinger[23]; 22. 50-Dave Helliwell[4]; 23. 22B-Mike Bruce[12]
Heat 1 (10 Laps): 1. 50-Dave Helliwell[2]; 2. 55-Rich Reid[1]; 3. 95-Dave Shullick Jr[4]; 4. 61-Mike Ordway Jr[3]; 5. 11E-Kyle Edwards[6]; 6. 54-Camden Proud[7]; 7. 14-Kody Swanson[5]; 8. 66-Lou LeVea Sr[8]
Heat 2 (10 Laps): 1. 11-Ben Seitz[2]; 2. 52-Dave Danzer[1]; 3. 19-Trent Stephens[4]; 4. 22B-Mike Bruce[6]; 5. 7-Otto Sitterly[3]; 6. 96-Tyler Shullick[8]; 7. 78-Mark Sammut[5]; 8. 74-Johnny Benson[7]
Heat 3 (10 Laps): 1. 98T-Tyler Thompson[1]; 2. 15-Michael Muldoon Jr[2]; 3. 84-Mike Lichty[4]; 4. 22-Mike McVetta[3]; 5. 41-Dan Connors Jr[5]; 6. 83-Lou LeVea Jr[7]; 7. 32-Moe Lilje[8]; 8. O2-Brandon Bellinger[6]
Hot Laps 2: 1. 84-Mike Lichty, 00:14.966[10]; 2. 7-Otto Sitterly, 00:15.171[20]; 3. 19-Trent Stephens, 00:15.193[21]; 4. 95-Dave Shullick Jr, 00:15.232[18]; 5. 22-Mike McVetta, 00:15.245[11]; 6. 11E-Kyle Edwards, 00:15.315[6]; 7. 15-Michael Muldoon Jr, 00:15.341[12]; 8. 78-Mark Sammut, 00:15.365[16]; 9. 41-Dan Connors Jr, 00:15.388[4]; 10. 50-Dave Helliwell, 00:15.400[7]; 11. 61-Mike Ordway Jr, 00:15.417[13]; 12. 55-Rich Reid, 00:15.435[15]; 13. 11-Ben Seitz, 00:15.447[17]; 14. 14-Kody Swanson, 00:15.468[22]; 15. 22B-Mike Bruce, 00:15.498[3]; 16. 98T-Tyler Thompson, 00:15.556[23]; 17. 52-Dave Danzer, 00:15.647[5]; 18. 54-Camden Proud, 00:15.703[14]; 19. 74-Johnny Benson, 00:15.767[2]; 20. O2-Brandon Bellinger, 00:15.907[1]; 21. 83-Lou LeVea Jr, 00:16.063[8]; 22. 66-Lou LeVea Sr, 00:17.001[9]; 23. 96-Tyler Shullick, 00:21.468[19]
SBS
A Feature 1 (35 Laps): 1. 41-Alex Hoag[7]; 2. 24-Tony DeStevens[5]; 3. 88-Brad Haynes[8]; 4. 62-DJ Shuman[6]; 5. O4-Rob Wirth[4]; 6. 35-Anthony Larkin[3]; 7. 77-Cameron Rowe[12]; 8. 66-Darrick Hilton[1]; 9. 47-Matt Matteson[9]; 10. 55-Carter Gates[2]; 11. 20-Tessa Crawford[10]; 12. 10-Barry Kingsley[14]; 13. 90-Greg O’Connor[15]; 14. 72-Drew Pascuzzi[13]; 15. (DNS) 87-Cameron Rowe Jr
Heat 1 (10 Laps): 1. 41-Alex Hoag[4]; 2. 66-Darrick Hilton[1]; 3. O4-Rob Wirth[2]; 4. 24-Tony DeStevens[5]; 5. 55-Carter Gates[6]; 6. 20-Tessa Crawford[7]; 7. 77-Cameron Rowe[3]; 8. 10-Barry Kingsley[8]
Heat 2 (10 Laps): 1. 88-Brad Haynes[4]; 2. 62-DJ Shuman[3]; 3. 47-Matt Matteson[6]; 4. 90-Greg O’Connor[1]; 5. 87-Cameron Rowe Jr[7]; 6. 35-Anthony Larkin[5]; 7. 72-Drew Pascuzzi[2]
Qualifying 1: 1. 35-Anthony Larkin, 00:18.837[8]; 2. 24-Tony DeStevens, 00:18.880[2]; 3. 88-Brad Haynes, 00:18.891[4]; 4. 41-Alex Hoag, 00:18.897[6]; 5. 62-DJ Shuman, 00:18.913[14]; 6. 77-Cameron Rowe, 00:19.026[12]; 7. 72-Drew Pascuzzi, 00:19.102[11]; 8. O4-Rob Wirth, 00:19.119[15]; 9. 90-Greg O’Connor, 00:19.209[10]; 10. 66-Darrick Hilton, 00:19.270[5]; 11. 47-Matt Matteson, 00:19.416[9]; 12. 55-Carter Gates, 00:19.532[3]; 13. 20-Tessa Crawford, 00:19.616[1]; 14. 87-Cameron Rowe Jr, 00:19.638[13]; 15. 10-Barry Kingsley, 00:19.721[7]
Hot Laps 1: 1. 62-DJ Shuman, 00:19.060[14]; 2. 41-Alex Hoag, 00:19.100[6]; 3. 24-Tony DeStevens, 00:19.137[2]; 4. 77-Cameron Rowe, 00:19.259[12]; 5. 35-Anthony Larkin, 00:19.270[8]; 6. O4-Rob Wirth, 00:19.309[15]; 7. 72-Drew Pascuzzi, 00:19.391[11]; 8. 66-Darrick Hilton, 00:19.463[5]; 9. 88-Brad Haynes, 00:19.476[4]; 10. 55-Carter Gates, 00:19.486[3]; 11. 47-Matt Matteson, 00:19.634[9]; 12. 87-Cameron Rowe Jr, 00:19.730[13]; 13. 20-Tessa Crawford, 00:20.164[1]; 14. 10-Barry Kingsley, 00:23.329[7]; 15. (DNS) 90-Greg O’Connor
350 Supermodifieds
A Feature 1 (25 Laps): 1. 6-Josh Sokolic[1]; 2. 79-Talen Hawksby[2]; 3. 75-Brendan Young[3]; 4. 20-Kyle Perry[5]; 5. 9-Griffin Miller[4]; 6. 73-Noah Ratcliff[6]
Heat 1 (10 Laps): 1. 20-Kyle Perry[2]; 2. 6-Josh Sokolic[4]; 3. 75-Brendan Young[3]; 4. 9-Griffin Miller[5]; 5. 79-Talen Hawksby[1]; 6. 73-Noah Ratcliff[6]
Qualifying 1: 1. 6-Josh Sokolic, 00:16.778[5]; 2. 75-Brendan Young, 00:17.025[6]; 3. 20-Kyle Perry, 00:17.091[3]; 4. 79-Talen Hawksby, 00:17.114[1]; 5. 9-Griffin Miller, 00:17.331[2]; 6. 73-Noah Ratcliff, 00:17.367[4]
Hot Laps 2: 1. 6-Josh Sokolic, 00:17.046[5]; 2. 79-Talen Hawksby, 00:17.197[1]; 3. 20-Kyle Perry, 00:17.230[3]; 4. 73-Noah Ratcliff, 00:17.309[4]; 5. 75-Brendan Young, 00:17.310[6]; 6. 9-Griffin Miller, 00:17.433[2]
