Story By: CAMDEN PROUD / OSWEGO SPEEDWAY – OSWEGO, NY – Saturday’s 50-lap Chase Enterprises Novelis Supermodified feature event at Oswego Speedway was not only the race of the year so far, but also arguably the race of the ‘tail wing’ Supermodified era, delivering everything a race fan could want in a Supermodified feature.
Drivers such as Bruce, Shullick, Barnes, Sitterly, Thompson, and of course Abold charged to the front in the action-packed main event.
The field was led to the green flag by Camden Proud and Lou LeVea Jr., with Proud taking the lead from the outside on the first lap. Jeff Abold made an incredible move, jumping from ninth to fifth in the first corner on the outside, while LeVea Jr. held onto second with Logan Rayvals third, fifth-starting Mike Bruce in fourth, and Abold up to fifth as Joe Gosek moved into sixth, passing fourth-starting Brian Osetek. Osetek quickly dropped back as Dave Danzer, Otto Sitterly, Dave Shullick Jr., Michael Barnes, and Tyler Thompson all surged through the pack, taking positions seven through eleven respectively, leaving Osetek in twelfth.
Out front, Proud built a near straightaway lead in just four laps, but the race was halted by a yellow flag for rain, leading to a two-hour delay for track drying. When the race resumed in single-file order, Proud led LeVea Jr., Rayvals, Bruce, Abold, Gosek, Danzer, Sitterly, Shullick, Barnes, and Thompson. Shullick and Barnes both got by Danzer for eighth and ninth in the early going, while Proud continued to extend his lead out front.
Sitterly was next to turn up the pace, moving into sixth by passing Gosek on lap 16, and Shullick followed suit on the outside a lap later to take seventh. Bruce was also putting on a great show, driving around the outside of Rayvals for third on lap 23.
At the halfway mark, the order was Proud, LeVea Jr., Bruce, Rayvals, Abold, Sitterly, Shullick, and Barnes. Shortly after halfway, Abold then passed Rayvals on the outside for fourth, with Rayvals falling to fifth and soon sixth as Sitterly continued his charge, cracking the top five on lap 27. Otto next attempted to pass Abold for fourth but lost control exiting turn four on lap 28, fortunately escaping without any damage.
On the ensuing restart, Proud continued to lead, still trailed by LeVea Jr., Bruce, Abold, and Rayvals. Abold had an excellent restart, moving to the outside of Bruce and into third on lap 29, while Shullick passed Rayvals in the high groove to crack the top five. Abold then made a bold move for second around LeVea Jr. on lap 30 and began reeling in Proud for the lead.
Meanwhile, Bruce and Shullick were both battling LeVea Jr. for third, with Bruce looking to the outside and Shullick to the inside. This trio nearly went three-wide, but Bruce used a gutsy power move on the outside to stay ahead of both of them and hold onto third.
Abold had since caught and showed Proud a wheel on the outside with 16 laps to go, taking over the lead on lap 34. Over the next five laps, Bruce reeled in Proud and passed him on the outside for second, with Shullick following suit for third as the handling started to go away for the early race leader.
Things got complicated as the laps wound down with Abold encountering heavy lapped traffic with seven to go, giving Bruce a potential opportunity, but Abold navigated through it and was in clean air by lap 45. Meanwhile, Barnes also passed by Proud, who fell to fifth, with ‘The Hustler’ moving up to fourth.
On the final lap, Proud’s battle with a lapped car resulted in a wild three-wide finish for positions six through eight. LeVea Jr. held on for a fine sixth, while Sitterly and Proud split the lapped car at the line, with Sitterly finishing seventh by 0.052 seconds over Proud.
Out front, Abold secured the victory by several car lengths over Bruce. This marked the Triple Crown winner’s first victory at Oswego Speedway since the 2022 season, following a winless 2023 at the Steel Palace, but triumphing at the Sandusky Hy-Miler Nationals to complete the Triple Crown and also scoring a significant win at the Evans Mills Raceway Park John Burr Classic in September. This was also the first win with independent front suspension for Team Abold Racing’s 05 car after significant strides since the 2024 Season Opener.
Reflecting on his progress, Abold said, “I saw before that everybody was kind of hugging the bottom, getting a little bit loose. I saw that Mike Bruce was trying the outside. He was the first one to try it and kind of showed me the line up top. I saw it could stick, so I said, well, I’m going to give it a shot and try it, and sure enough, it did stick. I committed to making a run on the outside, had to get through lapped traffic, and then I was really happy to see clean air after that and just tried to finish it out. I’d like to thank A&P Automotive, Valvoline, Magic Wand Construction, D&D Fabrication, Barzee Auto Body, LaGraf’s Pub & Grill, everybody that’s helped us. I’ve got to thank my crew. They have worked their tails off since the offseason. We made a ton of changes to the car. We’ve gained and gained and gotten better every time. Had a bad start to the season, but second place last week and first place this week. There is no quit in these guys and girls, and this is such a redeeming, awesome feeling.”
Bruce, Shullick, Barnes, Thompson, LeVea Jr, Sitterly, Proud, Gosek and rookie Junior Farrelly filled in the top 10 finishing positions.
Brad Haynes Cruises to Commanding SBS Feature Win
Two weeks after a heavy heat race crash, Mexico, NY’s Brad Haynes secured his second career Pathfinder Bank SBS victory at Oswego Speedway this past Saturday night in impressive fashion with the family owned No. 88 car.
Drew Pascuzzi and Carter Gates led the field to the green flag for the 30-lap Chase Enterprises feature. Pascuzzi quickly grabbed the lead from the inside, with AJ Larkin slipping underneath Gates to claim second, relegating Gates to third. Brad Haynes and Tony DeStevens followed closely in fourth and fifth by the end of lap one. Haynes then made a quick move under Gates on the second circuit, moving to third.
On lap 3, Larkin executed a bold move to take the race lead from Pascuzzi entering turn one, but as this happened, Alex Hoag and DeStevens came together in turn 2, causing the No. 24 car to spin. This incident collected DJ Shuman, Cameron Rowe, and rookies Matt Matteson and Tessa Crawford. DeStevens and Matteson were forced to retire for the night, while repairs were made to Shuman, Rowe, and Crawford, who resumed at the back of the field behind Hoag.
Due to the incident occurring before completing a lap, Larkin had to revert to second place for the restart. Haynes seized the opportunity on the high side during the choose restart, taking the race lead from Pascuzzi. Meanwhile, Pascuzzi held onto second with Larkin third and Gates fourth, while Greg O’Connor had worked his way into the top five.
At halfway, Haynes had built a commanding lead of nearly a straightaway, while the battle intensified for the second, third, and fourth positions among Pascuzzi, Rowe, and Larkin.
There was one more yellow flag with four laps remaining as O’Connor and Gates tangled in their battle for fifth, ending O’Connor’s bid for a top-five finish.
The single-file restart with four laps to go saw Haynes in complete control at the front, with Pascuzzi in second, Rowe in third, Larkin in fourth, and Shuman climbing back up to fifth.
Haynes made it look easy, securing a well-deserved victory. The win marked Haynes’ first victory since 2021, a determined comeback after all the damage sustained to the car two weeks earlier.
Haynes expressed gratitude to the DeStevens Family and his sponsors in victory lane, saying, “To be honest, everyone in the shop who helped me fix this car made tonight happen. The DeStevens family played a big role in getting this car race-ready over the past couple of weeks. I wouldn’t be standing here without them. I’d like to thank my Dad, Mom, Haynes Home Improvement, Syracuse Wealth Management, Rupert’s Party Rentals, and Spereno Construction.”
Kyle Perry Goes Flag-to-Flag for Second Career 350 Supermodified Win
Kyle Perry faced early challenges but ultimately dominated the second J&S Paving 350 Supermodified feature at Oswego Speedway on Saturday night. Driving the Bellinger-built, Dennis Perry-maintained No. 20, Perry rebounded from ignition issues in the first makeup feature to secure his second career win in a 350 Supermodified.
The field was brought to green by rookie Griffin Miller and Perry in the front row, with Perry inching ahead using the high line. Nick Barzee, Talen Hawksby, and Josh Sokolic swiftly moved from their fourth, fifth, and sixth starting positions, respectively, passing third-starting rookie Brendan Young on the outside.
After taking the lead, Perry and Miller pulled away from the field, with Barzee, Hawksby, and Sokolic running nose-to-tail in third, fourth, and fifth. A yellow flag for debris with seven laps to go set up a double-file restart, placing Miller on Perry’s outside. However, another caution for Noah Ratcliff losing control in turn 4 led to a single-file restart.
On the restart, Sokolic passed Hawksby for fourth as Perry rapidly built a half-straightaway lead over Miller, who also pulled away from the rest of the top five. Perry cruised to victory, closing in on Sokolic for the points lead, now just seven points behind.
The final top five saw Miller achieving his first 350 Supermodified podium in second, Barzee in third, Sokolic in fourth, and Hawksby rounding out the top five.
In victory lane, Perry expressed his relief and gratitude: “We were actually pretty decent, or I thought we would be for the first feature, but unfortunately, we broke an ignition switch coming to the green in that one. We got it fixed for the heat race and made some changes over the last couple of weeks that got us back towards where we were last year and found some more speed tonight, so I’m real happy with it. There are a lot of people that make this happen – Bellinger Auto, Gibby’s Irish Pub, Orange Crate Brewing Company, TGR Motorsports, 21 Tequila. Without all of them, I wouldn’t be here. Also, thanks to my crew, Doug and Jared, for busting their butts, and my dad – without him, I wouldn’t be racing here. I just really appreciate everyone that gets me here.”
17-Year-Old Talen Hawksby Captures First Speedway Win in Rescheduled 350 Supermodified Feature
The Hawksby family’s 47-year legacy at Oswego Speedway reached new heights on Saturday as 17-year-old, third-generation driver Talen Hawksby captured his first-ever J&S Paving 350 Supermodified feature win.
Neither Talen’s grandfather, ‘The Colonel’ Joe Hawksby Sr., nor his father Joe Hawksby Jr., had previously picked up a Supermodified feature win of their own despite extensive involvement as drivers, owners, and crew members, and last weekend all three generations were in victory lane to celebrate this special moment for the Hawksby Family.
Hawksby began the race from the pole position, leading the field to the green flag alongside rookie Brendan Young. Hawksby quickly took the lead, with third-starting points leader Josh Sokolic in third, Nick Barzee in fourth, and Robbie Wirth passing Griffin Miller to crack into the top five.
Hawksby and Young managed to pull away from Sokolic, with Hawksby building a comfortable lead until the yellow flag came out on lap 14 due to a spin by Wirth shortly after passing Barzee for fourth. During the caution, Sokolic pitted from third for handling adjustments, unsatisfied with the performance of the No. 6 car.
On the double-file restart, Hawksby and Young were again on the front row, followed by Barzee and Miller in row two, and Sokolic and Barry Kingsley in row three. Hawksby again outpaced Young into the first corner, maintaining his lead and gradually pulling away.
Sokolic attempted to mount a charge, moving to the outside of Kingsley and Barzee for fourth, then passing Miller for third with nine laps remaining. However, he had nothing for the leaders in this one as Hawksby and Young continued to run away at the front.
In the end, it was Talen Hawksby who crossed the finish line first, securing an emotional and hard-earned victory in his second season of 350 Super racing at the Oswego Speedway.
In victory lane, Hawksby said: “I have to thank my crew over everything. They’ve really stuck with me. It feels good; I knew we’d get here eventually, but it just took a lot of hard work and a lot of long hours. The car was a little snug at the end of the race, but we kept her going and brought it home. I have to thank my family, crew, and sponsors: Top Quality Construction, Furdis Homes, Acrofab, Hawk Jr Fabrication and Design, IPC – Indy Performance Composites, and Sean Magari Enterprises.”
This Saturday night, June 29, Holiday Inn Express & Suites and NBT Bank of Oswego present the second Winged Super Challenge, Round 3 of John Nicotra’s five-race Challenge. The event is headlined by the 50-lap, $7,000 to win main event for ISMA/MSS Supermodifieds, marking the last chance to see Winged Supers at the Oswego Speedway in 2024. Full programs are also included for the Pathfinder Bank SBS and J&S Paving 350 divisions.
Novelis Supermodifieds
A Feature 1 (50 Laps): 1. O5-Jeff Abold[9]; 2. 22-Mike Bruce[5]; 3. 95-Dave Shullick Jr[12]; 4. 68-Michael Barnes[11]; 5. 98T-Tyler Thompson[15]; 6. 83-Lou LeVea Jr[1]; 7. 7-Otto Sitterly[10]; 8. 54-Camden Proud[2]; 9. OO-Joe Gosek[7]; 10. 72JR-Junior Farrelly[18]; 11. 90-Jack Patrick[13]; 12. O2-Brandon Bellinger[6]; 13. 75-Brian Osetek[4]; 14. 0-Tim Snyder[16]; 15. 94-Logan Rayvals[3]; 16. 52-Dave Danzer[8]; 17. 20-Nick Snyder[14]; 18. 66-Lou LeVea Sr[17]
Heat 1 (12 Laps): 1. 94-Logan Rayvals[2]; 2. 7-Otto Sitterly[4]; 3. 95-Dave Shullick Jr[5]; 4. O2-Brandon Bellinger[3]; 5. 90-Jack Patrick[6]; 6. 0-Tim Snyder[1]
Heat 2 (12 Laps): 1. 52-Dave Danzer[3]; 2. 54-Camden Proud[1]; 3. 68-Michael Barnes[4]; 4. 75-Brian Osetek[2]; 5. 20-Nick Snyder[5]; 6. 66-Lou LeVea Sr[6]
Heat 3 (12 Laps): 1. OO-Joe Gosek[1]; 2. O5-Jeff Abold[3]; 3. 22-Mike Bruce[2]; 4. 83-Lou LeVea Jr[5]; 5. 98T-Tyler Thompson[4]; 6. 72JR-Junior Farrelly[6]
Pathfinder Bank SBS
A Feature 1 (30 Laps): 1. 88-Brad Haynes[4]; 2. 72-Drew Pascuzzi[1]; 3. 77-Cameron Rowe[8]; 4. 35-Anthony Larkin[3]; 5. 62-DJ Shuman[6]; 6. 55-Carter Gates[2]; 7. 20-Tessa Crawford[11]; 8. 90-Greg O’Connor[12]; 9. O4-Rob Wirth[10]; 10. 66-Darrick Hilton[15]; 11. 41-Alex Hoag[7]; 12. 67-Ken Pierce[14]; 13. 47-Matt Matteson[9]; 14. 24-Tony DeStevens[5]; 15. 87-Cameron Rowe Jr[13]
Heat 1 (10 Laps): 1. 88-Brad Haynes[4]; 2. 41-Alex Hoag[6]; 3. 24-Tony DeStevens[5]; 4. 55-Carter Gates[3]; 5. 47-Matt Matteson[7]; 6. O4-Rob Wirth[2]; 7. 90-Greg O’Connor[1]; 8. 67-Ken Pierce[8]
Heat 2 (10 Laps): 1. 72-Drew Pascuzzi[2]; 2. 77-Cameron Rowe[4]; 3. 35-Anthony Larkin[3]; 4. 62-DJ Shuman[5]; 5. 66-Darrick Hilton[1]; 6. 20-Tessa Crawford[7]; 7. 87-Cameron Rowe Jr[6]
J&S Paving 350 Supermodifieds
A Feature 1 (25 Laps): 1. 79-Talen Hawksby[1]; 2. 75-Brendan Young[2]; 3. 6-Josh Sokolic[3]; 4. 9-Griffin Miller[5]; 5. 31-Nick Barzee[4]; 6. 91-Barry Kingsley[8]; 7. 4-Rob Wirth[6]; 8. 73-Noah Ratcliff[7]; 9. (DNS) 20-Kyle Perry
A Feature 2 (25 Laps): 1. 20-Kyle Perry[3]; 2. 9-Griffin Miller[2]; 3. 31-Nick Barzee[5]; 4. 6-Josh Sokolic[6]; 5. 79-Talen Hawksby[7]; 6. 75-Brendan Young[4]; 7. 73-Noah Ratcliff[1]
Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 9-Griffin Miller[2]; 2. 75-Brendan Young[3]; 3. 79-Talen Hawksby[4]; 4. 91-Barry Kingsley[5]; 5. 4-Rob Wirth[1]
Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 20-Kyle Perry[2]; 2. 6-Josh Sokolic[4]; 3. 31-Nick Barzee[3]; 4. 73-Noah Ratcliff[1]