Oswego Speedway has revealed the divisions and lap counts for the 2018 racing season. – Oswego Speedway officials have revealed the divisions and race distances for the track’s schedule, which is set to begin on Saturday, May 26. To start the season, for the first time since 1972, the speedway will hold Jim Shampine Memorial Twin 50 events for the Novelis Supermodifieds alongside a 35-lap Tony White Memorial lid lifter for the Pathfinder Bank SBS division on opening day.
These two races on Memorial Day Weekend will kick off the speedway’s Road to the Championship points campaign on a rather exciting note. Following one week off to start the month of June in observation of the International Supermodified Ass’n show at Lancaster National Speedway, the first month of the summer will be opened up by a regular Novelis Supermodified 50 and Pathfinder Bank SBS 30 event on June 9. A week later on June 16, the speedway will return to action once again with twin features for the Novelis Supermodifieds, this time at a 35-lap distance alongside a regular Pathfinder Bank SBS 30-lap main. The first driver autograph session of the season is also planned as part of the Twin 35’s.
The track will go quiet once more on June 23 for high school graduation across the area, before entering the month of July with a bang on June 30, which this year will see the Independence Weekend Grand Prix special added as another addition. An extra distance Novelis Supermodified 75 and Pathfinder Bank SBS 35 plus fireworks are all planned as part of the event. Teams will then have a quick turn around for the busy month of July which will see three straight weeks of action leading up to one of the most highly anticipated events on the season’s schedule at the end of the month. Two regular Novelis Supermodified 50 and Pathfinder Bank SBS 30 programs will be ran on July 7 and July 14, before the 32nd annual $10,000 to win Mr. Novelis Supermodified and 27th annual $1,500 to win Mr. Pathfinder Bank SBS feature events go green on July 21. Back by popular demand in 2018, the Mr.
Supermodified main will return to a 75-lap distance for the first time since August of 2015. The SBS portion of the event will remain at 30 laps.
As done for the past several years, the final week in July will be another week off for fans and teams to either enjoy Harborfest festivities in the City of Oswego, or head west to the Sandusky Speedway Hy-Miler before a busy month of August kicks off at Oswego. August will see three special events at Oswego Speedway, beginning with ‘Retro Night’ on the 4th which will also be the same day as the 13th annual ‘Old Timer’s Reunion’ to be held at Lighthouse Lanes adjacent to the track. A retro 45-lap Novelis Supermodified main event will return as part of the program joining a Pathfinder Bank SBS 30. 11 will mark the first family night at Oswego and perhaps one of the most jam-packed programs on the 2018 schedule seeing a Novelis Supermodified 50, Twin 20 events for the Pathfinder Bank SBS, plus driver autographs, bounce houses, giveaways, face painting, balloon animals and more for families before and during the race program. Fun in the month of August will continue one week later on the 18th when the speedway’s regular season comes to a close with the return of $5 Admission ‘Teal Palace’ Track Championship night featuring championship 50 and 30-lap events for the Novelis Supermodifieds and Pathfinder Bank SBS.
The 62nd running of Budweiser International Classic Weekend at Oswego will commence from Friday, August 31 through Sunday, Sept. 2 this season featuring the Budweiser International Classic 200 for the Novelis Supermodifieds and Bud Light Classic 75 for the Pathfinder Bank SBS on Sunday plus the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Classic 150 and the ISMA Supernationals 60 for the Winged Supermodifieds the day prior. 31 will serve as Classic Qualifying Night for the Supermodifieds and SBS plus the Party in the Pits featuring another live band performance on the stage in turn one.
Here you will find both asphalt and images. Also included on this page is a section for, an area devoted to, a section called '. Which is where I put miscellaneous racing pics, and now also, from over the years Please refer to for information concerning submissions to this site, or instructions if you have any problems viewing or saving images.
Asphalt Modifieds. under construction. Not sure what year. Brewerton action.
wins a Brewerton feature in 1960. ran #33 in the early days. and the Scream’n Six. This was my favorite on the Fulton/Brewerton circuit when I was a kid. The car was # 96 and the scream’n Six referred to the six banger under the hood that beat all the flat-heads back then. Owner Andy Susco sent along this image and said.
'it was a very fast car. We won a lot of races with this car.
In 1964,at Fulton speedway,we won every race that we finished, heats,semis,and features.' . Greg Shephard sent this along to me, he said 'My father, Gary Shephard Sr., used to race at Brewerton and Fulton speedways in the early to mid-sixties. He raced two cars, one the number 2 shown and the other was the (which was a Blue and white Hudson with a 6 cyl) sponsored by Bob Barzee (Village Collision, North Syracuse).' . was dominant during this era.
1966 (photo by unknown). was a top contender in the 6cyl/flathead days. 1967 (photo by unknown). modified action from the old asphalt Brewerton Speedway.
Mike Sessler sent me this shot of Brewerton Speedway about 1970. Mike said 'my dad’s late model leading, no idea who’s driving'. This is a 1965 modified feature with Mike Zopp in Wes German’s potent Broome Heating modified beating a newly arrived Dutch Hoag of Bath, NY in the Turner Brothers coupe. Shangri-La where this picture was taken had offered a bounty in 1965 on Zopp after he had won several consecutive features at the Owego facility. Dutch collected the $500 bounty the next week breaking Zopp’s dominance at Owego. Of interest German was one of the first to use Grand National (now Sprint Cup) motors from the Ford factory team of Holman and Moody. These were motors that had run 500 mile races and resold to other teams.
This 04 had a giant 427 CI Ford under the hood. Image and description courtesy of Gary 'AJ' George. at Shangri-La in 1966. or is that Dave Lape.
Along with Lou Lazzarro and the Shampine mustang seen here lining up for the 1967 Fulton 100 spring race. 'Orange Crate' coach leads Dutch Hoag and Wimble (rough, but worth a look). I believe this and the following two images to be from 1967. of the Osborne #81 taken by John Grady at Albany Saratoga. of the Turner Bros. #18 also by John Grady at A.
bodied modified at Fulton. bodied modified at Fulton.
on the front straight of the NYS fairgrounds in 1968, as seen from the old grandstands. neat mustang at Fulton (April 1969). Dick’s son, Duncan says this is the same car (chassis) as the Mustang pictured above.
Duncan went on to say.' Dad did in the Mustang in a crash at Wall Stadium in an All Star League race later in ’69. Up until 1970, we only ran Fulton a couple of times a year, usually early in the year and late. NASCAR used to frown upon running 'outlaw' tracks. Dad drove for Hugh Hedger, and we were regulars on the Malta-Fonda-UticaRome circuit.
In 1970 we followed Richie, Sonny Seamon and a couple of others to become regulars at Shangri-La and Fulton. Dad won his first feature at Fulton in that coupe in '70, and another one in '73 in a Barracuda.' . at the 'Fulton 100' in '69, that’s Bobby Merz alongside. leads off turn 4 at Fulton. from the same day. That’s the Turner brothers #18 Corvair running third.
(1969). lines up for a Fulton race, that’s Bill Wimble and Norm Mackereth in the background. was once a hired gun. He got the ride in the Wright-Zautner #24 after kenny Shoemaker vacated the seat in 1968. The ride didn’t last long as Zautner was not impressed at the time and told Richie, 'get out out from behind that wheel, you will never make a driver!' This rare shot was taken at Albany Saratoga Speedway by the equally legendary John Grady.
correction. Not Roy Makinson I am told, at Fulton. I have learned that this is the former Lee Osborne built orange crate #81. It was driven by Jackie Evans at Langhorne and then sold to Renshaw. I have now learned that there were actually 4 Osborne coaches:.The offset motor asphalt car from '66-'67, that won all the races around this area was sold to Bill Sandman, who converted it to a.There was a dirt sedan purchased from the Bill Wimble team (McCreadie?) - I think that was only raced 1 or 2 times and sold again.The dirt car Lee built (1968) - Won at Lebanon Valley, Waterloo, Monroe County, etc. this one had the 'shortened' front section on the body.and the Jackie Evans-Renshaw Langhorne car (1968). unveiled this gem at Fulton.
It was the beginning of his modified dominance!. battle on the Fulton asphalt in the spring of '69. Sam Reakes, Dutch Hoag and Lou Lazzaro, also the spring of '69.
was wicked fast on both dirt and asphalt with this potent coach. 1970, first 5 starters, Guy Chartrand, Jim Shampine, Richie Evans, Bob Sweeny, and Lou Lazarro. Sure wish they would go back to blacktop again, I’m told it’s still there under the dirt. (photo by unknown).
1970, just guessing here, #62 Don wayman, #54 P.J. really became competitive with this spotless machine. lapping the field. beautiful #88 coach. (courtesy of www.Turn5Photo.com). piloted this potent #44 coach.
Later this car would become the stars n stripes Diffendorf s-360., that’s the red Turner brothers #18 corvair in the background. ( 1970). at Fulton. sketch of the #74 coach. again. being chased by Richie Evans at Lancaster in 1971. under construction at Gil Bruss’ shop in January 1972.
Although Merv drove it on dirt, Pete Snyder (1970 Lancaster Speedway Late Model champion) drove it once or twice for Merv at Lancaster in '72. taken at the Syracuse Motorsports show in 2005. cops a Fulton feature with the S/360 coupe. again. (image provided by mike Burley). ready to take the green on the Fulton asphalt. Guy Chartrand has the pole with the Pine outside, Richie Evans and Bob Sweeny make up row two.
wins at Fulton in the Turner bros. #18. Mackereth, tried his hand at mods too. and his coupe modified at Oswego. Photo by Mike Sessler, who told me 'I believe it’s 1974.
He totaled it first time out. Dick Emerson spun in turn 3 at Oswego and Mike caught his wheel and slammed the wall. Later that year he tried unsuccessfully to get in to the Labor Day race at Syracuse with it.' . Daytona modified. Photographed at Oswego in '82.
restored mods at Oswego. Rusty Nail special, an illustration I did many years ago from a photo I took at Fulton speedway. At what the International Motorsports Hall of Fame has to say about Richie.
of a book about the life and times of Richie Evans by (that’s Bones seated in front of Richie’s car). I got my copy of the book from. These folks have lots of great books about all kinds of racing.
bodied modified debuted in '72 at Oswego speedway (he won). This is possibly a shot of his '74 Pinto. (John Grady photo). at the OSWEGO PORT CITY 150 in may 1978. I have never seen another color pic of this car. Bob also won the last ever blacktop race at Fulton with this car in 1978.
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Most people know Bob McCreadie as a dirt driver, but he ran well on blacktop too. Have had a few arguments with people who say he never ran blacktop until I show this pic. (from Mike Burley).
Photographer John Grady told me Richie was sporting the beard because of a bout with chicken pox. 1980 or '81 maybe. or maybe '77 of a Troyer Pinto at Oswego (photo by mike Burley). and his crew wasn’t too bad either!.
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Oswego Speedway Drivers
#1 gets cradled off after a hard hit in turn one while trying to qualify for the 1981 Port City event. gave the third turn wall a mighty wallop. Also during the '81 Port city race. won the mod portion of the 1982 Port city event on this day. He was absolutely dominant in the Willsburg #5 back then!
His cars were always show stoppers. also the '82 Port city show., Eddie Bellinger and others., Tony Hirschman and Brian Ross., S. Evonsin and Jan Leaty., Tommy Baldwin and John Anderson., winner, Jamie 'The Jet' Tomaino. This is a thumb-nail recap of the Modified portion of the 2005 Jim Shampine Memorial event. This is a thumb-nail recap of the Modified portion of Classic weekend.
Dirt Modifieds. at at Weedsport Speedway, July 24, 1955. That’s Bill Wimble in the #33. coupe at the 2005 Syr. Motorsports show. See on this car from the Midstate Antique Stock Car Club. was unbeatable at the NYS Fair.
I lived just a few mile from from the fairgrounds and this was always my favorite day at the fair, by far!. at the NYS Fair in the early '60s. Wee Willie Allen had some on Labor Day, 1964. ended Kotary’s bid for six straight Labor day wins. He was always a and back in those days. from a Syracuse motorsports show.
I have learned this from the: 'The car was originally built by Jack Johnson, Harry Peek & Tony Valiano in Harry’s mothers garage in the winter of 1967. Jack was the driver in '68 & a little of '69. 1970 saw the 'Shoe' behind the wheel as he needed a ride grabbing a couple wins in it. Jacks long time friend & mechanic Jo Jo Desarbo recalled the car well and remarked about blowing a motor just loading it one saturday afternoon. Jack laughed and told of Tony complaining about a seat bracket Jack built for a fiberglass seat that weighed 50 pounds. With that Jack replied, 'Tony, you built us a car that weighs two tons - what’s 50 pounds more?'
With that, Tony spun around and left the garage.' (written by Sharon & Richard Parry). for the NYS Fair Labor day race. This race was a BIG deal before the DIRT weekend began in 1972. (1967 or '68, photographer unknown). Was nearly unbeatable at the local paved tracks in this Turner brothers ride, shown here at the Syracuse mile. In the early days.
always a contender at Rolling Wheels. again at Rolling Wheels.
'Ole Bones' coupe. coupe at the Wheels, around 1969. with his top running dirt mod in 1969., almost unbeatable in the northeast. This is a restoration of, what I would say is a 1971 version of the #24. program cover, 1972.
at the NYS fairgrounds during DIRT week. as above, from a different angle!. One of the best.
This is a sketch I did in '76. at the Port in '77, note the injectors!. pauses for a nice shot with with his potent coupe. relaxing between the action. and Charlie Castle at the Weedsport. won everything in sight in those days! That’s Frankie Mears in front and Magic Shoes on the outside.
drove the Binner 66 in 1977. where greats such as Gerald Chamberlain, Toby Tobias, Johnny Botz and Kenny Brightbill honed their skills.(1977). is ready for hot laps at the old Reading fairgrounds in 1977.
at an equally legendary racetrack, the Reading fairgrounds (illustration by yours truly). I think, at rolling Wheels in '78. Reutiman at the NYS fairgrounds. 1978?. leads Sammy Beavers into the first turn at the NYS fairgrounds.
This was the rained out '77 Schaefer 200, run in the spring of '78. 'de-capitated' modified sits among many mangled cars on the backstretch after a huge backstretch crash in that '78 spring race. Amazingly, Wayne was able to escape unhurt. red and white #2 races in a pack in the '78 spring Dirt week show.
line up for the '78 spring Dirt week show. program cover and starting lineup. either Billy Osmun or Gary Balough’s ride, they both wore the same number. has the edge on Will Cagle.
of Magic Shoes Mike McLaughlin and one of his earlier modifieds. first modified at the Port in 1979. of George Ely. and his 5x at Weedsport. Chuck Ciprich wheels it at the Wheels!. coach at Rolling Wheels. and Alan Johnson’s 14j., 1979, in the the Weedsport pits.
dominated the competition at Syracuse in 1980. Balough’s ride was a, thats Geoff bodine’s hastily 'modified' (overnight) modified #99 4th in line.
Statewide ride at the Port. Merv Treichler’s 58 in the background.(1980). and the original Mudbus at the Wheels. 1981. Conely farms 14j at the Wheels in 1981.
This was the first Troyer Mud Bus. Alan and Tico Conley debuted the Troyer’s Mudd Bus #1 at Canandaigua in the spring of '81 where they smoked the field.
The next day at the Wheels, Alan put the car in the wall in a heat race, but they got it fixed in time for Alan to again dominate that day. Mudd Buss numbers 2 and 3 went to Danny Johnson and Will Cagle: Cagle’s being something of a surprise as he typically built his own cars and Troyer feared he might copy this design. Merv Triechler also got a Mudd Buss late in the season and proceeded to lap the field at the Northeast 150 at Weedsport that September. A month later that car took him to victory at Syracuse.
Last I knew, Mudd Buss #1 was sold to Canada’s Harvey Hainer, but I have no idea what happened to it after that. won the modified invitational during the '81 WOO show at Rolling Wheels. Gary Ulig and Chuck Akulas charge off of turn 4 during the '81 invitational. Grant King machine at Rolling Wheels in '81. terrorized the DIRT regulars with this low slung machine.
Update from Jim Ferlito. That photo was taken in 1981 I believe at Weedsport. That is the number 99 of Phelps on the outside of Craig Keel. Cricket did an outstanding job with that car!!! We were/are good friends with the Keels - Craig’s Mom would sit with our group during the races. His dad Dan would call us several times a day with racing info. Anyway, that is actually my second modified - a Buck Buckley built chassis (from sprint car fame).
We really struggled with that car on Glen’s circuit which were usually dry and hard tracks. Jack Johnson sat me down and said we should run the Brewerton-Fulton-Evans Mills circuit because you could run a tire that would help get it hooked up. Jack was right.
We won the points at Evans Mills, were 2nd at Fulton and I believe 4th or 5th at Brewerton. brought his crazy 8 to the same show in 1981. Dave Kneisel, truly a class act.
We lost and Jim Shampine on the same 1982 Labor day weekend. Jim Walker’s beautifully restored and street legal! Shot taken during July 10th 2004 'retro event' at Oswego. had some great runs with his Troyer Mudd Bus.
1982. Mike Mclaughlin and the craZ8 at weedsport. at Weedsport attracted invading hot shoes Jimmy Horton and Brett Hearn.
ready for action in 1982. of cars race down the backstretch at Weedsport. On the low side are Bob Podolak (4), Magic Shoes (z8) and C.D. Coville (61). Charlie Trump’s modified effort. Well, we had fun anyway!
( 1983). of the Trump modified at Brewerton. That’s George Rinaldi wrenching the motor. Bob Trump, just another member of this finely tuned team. Ummm, guys, the valve cover fell off again!. was a real strong runner on the small block circuit., 1987 Super DIRT Week.
Could that be Otto pushing in the back?. from 1988 shows gentleman Paul Jensen taking the low groove. enjoys a rare quiet moment in the Brewerton pits.
for your viewing pleasure:-). Gould Construction has helped Tom Bliss out frequently over the years. This was one of Tom’s earlier modifieds. flanked by two family members of mine!
Late'80’s or early '90’s. around 1990. Sprints/Midgets.
photo gallery, as seen by Don Wilshe, owner of the fastest car there!. of the Can-Am TQ Midgets at Oswego Speedway (June 4, 2005). runs to the outside of Greg Furlong in that same Oswego TQ show. Pete has also represented Syracuse NY well during his trips to.
of the first Ford Focus midget event on the short track at Oswego Speedway (May 14, 2005). # 1 and the # 51 of Roger McCluskey at Oswego Speedway 1966. Photo and info courtesy of: Rich Edwards racing photos. also was in the show in '66.
(Rich Edwards racing photos). at Oswego, 1967?. get familiar with the Oswego steel, 1967. sprinter at the NYS fairgrounds after his July 4th 1974 crash.
This was a won by Al Unser. See also (links), In and from Dave Wickham. at a 1980 URC show at the Wheels.
Jimmy Horton and his Statewide sprinter prepares to be pushed off. at the Wheels. Rolling Wheels outlaw show. and one of my better shots, with a twin lens reflex!.
wins a WoO feature at the Wheels (same day). Joe Marotta and Ted Johnson. Steve Kinser in the background. on the low side, and Tom Bliss takes his first ESS feature at Fulton in 1987. This is the same Stanton chassis that Steve Kinser used 6 years earlier (see Kinser pics above). sure feels good!. had just fired it up in the Wheels pits, and was making a hell of a lot of noise when I snapped this shot!.
and one of Tom bliss midgets. Owned by Eddie Griffith with driver Doug Cross shown here at I.R.P. The 9 was piloted by Dave Darland, also at I.R.P. during the '78 wingless WOO show on the Syracuse mile, and Bentley Warren owned the show! Sped to the pole in the Tobin #21 supermodified in that show as the outlaw sprinters had a pretty without the wings on the big moody Mile. That provides much more info on this unique event.
in the Smith sprinter on one of the Victoria weekend sprint races (late '80s?), he hit the wall full bore coming out of turn two. flying high and wide at Fulton on his way to the ESS championship. This was 1994. for Cricket.
in Tom Bliss’s former car battles with Tom, in the former Keel #8 at Brewerton Speedway in 1988. was a joint effort between Tom Bliss and Darren 'Snake' beach. This machine had won the URC title the previous year. Tom exits turn 4 at Fonda in this shot.
also tried his hand in a TQ midget indoors in Buffalo NY. # 69 at Gateway Intl. Speedway, Madison, Il. Photo and info courtesy of: Rich Edwards racing photos. # 29 at Gateway Intl. Photo and info courtesy of: Rich Edwards racing photos.
# 01 at IRP, In. Car owned by Jeff West. Photo and info courtesy of: Rich Edwards racing photos. # 29 at IRP, In. Photo and info courtesy of: Rich Edwards racing photos. owned by Jeff West, driven by Joe Gosek and Brad Armstrong. I think Brad Armstrong might still be driving the #110.
Photo and info courtesy of: Rich Edwards racing photos. at Gateway Intl. Speedway, Davey Hamilton won the Oswego Classic in 1997.
taken during the retro show at Oswego. (7-10-04). one of the nations all time champion sprint car drivers and a true gentleman, seen here interviewing WoO sprint car driver Terry McCarl at I-55 Raceway, Missouri 15 April 2006. from the same day. sharp looking ESS car was on hand at the 2005 Syr.
Motorsports show. put on one heck of a show on Oswego’s short track in '05. They are always a big hit with the fans.
(Marie Bristol photo). at DuQuoin Il.
And speaking of Skip. Could this be (image relayed to me by Rich Edwards).
Link. Anderson Speedway 'Little 500'. Rich Edwards collection. 34 images from my most prolific contributor!
This collection is from I-55 Raceway (MO) and Belle Clair Speedway (Illinois) Models. added on Sept 2013 built by Norman Sterner. of wicked cool supermodified models crafted by Norman Sterner. a real nice piece!.
really nice. must see. a unique piece. And Don Diffendorf’s S/360 coach and coupe. When Maynard left Nagel to build cars the skeptics said he would fail. Boy were they wrong.
a really nice way to honor his dad!. Rob Miezejewski, of Tucson, Arizona built this fine replica of Dick Clark’s Barricuda modified. nicely done by Rob Miezejewski. Charlie Jarzombek, Ralph Holmes, Richie Evans, Greg Sacks and Curtis Turner. Richie Evans Cavalier and Merv Treichler Mud Bus. More from Ben, Buzzie Reutiman, Jerry Cook, Charlie Jarzombek, Deek Decker, Maynard Troyer, Lou Lazzaro, Shampine Wedge, Doug Hewitt, Richie Evans, Bob McCreadie and Bernie Miller.
Model crafting website with an awesome photo gallery!. such as Cliff Kotary’s NYS Fair winners and much more! Models by Mike Kapuscinski This is one of Iver’s! This is one of Iver’s!. tribute page.
Odds & Ends. Late Model and Modified career in a photo slideshow. 1964 Indy: Smokey Yunick showed up at the track with one of the most radical cars ever to enter the 500-mile race.
Called the Hurst Floor Shift Special, it featured a catamaran-like layout with the driver placed in a pod adjacent to a second pod containing the engine, front and rear suspension, fuel tank, and radiator. The car was practiced by Duane Carter but the driver was to be Bobby Johns. Unfortunately, Johns, the guy who almost won the Daytona 500 with Smokey’s Pontiac in 1960, had trouble adjusting to the car’s handling characteristics and eventually backed it into the turn one wall during practice for the the last day of qualifying. The car was too unique for the Indy folk and was was outlawed and never allowed to compete.
All photos by J.D. Ellis. Here are some more shots from J.D.:. made quite a splash in the Legends division down around Charlotte NC. Is the step-daughter of my cousin Gary Trump. at Rolling Wheels in Elbridge NY.
From around 1969. Don't know who, but a real sharp piece. Rich Edwards took this photo in 1965 at the old Jack and Benny diner, Gordy Johncock stopped by Oswego for a visit. Photo and info courtesy of: Rich Edwards racing photos.
from John Grady. Action at Lounsdale RI. John told me this was the only racetrack in that state and that it closed in the mid 50’s.
to Bristol Motor Speedway. to the Kodak team shop. at his Tennessee auto dealership.
in the Penzoil car! A screen capture from my NASCAR racing2 game. after a feature win at Sherman’s Speedway in Caroga Lake, NY. in 1971. See the on YouTube.
at the Glenn. #52 was on hand for the Oswego ASA show in 1984. ASA car, also at Oswego. '62 Indy winner.
overcome from the heat after his '53 Indy win. The Gray Ghost. Parnelli Jones’ famous ride. dominated the '67 Indy 500. of the Granatelli machine, with a good look at the helicopter turbine powerplant. Many thanks to my friend Jim for this contribution!. also submitted by Jim.
Jim says Andy and Parnelli were in the original picture and Joe and Vince Granatelli were added for a marketing deal later. career is showcased at the Indy museum.
illustration I did many moons ago. illustration I also started long ago, and finished recently with Paint shop Pro. was a top runner with his orange #6 microd back in 1967-68. at the NYS Fairgrounds 10th mile track. they were just a little smaller!. Mike Thornton sent me this pic.
He visited the Birthplace of Speed Park in Ormond Beach Fl in '05. The first sanctioned race meet occurred here in 1903. It was Jr’s first IROC.
(John Grady photo). Gone but never forgotten.
addresses the infield crowd in July at Daytona. (2007). competed with the legends at Lowes Motor Speedway in the summer of 2007. (ever-present crew chief, takes a break in the background).
Newspaper articles covering northeast racing over the years. For many years, before the internet, and before cable tv, Dick O’Brien, and others provided the information racing fans in the central NY area craved. I always looked forward to opening the Syracuse newspaper, going to the sports page and reading their articles to find results or plan my racing weekend. Dick O’Brien, now retired, provided clippings of his many articles to Mike 'Pinner' Johnson, who in turn, had scanned and individually featured them on his web site,. You can now find these artcles as well as many more archived here. Click to expand/contract text area.
Note: click cross-hairs at bottom right of images to enlarge, hold left click on image to move. and. Okay, now you could to the Supermodified pages if you wish:-) return to of page Mods-Other.
Dan Wheldon’s death brought back a grim memory for Oswego’s Joe Gosek, who was a rookie at Indianapolis in 1996. The veteran supermodified driver had just passed his rookie orientation, when three-time Indy 500 winner Johnny Rutherford came into a room to talk to the new drivers.
He told them that “this place can take you away in a second.” Nobody in the room at the time knew that Scott Brayton had died in a practice accident that morning. Gosek said you go from “a big high” because now you can try to qualify to run with the big boys, to learning that someone just lost their life.
“It hurts the whole racing community in general,” he said of Wheldon’s death. “An Indy 500 winner. There’s only so many of them.” Gosek, 55, who won the Oswego Speedway track championship this season, said supermodified drivers are used to speeds of 140 mph on the five-eighths-mile oval at Oswego.
“One hundred forty and 220, that’s a big difference. I remember at Indy something happening in front of me and I tried to slow down. You might as well try to avoid it rather than slow down because you really can’t.
At that speed you’re in a guided missile. You’ve got to make the best of your first move.” Gosek finished 22nd in his only Indianapolis 500. He has been a test driver at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. “You don’t lift off the throttle there. It’s wide open.
It doesn’t surprise me that something like (Wheldon’s death) could happen. Not at all.” “We overlook that end of it as drivers because when you get in (the car) you don’t think about that stuff. It’s a love and something that’s a challenge, and that part of it isn’t really brought out until something like that happens.” Rory Williams can be reached at 470-3018.
3 years ago +2 The very last, the one with the zebra stripes is not Russ Gray. That's Scott Wilson's 1975 car, which he purchased from Kemp Dates. He then ordered a NEW Dates chassis for '76, which was the 'gray' colored one that Russ Gray bought from him a year later when Wilson retired. I started going in '73, so I was there for Muccio, Gray, Shampine (my hero, I still cry to this day recounting that awful Classic Weekend), Michaels, as well as Jerry Cranmer and Pete Walker in Modifieds, who weren't included in this video. The 'Ole' Gray Lady', as Oswego's steel walls were known prior to the installation of the safety foam blocks, could turn evil when she wanted to. Thank the Lord, there hasn't been a fatality since Tony White's Small Block Supermodified crash several years ago.
The safety of the cars has improved leaps and bounds, and the foam barriers have also played a huge role in increasing the drivers' safety. 5 years ago In 1973 or 74,I went to the local shopping mall with my parents,and my dad bought two of the first Hot wheels cars.The sillouette,and beatnik bandit.We had a local stock car track that ran hobby class cars.They were racing cars to me,and i loved to see and hear them.Anyway,when we came out of the mall,a bunch of trucks and open trailers started showing up,and i couldnt believe it!These were REAL racing cars! One of the cars fired up,and did a couple laps arround the mall. It was Jim Shampine!
- When Shawn Muldoon slips behind the wheel of his 900-horsepower supermodified and goes racing, he never thinks about what could happen. 'You can't worry about dying,' Muldoon said. 'If you're scared, you shouldn't be in the car.'
Four years ago, on a Tuesday, he felt chest pains while on the job, ignored it for six hours, then went to the hospital and underwent a heart catheterization. 'They said I had a heart attack, and I said, 'I don't think so,' said the 42-year-old Muldoon, a heavy equipment operator who regularly logs 40-60 hours on the job.
'With a heart attack, you think you're going to die. It was like heartburn, but it sucked. They spent a half hour on one of my valves, couldn't get it open.
Then they wanted me to take two months off. Can't afford to do that when you race cars.' And so, after Muldoon was released that Friday, he went back to work on his No. On Saturday night, he went racing again.
'My doctor didn't know I was going to race,' Muldoon said. 'I told him I'd give up racing when he gives up golf. He just laughed.' 'He didn't want to lose any points,' Muldoon's wife, Suzi, said with a shrug.
'You've got to know Shawn. That's how he is.' In Muldoon's mind, the decision to go back so soon and compete at speeds of up to 140 mph on what is billed as the fastest five-eighths of a mile track in the world was a no-brainer. And at season's end it was justified, at least in his own mind. He was 2002 supermodified champion at Oswego Speedway, the proudest moment of his racing career.
'Winning the track championship my rookie year, it had never been done in 52 years,' said Muldoon, who also competed for several years on dirt. Clearly, racers are a different breed, and they sure need a strong heart. No matter what level they compete at - from late models and supermodifieds to the IRL and Champ cars to Nextel Cup and Formula One - one of the most vital organs in the body gets a real workout behind the wheel. Auto racing carries a combination of significant cardiorespiratory stress and underlying psychological demands. According to results of tests performed immediately before the 1999 and 2000 seasons in CART (now the Champ Car World Series), the average heart rate was between 143 and 157 beats per minute, oxygen consumption was equal to somebody running an 8-minute to 10-minute-mile, and energy expenditures on track were about 9-13 times of those at rest.
Current IRL star Helio Castroneves can identify with the research. He had his heart monitored in his first year of open-wheel racing. 'It went up to 222 beats at the start, went down to 120, then shot up to 188 when I spun,' Castroneves said.
'I noticed a tremendous adrenaline rush. I knew I needed to start running a lot.' Speed isn't the sole cause of a rapid heart beat. Was monitored three years ago during a race, and his heart rate was 'approximately 120 or 130, right in there' - until it was time to make a stop. 'You need to be able to relax in the car, but mine would actually go up to 170 beats in the pits,' Unser said. 'Everybody had their own opinions as to why that was. Is it giving up control?
On the racetrack, I'm in control of everything, but when I come in the pits I turn it over to my team. 'Do I get anxious because of that? Do I get anxious because I've been running 200 mph and now all of a sudden I've got to stop and wait, and I'm in anticipation of getting going again? I think it's a little bit of everything - giving control over to the guys. And it's all high anxiety - 'Get this right, get this right. Don't make any mistakes.'
There also is great risk of heat stress. Drivers sit in a hot cockpit and wear three-layer, fire-retardant driving suits, gloves, boots and helmets, plus fire-resistant underwear. That leaves little skin surface exposed to the environment, thus drastically reducing the body's ability to dissipate heat. 'Racing on a really hot day with high track temperatures and high in-car temperatures puts stress on the body and increases metabolic demands,' said Steve Olvey, former medical director for CART and now chief medical officer for Grand Prix Masters, an international series for drivers over 45 who competed in Formula One for at least two years. 'Anything that does that is likely to increase heart rate. How high it goes depends on age and how good a shape you're in.
A driver who is more than 40 and out of shape and competing in a competitive series on a really hot day is at risk for some type of cardiovascular problem like a heart attack. I would expect them to have abnormally high heart rates as a result.
It behooves all drivers to be in as good a physical condition as they can.' 'If I had chest pains, I wouldn't race,' said Muldoon, who doesn't exercise and smokes, though he's down to half a pack of cigarettes a day. 'I wouldn't want to hurt anybody else. If you're not 100 percent, there's no reason to be in the car, especially at the speeds we're going.' If anything, Muldoon possesses a terrific case of tunnel vision.
He races on even though he's well aware that his old friend, Tony White, died of a heart attack during a heat wave last summer at Oswego Speedway. White, the track's limited supermodified rookie of the year in 2002, was 37 when he lost consciousness during a Saturday night feature only hours after the temperature soared to 90 degrees. 'We had just sat down, and that's when it happened,' said White's older brother, Wayne, who went to school with Muldoon.
'I thought something was seriously wrong. He just barely tapped the wall, and the car veered up to the outside and just kept going until it stopped on its own.' Ironically, Tony White was in just about the best shape of his life after taking some time off from racing. 'He was a heavier guy and he smoked, we all do, but he had just lost probably around 65 pounds,' Wayne White said. 'He had worked real hard because he wanted to go racing again and be in good shape to go. A year before, he thought he was having some problems. He had gone to the doctors and they gave him a clean bill of health.
Everything checked out real good. He was in great spirits, excited about the new car.' Instead, a 110-car funeral procession marked the end of his life, and the Tony White Memorial is now an annual event at the speedway. And Tony White is not alone.
The Joe Winne Memorial race is run each summer at Accord Speedway in the Hudson Valley region of New York state. The race is in memory of Joe Winne Sr., a tough-as-nails, small-block modified competitor for two decades who died of a heart attack at age 45 during a practice session in 2000. That same year, 65-year-old Lou Lazzaro, of Utica, N.Y., collapsed after a race at Fonda Speedway and died two days later. Lazzaro, who had bypass heart surgery four years earlier, suffered a massive stroke that left him in a coma and died of an inoperable blood clot on the brain. That Muldoon continues to compete probably stems partly from the fact that racing is in his blood. His father, Jim, raced at Oswego in the 1970s and his brother, Mike, is in the track's hall of fame.
'It ain't the money, definitely. My dad had six kids and no money,' said Shawn Muldoon, who is searching for a primary sponsor.
'It's just for the love of racing. It's like an adrenaline rush.
It's different.' Or perhaps there's something alluringly macabre in all this. A week after Lazzaro died, his No. 4 was retired and, after one last victory lap, family members and friends spread his ashes around the half-mile oval in upstate New York where he won 113 feature races during a remarkable career spanning six decades. 'Tony always told me if he was going to die somewhere, he'd rather die doing what he loved doing,' Wayne White said.
'That's where he was. In his own way, he'd be happy. It's just sad at the same time.' 'It's the way I hope I go, not laying in a bed with cancer,' Muldoon said. 'Just like that, you're done. And it wouldn't matter when it happened.' Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press This story is from ESPN.com's automated news wire.