OSWEGO, NY (July 8) – The 2012 season at Oswego Speedway has been one of change for Mark Castiglia. The Oswego driver came into the year with a brand new racecar, new number, and a new outlook. In doing so he managed to pull into Chris Nelson Insurance Victory Lane on Saturday night for the second time in 2012, and in his career at Oswego Speedway in the Pathfinder Bank SBS division as a part of Burke’s Home Centers/CNY Central King of Wings weekend in front of a near capacity crowd.
Castiglia muscled the point away from long-time leader Andrew Schartner on lap 26 of the 35 lap battle, and would then have to hold off garage mate Rob Pullen in the closing stages for the big win.
Kreig Heroth, Mike Bond, and Schartner completed the Top 5 order at the conclusion of the SBS main event.
“Andrew (Schartner) and I had quite the battle,” said Castiglia in Chris Nelson Insurance Victory Lane. “I got into him a little bit, I apologize for that, but we were slugging it out there for a couple laps and I finally got by him. I knew Robby (Pullen) was behind me, I felt him a couples times, and saw him high there and I was just trying to make laps. The car was pretty loose tonight, but I held on.”
Mike Bruce, who was involved in a nasty heat racing accident just one week ago which required nearly a total rebuild of the No. 22, led the first two laps of the Burke’s Home Centers/CNY Central main event until Schartner slipped by to the point on lap 3 in the No. 18.
Schartner, the defending Bud Light SBS Classic Weekend winner, began to distance himself from the pack once out front. Further back Castiglia and Pullen began to hook up and work their way through the field and by lap 7 worked into the Top 5 with low sides passes of Dalton Doyle in No. 01.
The duo would not stop there.
On lap 11 Castiglia would again make a hole, this time under Bruce in turn two leaving room for Pullen to again follow through. The No. 69 and No. 2 would then set their sights on leaders Schartner and Cameron Rowe in No. 77.
Caution lights would come on at lap 13 for the No. 88 of Brad Haynes, who made contact with the third turn foam.
The order for the restart would show Schartner, Rowe, Castiglia, Pullen, and Bruce in the Top 5 followed by Doyle, Heroth, Tim Barbeau, Mike Bond, and AJ Bernys.
As the field picked up the pace in turn three the No. 77 of Rowe suddenly locked up and slid towards the outside wall making contact with the foam while running 2nd. Upon further review, a stuck throttle was the culprit.
“I dropped the hammer and it wouldn’t come back,” said Rowe. “Once I got it slowed down some and hit the kill switch I turned it to the right to try and hit as square as possible.”
With Rowe out of the action, that would move Castiglia up into the runner-up slot with Pullen, Bruce, and Doyle in tow.
On the restart Schartner pulled away, appearing well in command as both Heroth and Bond began to mount a charge near halfway. Bond followed Heroth through the pack and on lap 15 each made their way into the Top 5, sliding passed Doyle in No. 01.
The cross flags for halfway showed Schartner, Castiglia, Pullen, Heroth and Bond up front with Schartner still holding a decent distance on Castiglia for the lead.
That would change however on lap 21.
A caution for Jack Patrick’s No. 9 in turn two gave Castiglia the opportunity he was looking for to draw back behind Schartner, and when the green lights came back on it was clear that Castiglia had something for the leader.
The two waged a spirited battle for the next five laps, trading paint and scuff marks, with Castiglia finally making the pass for the top spot on lap 27. With Pullen having the best seat in the house running 3rd, he eventually did what he had done all night, follow through in the tire tracks of the No. 69. One lap later Pullen moved passed Schartner into 2nd and now tried to move high on the leader Castiglia.
With Castiglia and Pullen battling, Schartner began to back slide as both Heroth and Bond would in time make moves by Schartner dropping him to 5th after leading much of the event.
As the closing laps wore on Pullen threw everything he had at Castiglia in search of his third win of the season, but instead it was Castiglia joining Pullen as the only two drivers to pick up multiple wins so far in the Oswego SBS season.
“That was pretty exciting,” said Pullen after the event on the Budweiser interview podium. “They (Castiglia and Schartner) got locked up there for a second coming out of turn four, and I thought they were both going to end up in the wall. I backed down a little bit, but probably should have taken advantage of it and got by both of them. Mine and Mark’s car both come out of my shop each week so this is good.”
Heroth, who has battled in the Top 5 all season long, finally pulled through for a Top 3 finish in 2012.
“I think the best we’ve started all season is 10th, but it has done nothing but make me a better driver,” said Won4Racing pilot, Heroth. “This is a heck of a place to be on a Saturday night. I probably pass about 10 race tracks on my way here on Saturday’s but I would rather be here. I have to thank my crew and everyone. Ray Hedger puts a great racecar underneath us and my new car owner Doug Soucy took a chance on us and bought all new stuff and I think it is paying off.”
Doyle, Bruce, Barbeau, Nate Sitterly, and Jon Tesoriero finished the Top 10 rundown in the Burke’s Home Centers/CNY Central SBS main event.
Next week at Oswego Speedway is Century 21 Galloway Realty/Turning Stone Resort & Casino Night at the races featuring the Novelis Supermodifieds, Pathfinder Bank SBS Series, and the always exciting ATQMRA TQ Midgets. Grandstand gates open at 4pm with racing getting underway at 6:30pm.
For more information on Oswego Speedway be sure to visit online at www.oswegospeedway.com. Fans can also like the Speedway on Facebook at www.facebook.com/OswegoSpeedway or follow on Twitter @OswegoSpeedway.
For tickets or merchandise call the Speedway box office at (315) 342-0646.
Quick Results
Saturday, July 7th, 2012
Oswego Speedway
Oswego, NY
Burke’s Home Centers/CNY Central King of Wings IV
UPCOMING SHOWS:
Saturday, July, 14th – Century 21 Galloway Realty/Turning Stone Resort & Casino Night
Novelis Supermodified 50, Pathfinder Bank SBS 30, ATQMRA TQ Midgets
PATHFINDER BANK SBS SERIES
Feature (35-laps): 1. 69-Mark Castiglia, 2. 2-Rob Pullen, 3. 04-Kreig Heroth, 4. 26-Mike Bond, 5. 18-Andrew Schartner, 6. 01-Dalton Doyle, 7. 22-Mike Bruce, 8. 79-Tim Barbeau, 9. 27-Nate Sitterly, 10. 47-Jon Tesoriero, 11. 98-Jason Simmons, 12. 8-Josh Kerr, 13. 5-Tim Gareau, 14. 87- Bryan Haynes, 15. 9-Jack Patrick, 16. 24-AJ Bernys, 17. 44-Justin Cornell, 18. 93-JJ Andrews, 19. 99-Dennis Rupert, 20. 17-David LaTulip, 21. 77-Cameron Rowe, 22. 88-Bryan Haynes, 23. 11-John Ketcham
1st Heat (10laps/All Qualify): 1. 18-Andrew Schartner, 2. 04-Kreig Heroth, 3. 79-Tim Barbeau, 4. 98-Jason Simmons, 5. 27-Nate Sitterly, 6. 8-Josh Kerr, 7. 44-Justin Cornell, 8. 17-David Latulip
2ndHeat (10laps/All Qualify): 1. 22-Mike Bruce, 2. 2-Rob Pullen, 3. 01-Dalton Doyle, 4. 93-JJ Andrews, 5. 99-Dennis Rupert, 6. 5-Tim Gareau, 7. 87-Bryan Haynes, 8. 88-Brad Haynes
3rd Heat (10laps/All Qualify): 1. 77-Cameron Rowe, 2. 24-AJ Bernys, 3. 69-Mark Castiglia, 4. 9-Jack Patrick, 5. 26-Mike Bond, 6. 47-Jon Tesoriero, 7. 11-John Ketcham
Hoosier & Sunoco SBS Driver Standings 7-7-12
Pos ## Driver Pts
1 26 Mike Bond 675 *
2 O4 Kreig Heroth 659
3 2 Rob Pullen 656 **
4 79 Tim Barbeau 630
5 18 Andrew Schartner 625
6 98 Jason Simmons 614
7 93 Jay Andrews 613 *
8 69 Mark Castiglia 597 **
9 O1 Dalton Doyle 591
10 9 Jack Patrick 590
11 22 Mike Bruce 558
12 77 Cameron Rowe 554 *
13 24 A.J. Bernys 534
14 47 Jon Tesorerio (R) 530
15 11 John Ketchum 526
16 8 Josh Kerr (R) 473
17 17 Dave Latulip 469
18 99 Dennis Rupert 465
19 27 Nathan Sitterly 418
20 88 Brad Haynes 417
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.
Oswego Speedway is honored to recognize several sponsors and corporate partners that help to bring the racing action to you each Saturday night (listed alphabetically): All Seasons Inn, Alliance Bank, Bacc Off, Best Western/Quality Inn, Blue Bowl Sanitation, Bonded Motor Sales, Bosco & Geers, Bracy’s Transmission Services, Bridge Street Jewelers, Brioschi Pharmaceuticals International LLC, Burke’s Home Centers, Burritt Motors, Butler Disposal, Canales Restaurant, Canales Insurance, Century 21 Galloway Realty, Chris Nelson Insurance, Cleaning for a Reason, City Electric, CNY CPR, Coca-Cola, Compass Federal Credit Union, Constellation Energy, Corr-Pak, CPS Electric, C’s Beverage Center, Davis Bros. Meats, Days Inn/Travelodge, Dufore’s Jewelers, Dunkin Donuts, Eagle Beverage, Ellsworth Heating and Cooling, Entergy Northeast, Ferris Industries, Gater Racing News, Green & Seifter CPA, G&I Homes, H. Lee White Marine Museum,Hofmann’s, GMAC Insurance, Gioia Signs, Hoosier Racing Tire, Hudson Dairy, Jerome Fire Equipment, Johnston’s Propane, John Costello & Associates, K&G Lodge, Lighthouse Lanes, Longley Dodge, Marollo Racing Engines, May’s Country Store, McCaffrey Chiropractic, Mickey’s Magical Vacation, Munski’s Auto and Marine, Novelis, Ontario Orchards, Oswego County Federal Credit Union, Oswego Health, Oswego Inn, OTB/Western Region, Oswego Quality Carpet, The Palladium-Times, Par-K Enterprises, Pathfinder Bank, Outdoor Power West, Performance Harley Davidson, Pizza Villa, Ponderosa, The Post-Standard, Precision Balancing, Press Box, Price Chopper, Pullen’s Plumbing, RE Davis and Son, RJ Caruso Tax & Accounting, Rudy’s Lakeside, S&S Tractor, Scriba Electric, Scriba Meats, Shapiro Motor Sales, Sharon’s Hair Gallery, Speedway Press, Steve Abt Auto, Stop DWI – Oswego County, Sunset RV Park, Supercuts, Terrell’s Potato Chips, Thunder Road Bar and Grill, Turning Stone Resort and Casino, Universal Metal Works, Vashaw’s Collision Service, Yogi Bear’s Jelly Stone Park