1968 Classic summary presented by… Burkes “Do-It Best” Home Center
The Classic race moves from fall to Labor Day Weekend for the first time. Red Barnhart pits for fuel while leading with thirty laps left. Nolan Swift, who time trialed 63 out of 65 cars, gets his fourth Classic victory.
1969 Classic summary presented by… Mays Country Store & Polynesian Motel
One of the best cars from the early supermodified era, the Purdy Deuce, sits on the pole with Bentley Warren at the wheel. Norm Mackereth starts second. After 200 laps they are still first and second.
1970 Classic summary presented by… Ontario Orchards
Sheila Hayes fails to become first female to qualify for Classic. Jim Shampine becomes first driver to win Track Championship and International Classic in the same season. NHL goalie Andy Brown finishes third.
1971 Classic summary presented by… Sunset Cabins & RV Park
Nolan Swift makes up almost three laps over the final two thirds of the race and collects his fifth Classic win. The race is marred by the lap 10 tragic accident that claims the life of Canadian Gary Witter.
1972 Classic summary presented by… Scriba Electric
The race was run on Labor Day itself with Nolan Swift getting win number six out of the first sixteen Classics run. Kenny Andrews and Warren Coniam start the race in one car and finish it in another.
1973 Classic summary presented by… Fred Raynor Ford & Mercury
Kenny Andrews pressures leader Jim Winks in the Purdy Deuce. After contact, Andrews gets the win and Winks falls to eighth. John Spencer and Mark Letcher finish fourth and fifth for the second straight year.
1974 Classic summary presented by… Oswego County Federal Credit Union
With ten laps to go, Jim Shampine and Bobby Stelter ran side by side for the lead ahead of Nolan Swift and Warren Coniam running side by side. The race ends under the yellow with Shampine getting the win.
1975 Classic summary presented by… Fulton TV & Appliance
Fred Graves qualifies on the pole in the Bill Hite four wheel drive rear engine car. His day is over fourteen laps into the race. Ohio hot shoe Gary Allbritain gets the win in the Todd Gibson built Routh Packing #75.
1976 Classic summary presented by… Oswego Bagelry & Sandwich Shop
Fred Graves qualifies on the pole again and leads most of the first 160 laps before retiring. Gary Allbritain has to settle for second this time as Steve Gioia Jr. becomes first Oswego native to win the Classic.
1977 Classic summary presented by… Ponderosa Steakhouse
The odds were stacked that a Kempton Dates chassis would win the Classic. Unfortunately for Dates, he ran out of fuel while leading with four laps to go. Warren Coniam got the win in a different Dates chassis.
1978 Classic summary presented by… Stoneys Auto Plus & Uni-Select
The only Classic to start under the yellow, because of rain, saw Jim Shampine use up his tires as he set a blistering pace. Chuck Ciprich passes Shampine on a restart with eleven laps left for his first Classic win.
1979 Classic summary presented by… American Foundry
A certain Shampine 8ball & 6ball one-two finish was not to be. Lap 74 leader, Jim Shampine, hits a spinning John Spencer. Lap 185 leader, Warren Coniam, is black flagged. Chuck Ciprich gets his second Classic win.
1980 Classic summary presented by… Vashaws Collision Service
The last ever night race for the Classic was one of the top two 200’s all fans remember. Jim Shampine raced only once in 1980 then came back to start on the front row and lead all 200 laps of the Classic.
1981 Classic summary presented by… Clean Check
Eagle Beverage and Budweiser become the title sponsors for Classic Week. Twenty one year old Doug Heveron passes Eddie Bellinger with thirteen laps to go to become the youngest ever Classic champion.
1982 Classic summary presented by… Scriba Lane Redemption Center
Jim Shampine qualifies third fastest with seven cylinders on Friday night then loses his life in the Modified 200 on Saturday. Doug Heveron leads the field to the pits on lap 199 as the checkered flag flies only for Shampine.
1983 Classic summary presented by… Bosco & Geers Supermarket
Tied with 1980 as the best Classic memory for fans was the fantastic finish of the 1983 race. Eddie Bellinger goes from fourth to first in the final one and one quarter laps to pick up his first ever Classic win.
1984 Classic summary presented by… Scriba Meats
Bentley Warren’s supermodified career came back to life in 1983 as a team driver for Doug Heveron. Ed Bowley bought the Heveron cars for 1984 and Warren got his second Classic win fifteen years after his first.
1985 Classic Summary presented by… Bonded Motor Sales
Eddie Bellinger did not have to wait as long for his second Classic title as he did for his first. Bellinger dominates this race which ends under yellow when fourth place driver Mike Muldoon spins out on lap 196.
1986 Classic summary presented by… Aarons Rent to Own
Bentley Warren continues his great run in the Bowley #5 by picking up his third Classic win and second in three years. A late race charge by Steve Gioia Jr. ends with a yellow flag on lap 198 and the race was over.
1987 Classic summary presented by… Ferris Industries
Warren Coniam kept leaders Bentley Warren and Gene Lee Gibson in sight all race long. Coniam took the lead with eighteen laps left. Warren and Gibson did not finish the race. Coniam retires after this Classic win.
1988 Classic summary presented by… Parts Plus
Eddie Bellinger picks up his third Classic win in five years. It takes eight hours for the race to be completed as a six hour rain delay interrupted lap 112. A.J. Michaels has his best Classic run with a second place finish.
1989 Classic summary presented by… Gater News
Bentley Warren matches Eddie Bellinger with three Classic wins in five years during the eighties. With “Tire Wars” in full swing, Warren collects the first Budweiser International Classic win racing on Hoosier tires.
1990 Classic summary presented by… Garafolo’s
Bentley starts off the nineties with his fifth overall Classic title. Dave Shullick is second and sophomore driver Pat Abold finishes in third place as only three cars are on the lead lap at the end of the race.
1991 Classic summary presented by… Dunkin Donuts
Joe Gosek, Cliff Graves and Pat Abold all lead the race in the final eight laps. Gosek goes on to capture his first Classic victory and becomes the second native of Oswego to pick up a Classic joining Steve Gioia Jr.
1992 Classic summary presented by… Burritt Motors
A perfect season for Pat Abold is disrupted when he pits while leading the Classic with 70 laps to go. Joe Gosek picks up the win as “Tire Wars” came to an end. Gosek’s win is the last ever on Good Year tires.
1993 Classic summary presented by… Hoosier Tire
Driving the Graves “House Car”, Eddie Bellinger picks up his fourth Classic title and becomes the first ever driver to make a pit stop and come back out to win the race. Russ Wood is second in the Ed Shea #27.
1994 Classic summary presented by… WSEN 92.1 FM
“If it ain’t broke…don’t fix it”. Eddie Bellinger again uses the pit stop strategy that worked the previous year and won his fifth Classic title. Pat Abold, in second place, gets his third top three finish the past four Classics.
1995 Classic summary presented by… Oswego Sub Shop
All of the hard work Mike Muldoon has put into running his race team pays off as he picks up an International Classic victory. His main competition during the season, Doug Didero, finishes third.
1996 Classic summary presented by… State Farm of Oswego
The anticipated Doug Didero and Mike Muldoon battle ended with fifty laps to go as Muldoon spun in turn number one. Didero collects the popular win for long time supermodified car owners Skip and Lois Matczak.
1997 Classic summary presented by… Tobacco Free Network
The third Didero and Muldoon Classic saw leader Didero have fuel pick-up problems on lap 193 and leader Muldoon crash with Eddie Bellinger on lap 199. Muldoon teammate Davey Hamilton inherits the win.
1998 Classic summary presented by… Lighthouse Lanes
Over the years several drivers have picked up a Classic ride in a back-up car but none had a better ending that the 1998 race. Bentley Warren, driving for Jeff West, picks up his sixth Classic win to tie Nolan Swift.
1999 Classic summary presented by… Novelis
Greg Furlong, a “graduate” of the Limited Super division, didn’t buy into the pit stop strategy that had worked for others. Furlong gets the win and beat Mike Muldoon who did stop for a fresh right rear tire.
2000 Classic summary presented by… PathFinder Bank
Randy Ritskes tries to bring car owner Paul Dunnigan his first ever Classic title and match Jim Shampine’s record of leading all 200 laps. Greg Furlong passes Ritskes in traffic on lap 196 for his second Classic win.
2001 Classic summary presented by… Raby’s Ace Home Center
Art Bennett, Gordon Dukes, Johnny Benson, Davey Hamilton and now Tim Snyder. They are the only supermodified drivers to get their first win in the Classic. Snyder beats Greg Furlong in an exciting finish.
2002 Classic summary presented by… Millwrights Local #1163
Joe Gosek teams up with car builder Mike Muldoon to try and get his third Classic win in the 2003 race. Greg Furlong was looking to get his third win also. After 200 laps, it is Gosek first and Furlong second.
2003 Classic summary presented by… Constellation & Entergy
Clyde Booth had been bringing cars to Oswego for over twenty five years. He had a Track Championship in 1978 with Warren Coniam and no Classic titles. That changes in 2003 when Mike Ordway picks up the win.
2004 Classic summary presented by… Econo Lodge & Best Western
The 2004 Classic ends with winner Greg Furlong and runner up Bobby Santos III, driving for Mike Muldoon, crashing at the finish line and ending up in the first turn foam blocks. It is Furlong’s third Classic title.
2005 Classic summary presented by… Caruso Tax & Accounting
Greg Furlong completes a Cinderella season by winning the Classic and finishing first in all twelve races that he completed during the season. When Furlong wasn’t wrecking he was winning. It was that simple in 2005.
2006 Classic summary presented by… Fleet Pride
History is made at the finish of the 2006 Classic event. Greg Furlong becomes the first driver to ever win three in a row. He tried to do that in 2001 and finished second to Tim Snyder. In 2006 he gets the job done.
2007 Classic summary presented by… Community Bank
For the second year in a row, Greg Furlong admits it was not his race to win. The lead comes back to him just as it did in 2006. His record fourth consecutive win was his sixth tying Nolan Swift and Bentley Warren.