The 2004 season at the Oswego Speedway ushered in a new era in track ownership and a renewed emphasis on children and family activities here at the track on race night.
New speedway co-owner, Pat Furlong, Sr. decided that he wanted the races to be more of a family oriented night of entertainment. He approached a family friend, Patty Dixon, a school teacher for over twenty years to head up a new program focusing on kids. Patty created the “Kids On-Track” program and it was a big success right from the beginning. The focus of this program is to bring kids and their families to the track and make it a night they won’t soon forget.
There are bicycle and T-shirt giveaways every week, rides in the Pace Truck and "Mini-Supermodifieds" along with opportunities to meet drivers and tours of the race control tower. Patty ties the activities at the speedway together with school room activities at her school and several schools in Oswego County. She conducts essay writing contests and winners are eligible to announce a race up in the tower or wave thr green flag to start a heat race from the starters stand.
Each year a total of $250 in U.S. Savings Bonds are awarded by PathFinder Bank to one or more kids who have met certain standards combining education and racing. In 2004, one winner was selected to be given a $250 U.S. Savings Bond. That winner, Jamie Cliff, will always be remembered for creating our advertising slogan “Feel the Speed” in a contest held just before opening day. His slogan now adorns most of our printed materials and racing merchandise available at the speedway.
New bicycles are given away throughout the racing season courtesy of Murdocks Bicycles and Galloway Realty.
The Oswego Speedway encourages our race teams to leave their cars out of the trailer after the races so the kids can get a close up look the machines at the end of the night. We bring kids and their families onto the track twice a year during the Constellation and Entergy "Kids Autograph Sessions" so that they can see the cars and collect some autographs from their favorite drivers. This interacting between drivers and kids has become a successful goal for the Kids On-Track program.
The Kids On-Track activities conclude each season with the Oswego Elks Lodge #271 year- end Cosmic Bowling Party at Lighthouse Lanes right across from the track.
Parents wishing to sign up their children for the 2008 Kids On-Track program can do so in person at the Novelty Stand on race days. Sign-ups can be done during practice sessions beginning on opening day, Sunday May 4th. Kids On-Track I.D. Badges will be given out after filling out the 2008 registration forms at the Novelty Stand. The 2008 program will be limited to the first 100 kids that are signed up starting May 4th.