What is it that makes opening day so special?  We all knew that when the gates closed last October 8, that it would be seven months until we’d get back to racing at the speedway.  That’s a tough task for race fans, as they go through withdrawals in just seven days summer time, let alone seven months of winter.

Something as simple as just driving to the track opening day brings a smile to your face.  The windows go down, the radio gets turned up louder, and you catch yourself going just a little faster than normal, as you head to the speedway.  It just can’t be helped, as adrenaline just takes over.

Opening day is a time you get to catch up with your racing family.  We all spend every Saturday night in the summer together, and casual acquaintances have turned into lifelong friendships. Handshakes and hugs are seen all around, as well as hearing “How’s the family” or “how was your winter?”  Seeing the brightly colored new paint schemes on the sleek race cars are a sight to behold.  The Supermodifieds as sleek looking machines, let alone add on a professional paint job to the car. That’s when they are just sitting in their pit area.  When the 850 horsepower motor gets unleashed, the sound is pleasantly deafening.  There really is an art to trying to carry on a conversation with race cars going around at full song. Longtime race fans wait those seven months for their first whiff of burnt methanol.  It’s a smell only real race addicts can appreciate.  That goes along with the eye burning that goes along with the smell.  Even though it sounds nasty to the neophyte, you’ll see the biggest grins of the year on the faces of these race fans as they wipe the moisture from the burning sensation in their eyes. The taste sense doesn’t get left out either.  One of the mainstays of Oswego Speedway is the Hofmann hotdogs.  Hoffman’s at Oswego Speedway were voted last year as the best race track food in the country.  Anyone that has ever tried a “track steak” at any other speedway knows how good the Oswego Hofmann’s are.

Sunday is an interesting opening day card for the speedway.  ISMA – Wirtgen Supers will run their first show of the year, and their 24th all time at Oswego.  Dave McKnight leads the way with 5 Oswego ISMA wins, including sweeps in 2000 and 2001.  Chris Perley has 3 ISMA wins at Oswego, while Randy Ritskes, Russ Wood, and Pat Abold have a pair of winged wins at the Big O. The big news in the ISMA circles this winter has been that the Dunigan team has taken the year off from competition.  Russ Wood and Pat Abold are now on the sidelines supervising their kids racing development.  Dunigan Racing has been the top force in ISMA for over 10 years.  This week begins the next chapter in the story of the organization. Lou Cicconi, Chris Perley, Nokie Fornoro, Dave McKnight, Mike Lichty, Kyle Carpenter, and Bobby Santos head the ISMA contingent.  Look for possibly Greg Furlong, Ray Graham, Brandon Bellinger, Joey Hawksby and possibly Bentley Warren to throw wings on top and run Sunday.

The RoC Modifieds have attached themselves to Oswego fans, and they run their first show of the year here this weekend as well.  Top modified runners Eric Beers, Chuck Hossfeld, Zane Zeiner, Earl Paules, TJ Potrzebowski, Pete Brittain, Lee Sherwood and Tom McGrath to duel it out over the 75 lapper. Oswego Speedway’s own PathFinder Bank Limited Supers fill out the cars as they get their first track time of the year as well. Opening day is finally here.  It’s been a long seven months, and drivers, teams, officials and fans alike are all itchy, and ready to go racing.  This is just the beginning of a summer filled of excitement and fun at Oswego Speedway. See you at the races.