In just eight short years, Dave Cliff and Gnomey Racing have put themselves into some pretty elite company. Coming into Classic Weekend 2010, they are once again among the favorites for the checkered flag in the SBS Bud Light Classic 100-lap event. Dave is a two-time winner of the SBS Classic, taking the wins in 2008 and ’09.
Just a couple of weeks ago, Dave was crowned 2010 Oswego Speedway Small Block Supermodified Track Champion. After a season long battle with Mike Bond and Brian Sobus, Cliff clinched the title with his fourth place run in the 20-lap feature race Saturday night.
The track championship, coupled with his two Classic titles saw Dave add his name to the elite of the Small Block Supermodified 19 year history. Only Russ Brown, Bob Goutermout, Dean Hoag, Scott Landers, Mike Bond, and now Dave Cliff have won both the track championship and SBS Classic at Oswego Speedway.
“I would have liked to see the second race run Saturday,” Dave said in retrospect, looking back at the title clinching night. “It was a different kind of night, but we’ll take it. It was a great feeling to win the track championship at Oswego. It means so much. It has sunk in, we’ve win a track championship.”
During the race night, there was a little more pacing in the Gnomey pit area than usual. “I’m generally not nervous about racing, or a race night,” Dave explained. “It was the first race weekend I was pretty nervous. It was mainly for my mom and dad, for all the time and money they put into the car. We were in a good position, but you never know what can happen. We wanted to win it on the track, and ere hoping to run the second race that night, but we’re happy to wrap up the championship.”
Even hours after clinching his first ever Oswego Speedway championship, the focus shifted to the next task at hand, the SBS Classic. “We’re working on getting both cars ready,” he explained. “The first car is just about ready to go, and we’re looking to put someone in the second car. It’s a good ride. We are talking to some people, we don’t know who is going to be in it yet, but we are looking at some people.”
Dave is a two-time winner of the race, and his strategy is actually pretty simple. “The idea is to try and start up front, and stay up front,” he said of the race strategy. “I’ve started back a bit before, and spin out, and don’t want to do that again. The idea is to start up front, and stay there.”
“This is the first year on this tire,” he philosophized. “The last couple of years, they haven’t really fallen off. This year, the way the lap times have been so close all year, there are some really good times out there. There are a lot of guys that can win it, and starting spot and a good car are the set up.”
“You need a good time trial run, as you don’t want to give up too much, you can’t,” he emphasized. “You have 6-8 guys within a tenth or two, any little slip can cost you. You don’t want to give up any spots, you can’t get them back easily.”
Practice may hold a key ion the race too, Dave added. “We aren’t used to full tank runs, and it’s just another thing you have to do in this race you aren’t used to.”
This year has been good practice for Dave looking ahead to this weekend. He explained, “The best we’ve started all year was 8th, it takes a little bit of time to get to the front for us. Some guys seem to get to the front a little quicker than us, but we get there. We get there, and in this race,. 100 laps is plenty of time to get where you have to.”
While the main focus for Dave is Saturday’s SBS race, thoughts creep in about Sunday as well. Just like any other kid that grew up in Oswego, Dave has dreamed of starting in the International Classic. Dave has a few starts in 2010 in the Strong Racing supermodified, and thoughts can’t help but surface about Dave running the 200.
“Maybe, it hasn’t been decided yet,” Dave said when asked if he was Classic racing on Sunday. “The super has been fun this year, and running the Classic would be great, but nothing has been decided yet.”
“I want to be competitive in the super, and it took a couple of weeks to get there,” Dave said of his time in the new #99. “There were a couple of frustrating weeks, but the last couple of times we got into the 17.3’s, and it was comfortable, so we were happy. I could run with the pack, and get comfortable with it.”
“We haven’t run with new tires yet, so that would help a little too, but running the super has been a lot of fun this year and I cant thank the Strong’s and their crew enough.”
Driving both cars in the same night, Dave is the perfect guy to find out about the difference between the two classes at Oswego Speedway. “It was a little unexpected, actually,” he said. “The let off points are similar. The super, you have to drive them so much more on the straightaway because it has so much more power. The power of a super is something else.”
“I can’t thank the enough, they really have worked hard this year, and ever since we’ve been at it,” Dave said gratefully. “They are a great bunch to race with, hang with and have fun with. I can’t thank them enough. “That dedicated crew is Dave Cliff Sr., John (Bubba) Delong, Dan Cliff Sr., Dan Cliff Jr., and Myles Maxon.
Tamarack Golf Club, Canale’s Insurance, Law’s Engine and Machine, HRW Construction, Cutro Inspection, Millennium Music, LaGraf’s Pub, Luther’s Way Out Grafix, Paul’s Big M Supermarket, and Cam’s Pizzeria are sponsors for the newly crowned track champ.
In eight years in the SBS class, Dave Cliff has put down a heck of a stat line. Two SBS Classic titles, the 2010 Track Champ, 10th in all time SBS points, solidly in the top ten in all time top 5’s, and 8th in all time wins in the class. Add to it wins in the 2008 Mr. SBS race, and maybe the one that means the most, the win in the Tony White Memorial race in ’08.
He’s locked and loaded for the busy weekend ahead, and looking to add Classic win #3 to his credentials. He’s coming off a championship season, and has won this 100 lapper two of the passed three years. It would be a crowning achievement to a wonderful 2010-year for Dave Cliff and Gnomey Racing.