#50 - On August 9, 1975 a supermodified feature was won for the first time by an Oswego-born driver. Steve Gioia Jr. picked up the win in the family owned #9 and followed it up with another win the following week.
Submitted by Chris Cote
#49 - On June 2, 1979 Dave Shullick won the scheduled 45 lap feature race. The next afternoon he won the postponed 75 lap feature becoming the only supermodified driver to win two races in two days at Oswego. The 75 lapper is remembered for the Shampine - Heveron fire and Jerry Buskey's best run ever in second place.
Submitted by Ben Naelitz
#48 - 1967 saw several changes made to the Oswego Speedway. The finish line was moved closer to turn four. Feature races were increased from 35 to 45 laps. A new starters stand was built near the new finish line. An electronic scoreboard and lap counter were completed. All of these items are still the same, forty years later.
Submitted by Danny Johnson
#47 - Sunday night July 1, 1990, saw an occurance that has yet to be duplicated in the fifty seven year history of the Oswego Speedway. Driving the Tom Bliss #65, Joe Gosek dominated the holiday weekend 75 lap supermodified feature and became the only driver to win an Oswego supermodified feature in a borrowed race car.
Submitted by Carl Schadt
#46 - Ed Bellinger, Nolan Swift, Ernie June, Joe Magari and Jim Howard tried it but Doug Duncan got it right. On June 20, 1970, John Spencer piloted the Duncan #07 to a feature win at Oswego Speedway. Although Jim Howard won a preliminary race in 1968 with his #38, the Duncan #07 became the first rear engine supermodified to win a feature at Oswego.
Submitted by Danny Johnson
#45 - September 18, 1965 brought to an end the first dominating season by one driver in the Supermodified era. After Bob Hodgson started a five week winning streak on June 5th, it was learned that the driver that replaced Ken Fisher in the Purdy Deuce after 1964 was actually USAC driver Ron Lux. Lux went on to win twelve features and the Track Championship.
Submitted by Danny Johnson
#44 - On Sunday night August 2, 1981, one of the best races ever staged at the Oswego Speedway was put on by the Modifieds. A 75 lap feature that you could throw a blanket over the top four cars for the last fifty laps. When it was over, Geoff Bodine had a half car length victory over Richie Evans, who was a half car length ahead of George Kent, who was one car length ahead of Jerry Cook.
Submitted by Iver the Driver
#43 - During the seventh season of operation for the Oswego Speedway, Harry Caruso decided it was time to hold a big race with a big purse to attract even more fans and drivers. On September 29, 1957, the idea came to life with the running of the first International Classic. The event was 100 laps in length and paid $1,000 to win. The race was won by local favorite "Irish" Jack Murphy.
Submitted by Danny Johnson
#42 - If you were at the Oswego Speedway on September 3, 1994, you witnessed history. During the time trials for the first ever ISMA Super National 50, Bentley Warren stopped the clocks with a lap time of 15.533 seconds in his Auto Palace #29. To this day, that time has stood as the fastest lap ever turned at the Oswego Speedway.
Submitted by Mark Floyd
#41 - On August 3, 1968, Todd Gibson won his ninth consecutive feature race breaking the record of five held by Ronnie Lux. Gibson went on to capture thirteen feature wins that season. Gibson won the Track Championship and was the fastest qualifier for the International Classic, which was the only thing he did not win during 1968.
Submitted by Danny Johnson
#40 - On July 11, 1952, the Oswego Speedway held a "Grand Opening" for the second time. Less than one year after the first race on the dirt surface, the track was open for business as a paved facility. "Irish" Jack Murphy picked up the first ever feature win on the new paved racing surface.
Submitted by Iver the Driver
#39 - On July 17, 1982, the Norm Foster D&H Potato Farms "Cra-Z 8" pulled into victory lane for the twenty fourth time at the Oswego Speedway. The first twenty three times were with Jim Shampine. On this date it was with Mike McLaughlin, who became the first rookie to ever win a supermodified feature at Oswego.
Submitted by Danny Johnson
#38 - The front and back grandstands were packed and it looked like an ordinary Classic Sunday crowd, but it wasn't. It was Sunday August 1, 1992, and the ISMA Supermodifieds were running their first ever feature race at Oswego. Paired up with DIRT as a special weekend event, the ISMA race lived up to pre-race hype. Randy Ritskes, aboard a Dunnigan team car, beat his "teammate" for the day Bentley Warren for the win. Joe Gosek, Pat Abold and Mike Ordway rounded out the top five.
Submitted by Danny Johnson
#37 - USAC competes now at the Oswego Speedway with their Ford Focus division, but their first appearance at Oswego was over forty years ago. During the summer of 1966, 1967 and 1968 the USAC Sprint Cars made an annual trip to the Oswego Speedway. Mario Andretti won the 100 lap feature in 1966 and both of the Twin 50's in 1967. Mike Mosely and Sammy Sessions split the Twin 50's in 1968.
Submitted by Danny Johnson
#36 - On September 2, 1973, the International Classic lived up to its "international" flavor as a Canadian won the race for the first time. Kenny Andrews, who was a pre race favorite for the 1973 Classic, wrecked his #55 in practice on Saturday. His crew and others worked all night to make the car race ready for Sunday. Andrews easily made the Classic through the qualifiers and started deep in the field. He passed Jimmy Winks in the late going for the win.
Submitted by Danny Johnson
#35 - During a heat race on May 26, 2007, Joe Gosek chased down Michael Barnes at record speed. In the closing laps of that heat race won by Barnes, Gosek turned in a lap of 16.353 seconds. That lap, recorded with the transponder system, is the fastest lap ever turned at the Oswegp Speedway in a non-winged supermodified.
Submitted by Iver the Driver
#34 - If you were Doug Heveron it meant a broken jaw; Dave Morton and Bobby Stelter, broken legs; Jim Shampine, a broken foot. Those were the injuries from hitting the wall at the "Steel Palace". That all changed on May 9, 1992, when foam barriers were installed around the turns at the Oswego Speedway. Bent machinery could be fixed by feature time and driver injuries were less severe. For the record, Dave McKnight in the Mucci #98 was the first to "christen" the new foam.
Submitted by Norris McDonald
#33 - On September 5, 1976, Gary Allbritain was less than ten laps from becoming the second back-to-back winner in Classic history behind Nolan Swift. That all changed when Steve Gioia Jr. passed Allbrittain as the race wound down. For Gioia, he became the first Oswego, New York resident to capture the International Classic title. A former Gioia crew member, Joe Gosek with three wins, is the only other native of Oswego to win the Classic in its fifty year history.
Submitted by Danny Johnson
#32 - On June 1, 1974, Jim Shampine racked up his seventh win of the season. It was magnified because they were the first seven races of the season. John Spencer was second on opening day. Bobby Stelter was second twice during the streak. Arch-rival Nolan Swift was looking at the back bumper of the 8 ball in four of those seven feature races.
Submitted by Danny Johnson
#31 - On Classic Weekend in 2004, Jennifer Chesbro became the first female supermodified driver to get a checkered flag at Oswego by winning a qualifying race for the ISMA Super National 50. But history was made for a female driver on July 19, 2002, when Star Matteson became the first ever female driver to win a feature race at the Oswego Speedway. Matteson did it in a big way by claiming the "Mr./Ms. PathFinder Bank Small Block Super" title that season.
Submitted by Danny Johnson
#30 - On July 22, 1978, Jim Shampine won his eleventh feature race in a row out of a total of twelve wins for the season. Unfortunately for Shampine he had a couple of DNF's in double point shows outside of his winning streak that would impact the points race. Warren Coniam, who did not win one feature event in 1978, claimed the Track Championship based on his consistency during the season.
Submitted by Danny Johnson
#29 - On September 3, 1979, the era of the rear engine supermodified ended at the Oswego Speedway, after Jim Shampine put Warren Coniam in his rear engine creation for the Classic. Coniam ran in the top two until he pitted for fuel. After rejoining the race he blew away the field until he was blag-flagged for an oil leak while leading with less than fifteen laps to go. The supermodified class was not ready to re-invent itself and rear engine cars were banned.
Submitted by Iver the Driver
#28 - On May 30, 1961, the Oswego Speedway had its third "Grand Opening" in ten years. This time was the last major face lift the track would have. The new paved track was 5/8's of a mile and continues to be the same layout some forty six years later.
Submitted by Danny Johnson
#27 - In August of 1961, the Oswego Speedway experienced one of its darkest months ever. On August 5th, Ed Bellinger was involved in a career ending crash in the first turn. Just two weeks later, Red Sequin was involved in a fatal crash in turn three. Bellinger would have limited appearances in supermodified races after his wreck. Sequin set a track speed record with a consi win on the night of his accident.
Submitted by Iver the Driver
#26 - On September 6, 1987, the general feeling before that day's International Classic was to keep an eye on the driver in third place with fifty laps to go because the pre-race favorites, Gene Lee Gibson and Bentley Warren, would wear eachother down. As if it were scripted, third place runner Warren Coniam slowly reeled in the tired cars of Gibson and Warren as the race came to a close and captured the popular win in the Magari #10. Coniam would announce his retirement shortly after that race.
Submitted by Ken Bowman
#25 - On October 10, 1981, the "Young One" Doug Heveron completed a dominating season with his twelfth feature win. That victory tied him with Jim Shampine's 1978 total for the second most wins in one season. The record of thirteen wins in one season at the Oswego Speedway is shared by Shampine in 1974 and Todd Gibson in 1968.
Submitted by Danny Johnson
#24 - On May 19, 1990, while racing for the feature lead, A.J. Michaels was involved in a fatal crash in turn number one. This simple looking crash with tragic results would lead the Oswego Speedway management to look for better ways to protect drivers. Safer seats were designed immediately. Much like the Dale Earnhardt crash over ten years later, the Michaels crash would lead to safer cars for drivers in the division he competed in.
Submitted by Iver the Driver
#23 - On Friday night August 10, 1951, the first ever race was held on the new dirt track called the Oswego Speedway. An old horse racing track was converted into a stock car race track by the Caruso brothers. The first ever green flag waved at 8:15 in front of a capacity grandstand. The opening night winner was Charlie Barry.
Submitted by Danny Johnson
#22 - On July 20, 1985, the ASA Late Model Series made the first of two visits to the Oswego Speedway before a packed house. Established NASCAR stars Darrell Waltrip and Bobby Allison were in the field as were future stars Alan Kulwicki and Mark Martin. ASA hot shoe Dick Trickle edged Kulwicki for the win. In 1986, on their return visit to Oswego, Mark Martin collected the victory.
Submitted by Danny Johnson
#21 - When the "bugs" from the midwest showed up during the 1961 season, it was clear that the days of the Stock Cars were numbered at the Oswego Speedway. Sure enough the "Eagle Class" soon phased out the old favorites. The Stock Cars eventually became the Modified Sportsmen. After an eight year absence, they returned to the Oswego Speedway on September 29, 1969, and have remained a part of the Oswego racing tradition. On that fall afternoon in 1969, Bobby Merz took home the checkered flag.
Submitted by Danny Johnson
#20 - Back when NASCAR drivers would routinely visit any short track anywhere, Ken Schrader was a top draw. On August 6, 1988, Schrader was a teammate for the night to Brian Ross in a Modified race at Oswego. Ross and Schrader ran side-by-side for almost the entire 75 lap feature race behind Mike McLaughlin. It was easily the best run ever at Oswego by an established NASCAR driver. McLaughlin got the win, Ross picked up second and Schrader finished in third.
Submitted by Danny Johnson
#19 - Forty one years after the Oswego Speedway opened, Joe Gosek made Classic history. On August 31, 1992, Gosek became the first Oswego native to win back-to-back International Classic races. In the 1991 race, there were three lead changes in the final ten laps as Gosek beat out Pat Abold and Cliff Graves. In 1992, a fuel starved Gosek coasted across the finish line ahead of Steve Gioia Jr. and Davey Hamilon. Of the seven repeat winners in the Classic, Gosek remains the lone Oswego native to do so.
Submitted by Danny Johnson
#18 - During July 1966, track announcer Jack Burgess was going on vacation and Harry Caruso needed a partner for Leo Lagoe in the tower. At the time, there were two infield reporters from WOSC Radio, the General Manager and a young reporter. The General Manager suggested to Harry to let the young reporter go up in the booth for the night. Harry took a liking to the kid and the following week, Leo Lagoe was in the pits and the kid was Jack Burgess' new partner. Forty one years later, missing only a few races, that kid, Roy Sova, is still on the job at the Oswego Speedway.
Submitted by Iver the Driver
#17 - One of the many great ideas that the second generation of Caruso brothers brought to life, originated on July 18, 1987, with the inaugural running of the $10,000 to win "Mr. Supermodified" race. A packed grandstand watched that race as Doug Heveron and Bentley Warren crashed out while battling for the lead. Gene Lee Gibson would get his first ever Oswego win in the Graves "House Car". In 1988 it would be Mike Muldoon getting his first Oswego victory aboard the Magari #10.
Submitted by Iver the Driver
#16 - On August 6, 1989, a ten lap demonstration was put on by ISMA Supermodifieds driven by Oswego regulars Bentley Warren, Eddie Bellinger Jr., Steve Gioia Jr. and west coast star Billy Vokovitch III. This race marked the first appearance by winged supermodifieds at the Oswego Speedway since July 28, 1962. Johnny Logan, who had a wing on his car on that night in 1962, finished a close second to Nolan Swift in the feature and wings were immediately banned.
Submitted by Danny Johnson
#15 - The Limited Supermodified experiment that the Caruso's introduced in 1992 paid big dividends during the 1998 season. Long time fans that were not comfortable with having a support class at the Oswego Speedway saw their beloved supermodified division get taken over by Limited Super "graduates" for 1998. Bob Goutermout, Tim Gareau and Greg Furlong would go on to win nine supermodified features that year, proving that the support class was a breeding ground for supermodified stars of the future.
Submitted by Iver the Driver
#14 - The summer of 1992 would be remembered for the way that young hot shoe Pat Abold dominated the supermodified season at the Oswefo Speedway. It was the first year of the Limited Supermodified division but all eyes were glued to the black #05 in the Supermodified class. Pat Abold had a hold of the outside groove like no driver ever had. When most winning streaks were measured by inside passes, Abold lit up the outside of the track. He would collect eight feature wins on the way to the Track Championship.
Submitted by Danny Johnson
#13 - On July 7, 1977, the day finally arrived for Jim Shampine to unveil his new "radical offset" chassis. Unfortunately Mother Nature would not cooperarate and the track never opened up. Shampine, who had an enclosed hauler decades before other drivers, opened up his hauler in the parking lot for all in attendance to see his new creation. It was a one of a kind car built by a one of a kind gentleman.
Submitted by Iver the Driver.
#12 - On June 21 & 28, 1975, on back-to-back weeks, Jim Shampine was on the bad end of two unbelievable finishes at the Oswego Speedway. The first week, Shampine took the white flag as the leader in the feature and was forced to go up into the third groove entering turn number one to negotiate lapped traffic. Fred Graves in his white #38 slipped underneath the slower cars and went on to pick up the win. The following week Shampine, again took the white flag while leading the feature, and battled side-by-side with Ron Wallace and his “Spirit of 76” for the final lap. Wallace collected his first ever Oswego win by half a car length over Shampine.
Submitted by Iver the Driver
#11 - On September 3, 1988, George Kent won his third consecutive Bud Mod 200 on Saturday night of Classic Week. Kent used the same strategy each year as he was the first car to make the mandatory pit stop and rejoin the race at the rear of the field. In each of these three wins, Kent was able to work his way back to the front as cars in front of him went into the pits for their mandatory stops. Kent didn’t have to make a competitive pass for position in any of the races and his strategy worked to perfection for three wins.
Submitted by Iver the Driver
#10 - On September 4, 2006, Greg Furlong made Classic history and joined exclusive company in the Oswego Speedway record books. Furlong picked up his fifth Classic win on that day and joined Nolan Swift, Bentley Warren and Eddie Bellinger Jr. as the only four drivers to have won the International Classic race five different times. He is, however, the only driver in fifty Classic races to have won it three times in a row.
Submitted by Iver the Driver
#9 - On September 6, 1998, the ageless wonder Bentley Warren won his record-tying sixth International Classic aboard the Jeff West back-up car #1. West was a front runner early in the race in his #01 and Bentley was just supposed to bring the back-up car home with a good finish. The popular win for Warren came nineteen years after his first one in 1969 aboard the Purdy Deuce. At least one of the six wins for Warren happened in each of the first four decades of supermodified racing at Oswego.
Submitted by Larry Trenca
#8 - On September 22, 1974, Jim Shampine brought down the curtain on the most successful season in the history of the Oswego Speedway. He tied the single season record of thirteen feature wins for supermodifieds. He won his second International Classic 200. On this final date of the 1974 season he won the Modified 200. If you could ever define a “Triple Crown” for achievement at the Oswego Speedway, Jim Shampine is the only driver to ever collect these three titles in the same season.
Submitted by Len Fowler
#7 - September 5, 1971 should be remembered for the night that Nolan Swift won his fifth International Classic out of six total wins by un-lapping himself twice during the race in his #10. The night should be remembered for Swift winning Classic races in three different decades in his #10. The night should be remembered for Swift winning Classic races in Stock Cars and Supermodifieds in his #10. Unfortunately the night will always be remembered for lap #10 and the horrible accident that took the life of Gary Witter.
Submitted by Roy Sova
#6 - September 4, 1982, was the night that no Oswego Speedway race fan will ever forget. During the Modified 200 on Saturday night of Classic Weekend, a simple looking spin in turn number two took the life of Jim Shampine. The entire camping area was silent all night long. Crackling firewood was about all you could hear. A fitting tribute was paid to Shampine the following day as the third starting spot he had qualified for on Friday night, on seven cyliders, was left open in his memory. The waving of the checkered flag on lap 200 for just Jim Shampine could not wipe away the hurt from the previous night.
Submitted by Danny Johnson
#5 - What a difference one year can make. On September 4, 1983, exactly one year to the day after the tragic loss of Jim Shampine, the fans at the Oswego Speedway would witness the greatest finish to an International Classic race ever. With one and one quarter laps left in the 1983 Classic the running order was Doug Heveron, Bentley Warren, Warren Coniam and Eddie Bellinger Jr. Then the most exciting Classic lap ever unfolded. Going from fourth to first would be Bellinger and going from first to fourth would be Heveron. Second and third swapped positions as Coniam came across the line ahead of Warren. It was a good rebound year for fans after the 1982 Classic Weekend.
Submitted by Danny Johnson
#4 - On August 31, 1980, the “perfect” International Classic performance was turned in by Jim Shampine. After retiring as weekly competitor after the 1979 season, Shampine brought out his 8-ball for the Independence Weekend race in 1980 and did a slow roll upside down near the finish line to end his day. On Classic Sunday he would start on the front row of the Classic, which he did an unprecedented eight times in his career. Shampine got into the first turn ahead of pole-sitter Doug Heveron and he never looked back. Shampine led all 200 laps of the International Classic and collected his most satisfying supermodified win at the Oswego Speedway.
Submitted by Joe Weigand
#3 - May 9, 1992, marked a new chapter for the Oswego Speedway. The date has already shown up on this Defining Moment countdown as the date that Foam Blocks were first used at the Oswego Speedway. The other important fact from that night, which has had an important impact on weekly racing being able to survive at Oswego, was the introduction of the Limited Supermodified class. It was the first time in four decades at Oswego that there would be a support class again. Roger Phelps picked up that first win over Daryl Nichols. Sixteen seasons later, they now are the PathFinder Bank Small Block Supers.
Submitted by Iver the Driver
#2 - On September 24, 1961, the Oswego Speedway was at a crossroads. The International Classic had advertised a huge purse and the Speedway owners knew that the previous week’s feature would be the last of the Stock Car era. The new “bugs” from the Midwest would be the class to compete with starting with the Classic race on this date. Over sixty cars were entered in the consolation race for the Classic. In the Classic race itself Art Bennett became the first supermodified feature winner at the Oswego Speedway. Opening day 1962 ushered in the dawn of the “Eagle Class” later to be named supermodifieds and the rest is history.
Submitted by Danny Johnson
#1 - On September 25, 1976, the look of supermodified racing would change forever. The “radical offset” chassis that Jim Shampine first practiced with on July 14th was put into competition for the very first time. It was not Shampine though that put it into racing action. He handed the controls over to the only driver that could catch him in the points chase, Steve Gioia Jr. Shampine would enter the car himself for competition on July 30th of the following season and completely destroy the field that night. But it was on this final night in the 1976 regular season that this typical gentleman-like gesture from Jim Shampine to Steve Gioia Jr. put the “radical offset” supermodified into action for the first time. Thirty one years later this is still the basic chassis design for supermodifieds from coast to coast.
Submitted by Iver the Driver