8/3/2025
Oswego Speedway
Jim Storace Seals First Career Oswego Victory in Thrilling 350 Supermodified Feature
OSWEGO, NY (August 3, 2025) - Persistence paid off in a big way Saturday night for Kingston, New Hampshire’s Jim Storace, who finally broke through for his first career Oswego Speedway victory in the Oswego County Tourism 350 Supermodified feature.
Storace, a 60-year-old veteran racer and longtime supporter of Oswego’s 350 Super program, has made the 750-mile roundtrip from New England every race weekend this season in his No. 47 - adding a tremendous level of commitment and dedication to the division. A multi-time winner in New England with victories at Star, Claremont, and Hudson, Storace had come close before at Oswego with four podiums and a pair of runner-up finishes in the 350 class, plus a second-place finish in a RoC Modified event. But Saturday, the longtime contender finally stood atop the podium - and he dedicated the long-awaited win to his late wife, Kelly.
The race began with Storace and Talen Hawksby on the front row and Dave Cliff and Kyle Perry in row two. Hawksby inched ahead at the green, but the red flag quickly flew before lap 1 was complete when Perry clipped Cliff’s wheel and made heavy contact with the turn 4 foam. Though he was uninjured, Perry’s No. 20 was destroyed - a tough break for the division points leader, who now hopes to find a ride in time for next weekend’s Mr. 350 Supermodified event.
Following cleanup, the field reset with the original front row of Storace and Hawksby, Cliff and Nick Barzee now making up row two, and Dawson Hawksby and Griffin Miller in row three. Storace and Hawksby battled side-by-side for the first few corners before Storace cleared the No. 79 on the bottom and took command of the race.
As the laps clicked off, Storace built a cushion out front, but Barzee - who moved into third with a pass on Cliff at lap 10 - began closing the gap along with second-running Hawksby. With 12 laps to go, Barzee took over second from Hawksby in turn 3 and set his sights on the leader.
Barzee quickly began applying pressure, looking both high and low as he worked every lane in an effort to find a way past the No. 47. Just as the battle for the lead was heating up, Cliff slowed on lap 19 to bring out the yellow, resetting the field for a 6-lap dash to the finish. The caution also moved Dawson Hawksby into fourth and Barry Kingsley into fifth.
On the double-file restart, Storace got the jump on Barzee, who pushed up the track in turns 1 and 2, allowing Hawksby to reclaim second. Hawksby then mounted a serious outside challenge, nearly drawing even with Storace out of turn 4 with five to go. He gave it one more big effort entering turn 1 the next lap but slipped high in turn 2, allowing Barzee to regain the second spot.
Barzee made one final charge at Storace in the closing laps, but the New Englander would not be denied. Storace held strong to the finish, pumping his fist in the air as he crossed under the checkered flag to become a first-time Oswego Speedway feature winner.
“I have a lot of mixed emotions about this one,” Storace said in victory lane. “I lost my wife a couple years ago and I just keep fighting because that’s what she wanted me to do. I love this race track - thank you Oswego fans for being here.”
“It was very tough to hold on to the lead at the end. The car was tight. I like to go wide open into the corner but I couldn’t do it tonight. The tires - I’m still having a bit of a difficult time with them - but I’m glad we finally got one here. It feels really good. Thanks to Minutemen Floors, Andover Street Auto…and I have to give a yell out to ‘Kelly!!!’ - I always said that to her.”
Next week, August 9, C’s Beverage Center and Novelis present the 38th Annual $10,000-to-win Mr. Novelis Supermodified – Challenge Race #3 (75 laps), along with the 33rd Annual $1,500-to-win Mr. Pathfinder Bank SBS (35 laps), and the 5th Annual $2,000-to-win Mr. Oswego County Tourism 350 Supermodified (30 laps). One of the biggest nights of the year is on tap at the Steel Palace.
RESULTS
JP Jewelers and East Coast Sealcoat Retro Night
Oswego County Tourism 350 Supers
Saturday, August 2, 2025
Oswego Speedway
Oswego, NY
Feature (25-laps): 1. 47 - JIM STORACE, 2. 31 - Nick Barzee, 3. 79 - Talen Hawksby, 4. 68 - ® Dawson Hawksby, 5. 91 - Barry Kingsley, 6. 73 - Noah Ratcliff, 7. 7 - Brendan Young, 8. 50 - Dave Cliff, 9. 9 - Griffin Miller, 10. 19 - Bailey Groves, 11. 20 - Kyle Perry, 12. 4 - Robbie Wirth (DNS)
Heat 1 (12-laps): 1. 50 - Dave Cliff, 2. 20 - Kyle Perry, 3. 73 - Noah Ratcliff, 4. 9 - Griffin Miller, 5. 91 - Barry Kingsley, 6. 4 - Rob Wirth
Heat 2 (12-laps): 1. 47 - Jim Storace, 2. 79 - Talen Hawksby, 3. 31 - Nick Barzee, 4. 68 - ® Dawson Hawksby, 5. 7 - Brendan Young, 6. 19 - Bailey Groves
JP Jewelers Halfway Leader ($100 bonus to the leader of lap 13): #47 Jim Storace
Lighthouse Lanes Up & Comer ($50 bonus to the highest finishing driver who has never won a feature at Oswego Speedway): #47 Jim Storace
D&S Landscaping Hard Charger ($25 bonus to the driver advancing the most positions): #31 Nick Barzee
Submitted By: Oswego Admin