By Dan Kapuscinski
OSWEGO, NY (May 2, 2016) – Oswego Speedway has long been a training ground for second generation racers and young aspiring open-wheel talent, and the tradition will continue in 2016 as Davey Hamilton Jr. will make his Oswego Supermodified debut during the Speedway’s 66th season opener on Saturday, May 14 driving for Mike Muldoon Racing.
At the age of 18, Hamilton Jr. has already built quite the open-wheel resume as he claimed five sprint car wins in 2015 on his way to earning the King of the Wing Western Sprint Car Series championship.
Hamilton Jr. recently snared a third place run at Montgomery Speedway in Alabama joining top sprint car shoes Bobby Santos, Kyle Edwards, Jacob Wilson, and Terry Gray at the head of the feature finish.
As his Indianapolis 500 veteran father did for many years, Hamilton Jr. will team with Mike Muldoon Racing and lead driver Michael Muldoon for his first taste of Supermodified racing at Oswego.
Muldoon earned two main event victories at Oswego in 2015 including the Speedway’s 65th anniversary special last August.
While Davey Hamilton Sr. qualified for the Indianapolis 500 on eleven occasions, he also claimed the 1997 Budweiser International Classic 200 driving for Muldoon.
Now father and son are set to compete against one another at the ‘Steel Palace’ as Hamilton Sr. will continue his affiliation with John Nicotra’s Supermodified effort, which guided him to Oswego’s opening night win in 2013, his second career Oswego Supermodified main event victory.
With the help of Kingdom Racing, Impact Racing, Xyencie Energy Drink, and Hoosier Tire West; Young Hamilton’s current Oswego schedule calls for the Speedway’s season opener on May 14 as well as the prestigious season finale Budweiser International Classic 200 on Sunday, September 4. Other summer events are still to be determined.
Hamilton Jr.’s Oswego effort is the latest in a recent push by Indianapolis 500 veteran father’s to assist their son’s in gaining valuable open-wheel experience through Oswego Supermodified action, as John Andretti’s son Jarett earned Rookie of the Year honors at Oswego back in 2012.
Kids 16 and under will again be admitted free at all Speedway events in 2016 with the exception of Budweiser International Classic Weekend and Race of Champions Weekend.
On track activity beings at Oswego Speedway on Saturday, May 7 with the annual open test session for all racing divisions. Testing will run from 1-5pm on May 7 and is free for spectators to sit in the main grandstand.
Racing action at the Speedway begins on Saturday, May 14 featuring the Speedway’s 66th consecutive opening night highlighted by the Race of Champions Modified Richie Evans Memorial 61 as well as kick-off events for the Novelis Supermodifieds and Pathfinder Bank SBS.
For more information on Oswego Speedway be sure to visit www.oswegospeedway.com. You can also FOLLOW on Twitter @OswegoSpeedway and LIKE on Facebook at www.facebook.com/OswegoSpeedway.
About Oswego Speedway: Oswego Speedway, a sports entertainment company, is a 5/8 mile semi-banked pavement racing oval located off the shores of Lake Ontario in scenic Oswego, NY. Oswego Speedway has been a continuously run weekly racing venue since August, 1951. The premier open-wheel pavement short track cars in the world, Supermodifieds, run weekly at Oswego Speedway making Oswego the only weekly Supermodified racing venue in the world. The Small Block Supermodifieds accompany the full blown Supers on a weekly Saturday night schedule which runs from May through September. Oswego Speedway is mentioned in racing circles as the “Indy of the East,” as no fewer than a dozen past and present competitors have competed at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway including Mario Andretti, arguably the greatest driver of all time, two-time Indy 500 champion Gordon Johncock, along with former International Classic Champions Bentley Warren, Joe Gosek, and Davey Hamilton.
Tentative Oswego Speedway Novelis Supermodified Opening Night Roster (May 2):
0 – Tim Snyder
00 – Joe Gosek
01 – Dan Connors Jr.
02 – Brandon Bellinger
05 – Jeff Abold
5 – Tim Devendorf
6 – Davey Hamilton
7 – Otto Sitterly
11 – Aric Iosue
12 – Pat Lavery
14 – Davey Hamilton Jr. ®
15 – Michael Muldoon
21 – Kody Graham
47 – Bob Bond
50 – Dave Gruel
51 – Joey Moriarty
52 – Dave Danzer
55 – Keith Shampine
56 – Hal LaTulip
68 – Michael Barnes
71 – Bill Sharkey
83 – Lou LeVea Jr.
90 – Ray Graham
91 – Tim Jedrzejek