Oswego, NY — (June 11, 2016) — In just his fourth start driving the Graham Racing No. 12 Novelis Supermodified, longtime Oswego Speedway veteran Pat Lavery cruised to Turning Stone Resort Casino Victory Lane in the Speedway’s Spring Championship, presented by C’s Beverage Center and Century 21 Galloway Realty, to earn his second career Oswego victory and first since June of 2013.
Just two weeks ago Lavery ended the Shampine Memorial with a destroyed racecar after finding the inside hub rail in turn two. Then on Friday night a blown rear end during Fast Friday testing kept the team up until the early morning hours making repairs.
However, come race day Lavery paced the field for the full 50 circuits from the outside of the front row, despite constant pressure from fourth place starter Keith Shampine and a late charge from Speedway title contender Michael Barnes, who drove to the front from the fifth row.
Kody Graham, the Speedway’s victor on May 21, and Dan Connors Jr. filled the top five positions in Saturday night’s Novelis Supermodified Spring Championship.
“I didn’t think this was ever going to get over,” Lavery told infield announcer Keith Zehr. “I knew Keith (Shampine) was right there behind me the whole race. He’s a good driver, so I wasn’t concerned about that. This was a lot of fun. I can’t say enough about my crew. We spent the last two weeks putting this car back together then came out last night and blew a rear end. These guys are awesome. I can’t thank Ray Graham enough for giving me this opportunity.”
Dave Gruel, Ray Graham, Dave Danzer, Tim Snyder, and Michael Muldoon completed the top ten runners at the conclusion of 50-laps.
Connors and Lavery led the 19-car Novelis Supermodified field to the Cam’s NY Pizzeria green flag on Saturday night with Lavery dashing to the lead in the No. 12.
The big charge early on however came from Shampine who blasted to the top side of the Speedway to outhustle Jeff Abold and Connors to leap into the runner-up spot.
The race’s first major caution flew on lap 11 as championship front runner Tim Devendorf, Joe Gosek, and Aric Iosue all came together in turn one. Devendorf and Gosek would each catch the hook and be done for the night. Iosue continued on in the No. 11.
On the restart Lavery led Shampine, Connors, Abold, Kody Graham, Muldoon, Brandon Bellinger, Gruel, Otto Sitterly, and Barnes in that order.
Once back to green Lavery and Shampine continued to hold court out front but it was Abold now making a charge.
The Abold No. 05 worked under Connors on lap 19 to steal third, but just six laps later Abold suddenly spun in turn three to bring out the caution. After being hooked to the infield it was discovered that a broken brake caliper bracket was the culprit.
On the restart Kody Graham found his way by Connors to take third with Sitterly now mounting a charge was well in the No. 7.
By lap 27 Sitterly had moved to 7th below Bellinger, with title rival Barnes trying to give chase.
In a surprise, just nine laps later while battling Muldoon, Sitterly found himself sideways between the first and second turn, giving Bellinger nowhere to go. Bellinger smashed into the left side of the Sitterly No. 7 in the second turn, dropping Bellinger out of the action as a result.
Sitterly, the Speedway point leader, would head to pit lane but returned to the track before finally pulling pit side at lap 44 with a 12th place finish.
The race’s final restart came with 12 laps to go and with Sitterly out of the action championship runner-up Barnes began to pour it on in the Syrell Racing No. 68 flying to the high side around Gruel and Connors before diving under Kody Graham to finally give chase to Lavery and Shampine out front.
However, the charge from Barnes proved to be too little, too late, as Lavery and Shampine cruised across the stripe one-two, with Barnes third.
Muldoon, Lavery, and Shampine would score Shell Shock Custom Helmet Paint Heat Race Challenge victories on Saturday.
Barnes was the Lighthouse Lanes Hard Charger winner with Shampine the Lighthouse Lanes Up and Comer.
Lavery went on to earn the Radical Racegear Lap Leader Award with Muldoon collecting the Xtreme Sim Racing Series Last Car on the Lead Lap Award.
In the Pathfinder Bank SBS Spring Championship it was Dalton Doyle dominating the competition on his way to victory lane to score his fifth career main event win driving the No. 01 machine.
Like Lavery, Doyle started on the outside of the front row, leading all 30-laps for his first win of 2016. But, unlike Lavery, Doyle battled little resistance as he raced to a near eight second margin of victory over Rob Pullen, Jesse Bearup, Anthony Losurdo, and Andrew Schartner in the front five positions.
“The car just felt awesome,” said Doyle. “From practice, the heat race, and then in the feature the first few laps the thing was a little free but I was happy with it because we have been battling the car being real tight. I knew the 37 car (Bearup) was going to be tough on the start; those guys really have their stuff together this year, so I knew I couldn’t take the start lightly. I’m just real happy to be here in victory lane tonight.”
Camden Proud, Dave Cliff, Mike Bruce, Jack Patrick, and Scott Shafer went on to score top ten finishes in the SBS Spring Championship.
Bearup and Doyle would bring the 20-car Pathfinder Bank SBS field to the Cam’s NY Pizzeria green flag with Doyle gaining the early edge.
The field worked through its paces in the early stages until Greg O’Connor looped the No. 90 in turn two. At the same time championship combatants Mike Bond and Kreig Heroth ended up together in turn three with point leader Bond being towed to the pit area in the No. 74.
When the field came back to green Doyle led Beraup, Pullen, Proud, Bruce, Schartner, Cliff, Losurdo, Castiglia, and Patrick to the green.
With Doyle well in control Pullen and Bruce were locked in a heated battle for third while Cliff and Losurdo continued to try and charge through the field.
Eventually Cliff worked by Schartner to hit sixth with Losurdo following suit, but later Cliff would enter into a battle with Bruce that saw the two come together giving the advantage to Losurdo, Schartner, and Proud who were able to drive by to score fourth, fifth, and sixth place finishes.
Meanwhile up front Doyle was free and clear as the leader as Pullen managed to slide by Bearup on the race’s final circuit to secure the second position.
Bond, Losurdo, and Cliff scored Shell Shock Custom Helmet Paint Heat Race Challenge victories as Doyle collected the Sherwood Racing Wheels Lap Leader Award.
Barry Kingsley was the night’s D&S Landscaping Hard Charger with Bearup the Nice Price Auto Sales Up and Comer.
Losurdo would be credited as the White’s Car Care 4th Place Finisher with Bond as the Bacc-Off Hard Luck recipient.
Racing at Oswego Speedway continues on Saturday, June 18 with the Burke’s Do-It-Best Home Centers Novelis Supermodified Twin 35’s and driver autograph session.
The Pathfinder Bank SBS will also contend in a 30-lap main event.
Kids 16 and under with paid adult and active military with I.D. are free.
For more information on Oswego Speedway visit online at www.oswegospeedway.com or call (315) 342-0646. Visit the Speedway on social media @OswegoSpeedway or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/OswegoSpeedway.
Oswego Speedway
Oswego, NY
Saturday, June 11th, 2016
‘6-Pack the Back’ Spring Championship pres by.
C’s Beverage Center and Century 21 Galloway REalty
BOX SCORE:
Novelis Supermodifieds
Novelis Supermodified Spring Championship (50-laps): 1. 12 – Pat Lavery, 2. 55 – Keith Shampine, 3. 68 – Michael Barnes, 4. 21 – Kody Graham, 5. 01 – Dan Connors, 6. 50 – Dave Gruel, 7. 90 – Ray Graham, 8. 52 – Dave Danzer, 9. 0 – Tim Snyder, 10. 15 – Michael Muldoon, 11. 11 – Aric Iosue, 12. 7 – Otto Sitterly, 13. 56 – Hal LaTulip, 14. 02 – Brandon Bellinger, 15. 05 – Jeff Abold, 16. 83 – Lou LeVea Jr, 17. 00 – Joe Gosek, 18. 5 – Tim Devendorf, 19. 14 – Kreig Heroth
Lighthouse Lanes Hard Charger: #68 – Michael Barnes
Lighthouse Lanes Up and Comer: #55 – Keith Shampine
Radical Racegear Lap Leader: #12 – Pat Lavery
Xtreme Sim Racing Series Last Car on Lead Lap: #15 – Michael Muldoon
Heat #1 (12-laps): 1. 15 – Michael Muldoon, 2. 21 – Kody Graham, 3. 52 – Dave Danzer, 4. 01 – Dan Connors Jr., 5. 56 – Hal LaTulip, 6. 83 – Lou LeVea Jr., 7. 71 – Bill Sharkey DNS
Heat #2 (12-laps): 1. 12 – Pat Lavery, 2. 50 – Dave Gruel, 3. 7 – Otto Sitterly, 4. 68 – Michael Barnes, 5. 11 – Aric Iosue, 6. 5 – Tim Devendorf
Heat #3 (12-laps): 1. 55 – Keith Shampine, 2. 02 – Brandon Bellinger, 3. 90 – Ray Graham, 4. 05 – Jeff Abold, 5. 0 – Tim Snyder, 6. 00 – Joe Gosek, 7. 14 – Kreig Heroth
Pathfinder Bank SBS
Pathfinder Bank SBS Spring Championship (30-laps): 1. 01 – Dalton Doyle, 2. 2 – Rob Pullen, 3. 37 – Jesse Bearup, 4. 1 – Anthony Losurdo, 5. 18 – Andrew Schartner, 6. 54 – Camden Proud, 7. 50 – Dave Cliff, 8. 22 – Mike Bruce, 9. 9 – Jack Patrick, 10. 76 – Scott Shafer, 11. 91 – Barry Kingsley, 12. 99 – Dennis Rupert, 13. 77 – Cameron Rowe, 14. 04 – Kreig Heroth, 15. 14 – Alex McRae, 16. 69 – Mark Castiglia, 17. 90 – Greg O’Connor, 18. 23 – Cameron Black, 19. 74 – Mike Bond, 20. 15 – James Babcock
D&S Landscaping Hard Charger: #91 – Barry Kingsley
Nice Price Auto Sales Up and Comer: #37 – Jesse Bearup
White’s Car Care 4th Place: #1 – Anthony Losurdo
Sherwood Racing Wheels Lap Leader: #01 – Dalton Doyle
Bacc-Off Hard Luck Award: #74 – Mike Bond
Heat #1 (10-laps): 1. 74 – Mike Bond, 2. 22 – Mike Bruce, 3. 2 – Rob Pullen, 4. 01 – Dalton Doyle, 5. 76 – Scott Shafer, 6. 77 – Cameron Rowe
Heat #2 (10-laps): 1. 1 – Anthony Losurdo, 2. 54 – Camden Proud, 3. 37 – Jesse Bearup, 4. 18 – Andrew Schartner, 5. 14 – Alex McRae, 6. 15 – James Babcock, 7. 23 – Cameron Black DNS
Heat #3 (10-laps): 1. 50 – Dave Cliff, 2. 69 – Mark Castiglia, 3. 9 – Jack Patrick, 4. 04 – Kreig Heroth, 5. 99 – Dennis Rupert, 6. 91 – Barry Kingsley, 7. 90 – Greg O’Connor