OSWEGO, N.Y. (August 8, 2016) – Only two events remain in Oswego Speedway’s 2016 Road to the Championship with this Saturday’s program highlighting Twin 20 Pathfinder Bank Small Block Super mains as well as a 50-lap Novelis Supermodified feature event presented by CNY CPR, www.OswegoCountyToday.com, and KROCK.
The Twin SBS mains come at an exciting time as five drivers currently ride within 60-points of each other in the race for the 2016 track title.
Dave Cliff continues to lead the way in the standings, driving the Tim Barbeau No. 50, with one main event win this season and an impressive eight top five finishes. The divisions 2010 track champion, Cliff hopes to continue his momentum this weekend and carry a comfortable margin into the Speedway’s $5 admission track championship finale on Saturday, August 20.
Jack Patrick won last Saturday’s SBS main in dramatic fashion over a hard charging Mike Bond by a mere .032 seconds and as a result has climbed into the runner-up position in the championship tally. Patrick trails Cliff by 47-points going into the weekend behind the wheel of his MOPAR No. 9.
Bond, a three-time feature winner this season, has managed to pull his way back to third in the title chase after a rough spell during the mid-season. Driving the fastest car on the Speedway most nights, Bond is looking to put together another improbable comeback in his quest for a fifth series championship.
Moving out of the top three for the first time in several weeks is Anthony Losurdo, who now rides fourth in the championship after having been the series leader at one time earlier this season. Losurdo has been mighty consistent in the No. 1, but is the only driver in the top five of the points that has yet to secure a feature win in 2016. Last year, Losurdo won both legs of the SBS Twin 20’s.
Rounding out the top five in the championship currently is Mike Bruce, who had moved as high as second in the standings last week. Bruce once again was dealt with motor issues on his own No. 22 this past Saturday however and wound up piloting the Alex McRae No. 14. A tenth place finish on August 6 keeps Bruce in the hunt, but he now trails the point leader by 56-markers.
Rounding out the top ten in the series championship battle are Camden Proud, Kreig Heroth, Dalton Doyle, Scott Shafer, and Jesse Bearup.
The point battle on the Supermodified side of the pit area is just as intriguing with a 50-lapper on tap this Saturday.
Dave Gruel continues to lead the pack in the No. 50 after having driven to a sixth place finish in last Saturday’s 45-lap main. Gruel won his heat race and finished third in his semi-final to go along with his tenth top ten finish of the year, making him the only Supermodified driver this season to finish in the top ten in every event thus far.
Despite the consistency, Gruel holds a slim 12.5-point edge on opening night main event winner Michael Barnes in the Syrell Racing No. 68. Barnes has finished in the top five more than anyone else this season, with seven up front finishes, but finishes outside of the top ten on May 28 and June 18 have put ‘The Hustler’ at a disadvantage with only two weeks remaining in the season.
Sitting in third and ready to take advantage of any miscues is Mike Muldoon. Without a feature win this season and only three top five finishes, Muldoon has quietly worked his way into a battle for the title with Gruel, Barnes, and the rest. Muldoon’s nine top ten finishes is bettered only by Gruel and a 27.5-point deficit can be easily overcome.
A total of six different drivers have won races this season and nobody would have figured seven-time champion Otto Sitterly to not have made that list to this point in the calendar. Six top five finishes in ten features has kept Sitterly in contact with the point leaders, despite not reaching victory lane. But, sitting 31-points behind the lead with two races remaining means Sitterly will need some help to try and garner his historic eighth Supermodified title.
Finishing the top five spots, 58.5 points shy of Gruel, is the Jeff Abold No. 05. Abold picked up his first career Supermodified feature win at Oswego on June 18 and has steadily climbed the standings to have an outside shot at the championship with two races remaining. The son of 1992 Speedway champion Pat Abold, Jeff is ranked in the top five in both top five and top ten finishes and will be a threat in the final two point events of 2016.
Feature winners Pat Lavery, Dave Danzer, Kody Graham, and Aric Iosue fill point positions six through nine with Brandon Bellinger rounding out the top ten.
Adult general admission will be set at $17 this Saturday with $14 Price Chopper Tickets to Go available at any Price Chopper Supermarkets locations.
Kids 16 and under will be admitted free with paid adult.
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