By Camden Proud
OSWEGO, NY (June 18, 2022) – Former International Classic champion and Supermodified feature winner two weeks ago, Tyler Thompson, was once again tabbed as the driver of Mike Barbera’s Top Quality Motorsports No. 75 350 Supermodified this past weekend and promptly parked the ‘Purple People Eater’ back in victory lane on CME Electrical Supply Night at the Speedway.
It was Thompson’s sixth career win at Oswego, his second in the 350 Supermodified class, and first with the No. 75 on this car, which was formerly numbered 98 when he won the title of Mr. 350 Super a season ago.
Thompson’s triumph was also the third of the season for the Barbera team, all of which have come with different drivers including Bobby Holmes on Opening Night, Brian Sobus two weeks ago, and now Tyler.
“I am winded after that one,” Thompson said. “I have to thank CME Electrical Supply, the Colosse Cheese Store, LaParilla, Raby’s, Premium Construction Services, and obviously Mike Barbera. He gives me great equipment. It’s a lot of fun driving these cars.”
After leading the first 13 laps before a restart shook things up and gave Thompson a chance at the win, Dave Cliff would yet again have to settle for second, his second runner-up of the night in Tim Barbeau’s No. 50.
“Second definitely sucks tonight,” stated Cliff. “We had a great start running side by side with Chase (Locke) for several laps. You honestly don’t want to start on the inside with these cars. The guy on the outside can pinch you down and steal your momentum, but he raced me hard and clean and it was a lot of fun. The car was real good for that first long run and I hated to see that yellow come out because in my situation you were kind of screwed regardless if you chose the top or bottom. Tyler is good, he knows what he is doing on the outside and pinched me down and took the lead. I got real tight the last seven laps, but it was an awesome battle with Dalton (Doyle) racing side by side for so many laps. It doesn’t get much more fun than that.”
Completing the podium was eighth starting Doyle, who recovered from earlier issues in the first Twin to grab his first top three finish of the season.
“We made some adjustments to the car and tried to get the thing back together after the first feature and it went quite a bit better,” Doyle commented. “It seemed to come in more as the race went on, I was still fighting a little bit of a tight battle though which I am alright with because it is something we can work with. I was really relieved to see that yellow come out because then I was thinking it would at least give me the chance to maybe pull something out of my hat. I was surprised when I saw that Brian (Sobus) took the bottom. I had hoped to get the top and ended up getting a good restart. I was able to get alongside Dave (Cliff), and I knew he would run me tough, but more importantly I knew that he would run me clean. I just threw everything I had at him to try to get around on the outside, but just was fighting the tight car. I was waiting, waiting, waiting to get to the gas. It was a dog fight to get to the gas and I had a blast. I always know I can run him clean, he runs me clean and it was a good race between the two of us. I had a lot more fun in this one than I did the first race and its got four wheels on it so that’s not bad. Have to thank everybody that got me here.”
Thompson started in third with Cliff and first-time Twin 25 winner Chase Locke leading the field to the green flag.
The first two laps of the feature resembled a pace lap as leaders Cliff and Locke rode side by side with Cliff on the inside and Locke on the outside, before Cliff finally inched out in front on lap 2.
Cliff and Locke built up considerable distance on third place Thompson, fourth place Sobus, and fifth place Doyle throughout the first three quarters of the race, before the caution flag flew on lap 13 for a tangle between the leaders and the lapped car of Kali Spaulding.
As Cliff went to the outside of Spaulding, the pair brushed wheels, with the No. 23 getting sideways and slamming the side of Locke’s No. 88.
Chase did a tremendous job keeping the car as straight as possible, just barely brushing the turn four foam, but the damage was enough to knock him out of the action the rest of the way.
For the restart with 7 laps to go it was now Cliff, Thompson, Sobus, Doyle, and Mike Bruce the top five.
Cliff chose the bottom lane, which had worked for him in the early going, but this time the high side prevailed as Thompson was able to soar out in front using the outside part of the Speedway.
The battle was now between Cliff and Doyle for second and what a battle it was as for the remaining six laps, the pair dueled side by side with Cliff managing to hold on for second by inches – just 0.008 seconds at the line.
Back out front, Thompson ran away for what turned out to be a relatively easy victory ahead of Cliff, Doyle, Bruce, and Sobus, who recovered from their DNS to finish top five in the second Twin.
Kyle Perry, Locke, Spaulding, Mark Schulz, and Vern LaFave completed the top ten.
The J&S Paving 350 Supermodifieds will resume their 2022 season on Saturday, July 2, joining the Novelis Supermodifieds, Pathfinder Bank SBS, and XMR Sport Mods for the Independence Weekend Spectacular.
For more information on this event, please visit OswegoSpeedway.com. You can also LIKE on Facebook at Facebook.com/OswegoSpeedway or FOLLOW on Twitter @OswegoSpeedway or Instagram @OfficialOswegoSpeedway.
RESULTS
CME Electrical Supply Night
J&S Paving 350 Super Twin 25’s
Saturday, June 18, 2022
Oswego Speedway
Oswego, NY
Twin #1 (25-laps): 1. 88 CHASE LOCKE, 2. 50 Dave Cliff, 3. 20 Kyle Perry, 4. 32 Mark Schulz, 5. 75 Tyler Thompson, 6. 97 Vern LaFave, 7. 23 Kali Spaulding, 8. 08 Dalton Doyle, 9. 45 Brian Sobus, 10. 22 Mike Bruce
Twin #2 (25-laps): 1. 75 TYLER THOMPSON, 2 50 Dave Cliff, 3. 08 Dalton Doyle, 4. 22 Mike Bruce, 5. 45 Brian Sobus, 6. 20 Kyle Perry, 7. 88 Chase Locke, 8. 23 Kali Spaulding, 9. 32 Mark Schulz, 10. 97 Vern LaFave
Heat 1 (10-laps): 1. 75 Tyler Thompson, 2. 50 Dave Cliff, 3. 20 Kyle Perry, 4. 22 Mike Bruce, 5. 97 Vern LaFave
Heat 2 (10-laps): 1. 45 Brian Sobus, 2. 08 Dalton Doyle, 3. 88 Chase Locke, 4 32 Mark Schulz, 5. 23 Kali Spaulding
D&S Landscaping Hard Charger Twin #1: #88 Chase Locke
Lighthouse Lanes Up & Comer Twin #1: #88 Chase Locke
D&S Landscaping Hard Charger Twin #2: #22 Mike Bruce
Lighthouse Lanes Up & Comer Twin #2: #50 Dave Cliff