By Camden Proud
OSWEGO, NY (July 20, 2024) – Teenage talent Talen Hawksby clinched another feature win in the 25-lap J&S Paving 350 Supermodified event at Oswego Speedway, presented by Compass Federal Credit Union and Rock Stream Retreat, last Saturday night.
The field was brought to green by Rookie of the Year contenders Noah Ratcliff and Brendan Young. Ratcliff, fresh off his first podium finish on Friday, and Young, who claimed his first heat win on Saturday, set the stage for an exciting start. Young quickly surged to the lead from the outside lane, while Hawksby, starting fourth, wasted no time maneuvering around polesitter Ratcliff and third starter Nick Barzee to take second. Kyle Perry followed Hawksby’s charge, dropping Ratcliff back to fourth.
Josh Sokolic was also on the move early, advancing to fifth past Ratcliff and then taking fourth from Barzee on lap 2. Sokolic continued his climb, passing Perry for third on lap 9 as Perry bobbled out of turn two.
The front three of Young, Hawksby, and Sokolic then approached lapped traffic nose to tail, locked in a tight battle for the lead with 10 laps to go. Hawksby went high in traffic, briefly giving Sokolic second place, but a spin by Perry on lap 15 brought out the yellow flag and reset the order.
On the restart, leader Young chose the outside lane with Hawksby to his inside. The two drag raced side-by-side down the front stretch and brushed in turns one and two, with Hawksby taking the lead. Young fought hard to keep Sokolic at bay for second, ultimately holding onto the runner-up spot. By then, Hawksby had pulled away, cruising to his division-high third victory of the 2024 season. Ratcliff, Sokolic, Barzee, and Perry rounded out the top five.
“We really got the car tuned in today. We looked past last night and really just focused on today. We hit the setup perfectly. We’ve been working really hard, and it feels good to have a fast car consistently every week and be able to run up at the front. I’d like to thank Raby’s Ace Home Center, Top Quality Construction, Furdi’s, and of course Hawk Jr. Chassis,” Hawksby said.
Oswego Speedway will be off this Saturday, July 27, for the Sandusky Speedway Hy-Miler, but racing action returns on August 3rd for JP Jewelers Retro Night. The event will feature Novelis Supermodifieds, Pathfinder Bank SBS, and J&S Paving 350 Supers. Tickets are available for purchase on the Speedway website by clicking the ‘Buy Tickets’ button.
Stay connected with Oswego Speedway for more information. Visit OswegoSpeedway.com, follow us on Facebook or Twitter (@OswegoSpeedway), and Instagram (@OfficialOswegoSpeedway).
About Oswego Speedway: Oswego Speedway is a 5/8 mile semi-banked pavement racing oval located off the shores of Lake Ontario in scenic Oswego, NY. The 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 the Oswego Speedway making it the only weekly Supermodified racing venue in the world. The Small Block Supermodifieds and 350 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, two-time Indy 500 champion Gordon Johncock, and former International Classic Champions Bentley Warren, Joe Gosek, and Davey Hamilton.
RESULTS
Compass Federal Credit Union and Rock Stream Retreat
Autograph Night
J&S Paving 350 Supermodifieds
Saturday, July 20, 2024
Oswego Speedway
Oswego, NY
Feature (25-laps): 1. 79 TALEN HAWKSBY, 2. 75 ® Brendan Young, 3. 6 Josh Sokolic, 4. 31 Nick Barzee, 5. 20 Kyle Perry, 6. 73 ® Noah Ratcliff, 7. 91 Barry Kingsley, 8. 97 Vern LaFave
Heat 1 (10-laps): 1. 75 ® Brendan Young, 2. 79 Talen Hawksby, 3. 20 Kyle Perry, 4. 31 Nick Barzee, 5. 6 Josh Sokolic, 6. 73 Noah Ratcliff, 7. 91 Barry Kingsley, 8. 97 Vern LaFave
Lighthouse Lanes Up & Comer ($100 bonus to the highest finishing driver who has never won a feature at Oswego Speedway): #75 ® Brendan Young
D&S Landscaping Hard Charger ($25 bonus to the driver advancing the most positions): #79 Talen Hawksby