By Camden Proud
OSWEGO, NY (August 10, 2024) – In Saturday’s 35-lap, $1,500 to win Mr. Pathfinder Bank SBS feature at Oswego Speedway presented by C’s Beverage Center, former Supermodified feature winner Shaun Gosselin made a surprise appearance in the GO Racing No. 29. Gosselin crossed the finish line first, but his victory was short-lived as he was deemed light at the scales, handing the win to high point man Alex Hoag. This marked Hoag’s third victory of the season and the fourth of his career at Oswego Speedway.
The race began with a chaotic turn 1 pileup as the front row of DJ Shuman and Brad Haynes brought the field to the green. Shuman spun, triggering a multi-car incident that collected Gosselin, Greg O’Connor, Hoag, Cameron Rowe, Noah Ratcliff, Drew Pascuzzi, Jake Brown, Carter Gates, Matt Matteson, Dan Kapuscinski, AJ Larkin, and Robbie Wirth. Despite the chaos, only Pascuzzi, Gates, and Kapuscinski were forced to retire for the evening.
On the original restart, Haynes, the new polesitter, and O’Connor lined up on the front row, with Gosselin and Hoag in row two, and DeStevens and Rowe in row three. Haynes edged out O’Connor on lap 1, but O’Connor was quickly shuffled back as Gosselin, Hoag, DeStevens, and Rowe moved into the top five. The yellow flag returned on lap 2 for spins by Ratcliff and Matteson.
When racing resumed with a choose restart, Gosselin took the lead on the outside from Haynes, with Hoag, DeStevens, and Rowe in pursuit. By lap 8, Hoag had moved into second place under Haynes, with DeStevens following suit five laps later, dropping Haynes to fourth. The caution came out again on lap 14 for Ratcliff, setting up another crucial restart.
Gosselin was able to maintain his lead over Hoag as DeStevens and Haynes settled into third and fourth. At the halfway point, Gosselin, Hoag, and DeStevens had separated themselves from the pack, leaving the battle for the win between Gosselin and Hoag. While Gosselin managed to hold off Hoag on the track, it was Hoag who ultimately claimed the victory and his first-ever Mr. Pathfinder Bank SBS title after Gosselin’s disqualification.
DeStevens was credited with second place, followed by Haynes in third, Wirth in fourth, and Shuman in fifth. Matteson, Larkin, Ratcliff, Darrick Hilton, and O’Connor completed the top ten.
The 2024 Oswego Speedway championship season wraps up thus Saturday night, August 17, with TEAL Palace Championship Night, presented by Best Western PLUS, Clarion Hotel & Suites Riverfront, and Splash Indoor Waterpark Resort of Oswego. Track titles will be crowned in the Novelis Supermodifieds, Pathfinder Bank SBS, and J&S Paving 350 Supers, with fireworks capping off the night. General admission is $20, with kids 16 and under admitted free for the big show.
Stay connected with Oswego Speedway for more information. Visit OswegoSpeedway.com, follow on Facebook or X (@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
C’s Beverage Center 32nd Annual $1,500 to Win Mr. SBS
Pathfinder Bank SBS 35
Saturday, August 10, 2024
Oswego Speedway
Oswego, NY
Mr. SBS Feature (35-laps): 1. 41 ALEX HOAG, 2. 24 Tony DeStevens, 3. 88 Brad Haynes, 4. 04 Robbie Wirth, 5. 62 DJ Shuman, 6. 47 ® Matt Matteson, 7. 35 AJ Larkin, 8. 73 Noah Ratcliff, 9. 66 Darrick Hilton, 10. 90 Greg O’Connor, 11. 26 Jake Brown, 12. 77 Cameron Rowe, 13. 72 Drew Pascuzzi, 14. 55 Carter Gates, 15. 23 Dan Kapuscinski DQ: 29 Shaun Gosselin DNS: 20 ® Tessa Crawford
Heat 1 (10-laps): 1. 88 Brad Haynes, 2. 29 Shaun Gosselin, 3. 24 Tony DeStevens, 4. 73 Noah Ratcliff, 5. 72 Drew Pascuzzi, 6. 35 AJ Larkin, 7. 47 ® Matt Matteson, 8. 23 Dan Kapuscinski
Heat 2 (10-laps): 1. 41 Alex Hoag, 2. 62 DJ Shuman, 3. 90 Greg O’Connor, 4. 77 Cameron Rowe, 5. 55 Carter Gates, 6. 26 Jake Brown, 7. 66 Darrick Hilton, 8. 04 Robbie Wirth
Group Time Trials: 1. 73 Noah Ratcliff – 18.740, 2. 77 Cameron Rowe – 18.748, 3. 24 Tony DeStevens – 18.797, 4. 41 Alex Hoag – 18.857, 5. 29 Shaun Gosselin – 18.976, 6. 04 Robbie Wirth – 18.999, 7. 23 Dan Kapuscisnki – 19.003, 8. 90 Greg O’Connor – 19.015, 9. 88 Brad Haynes – 19.155, 10. 62 DJ Shuman – 19.174, 11. 35 AJ Larkin – 18.188, 12. 66 Darrick Hilton – 19.288, 13. 47 ® Matt Matteson – 19.289, 14. 55 Carter Gates – 19.318, 15. 72 Drew Pascuzzi – 19.505, 16. 26 Jake Brown – 19.587, 17. 20 ® Tessa Crawford – 19.969
Lighthouse Lanes Up & Comer ($100 bonus to the highest finishing driver who has never won a feature at Oswego Speedway): #04 Robbie Wirth
D&S Landscaping Hard Charger ($25 bonus to the driver advancing the most positions): #04 Robbie Wirth