Otto Sitterly Tops Supermodified Charts with Independent Super; Mike Bond Fastest SBS in Oswego Testing
OSWEGO, NY (May 7, 2016) – On a near perfect Saturday afternoon, nearly 40 racecars took to Oswego Speedway for its annual open practice session with Otto Sitterly and defending Pathfinder Bank SBS champion Mike Bond leading the speed charts.
A total of 14 different Novelis Supermodifieds were on hand with 12 machines recording official lap times on the fast 5/8 mile oval.
Otto Sitterly topped the Novelis Supermodified charts at Oswego Speedway’s open practice session Saturday driving a redesigned independent front end Supermodified, labeled only as xXx. (Bill Taylor)
Sitterly, the seven time Speedway champion, had three racecars at his disposal during the afternoon including one un-numbered machine that instead donned the letters xXx.
The xXx, which is the No. 2 driven by Dave Shullick Jr., sported the fresh independent front suspension design recently allowed again in the regulations. Initially the car was not expected to be at the track until closer to Memorial Day Weekend, but instead the racer was ready for open practice.
Sitterly spent the majority of the afternoon in the ride, wheeling it to the quickest lap of the day with a circuit of 16.549 seconds.
“The No. 6 and the No. 7 are ready to race next week, so we have just been working on this car (xXx),” said Sitterly. “It feels good. No shakes, no vibrations. We are really just trying to build a notebook on the independent car. I think it turns good, but it still feels a bit tight.”
When asked if there was any game plan set for Sitterly to run the IFS on opening night, Sitterly finished with a usual calm and relaxed, one liner.
“The game plan changes 500 times a day.”
Dave Danzer, who set the quickest time in hot laps last year, was the second fastest driver of the day in the No. 52.
Danzer blitzed the track with a lap of 16.611 seconds, but felt that the engine in the machine may be slightly flat.
“The car is good but the motor feels a bit down,” said Danzer. “Overall the track is pretty tight.”
Danzer said the team has plans to update the No. 72 ride driven last season by Dave Cliff.
“We’re going to be making updates to the car Cliffy ran last year, I hope to have it out in a few weeks,” said Danzer. “It should be as good or better than this car today.”
Michael Muldoon, Brandon Bellinger, Pat Lavery, and Dave McKnight joined Sitterly and Danzer in the 16-second bracket.
Lavery was able to take his first laps in his Xtreme chassis ride for 2016, while McKnight began adapting to the converted Gary Morton No. 70.
Lou LeVea Jr. made his first laps in the former Nicotra No. 00 driven last year by Joe Gosek. LeVea adapted quickly taking the No. 83 down to a lap of 17.161 seconds.
Jeff Abold, Dave Gruel, and Dan Connors Jr. completed the supermodified lineup of drivers to take time.
The Aric Iosue No. 11 and the all new Kody Graham No. 21 were also in the pit area, but only to fire their engines.
A total of 18 Pathfinder Bank SBS were on hand with defending champion Bond leading test times at 18.851 seconds. Bond was the only car under the 19-second bracket.
Kreig Heroth, Anthony Losurdo, Jason Simmons, and Dave Cliff set the five fastest times of the day.
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Drivers in Attendance for Open Practice
Pathfinder Bank SBS:
- 74 – Mike Bond
- 04 – Kreig Heroth
- 1 – Anthony Losurdo
- 98 – Jason Simmons
- 50 – Dave Cliff
- 87 – Matt Magner
- 01 – Dalton Doyle
- 54 – Camden Proud
- 7 – Alex Hoag
- 9 – Jack Patrick
- 37 – Jesse Bearup
- 69 – Mark Castiglia
- 90 – Greg O’Connor
- 77 – Cameron Rowe
- 47 – Dennis Rupert
- 91 – Barry Kingsley
- 23 – Cameron Black
- 15 – James Babcock
Novelis Supermodifieds:
- xXx – Otto Sitterly
- 52 – Dave Danzer
- 15 – Michael Muldoon
- 02 – Brandon Bellinger
- 91 – Pat Lavery
- 70 – Dave McKnight
- 6 – Otto Sitterly
- 83 – Lou LeVea Jr.
- 05 – Jeff Abold
- 50 – Dave Gruel
- 01 – Dan Connors Jr.
- 7 – Otto Sitterly
- 11 – Aric Iosue
- 21 – Kody Graham
