Otto Sitterly, JJ Andrews Lead Abbreviated Open Testing at Oswego Speedway
OSWEGO, NY (April 26, 2014) – Despite gray skies and intermittent rain showers, just over 20 race cars took to Oswego Speedway on Saturday for their first laps of the 2014 season.
A total of 13 Pathfinder Bank Small Block Supers, seven Novelis Supermodifieds, and two ISMA Supermodifieds came through the main gate with each group receiving one full hot lap session.
The threat for inclement weather forced officials to move the start time for the test sessions up to 12:30 PM., and shortly after taking the initial green flag rain moved into the area causing a lengthy delay.
With the assistance of track crew personnel, race teams, and fans in attendance the Speedway was dried in time for each group to receive a set of hot laps.
JJ Andrews led the Small Block Super contingent in hot laps with a lap of 19.374 seconds in the No. 93.
Russ Brown, testing Andrew Schartner’s No. 18 machine, clocked in the second fastest time at just over 19.4 seconds.
Jack Patrick, Mike Bruce, Kreig Heroth, Anthony Losurdo, Jason Simmons, Barry Kingsley, Danny Abt, Steve Abt, and Mike Bond joined Andrews and Brown as veterans collecting laps on the Speedway.
Rookies Jesse Bearup and Camden Proud also received track time, with each looking smooth and comfortable behind the wheel.
Defending Oswego Speedway Novelis Supermodified track champion Otto Sitterly led the way in Supermodified hot laps stopping the clocks at 17.514 seconds in the No. 7. Shaun Gosselin’s No. 26 would set the second fastest Supermodified time of the day.
Foggy, damp, and cool skies lingered over the ‘Steel Palace’ for the lone Supermodified session making it very difficult to build heat and speed.
Pat Lavery, David Danzer, Michael Muldoon, and Brandon Bellinger joined both Sitterly and Gosselin on the Speedway for a few circuits before the skies again opened up around 3:30pm.
Stephen Gioia III was also on hand with the No. 9 before the initial round of rains came to fire his machine. Gioia and team left the Speedway before they could take any green flag laps.
Tony Steiner and Keith Gilliam were each on hand with their ISMA winged Supermodifieds with only Steiner getting track time.
Steiner, who had never driven a winged Supermodified before Saturday, took about 10-laps in the No. 07.
Racing action at the Speedway begins on Saturday, May 3 with the 64th annual Gater Racing News Opening Night featuring the Shea Concrete ‘Steel Palace’ ISMA Super Series ‘Irish’ Jack Murphy Memorial 56 and the opening round of the Pathfinder Bank SBS Road to the Championship.
The Speedway’s flagship non-wing Novelis Supermodified division will kick-off their 53rd consecutive season of racing at the “Home of Supermodifieds” on Saturday, May 10th presented by Mitchell’s Speedway Press and Planet Fitness of Oswego. Nearly 30 Novelis Supermodifieds are expected in be in action including defending champion Otto Sitterly, Indianapolis 500 veterans Joe Gosek and Davey Hamilton, and Novelis Supermodified Rookie of the Year contender Jessica Zemken.
For more information on Oswego Speedway be sure to visit www.oswegospeedway.com. You can also FOLLOW on Twitter @OswegoSpeedway and LIKE on Facebook at www.facebook.com/OswegoSpeedway.
Pathfinder Bank SBS:
02 – Jesse Bearup ®
04 – Kreig Heroth
1 – Anthony Losurdo
9 – Jack Patrick
18 – Russ Brown
22 – Mike Bruce
54 – Camden Proud ®
57 – Danny Abt
67 – Steve Abt
74 – Mike Bond
91 – Barry Kingsley
93 – JJ Andrews
98 – Jason Simmons
Novelis (Non-Winged) Supermodifieds:
02 – Brandon Bellinger
7 – Otto Sittlerly
9 – Stephen Gioia III
22 – Pat Lavery
26 – Shaun Gosselin
51 – Michael Muldoon
72 – David Danzer
ISMA (Winged) Supermodifieds:
07 – Tony Steiner ®
87 – Keith Gilliam
About Oswego Speedway: Oswego Speedway, a sports entertainment company, is a 5/8 mile semi-banked pavement racing oval located off the shores of Lake Ontario in scenic Oswego, NY. Oswego 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 Oswego Speedway making Oswego the only weekly Supermodified racing venue in the world. The Small Block 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, arguably the greatest driver of all time, two-time Indy 500 champion Gordon Johncock, along with former International Classic Champions Bentley Warren, Joe Gosek, and Davey Hamilton.
