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Sitterly, Knopp claim Oswego Speedway track titles


First Oswego feature win
By Mike LeBoeuf
Oswego’s Jerry Curran poses for photos after winning a heat race on Saturday at Oswego Speedway. He later captured his first supermodified feature win at the track.
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By Mike LeBoeuf
The Palladium-Times

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Oswego, N.Y. -

Otto Sitterly and Kevin Knopp wrapped up Oswego Speedway track championships on Saturday as Oswego Quality Carpet and Dunkin’ Donuts sponsored Hoosier Track Championship Night.

Sitterly finished seventh in both 30-lap Novelis Supermodified feature races to claim his second track title.

Knopp placed fifth and fourth in the two 20-lap Pathfinder Bank SBS Series races to win his first SBS track title at Oswego.

In the first supermodified feature, Oswego’s Jerry Curran earned his first career Oswego Speedway triumph. Oswego’s Bob Magner won the second supermodified race.

Winners of the Pathfinder Bank SBS Series features were Russ Brown and Oswego’s Tim Barbeau.

Here are recaps of the feature events.

Supermodifieds

Curran started on the pole in the first supermodified feature. Outside pole-sitter Bob Reis assumed the lead at the start, with Curran, Jason Spaulding, Johnny Payne, and Shawn Muldoon in pursuit.

Muldoon found the outside groove to his liking. He got around Payne on lap 6, then made an outside pass of Spaulding three laps later.

On lap 12, Curran maneuvered his #24 car to the outside of Reis to take over the lead on the backstretch. Curran later said his car made contact with Reis’ car on the move. Reis’ #4 then bobbled and made contact with Muldoon’s #1 car. Muldoon’s car ended up in the turn 3 foam and sustained enough front-end damage to put him out for the night. Reis’ car was also hooked and was out for the night.

The new top five were Curran, Spaulding, Payne, Howard Page, and Lou LeVea. On the restart, Payne passed Spaulding for second place. On lap 15, the caution flag was waved for Magner, who was into the foam between turns 3 and 4. Pat Lavery passed two cars on the restart to take over fifth place.

But nobody was able to challenge Curran, who cruised to the checkered flag ahead of Payne, Spaulding, Page, and Lavery.

Fast all season long, Curran finally had that elusive Oswego Speedway win.

“I didn’t think I’d ever get here, not at Oswego,” Curran said in victory lane. “I’m just happy for all my sponsors and all the guys who work on the car every week.”

In the second supermodified feature, Magner notched his third win of the season. He started seventh and quickly worked his way through the field. He got a great restart after a lap 13 caution and made an outside pass of both Stephen Gioia III and Page for second place.

On lap 15, Magner got under Payne in turn 1 to take the lead for good. Payne started on the outside pole and led the first 14 laps.

Payne finished second, Ray Graham Jr. third, Gioia fourth, and Page fifth.

Magner said he wasn’t quite sure what the outcome would be when he made his determined rush in the outside groove on the lap 13 restart.

“I tried to get on the outside. I thought for sure I was going to get hung out there for a while,” he said.

Sitterly commented on winning his second track title, this time for car owner John Nicotra.

“It feels really good,” Sitterly said. “I definitely owe him a lot for what he has done for me.”

Sitterly also thanked his crew members for their excellent work throughout the season.

Small-block supers

Pole-sitter Russ Brown drove the #10 small-block super to victory in the first 20-lap SBS feature. Mike Bond, Brian Sobus, Larry Muroski, and Knopp rounded out the top five.

The top five stayed the same practically the entire race. Bond’s #26 car turned the fastest lap of the feature (19.280 seconds), but wasn’t quick enough to pass Brown, the 2007 track champion.

“We’re getting tuned up for Classic,” said Brown, who has raced only a couple of times at Oswego this year. “This is the best place in the world to race.”

Bond entered the second feature leading Knopp by two points in the chase for the 2008 track title. Bond got caught up in lap 5 wreck in the second feature. He returned to action, but finished 11th. Knopp’s fourth-place finish gave him the track crown.

“That’s what I dedicated myself to do this year,” Knopp said of his championship effort. “It’s an awesome feeling.”

Knopp thanked his family and his team for their support.

Barbeau won the 20-lap feature from the pole. He and outside pole-sitter Brown had quite a duel in the opening lap and a half before Barbeau powered past him to secure the lead. That proved to be Barbeau’s toughest challenge as he got his second win of the season.

“This is a good feeling, to have two wins in one year at Oswego,” Barbeau said. “I knew I was going to have to get Brownie at the start.”

Completing the top five were Sobus, Brown, Knopp, and Dave Cliff.

Speedway notes

• Barbeau, Sobus, and Brown won SBS heats.

• Curran, Payne, and Reis won supermodified heats.

• Samantha Todd won the eight-lap “Hoosier Mama” SBS Powder Puff race.





 

 

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