Jeff Abold Scores First Career Oswego Supermodified Main Event Victory
Story By: DAN KAPUSCINSKI / OSWEGO SPEEDWAY Photos By: CHRIS BURGESS / RACERSGUIDE.COM
OSWEGO, NY- June 21, 2016- Oswego Speedway’s Novelis Supermodified Twin 35’s have produced several first time winners through the years including last season, and last night the streak continued as second generation Supermodified pilot Jeff Abold finally broke the ice to score his first Oswego Supermodified victory in the second twin event of the night presented by Burke’s Do-It-Best Home Centers and A&P Auto Parts, driving his home built racer.
Abold becomes the 13th different driver to earn his first career win in a Twin 35 main event at Oswego, scoring the 23rd overall Supermodified victory for the Abold family as father Pat, the 1992 Speedway track champion, visited Oswego victory lane on 22 occasions.
As fate would have it, father Pat also scored a Twin 35 victory 22 years ago to the day –June 18, 1994.
Chasing Abold across the line in an attrition ridden second Twin of the night were Brandon Bellinger, Bob Bond, Dave Gruel, and Michael Muldoon.
The entire Abold family was all smiles in Turning Stone Resort Casino Victory Lane.
“I just can’t thank my guys enough,” said Abold. “This has been a long three years with this car. I just can’t tell you what this means. This has been something I have dreamed of since I’ve been coming to the Speedway, watching my dad growing up. This one victory, this one night, in our home built car – these guys have stuck with me because there have been times I’ve wanted to quit in the last couple years – means more to me than anything I have achieved. I’m 27 years old and I feel like it took about 40 years to get to this point.”
Pat Lavery, Dave Cliff, Dave Danzer, Lou LeVea Jr., and Otto Sitterly filled the top ten spots in Twin #2 on Saturday night.
Joining Abold in victory lane on Twin 35 night was Danzer, scoring his second win of 2016, and his first career Twin 35 score behind the wheel of the Danzer Racing No. 52.
The victory marks Danzer’s ninth career Supermodified win, tying Fred Graves and Dave McKnight on the all-time Supermodified win list at the Steel Palace.
Danzer is now the only repeat feature winner in the Novelis Supermodified division in 2016.
Danzer held off eventual Twin #2 winner Abold for the score ahead of Gruel, Sitterly, and the evening’s point leader Michael Barnes.
“We’ve got a really good handling car, it is the fastest it has been in a while,” said Danzer. “It’s tough. You have to beat these guys to turn one and I sailed the thing down there as hard as I could. I knew I had to get ahead of him (Abold). Getting out front is the best place to be. I have to thank my guys and all the fans for coming out tonight to enjoy the Twin 35’s.”
Kody Graham, Joe Gosek, Keith Shampine, Dan Connors Jr., and Tim Snyder filled the top ten spots in the first Twin event of the night.
The night’s first 35-lapper saw Abold and Danzer start on the front row after a time based heat race inversion, which saw the 6th fastest driver in heat racing claim the pole.
Danzer would gain the edge from the get-go in the No. 52, blasting to the point with the field settling in behind him.
Deep in the field Gosek, who finalized last second repairs to his No. 00 late in the day Saturday after a first turn crash at the Speedway on June 11, was starting to make his presence known. Gosek started deep in the field and by lap 10 had worked his way by LeVea Jr. for the tenth spot.
The night’s first feature caution waved on lap 15 as Aric Iosue looped the No. 11 in turn four.
The caution would tighten the field up for a restart with Danzer leading Abold, Barnes, Gruel, Graham, Sitterly, Shampine, Connors, Snyder, and Gosek.
Once back to green, Gruel made a crucial high side move on the restart to steal the third spot from the No. 68 of Barnes. Gruel then quickly tucked into line and gave chase to leaders Danzer and Abold.
Gosek also continued his charge as the No. 00 quickly slid by Snyder and Connors to steal the eighth position by lap 17.
However another caution would wave shortly thereafter for Muldoon who backed the No. 15 into the foam in turn three. Muldoon made mention on social media that his pant leg became tangled in the throttle, causing the car to spin. Fortunately Muldoon was ok and the car only suffered minor damage, but enough to relegate Muldoon to his back-up No. 14 for the night’s second feature.
With green lights back on Sitterly came to life in the No. 7.
First darting by Graham, Sitterly then set his sights on point rival Barnes, driving to the top side of The Hustler to take away the fourth position.
Gosek tried to mimic Sitterly’s drive to the front as he snuck by Shampine for seventh late in the going, but it would be too little too late for Sitterly, Gosek and the rest of the field as Danzer was checked out and gone in the No. 52, scoring his second win of the season.
The Lighthouse Lanes Up and Comer Award for Twin #1 went to Abold with Gosek scoring as the Lighthouse Lanes Hard Charger.
The Radical Racegear Lap Leader was Danzer with Iosue claiming the Xtreme Sim Racing Series Last Car on Lead Lap Award.
The night’s second Twin 35 event featured LeVea Jr. and Abold on the front row, based on handicap, with Abold leaving the field from the outside pole position after an initial start was waved off as Jerry Curran and Hal LaTulip tangled in the third turn coming to green.
Unfortunately the next start would not make a full lap either as the night’s first winner Danzer was sent sideways in front of the majority of the field in the second turn, causing a massive pileup.
Sitterly and Gosek would go to the high side of the track to try and avoid the carnage, but ended up being the worst of it.
Gosek would catch Sitterly’s right rear wheel sending him up and over the No. 7 as both cars then slammed the outside steel. The force of the collision caused Gosek’s machine to then pirouette on Sitterly’s roll cage, with each car eventually coming to rest on all four wheels.
Gosek’s car, which was just fixed from the previous week’s accident, was put on the roll back and carried back to the pit area.
Sitterly’s machine, which had considerable damage was hooked back to his pits, but miraculously the Nicotra Racing crew made enough repairs to get the car back on track some 25-laps down later in the event with hardly any bodywork for Sitterly to limp around the track and score a crucial top ten finish.
The finish for Sitterly became crucial as point contender Barnes would drop out of the event on lap six with a broken torque arm bolt after having just moved to the runner-up spot around Bellinger and LeVea Jr.
With Barnes, who appeared to be Abold’s only threat in the early going now out of it, Abold would quickly lengthen his lead in the No. 05 leaving the battle behind him.
Bellinger would eventually slide under LeVea Jr. at lap 12 to take second with Bond’s No. 47 now charging from the back of the pack.
Making his first appearance of the season, Bond went under Gruel for fourth at lap 13 and just one lap later drove under LeVea Jr. for third and quickly reeled in Bellinger in a battle for the second position.
Locked bumper to bumper with Bellinger, Bond could not make a move stick in the late going as neither could come close to Abold who had sped to a near four second advantage on the field, flying to his first career Supermodified victory.
For the final time in his career, Abold would be the Lighthouse Lanes Up and Comer with Muldoon picking up the Lighthouse Lanes Hard Charger Award in his back-up No. 14 roadster.
Abold would also take home the Radical Racegear Lap Leader Award with Danzer scored as the Xtreme Sim Racing Series Last Car on the Lead Lap.
Shell Shock Custom Helmet Paint Heat Race Challenge wins went to Graham, Sitterly, and Abold.
Racing at Oswego Speedway continues on Saturday, July 2 with the Walker Enterprises D-Bus Grand Prix Night featuring a 75-lap Novelis Supermodified main and a 35-lap Pathfinder Bank SBS feature with fireworks to end the night.
Kids 16 and under with paid adult and active military with I.D. are free.
For more information on Oswego Speedway visit online at www.oswegospeedway.com or call (315) 342-0646. Visit the Speedway on social media @OswegoSpeedway or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/OswegoSpeedway.
Oswego Speedway
Oswego, NY
Saturday, June 18th, 2016
Novelis Supermodified Twin 35’s pres by.
Burke’s Do-It-Best Home Centers and A&P Auto Parts
BOX SCORE:
Novelis Supermodifieds
Novelis Supermodified Twin #1 (35-laps): 1. 52 – Dave Danzer, 2. 05 – Jeff Abold, 3. 50 – Dave Gruel, 4. 7 – Otto Sitterly, 5. 68 – Michael Barnes, 6. 21 – Kody Graham, 7. 00 – Joe Gosek, 8. 55 – Keith Shampine, 9. 01 – Dan Connors, 10. 0 – Tim Snyder, 11. 12 – Pat Lavery, 12. 99 – Dave Cliff, 13. 11 – Aric Iosue, 14. 24 – Jerry Curran, 15. 56 – Hal LaTulip, 16. 47 – Bob Bond, 17. 15 – Michael Muldoon, 18. 83 – Lou LeVea Jr, 19. 02 – Brandon Bellinger, 20. 14 – Kreig Heroth
Lighthouse Lanes Hard Charger: #00 – Joe Gosek
Lighthouse Lanes Up and Comer: #05 – Jeff Abold
Radical Racegear Lap Leader: #52 – Dave Danzer
Xtreme Sim Racing Series Last Car on Lead Lap: #11 – Aric Iosue
Novelis Supermodified Twin #2 (35-laps): 1. 05 – Jeff Abold, 2. 02 – Brandon Bellinger, 3. 47 – Bob Bond, 4. 50 – Dave Gruel, 5. 14 – Michael Muldoon, 6. 12 – Pat Lavery, 7. 99 – Dave Cliff, 8. 52 – Dave Danzer, 9. 83 – Lou LeVea Jr, 10. 7 – Otto Sitterly, 11. 55 – Keith Shampine, 12. 01 – Dan Connors, 13. 68 – Michael Barnes, 14. 21 – Kody Graham, 15. 0 – Tim Snyder, 16. 11 – Aric Iosue, 17. 00 – Joe Gosek, 18. 56 – Hal LaTulip, 19. 24 – Jerry Curran
Lighthouse Lanes Hard Charger: #14 – Michael Muldoon
Lighthouse Lanes Up and Comer: #05 – Jeff Abold
Radical Racegear Lap Leader: #05 – Jeff Abold
Xtreme Sim Racing Series Last Car on Lead Lap: #52 – Dave Danzer
Heat #1 (12-laps): 1. 21 – Kody Graham, 2. 01 – Dan Connors, 3. 50 – Dave Gruel, 4. 68 – Michael Barnes, 5. 47 – Bob Bond, 6. 56 – Hal LaTulip, 7. 14 – Kreig Heroth
Heat #2 (12-laps): 1. 7 – Otto Sitterly, 2. 83 – Lou LeVea Jr, 3. 0 – Tim Snyder, 4. 02 – Brandon Bellinger, 5. 00 – Joe Gosek, 6. 24 – Jerry Curran, 7. 99 – Dave Cliff
Heat #3 (12-laps): 1. 05 – Jeff Abold, 2. 55 – Keith Shampine, 3. 52 – Dave Danzer, 4. 12 – Pat lavery, 5. 11 – Aric Iosue, 6. 15 – Michael Muldoon
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.
