7/22/2024
Oswego Speedway
Griffin Miller Charges from 11th to Victory Lane in Ratcliff Racing No. 73 SBS
OSWEGO, NY (July 20, 2024) - Saturday night at Oswego Speedway saw an exciting 30-lap Pathfinder Bank SBS feature, presented by Compass Federal Credit Union and Rock Stream Retreat. Griffin Miller, the J&S Paving 350 Super Rookie of the Year contender, took the wheel of the No. 73 Ratcliff Racing SBS after blowing an engine in his 350 Super on Friday. Starting 11th, Miller charged to the lead and clinched his second SBS win, and his first since 2021.
Robbie Wirth and Tony DeStevens brought the field to green, but Wirth went sideways at the start, allowing DeStevens to take the early lead. Brad Haynes and Alex Hoag, starting fourth and sixth respectively, followed DeStevens on the high side to move into second and third.
Shortly thereafter, Haynes took the lead on lap 2, with AJ Larkin passing Wirth for fourth. Hoag moved into second under DeStevens on lap 4, but the points leader's car began smoking heavily. A yellow on lap 7 for Matt Matteson and DJ Shuman brought the field back together, and Hoag received a black flag due to the smoke.
On the restart, Haynes and DeStevens led the front row, with Larkin and Greg O’Connor in row two. Haynes managed to maintain his lead while Larkin moved under DeStevens for second. Dan Kapuscinski, charging from 12th, took third, and Miller, already up to fourth from 11th, passed DeStevens as his car slowed on the high side. Hoag’s car eventually blew up on lap 11, bringing out another yellow.
For the restart, Larkin chose the low lane, with Kapuscinski taking his chances on the outside of Haynes in row one, and Larkin and Miller now in row two. Haynes kept the lead, but Miller swiftly moved around Larkin, and next dove underneath Kapuscinski to take second, chasing down race leader Haynes. Meanwhile, Cameron Rowe, Jesse Bearup, Matteson, and Drew Pascuzzi moved up into fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth, respectively, dropping DeStevens back to ninth.
On lap 21, a spin by O'Connor brought out one more yellow. For this restart, Haynes led with Miller to his outside. Miller got a great start, inching ahead on the high side, while Kapuscinski settled into second. Rowe moved under Larkin for fourth, dropping AJ to fifth. Out front, Miller pulled away from the field in the final laps, solidifying his determined drive to victory.
Haynes crossed the line in second but failed post-race tech, receiving last-place points and finishing position. This moved Kapuscinski to second, Rowe to third, Larkin to fourth, and Matteson, a Rookie of the Year contender, secured his first-ever top-five finish at Oswego Speedway.
In victory lane, Miller reflected on the restart: "I stood on it and this thing stuck. I just held it in there and managed to get by Brad (Haynes) out of two and pulled off the win. I can't thank Noah, Nate, and Teri Ratcliff from Jake's Automotive enough for giving me a chance to race this thing. It's been a while, and this is a really good win."
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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
Compass Federal Credit Union and Rock Stream Retreat
Autograph Night
Pathfinder Bank SBS
Saturday, July 20, 2024
Oswego Speedway
Oswego, NY
Feature (30-laps): 1. 73 GRIFFIN MILLER, 2. 23 Dan Kapuscinski, 3. 77 Cameron Rowe, 4. 35 AJ Larkin, 5. 47 ® Matt Matteson, 6. 37 Jesse Bearup, 7. 72 Drew Pascuzzi, 8. 24 Tony DeStevens, 9. 55 Carter Gates, 10. 66 Darrick Hilton, 11. 90 Greg O’Connor, 12. 41 Alex Hoag, 13. 20 ® Tessa Crawford, 14. 62 DJ Shuman, 15. 04 Robbie Wirth, 16. 27 Steven Bradshaw, 17. 31 Matt Magner, 18. 88 Brad Haynes
Heat 1 (10-laps): 1. 04 Robbie Wirth, 2. 88 Brad Haynes, 3. 37 Jesse Bearup, 4. 77 Cameron Rowe, 5. 31 Matt Magner, 6. 20 ® Tessa Crawford
Heat 2 (10-laps): 1. 73 Griffin Miller, 2. 62 DJ Shuman, 3. 90 Greg O’Connor, 4. 35 AJ Larkin, 5. 66 Darrick Hilton, 6. 55 Carter Gates
Heat 3 (10-laps): 1 23 Dan Kapuscinski, 2. 41 Alex Hoag, 3. 24 Tony DeStevens, 4. 47 ® Matt Matteson, 5. 72 Drew Pascuzzi, 6. 27 Steven Bradshaw
Lighthouse Lanes Up & Comer ($100 bonus to the highest finishing driver who has never won a feature at Oswego Speedway): #35 AJ Larkin
D&S Landscaping Hard Charger ($25 bonus to the driver advancing the most positions): #73 Griffin Miller
Submitted By: OSWEGO ADMIN
