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Ray Grela Photo
OSWEGO, NY (June 26, 2023) – Josh Sokolic started in the fourth spot, took the lead from outside polesitter Jason Spaulding before lap 3 and cruised to his second J&S Paving 350 Supermodified victory of the season on CME Electrical Supply ‘Autograph Night’ this past Saturday, June 24.
Expanding his championship lead on Kyle Perry to 12 points, Sokolic now has six overall victories at Oswego Speedway between the 350 Supermodified and Pathfinder Bank SBS divisions after beating out runner-up Bobby Holmes by over 4 seconds.
“The car was really good. We struggled earlier in the day just having bad tires on it in practice and we didn’t want to chase it around, so we didn’t get a good read on it until the heat race, Sokolic said. “I told Dad, we weren’t really sure what to do with the fog rolling through, whether or not it was going to lay any dew on the track, but the sun came out and the car came alive for the feature. We were able to work the top side towards the front and it was just a bullet. I was just lucky to drive tonight. I have to thank all of the sponsors All Weather Power Equipment, Lamptiques, Syracuse Antique Exchange, Logos, Lakeland Auto, and everyone that helps out; Mom, Dad, sister, Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle Ken, Spuds, Ed, Dave Miller, Dalton Doyle got this top wing together when we started and it hasn’t gave up any, and Hawk Chassis / Hawk Fabrication, best car here.”
Settling for second on the night sponsored by his car owner Chris Emmons of CME Electrical Supply was Western NY’s Bobby Holmes, who made his second appearance of the season in the Top Quality Motorsports prepared No. 45.
It was the first podium finish of the year for sixth-starting Holmes, who scored a main event win for the Top Quality Team on Opening Night last season. The Lockport, NY, driver will continue a full-time 350 Supermodified effort for the Emmons / Barbera pairing in 2023.
“We were good, just not quite as good as the 26. He did a good job,” offered Holmes. “We came in and had the right rear leaking. I’m not sure when it happened, but we ended up getting a little tight at the end. It was fun coming through traffic and racing these guys and I didn’t screw up and wall anybody this week like I did two weeks ago. I felt really bad about that, so I was trying to be cautious and get a good feel for these 350’s because they are race cars. Congratulations to everybody, it was a good, clean race.”
Completing the podium was the veteran Spaulding, who has now finished inside the top five in three of four races this season. It was also the third career 350 Supermodified podium for the driver of the No. 23, who started in second, but just did not have enough to hold off Sokolic’s 26 or later the 45 of Holmes, who had to come around Kyle Perry, Dave Cliff, and polesitter Robbie Wirth before stealing second from Spaulding on lap 6.
The motor was breaking up a little bit, but the two cars that beat me, I can’t complain. They are just unbelievably fast,” stated Spaulding. “We did what we could and we were a third place car or maybe a fourth and got lucky, I don’t know. I have some sponsors I would like to thank, and especially tonight on CME Electrical Night. Chris (Emmons) said I had to get one of his shirts, so I got one. Also ACLS Direct, Jake’s Automotive, Corr/Pak, Tricky Dick’s Roadside Grill, Sheppard Enterprise, and I hope that’s it.”
Finishing in fourth was New England’s Ryan Battle, who made the long trek from Massachusetts with the Bob Witkum No. 21. Battle started in seventh, but worked his way up to the top 5 by the end of 20-laps, making a pair of exciting outside moves to get around Cliff and Perry.
Perry, who won his first ever feature two weeks earlier, settled for fifth, while Cliff and Wirth were sixth and seventh.
Making his first appearance of the year was rookie Talen Hawksby, who finished in eighth with the No. 79.
Nick Barzee returned from a heavy heat race crash on June 3 and showed solid speed, but was unable to complete the feature and was credited with ninth.
SBS standout Noah Ratcliff also had the Brian Brant owned 350 Supermodified out for the first time of 2023 after cracking the mid to high 17 second range in Fast Friday practice, but engine woes sent the No. 73 pitside early on.
Oswego Speedway is back in action this Saturday night, July 1, with the second of three ISMA / MSS Oswego Winged Super Challenge events presented by Oswego County and NBT Bank. A gigantic fireworks display will cap the ‘Independence Spectacular,’ also set to feature action for the Pathfinder Bank SBS and J&S Paving 350 Supers.
For more information, please visit the track website online at OswegoSpeedway.com or LIKE on Facebook at Facebook.com/OswegoSpeedway or FOLLOW on Twitter @OswegoSpeedway or Instagram @OfficialOswegoSpeedway.
RESULTS
CME Electrical Supply Autograph Night
J&S Paving 350 Super 25
Saturday, June 24, 2023
Oswego Speedway
Oswego, NY
Feature (25-laps): 1. 26 JOSH SOKOLIC, 2. 45 Bobby Holmes, 3. 23 Jason Spaulding, 4. 21 Ryan Battle, 5. 20 Kyle Perry, 6. 50 Dave Cliff, 7. 04 ® Robbie Wirth, 8. 79 ® Talen Hawksby, 9. 31 Nick Barzee, 10. 73 ® Noah Ratcliff
Heat 1 (8-laps): 1. 20 Kyle Perry, 2. 21 Ryan Battle, 3. 31 Nick Barzee, 4. 04 Robbie Wirth, 5. 73 ® Noah Ratcliff
Heat 2 (8-laps): 1. 26 Josh Sokolic, 2. 23 Jason Spaulding, 3. 45 Bobby Holmes, 4. 50 Dave Cliff, 5. 79 ® Talen Hawksby
D&S Landscaping Hard Charger ($25): #45 Bobby Holmes
Lighthouse Lanes Up & Comer (Pizza & Wings): #23 Jason Spaulding
