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Rick Nelson Photo
OSWEGO, NY (September 1, 2024) – Dunstable, Massachusetts’ Jeffrey Battle secured his third consecutive J&S Paving 350 Supermodified Classic win and fifth overall in the 7th Annual J&S Paving 350 Supermodified Classic this past Sunday at Oswego Speedway. It was a dominant one-two finish for the Battle brothers, with Jeffrey taking the victory and his brother, Ryan Battle, the defending Star Speedway Classic champion, finishing second. Jim Storace rounded out the podium, making it an all-New England top three.
The race began with Ryan Battle and Storace leading the field to the green flag. Battle got a strong jump from the inside, while third-starting Talen Hawksby quickly moved into the runner-up spot, overtaking Storace in the early laps. Starting from sixth, Jeffrey Battle quickly worked his way through the field, passing Storace, Nick Barzee, and Griffin Miller to climb into third by lap 3.
A yellow flag on lap 2 ended the day for Dawson Hawksby, Brendan Young, and Tyler Thompson after a spin by Hawksby resulted in heavy damage to all three cars. On the ensuing restart, Ryan Battle maintained his lead, with Jeffrey Battle moving up to second and Josh Sokolic, who had started eighth, now advancing to third. Sokolic, restarting in fifth, maneuvered past Storace and Hawksby to steal third. Meanwhile, Jeffrey Battle cleared Hawksby for second place and set his sights on his brother leading the pack.
By lap 10, Ryan Battle was navigating lapped traffic, with Jeffrey Battle, Sokolic, Hawksby, and Storace in pursuit. Seizing the opportunity, Jeffrey took the lead from his younger brother on lap 11. A yellow flag on lap 13 for a spinning Noah Ratcliff bunched up the field, and another caution on lap 14 for a spin by Kyle Perry would again keep the competition tight. Despite the restarts, Jeffrey Battle retained the lead over Ryan Battle and Sokolic.
Sokolic eventually managed to get his nose under Ryan Battle, taking over second place on lap 15. However, yet another yellow flag on lap 16 for a spin by Bailey Groves brought the field together once more. On the restart, Jeffrey Battle led with Sokolic now to his outside, Ryan Battle in third, Hawksby fourth, and Storace in fifth. Miller and Barzee, who had started fourth and fifth, respectively, had fallen to sixth and seventh early in the race.
As the green flag waved again, Jeffrey Battle began to build a significant lead over Sokolic and Ryan Battle, lapping all the way up to 11th place just past the halfway mark. Unfortunately for track champion Sokolic, his pursuit of a Classic victory came to a disappointing end on lap 35 when mechanical issues slowed his No. 6 car, dropping him out of second place. This reshuffled the top five, with Jeffrey Battle now leading Ryan Battle, Hawksby, Storace, and Miller.
Following the restart, Ryan Battle briefly regained the lead from Jeffrey, but a spin by Hawksby, who was running third, brought out another caution, leading to a single-file restart with 16 laps remaining. Jeffrey Battle now led Ryan Battle, Storace, Miller, and Barzee, who had fought his way back into the top five. Dave Cliff, starting 13th in his first 350 Supermodified race of the year after recovering from injuries sustained in a May crash, had worked his way up to sixth.
In the final 15 laps, the race ran clean and green, allowing Jeffrey Battle to put on a clinic as he cruised to victory, taking home the $2,500 prize. Ryan Battle completed the first one-two finish for the brothers at Oswego Speedway, with Storace finishing third. Miller, Barzee, Cliff, John Leonard, Ratcliff, Joey Scanlon, and Perry rounded out the top 10.
“The car was a little free at first. I honestly was expecting Sokolic to show me a wheel, especially on the restarts,” mentioned Battle in victory lane. “I thought it would be a really good fight. I’m not sure what happened to him, but he’s had a great year here. I’ve got to thank my uncle Rich for the opportunity to do this—it’s a lot of fun. As a driver, you can only go as far as the car can take you these days, and this car was phenomenal. I also want to thank my whole family and crew for their help this weekend. It was a fun one. Thanks to Witkum Crane, Lacombe Septic, West Auto, and the entire West family.”
RESULTS
Budweiser Classic Weekend 68
Super Sunday
7th Annual J&S Paving 350 Super Classic 50
Sunday, September 1, 2024
Oswego Speedway
Oswego, NY
7th Annual 350 Super Classic (50-laps): 1. 14 JEFFREY BATTLE, 2. 21 Ryan Battle, 3. 47 Jim Storace, 4. 9 ® Griffin Miller, 5. 31 Nick Barzee, 6. 50 Dave Cliff, 7. 12 John Leonard, 8. 73 Noah Ratcliff, 9. 5 Joey Scanlon, 10. 20 Kyle Perry, 11. 91 Barry Kingsley, 12. 79 Talen Hawksby, 13. 6 Josh Sokolic, 14. 87 Matt Demyan, 15. 97 Vern LaFave, 16. 40 ® Sawyer Stout, 17. 19 Bailey Groves, 18. 32 Dan Kapuscinski, 19. 69 ® AJ Miller, 20. 45 ® Dawson Hawksby, 21. 75 Brendan Young, 22. 98T Tyler Thompson DNS 23 Jason Spaulding
Time Trials: 1. 6 Josh Sokolic – 16.599, 2. 14 Jeffrey Battle – 16.645, 3. 31 Nick Barzee – 16.838, 4. 9 ® Griffin Miller – 16.947, 5. 45 ® Dawson Hawksby – 16.966, 6. 79 Talen Hawksby – 16.985, 7. 47 Jim Storace – 17.021, 8. 21 Ryan Battle – 17.060, 9. 75 Brendan Young – 17.138, 10. 98T Tyler Thompson – 17.160, 11. 20 Kyle Perry – 17.182, 12. 97 Vern LaFave – 17.217, 13. 50 Dave Cliff – 17.258, 14. 73 Noah Ratcliff – 17.296, 15. 32 Dan Kapuscinski – 17.355 16. 5 Joey Scanlon – 17.455, 17. 12 John Leonard – 17.488, 18. 40 ® Sawyer Stout – 17.734, 19. 91 Barry Kingsley – 17.735, 20. 19 Bailey Groves – 17.834, 21. 23 Jason Spaulding – 18.098, 22. 87 Matt Demyan – 18.741, 23. 69 ® AJ Miller – 19.885
JP Jewelers Fast Time ($300): #6 Josh Sokolic
JP Jewelers Second Fast Time ($150): #14 Jeffrey Battle
Race Wrap Group 5th Place ($500 bonus towards vinyl wrap): #31 Nick Barzee
Area Auto Racing News Best Appearing Car & Crew (Free Subscription): #6 Josh Sokolic
