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Bob Clark Photo
OSWEGO, NY (January 28, 2025) – Canajoharie, NY’s Otto Sitterly, a nine-time Novelis Supermodified champion at Oswego Speedway, is set to return to competition in 2025 with a brand-new Hawk Jr. Chassis, built by Joe Hawksby Jr of Oswego.
The 57-year-old Sitterly, who holds more track titles than anyone in Speedway history, returned to full-time competition at Oswego in 2024, piloting his reworked Hawk Chassis. The car, which debuted at the 2022 International Classic, also ran part-time in 2023 as Sitterly focused solely on Oswego Super Challenge events for the newly combined ISMA/MSS wing and Oswego tail wing series. Otto dominated the series, winning two of the three ISMA/MSS events at Oswego and clinching his first Oswego Super Challenge championship.
Returning for the 2024 season, Sitterly’s improved No. 7 Hawk Chassis proved competitive as he started his campaign at the Jim Shampine Memorial on Opening Day. Taking a one week at a time approach, Sitterly soon found himself in the hunt for a historic tenth Supermodified track championship. Consistency was the key, as Otto racked up six top-five finishes, including three podiums, and secured his fifth $10,000 Mr. Supermodified title in August – his 18th career win in 75-lap main events alone.
Despite narrowly missing out on his tenth Oswego championship, finishing fourth in the final standings 32 points from the title, Sitterly capped off the 2024 season by securing his third ISMA/MSS championship at the Evans Mills Raceway Park series finale. This latest title brought his total number of Supermodified championships to 13, including nine at Oswego Speedway, three in ISMA/MSS competition, and one in the 2022 Oswego Super Challenge.
Now, as Sitterly prepares to enter his 25th season of Supermodified racing fresh off a top wing triumph at the Las Vegas Open Wheel Showdown in November, the 48-time Speedway feature winner is turning heads by commissioning a brand-new Hawk Chassis. This will mark the first new Supermodified build out of the Hawk shop since 2018 and the first brand-new car to come straight to Sitterly since 2012. The commitment to a brand new piece raises the question: after many years of record-breaking accolades, what continues to fuel Sitterly’s relentless drive for excellence with car owner John Nicotra?
“Johnny Nicotra’s first love is Oswego,” Sitterly said. “I figure if you’re going to spend more time not racing in life than you are racing, you might as well do it for as long as you can. We’ve done it for a long time, and we still want to enjoy it while we are able to. I keep saying I’m at the end, but John keeps driving me. It really fuels your fire once you’re committed, and once I commit to Johnny, I’m all in. Then, once you put the helmet on, everything else goes completely out the window. There is no doubt in my mind, if we get the car in time and we make it Opening Day, I am positive that we will come out strong. We are working on ordering all the parts and pieces and would like to concentrate on Oswego this year.”
This dedication to Oswego Speedway has been a constant theme for John Nicotra, who celebrated his 65th overall Supermodified feature win as a car owner in 2024. As the second-winningest car owner in Oswego Speedway history with 51 wins, behind only the legendary Jim Shampine, and one of the select few Supermodified Triple Crown-winning car owners, Nicotra’s impact on the sport is immeasurable. His passion for Supermodified racing at Oswego in particular, has breathed new life into the division and as the promoter of the Oswego Super Challenge Series for the past three seasons, he is eager to continue that momentum into 2025 for the 19th season with Otto Sitterly as his driver. Reflecting on plans for the upcoming season, Nicotra shared:
“I’d like to congratulate Jason (Simmons) and Josh (Sokolic) on teaming up in 2025 buying our No. 7 Oswego car. It should be a fun time to see how they do. Otto and I are getting a new car built at the Joe Hawksby shop and are planning to be at Oswego on Opening Day. Joey (Hawksby) is doing his best to get his part done and hand it off to Otto for the final assembly. Our Bodnar car is also getting freshened up for some ISMA/MSS racing. Jon McKennedy and his group have acquired the 79 top wing car and they will be racing when and where they want. The Challenge at Oswego Speedway is coming along, still a work in progress. The point fund is looking good at $25,000 for the top ten after the four events. 2025 should have a lot to offer for Supermodified fans and teams. Hope to see most of you soon at a track somewhere. I’m sure more news will come as the season gets closer.”
As the excitement builds for the 2025 season, Oswego Speedway is gearing up for a spectacular start. The 74th season will open in a big way with the Opening Week Extravaganza, presented by Chase Enterprises, on May 24 and May 31. The May 24 event features the 2025 Oswego Super Challenge Series Opener for the ISMA/MSS Supermodifieds, along with the Pathfinder Bank SBS and J&S Paving 350 Supermodifieds. The Oswego Novelis Supermodifieds will kick off their 2025 points season on May 31 with the 60-lap Jim Shampine Memorial, which will also feature the Pathfinder Bank SBS and J&S Paving 350 Winged Supermodifieds.
Information on ticketing, camping, and driver registration for the 2025 season is well in the works and will be available soon.
Stay connected with Oswego Speedway for continued updates leading up to the start of the 2025 season. Visit OswegoSpeedway.com, follow on Facebook or X (@OswegoSpeedway), and Instagram (@OfficialOswegoSpeedway).
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.
