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Jim Feeney Photo
OSWEGO, NY (April 20, 2025) – 2024 Ollie Silva Mid-Summer Classic Champion Tyler Shullick will run the full Oswego Super Challenge Series in 2025, driving the Jimmy Bodnar Jr. No. 96. Shullick will compete in two ISMA/MSS top wing events on May 24 and June 28, the Mr. Novelis Supermodified on August 9, the 69th Budweiser International Classic 200 on August 31, and has his sights set on additional tail wing events.
Shullick, who hails from Vermillion, OH, is no stranger to Oswego Speedway. The son of veteran Supermodified driver Pat Shullick, Tyler made his first start at Oswego 10 years ago. Initially, he competed in the SBS division for Denise Bond’s Four Sevens Motorsports, securing a 3rd place finish in the 2015 Bud Light SBS Classic. Over the years, he earned several top-five finishes and claimed his first feature win at the Speedway in 2018. This success led to an opportunity to drive the second Four Sevens Motorsports No. 25 Supermodified in the 2018 International Classic, where he impressed with a 9th-place finish and the Rookie of the Race award.
Shullick returned to the Classic in 2022, timing in 12th fastest, but mechanical failure late in the race prevented a top-10 finish. In 2023, Shullick drove in three winged shows for Lesiecki Racing, including events at Oswego, Lorain, and Berlin Raceway. This led to a major opportunity with long-time car owner Jimmy Bodnar Jr. and his father Jim Bodnar Sr., who were preparing a new Supermodified for the 2024 season. The partnership paid off, as Shullick posted a solid summer stretch, including a 5th and 3rd place finish at the Lorain Super Crown Nationals, a fast qualifier and 6th place finish at the 47th Hy-Miler Nationals at Sandusky Speedway, and his first Supermodified win in the Mid-Summer Classic at Lee USA Speedway.
Shullick finished the 2024 season strong with a 5th place finish in the Evans Mills Raceway Park John Burr Classic Fast 40 and a 3rd place finish in the John Burr Classic 100, picking up another quick time that weekend.
Reflecting on his first season with the Bodnar team, Shullick said, “We had our struggles, some growing pains as a new team, but once we sort of caught our stride toward the end of the year, I thought we were one of the best cars all night long – consistently one of the top three cars from qualifying through the feature. A lot of that comes from learning the car, Jimmy learning what I liked, and what I needed to relay to him. Just building a relationship, being on the same page, and growing as a team was super important. I think going into season two, we’ll be much further ahead of where we were last year and hit the ground running.”
The versatile Shullick, who has had success on dirt as well, plans to race 25 to 30 Sprint Car events in Ohio in 2025, primarily in a 305 Sprint Car at Attica Raceway Park and Fremont Speedway where he’s already notched feature wins. He is also having a 410 built with hopes of debuting it by year’s end. But if any single moment stands out as the highlight of his career so far, it has to be his first-ever Supermodified feature win last summer Despite being a rookie on the ISMA/MSS tour, Shullick surprised no one when capturing the 2024 Ollie Silva Mid‑Summer Classic – one of the series’ marquee events – in his very first attempt. Reflecting on breaking into the win column in a Supermodified, Shullick said, “That Ollie win was a huge relief. We’d come so close before earlier in the year, only to be sidelined by mechanical gremlins or mistakes that I made. It felt incredible to finally put it all together. We ran a perfect night, stayed on top of both the car and the track, and Jim and Jimmy had us locked in with a solid game plan. I leaned on their experience, we stuck to our approach, and by the end of the night, we were celebrating on the front stretch.”
Ironically, one place the team couldn’t quite get up to speed was Oswego. In their first race there, some mechanical gremlins struck, and after the car was heavily damaged in the Berlin Raceway Great Lakes Classic, they were forced to miss their second outing. Despite those setbacks, Shullick remains confident in the team’s ability at the Steel Palace. “When you’re surrounded by good people like Jim and Jimmy Bodnar, good things happen,” he said. “They’ve built a great car around me, so I’m confident any time we go to the track, we can win. We’re open to trying anything that first Oswego race. They want to be bringing a car up there to compete not only with the top wing but with the little wing too. It’s great what they’re doing with the Challenge, and we want to support that. Jim has a ton of notes and experience there from over the years – and I think some of those will carry over to the new car. He’s so good at being prepared for changes, and Jimmy is very good at making changes on the fly as he sees things. I don’t think it’s anything that we can’t figure out, and I’m excited to get started there with the top wing and the Oswego wing package as well.”
Shullick has high hopes for the John Nicotra Oswego Super Challenge Series, which includes two ISMA/MSS top wing races and two Oswego tail wing races for the first time. In order to be fully prepared to chase the Challenge championship, the team will also participate in a couple more tail wing races to get their feet wet with the new Oswego package. “Whether going with top or tail wing, we obviously want to go to the racetrack with the mindset to win,” said Shullick. “That’s how I was raised, racing with my father for years – you don’t go to the track unless you plan to win. We’re there to do the best we can and chase after the wins. Then, hopefully, those Challenge points will follow after that. We’ll try to be consistent, have speed, work on our weak spots from race to race, and try to be better the next week than we were the week prior. We just need to learn as much as we can with this tail wing.”
Shullick’s experience in the International Classic includes the 2018 start with a tail section and 2022 start with a tail wing, albeit with much more downforce prior to the removal of the tail wing wicker and change of angle from 14 to 9 degrees in 2024. Despite that, he remains confident that prior experience will benefit his team. “The nature of the International Classic is different than anything else I have ever done,” Shullick explained. “It’s a huge undertaking, just riding and saving your equipment, taking care of your brakes, saving your tires. 200 laps is a long time. I hope a lot of the experience from the two Classics I did run will carry over. That being said, I’m curious to see how the car will drive with this wing compared to before and with the tail section. I think the change to take all of that downforce away was a big step in the right direction. It’s more back in the handling now and not just all aero. I’m very excited to see where that puts our car.”
When asked what it is about Oswego Speedway that entices an Ohio-based team to make the trek several times a season, Shullick said, “There is nothing like Oswego Speedway. It’s the Indianapolis of the East. I grew up always hearing about the place. I have patchy memories of my dad running the Classic toward the end of his career, and I do recall sitting in the back grandstands with my grandma, halfway up the middle section, when I was really young, watching my dad do his thing and playing with Hot Wheels. That really sticks out in my mind. That place has a special place in my heart. I still walk in like a kid in a candy store. I know the Classic is one that Jim wants to check off his list. I’m honored to run the Classic with the Bodnar family and hopefully bring them a Classic win. It would mean the world to Jim, Jimmy, and the entire crew. Obviously, that’s a huge goal to have in mind, but you do have to dream big to win big.”
Car owner Jimmy Bodnar Jr., of course from the long-standing Bodnar family history at Oswego Speedway and in Supermodified racing, added, “We’ve never taken this car to Oswego with a wing off, and I just want to support as many different Supermodified shows as we can. Oswego rules and ISMA/MSS rules are close enough now that it’s possible. Oswego Speedway teams have shown great support to ISMA/MSS at the Challenge and on the road, so after having so many Oswego guys at ISMA/MSS races all these years, we want to show support back. My dad has run up there throughout the years with his cars he owned and also prepared for others. In the 80s, with Ron Mucci, he was almost exclusively at Oswego then again in the late 80s and early 90s with Tony Lavotti; and mid-90s with Ken Boldman and Dave Shullick Sr. So, my Dad isn’t a stranger to the track. He has a couple of wins there in the win races with Dave Sr. in 1978 and absolutely loves the place.”
Despite Bodnar‑built cars, such as most recently the Aric Iosue 27, making starts in the Oswego Classic, it’s been a very long hiatus – over many decades since a Bodnar‑owned car entered the 200-lap crown jewel. “We are excited to get back to Oswego to run the Classic and then some,” Bodnar continued. “This definitely wouldn’t be happening without John Nicotra’s Oswego Super Challenge Series, featuring the Classic and the $10,000 to win. Those races are in our minds big time, so obviously, all four Challenge races, wing and non-wing, plus two other races without the wing to get ready for the end of the season. The first time will likely be in June. We’ll prep for Classic and Mr. Super from there. My Dad has two runner-up finishes in the Classic, and that’s one we want to be ready for and would love to get.”
Bodnar also thanked his team and partners, including Level Performance Engines. “Being able to have sponsorship from Dennis and trust in motors allows us to feel comfortable. His motors have been super reliable for us with a ton of power, and it’s been great to work with him. Without working with him, I wouldn’t risk it and run more races.”
Oswego Speedway is just one month away from kicking off its 74th season with a thrilling ‘Opening Week Extravaganza’ featuring two straight weekends of racing action. It all begins Saturday, May 24, when the ISMA/MSS Winged Supermodifieds make their much-anticipated return for the first round of the Oswego Super Challenge Series, sharing the spotlight with the Pathfinder Bank SBS and J&S Paving 350 Supermodifieds. The action continues on Saturday, May 31, as the Novelis Supermodifieds launch their 2025 points chase with the prestigious 60-lap Jim Shampine Memorial, once again joined by the SBS and Winged 350 Supers.
Tickets, season camping, and more are all available now at OswegoSpeedway.com. For any questions, contact track manager Caylee Demm at cdemm@oswegospeedway.com.
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)
