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Rick Nelson Photo
OSWEGO, NY (August 17, 2025) – The Pathfinder Bank SBS points race was as close as ever going into Oswego County Tourism Track Championship Night Saturday. Noah Ratcliff held a slim one-point lead over teammate Drew Pascuzzi, with DJ Shuman (22 points back) and Alex Hoag (27 points back) both still within striking distance. Hoag had the longest shot to make it happen, but he rose to the challenge , winning both the race and the track title to go back-to-back as Oswego Speedway track champion in the Jim Paternoster-prepared No. 41.
The field was led to green by Cameron Rowe Jr. and AJ Larkin, with Rowe getting the early jump. Third-starting Carter Gates and fifth-starting Brad Haynes quickly cleared Larkin for second and third, while Hoag made a slingshot move from his sixth starting spot. By the exit of turn two, he dove under Larkin and Greg O’Connor – who was pinned behind the group of Larkin, Haynes, and Gates – charging from sixth to second in just half a lap.
After lap one, the running order was Rowe Jr., Hoag, Haynes, Gates, and Mike Bruce.
Disaster then struck for the championship contenders. Coming out of turn two, Ratcliff was turned around while trying to work under Larkin. The incident collected Pascuzzi, Darrick Hilton, and Tessa Crawford, heavily impacting the title fight.
On the restart, it was Rowe down low and Hoag up high, with Haynes and Gates in row two. Rowe again got the jump but slid wide in turn one, opening the door for Hoag to grab the lead. Haynes looked to follow through into second, while Bruce got by Gates for fourth from his seventh starting spot and immediately began pressuring for a podium.
Haynes was able to get under and clear Rowe for second, with Bruce filling the gap to take third as they completed lap three. Shortly after, trouble struck again as Gates and Rowe Jr. came together entering turn one. Gates took a heavy head-on hit into the foam but fortunately both drivers were okay.
The ensuing restart saw Hoag and Haynes lead the field, with Hoag on the low lane getting a strong jump. Bruce made a bid for second and completed the pass under the No. 88 as they came around to complete lap 4. Haynes settled into third ahead of Shuman in fourth and O’Connor up to fifth.
At halfway, Hoag and Bruce had pulled away from the top five, but Bruce was making Hoag work for every inch of the lead – and with Ratcliff and Pascuzzi further out of contention, the track championship was also on the line.
As the laps wound down, Hoag began to inch away, but with six to go, sixth-running Matt Matteson spun the No. 47, bringing the field back together.
On the restart, Hoag and Bruce went side-by-side down the frontstretch. Bruce made a strong bid for the top spot on the outside, and the pair battled door-to-door down the backstretch, making contact twice – once on the back straight and again through turns three and four. Hoag banged wheels with Bruce but held the lead, setting his sights on another track championship. Bruce slid wide trying everything he had to get around the race leader, but Hoag hung on.
At the checkers, Hoag scored the win and his second consecutive title. Bruce, making a rare SBS start in the Gunther No. 22, finished a close second. Haynes crossed third, O’Connor was fourth, and Shuman rounded out the top five.
The top 10 was filled out by Cameron Rowe Jr., Ratcliff, rookie Trevor Haynes, Matteson, and rookie Tyler Cooper, who earned a top-10 finish in his first-ever start at Oswego Speedway.
Hoag, who entered the feature nearly 20 points out of the lead, left it all on the track to pull off the championship comeback:
“The right rear sealed up and I was giving it everything I had for 30 laps. I was tongue hanging out for 30 laps, just everything I had. Mike Bruce is a great competitor – those were hard laps and we needed every bit of it. But man, we just put our head down and went back to work and I can’t thank these guys standing over here enough. Getting the championship is just icing on the cake, because tonight we just wanted to be back in victory lane. Hell or high water, we were gonna get there. Thanks to Jimmy, Joe, my wife, Maddy and Tanner, Brian, my mom, Patty, my mother-in-law. Nick (Barzee) has been kicking butt and I had to win to keep up with him. He’s done great as well, so thanks to everybody.”
Next up is the season finale – the 60-lap SBS Classic presented by Bud Light – set for Sunday, August 31, running alongside the 69th annual Budweiser International Classic 200 for the Novelis Supermodifieds.
RESULTS
Oswego County Tourism
Track Championship Night
Pathfinder Bank SBS
Oswego Speedway
Oswego, NY
Feature (30-laps): 1. 41 ALEX HOAG, 2. 22 – Mike Bruce, 3. 88 – Brad Haynes, 4. 90 – Greg O’Connor, 5. 62 – DJ Shuman, 6. 77 – Cameron Rowe, 7. 73 – Noah Ratcliff, 8. 18 ® – Trevor Haynes, 9. 47 – Matt Matteson, 10. 11 ® – Tyler Cooper, 11. 20 – Tessa Crawford, 12. 72 – Drew Pascuzzi, 13. 10 – Bryan Haynes, 14. 35 – AJ Larkin, 15. 7 – Cameron Rowe Jr., 16. 55 – Carter Gates, 17. 66 – Darrick Hilton, 18. 3J ® – CJ Crawford
Heat 1 (10-laps): 1. 41 – Alex Hoag, 2. 72 – Drew Pascuzzi, 3. 55 – Carter Gates, 4. 22 – Mike Bruce, 5. 20 – Tessa Crawford, 6. 47 – Matt Matteson
Heat 2 (10-laps): 1. 88 – Brad Haynes, 2. 73 – Noah Ratcliff, 3. 10 – Bryan Haynes, 4. 7 – Cameron Rowe Jr., 5. 66 – Darrick Hilton, 6. 11 ® – Tyler Cooper
Heat 3 (10-laps): 1. 90 – Greg O’Connor, 2. 35 – AJ Larkin, 3. 77 – Cameron Rowe, 4. 18 ® – Trevor Haynes, 5. 62 – DJ Shuman, 6. 3J ® – CJ Crawford
JP Jewelers Halfway Leader ($100 bonus to the leader of lap 15): #41 Alex Hoag
Lighthouse Lanes Up & Comer ($50 bonus to the highest finishing driver who has never won a feature at Oswego Speedway): #62 DJ Shuman
D&S Landscaping Hard Charger ($25 to the driver advancing the most positions): #18 ® Trevor Haynes
