Kalamazoo native I went to Oswego to see my local favorites, Bennett, both Johncocks, Ward, Paul and others race. I wasn't disappointed and have been back a couple of times since. Today's supers DNA goes through SW Michigan: Kalamazoo Speedway, Galesburg Speedway, Berlin, Jackson and Hartford Speedways all hosted SM races weekly back in the sixties. Today it's all about Oswego, The Home of Super Modifieds! I count myself fortunate to have experienced The Steel Palace.
My grandfather and uncle, Ernie and Bob June, had cars running there for decades up through the mid 90's, car 59. These aren't the same at all. Kinda sad to see them all look the same now. They all used to have a custom look. My grandfather had one of the first rear engine supers to run there. I remember Jimmy Shampine dominating for years...
When i was a little kid, and this would be around the late 60s and i was somewhere around 7 or 8yrs old, i got to ride in the pace car. the 3 things i remember most is looking at all the race cars following us [pace car was a convertible], the driver telling me to get my feet off the seat [i was up on my knees] and running back across the track [turn 1?] back to the stands. the only car/driver i can remember is the 8-ball and being a kid i called him "champagne" like the drink. if i had to guess at the time, i think my dad knew a guy that ran a gas station or something similar that raced there and we either lived in Lowville or Watertown cuz my dad at different times had jobs in those places. or could even be New Mexico, NY. Now im a motorsports photographer out west.
Great video , I can't believe Doug Hevron wasn't mentioned and expected to hear more on Bently Warren though. Although I never went to Oswego I did see the supers and those drivers whenever they ran Thompson. Thanks for this video 👍
Can you explain to me the difference between the cars shown in this vid and the ones with the articulating wings? Are they both called supermods? I remember seeing the winged ones at berlin back in the 70s and 80s. Those cars were so fast, it was work just to watch the race. I think theyve slowed them down since then because of too many deaths.
@@ronfox5519 not really sure of the difference, they still run the ones with the wing on top. They are called 350 Supermodifieds. I've also watched them at Berlin raceway, also Kalamazoo speedway, all mainly in the mid to late 80s. Do a search in RUclips for 350 Supermodifieds and they come up running at Star.
@@ronfox5519 they run 350’s but also run a big block version that basically looks exactly the same except more motor, and more tire. Dont run weekly though. A couple different series not entirely sure how it works: ISMA, MSS, and NEBSMS.
I remember watching that #61 chrome supermodified when i was a kid. It would pass like 6 cars a lap sometimes. It was almost unfair. And the car only showed up for the big money events which he would win most of the time.
The good ole days when you and a few buddies who lived racing could build a car in your garage make adjustments as season went on and go from not competitive to super competitive even winning races but it like every other semi large category the most money wins now plain and simple
I really don't understand why its been so hard for Supermodified racing to gain popularity when they put on such great races. I figured by now they would at least be at the popularity of the World of Outlaws.
I went to Oswego speedway a few times originally from malden mass. im gonna move back to Oswego to retire eventually . lived there 10 years but jobs are scarce. c u soon Oswego tony b
Yes I was there that night that rear engine bill height car was awesome the track was ruined and replaced with three eights mile how sad brian from owosso mi
and, look at that, rules kill another great series. it went from having a large variety of unique and innovative cars to being dominated by a few mass produced chassis, all because of a couple rule changes. good job, Oswego, your great series is just another cookie cutter roundy round track series, just like NASCAR, sprint cars, etc.
RyTrapp0 6 different Chasis' in 2016 classic. I can't agree with your statement. I've been going to Oswego since 1967. It's evolved into really sophisticated racing.
As racing evolves in any series the variety of cars will die out as the fastest variants will take the wins and the others will follow suit. If theres a type of chassis running .5seconds faster a lap why wouldnt you ditch your old chassis for that proven design?
RyTrapp0 As well as NASCAR on the short track series, rules passed down from the larger tracks. I assume the owners of the short track circuit were somehow scared into joining NASCAR or close their doors(mafia style!). NASCAR is actually an insurance company that offers a liability clause. I can't imagine John Hancock doing this. Filling the stands at a local 1/3 mile track for the owner before NASCAR came along was not an issue, especially for special events. Cars used to park on both sides of the secondary highway in both directions. NASCAR's idea of having the Busch North Series only lasted for a few short years before pulling the plug. These tracks have been on a downward spiral since. And what NASCAR didn't have control over, they made sure they got it. When the super modified cars were NESMRA they put on a great show. Along comes NASCAR to control them and changed them to ISMA, along with their rules! RIP Ollie Silva.
Another racing genre ruined by arthritic and constrictive rules, really rear engines are too much for some luddites. Auto racing is too dominated by powerful manufacturers that want to maximize the longevity of their plants and avoid retooling.
The old 8 ball with Jim was a legend there. Since he got killed there I’ve gone maybe 10 times. Hard to go back there after we lost him
My dad was friends with the Shampines and pat abold, i got to see some of the coolest stuff as a kid.
Came from Canada raced every weekend at Oswego in the 80’s. Jamie Moore was our driver.
I remember - Hi Colleen !
Heck yea remember him. Good racer
Kalamazoo native I went to Oswego to see my local favorites, Bennett, both Johncocks, Ward, Paul and others race. I wasn't disappointed and have been back a couple of times since. Today's supers DNA goes through SW Michigan: Kalamazoo Speedway, Galesburg Speedway, Berlin, Jackson and Hartford Speedways all hosted SM races weekly back in the sixties. Today it's all about Oswego, The Home of Super Modifieds! I count myself fortunate to have experienced The Steel Palace.
My grandfather and uncle, Ernie and Bob June, had cars running there for decades up through the mid 90's, car 59. These aren't the same at all. Kinda sad to see them all look the same now. They all used to have a custom look. My grandfather had one of the first rear engine supers to run there. I remember Jimmy Shampine dominating for years...
When i was a little kid, and this would be around the late 60s and i was somewhere around 7 or 8yrs old, i got to ride in the pace car. the 3 things i remember most is looking at all the race cars following us [pace car was a convertible], the driver telling me to get my feet off the seat [i was up on my knees] and running back across the track [turn 1?] back to the stands. the only car/driver i can remember is the 8-ball and being a kid i called him "champagne" like the drink. if i had to guess at the time, i think my dad knew a guy that ran a gas station or something similar that raced there and we either lived in Lowville or Watertown cuz my dad at different times had jobs in those places. or could even be New Mexico, NY. Now im a motorsports photographer out west.
Great video , I can't believe Doug Hevron wasn't mentioned and expected to hear more on Bently Warren though.
Although I never went to Oswego I did see the supers and those drivers whenever they ran Thompson.
Thanks for this video 👍
Yup, used to love watching them at Thompson. Bentley Warren was a ruler.👍
this was an excellent event. i highly reccomend going to these discussions if you can...VERY Informative...
Wow. Excellent video. I am so ready for 2013 racing at Oswego!
You gotta love Doug Didero, Bentley Warren and Joe Gosek and many others
I'm a fan of the mid 80s supers with the big wing on top.
Can you explain to me the difference between the cars shown in this vid and the ones with the articulating wings? Are they both called supermods? I remember seeing the winged ones at berlin back in the 70s and 80s. Those cars were so fast, it was work just to watch the race. I think theyve slowed them down since then because of too many deaths.
@@ronfox5519 not really sure of the difference, they still run the ones with the wing on top. They are called 350 Supermodifieds. I've also watched them at Berlin raceway, also Kalamazoo speedway, all mainly in the mid to late 80s. Do a search in RUclips for 350 Supermodifieds and they come up running at Star.
@@ronfox5519 ruclips.net/video/4uastrgon7M/видео.html this is an interesting video. On the evolution of the super.
@@lenrookus5000
Great. Thanks.
@@ronfox5519 they run 350’s but also run a big block version that basically looks exactly the same except more motor, and more tire. Dont run weekly though. A couple different series not entirely sure how it works: ISMA, MSS, and NEBSMS.
Incredible.
You mention Fred Graves, but totally ignored Bill Marsh. I cannot let that go unmentioned.
Great video!
I remember watching that #61 chrome supermodified when i was a kid. It would pass like 6 cars a lap sometimes. It was almost unfair. And the car only showed up for the big money events which he would win most of the time.
The good ole days when you and a few buddies who lived racing could build a car in your garage make adjustments as season went on and go from not competitive to super competitive even winning races but it like every other semi large category the most money wins now plain and simple
NASCAR are just taxis going in circles, let's throw them away and make the supermods a thing as big and in the same number of races.
I really don't understand why its been so hard for Supermodified racing to gain popularity when they put on such great races. I figured by now they would at least be at the popularity of the World of Outlaws.
I don't understand why so many rules changes were made. Fastest design should win. Period.
I went to Oswego speedway a few times originally from malden mass. im gonna move back to Oswego to retire eventually . lived there 10 years but jobs are scarce. c u soon Oswego tony b
In attendance when Page Reynolds broke the half mile world record at the “old” Owosso Speedway in a rear engine super mod.
Yes I was there that night that rear engine bill height car was awesome the track was ruined and replaced with three eights mile how sad brian from owosso mi
and, look at that, rules kill another great series. it went from having a large variety of unique and innovative cars to being dominated by a few mass produced chassis, all because of a couple rule changes. good job, Oswego, your great series is just another cookie cutter roundy round track series, just like NASCAR, sprint cars, etc.
I couldn't agree more..
RyTrapp0 6 different Chasis' in 2016 classic. I can't agree with your statement. I've been going to Oswego since 1967. It's evolved into really sophisticated racing.
As racing evolves in any series the variety of cars will die out as the fastest variants will take the wins and the others will follow suit. If theres a type of chassis running .5seconds faster a lap why wouldnt you ditch your old chassis for that proven design?
RyTrapp0 As well as NASCAR on the short track series, rules passed down from the larger tracks. I assume the owners of the short track circuit were somehow scared into joining NASCAR or close their doors(mafia style!). NASCAR is actually an insurance company that offers a liability clause. I can't imagine John Hancock doing this.
Filling the stands at a local 1/3 mile track for the owner before NASCAR came along was not an issue, especially for special events. Cars used to park on both sides of the secondary highway in both directions. NASCAR's idea of having the Busch North Series only lasted for a few short years before pulling the plug.
These tracks have been on a downward spiral since. And what NASCAR didn't have control over, they made sure they got it.
When the super modified cars were NESMRA they put on a great show. Along comes NASCAR to control them and changed them to ISMA, along with their rules!
RIP Ollie Silva.
Hard to please.
is there a reason that the ISMA ones have wings and these do not?
Wondering the same
I ask a driver once why oswego don't run wings he told me there to fast now. That was Timmy Nelson in 1984
R
The F**King music makes you want to gouge your ear drums out with a grapefruit spoon! UGH!
west coast supers were better looking but they are a dead class now.
Another racing genre ruined by arthritic and constrictive rules, really rear engines are too much for some luddites. Auto racing is too dominated by powerful manufacturers that want to maximize the longevity of their plants and avoid retooling.
I liked it very much .. Untill the liz warren ad...Thats why I gave it thumbs down ..👎
that's not a good enough excuse. I hate her too, but we need to support racing not bitch about one detail.
@@FloridaManRacer
Your 10 months late !
@@braysanborn6000 better late than never.
you don't seem to realize they don't chose which ads run on their videos, youtube does...
Hate that hypocrite bi tch. Never gives her money to the poor.
GREAT VIDEO = HIT THE NOODLE BIN BIG TIME WITH / HOFFMAN HOTS/ MENTION = MANY MEMORIES ALSO HOW ABOUT YEAR THEY RAN WED NIGHTS