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17-Year-Old Talen Hawksby Captures First Oswego Speedway Win in Rescheduled 350 Supermodified Feature

OSWEGO, NY (June 22, 2024) - The Hawksby family's 47-year legacy at Oswego Speedway reached new heights on Saturday as 17-year-old, third-generation driver Talen Hawksby captured his first-ever J&S Paving 350 Supermodified feature win.

Neither Talen’s grandfather, ‘The Colonel’ Joe Hawksby Sr., nor his father Joe Hawksby Jr., had previously picked up a Supermodified feature win of their own despite extensive involvement as drivers, owners, and crew members, and last weekend all three generations were in victory lane to celebrate this special moment for the Hawksby Family.

Hawksby began the race from the pole position, leading the field to the green flag alongside rookie Brendan Young. Hawksby quickly took the lead, with third-starting points leader Josh Sokolic in third, Nick Barzee in fourth, and Robbie Wirth passing Griffin Miller to crack into the top five.

Hawksby and Young managed to pull away from Sokolic, with Hawksby building a comfortable lead until the yellow flag came out on lap 14 due to a spin by Wirth shortly after passing Barzee for fourth. During the caution, Sokolic pitted from third for handling adjustments, unsatisfied with the performance of the No. 6 car.

On the double-file restart, Hawksby and Young were again on the front row, followed by Barzee and Miller in row two, and Sokolic and Barry Kingsley in row three. Hawksby again outpaced Young into the first corner, maintaining his lead and gradually pulling away.

Sokolic attempted to mount a charge, moving to the outside of Kingsley and Barzee for fourth, then passing Miller for third with nine laps remaining. However, he had nothing for the leaders in this one as Hawksby and Young continued to run away at the front.

In the end, it was Talen Hawksby who crossed the finish line first, securing an emotional and hard-earned victory in his second season of 350 Super racing at the Oswego Speedway.

In victory lane, Hawksby said: "I have to thank my crew over everything. They’ve really stuck with me. It feels good; I knew we'd get here eventually, but it just took a lot of hard work and a lot of long hours. The car was a little snug at the end of the race, but we kept her going and brought it home. I have to thank my family, crew, and sponsors: Top Quality Construction, Furdis Homes, Acrofab, Hawk Jr Fabrication and Design, IPC - Indy Performance Composites, and Sean Magari Enterprises."

This Saturday night, June 29, Holiday Inn Express & Suites and NBT Bank of Oswego present the second Winged Super Challenge, Round 3 of John Nicotra’s five-race Challenge. The event is headlined by the 50-lap, $7,000 to win main event for ISMA/MSS Supermodifieds, marking the last chance to see Winged Supers at the Oswego Speedway in 2024. Full programs are also included for the Pathfinder Bank SBS and J&S Paving 350 divisions.

Stay connected with Oswego Speedway for more information. Visit OswegoSpeedway.com, follow us on Facebook or Twitter (@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.

RESULTS
Circle T Ready Mix Division Night
J&S Paving 350 Super 25
Saturday, June 8, 2024 (Feature made-up on Saturday, June 22 due to rain)
Oswego Speedway
Oswego, NY

Feature (25-laps): 1. 79 TALEN HAWKSBY, 2. 75 ® Brendan Young, 3. 6 Josh Sokolic, 4. 9 ® Griffin Miller, 5. 31 Nick Barzee, 6. 91 Barry Kingsley, 7. 4 Robbie Wirth, 8. 73 ® Noah Ratcliff, 9. 20 Kyle Perry

Heat 1 (10-laps): 1. 79 Talen Hawksby, 2. 31 Nick Barzee, 3. 4 Robbie Wirth, 4. 73 ® Noah Ratcliff, 5. 20 Kyle Perry

Heat 2 (10-laps): 1. 6 Josh Sokolic, 2. 75 ® Brendan Young, 3. 9 ® Griffin Miller, 4. 91 Barry Kingsley

Lighthouse Lanes Up & Comer ($100 bonus to the highest finishing driver who has never won a feature at Oswego Speedway): #79 Talen Hawksby

D&S Landscaping Hard Charger ($25 bonus to the driver advancing the most positions): #91 Barry Kingsley

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