DIRT WEEK NOTES: Weather & Track Surface Obstacles

OSWEGO, N.Y. – Saturday morning brought a return to typical fall weather in New York, with blue skies and sun yielding to dark clouds, intermittent rain and substantial wind in Central New York.

While the weather is not unusual for Super DIRT Week, it did compound the challenges facing the Oswego (N.Y.) Speedway track prep crew, already under the gun for a rough surface during Friday night’s qualifying program. 

With rain on and off through the process of laying dirt over the five-eighths-mile asphalt surface and prepping it for action, the track never dried completely. Friday’s lengthy event led to holes and ruts that reminded participants of the event’s first year away from Syracuse (N.Y.) Mile.

— The presumption Saturday morning was that action would be put off to late afternoon to give track officials time to prepare for the Last Chance qualifier in the sportsman, 358 and big block divisions and the day’s feature event, the 358 Modified Salute to the Troops 150.
 
— Two 358 Last Chance races are scheduled and will send the top three finishers to the feature. Notables in round one include Ryan Bartlett, Eric Rudolph and Jimmy Phelps with Michael Sabia, George Foley Jordan McCreadie and Olden Dwyer scheduled for round two.
 
— In the big blocks, each Last Chance event will qualify two.

Round one includes Keith Flach, Eric Rudolph, Billy Dunn and Adam Pierson.  The second consolation race will include Jimmy Horton, Kenny Tremont Jr., Dave Marcuccilli and Gary Tomkins.

Dunn, Tremont and Horton were all 200 winners on the Syracuse mile.