OSWEGO, N.Y. (JULY 20, 2019) – Otto Sitterly charged once again Saturday night at Oswego Speedway in the Novelis Supermodified $10,000-To-Win Mr. Supermodified 75-lap feature, advancing eight positions from his 11th-place starting spot to finish third in the 33rd annual running of the prestigious race.
Sitterly, driver of the Riccelli Northern / CORR/PAK / Peaceful Living Home Sales Nicotra Racing No. 7, earned the race’s Hard Charger award for the sixth time this season and fifth time in last six features. Otto’s third-place run, coupled with a win in his heat race, will extend Sitterly’s point lead over closest challenger Jeff Abold, who finished ninth. Sitterly entered the night with a 67-point advantage over Abold in his bid for a record ninth Oswego supermodified championship.
After riding around the 10th position for most of the first half of the race, Otto began making moves on the second restart approximately midway through the 75-lapper. He spoke to reporter Chris Porter after the race.
“I felt what the car was doing and drove it to its ability early in the race,” Sitterly said. “I tested it on the outside a couple of times and felt the car slide, and then later in the race I could feel the car come in. On that restart I went to the outside and the car stuck and I was able to make a few passes. It seemed like each week there’s about a 15 to 20-lap segment where the car works pretty good, and then it starts to go away. We need to work on that.”
Sitterly’s teammate Alison Sload had a rare finish outside the top 10 in the Mr. Supermodified main event. Sload, who had seven top-10 and two top-five finishes in eight starts entering the night, would finish 12th in the race.
While the finish wasn’t what Sload and her No. 39 Nicotra Racing team were hoping for, she will enter the final month of the regular season still solidly in the top five in points in her rookie campaign in the Oswego Speedway supermodified division.
With the three July Oswego shows now complete, three races remain this August that will conclude the Oswego regular season before International Classic weekend.
Sitterly, Sload and the Nicotra Racing team will be back in action Saturday, August 3 for the annual Retro Night / Old Timers’ Reunion 45. Regular 50-lap feature shows will conclude the points season on August 10 and August 17.
John Nicotra Racing is a Supermodified race team owned by John Nicotra with drivers Otto Sitterly, Alison Sload and Davey Hamilton. Since our team’s debut in 2007, Nicotra Racing and has won six Budweiser International Classic 200s, nine Oswego Supermodified track championships, three Mr. Supermodified races, nine Jim Shampine Memorials and currently 46 total Oswego feature races. – Otto Sitterly (35); Dave Shullick Jr. (9); Davey Hamilton (1); Alison Sload (1).
Nicotra Racing is proud to be sponsored by Riccelli Northern, CORR/PAK Merchandising, Peaceful Living Home Sales, 5 Brothers Produce, Burnac Produce Limited, Provincial Fruit Co., Flavor First, Georgia Crate & Basket, Rite-Pak Produce, Quality First Produce, Sam Accursio Farms, Ritz-Craft Homes, Torbert Farms, Elite Harvesting and Sunrise Growers.
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