At the Races

Keith Zehr, track announcer extraordinaire, was joined by special guest announcer and friend Roy Sova, a long-time announcer at the Oswego Speedway, at the track's recent First Responders Night.

The pair have shared a friendship for many years and were able to cross off a bucket list item by announcing from the booth together for the first time.

As part of First Responders Night, a new tradition was introduce with the inaugural Memorial Stair Climb organized by EMRP Safety Team member Harry Faulk Jr., and Kinney Drugs Modifieds competitor Kevin Warren, who are also fire fighters. The three-story TJ Toyota Tower would be the course as local first responders, crew members, and staff members would climb the tower for five laps up, around, and back down. A stair climb is typically reserved for remembering first responders lost on September 11th, 2001. For this edition, 31 local first responders signed up to wear a lanyard with a picture card of who they were climbing for, which featured other local first responders who lost their life in the line of duty.

Climbers proceeded up the stairs wearing their turnout gear. Track owner Peggy Gill would join the climb while wearing Peyton Morse's turnout gear, a family friend and fire fighter who passed away in 2021. Morse's turnout gear would rest beside the flag stand for the remainder of the night. In addition to the night, Kevin Warren raffled off a door panel that featured Peyton Morse on it from his car in 2023 that was autographed by first responders in attendance, race car drivers, and EMRP staff. The proceeds would benefit the Peyton Lane S. Morse Legacy Foundation and was won by a first responder that attended for the climb and show from Wellsville, NY over three and a half hours drive time from the Mills.

In addition to emergency vehicles from over 25 agencies, the midway was also joined by Believe NNY, an organization helping first responders pay for medical bills, Victim's Assistance Center who serve victims and survivors of violence and other crimes, Priority Wellness Campaign who help first responders with resources and PTSD-related service, and the Peyton Lane S. Morse Legacy Foundation which assists the community with grants and scholarships.