Write a commentSupermodified car owner Chris Osetek has been busy this winter in his Statesville, N.C., shop building a new supermodified for driver Keith Shampine to wheel at Oswego Speedway in 2016.
Production of the chassis began in late 2014 with plans for a 2015 debut at Oswego. Progress slowed once the ’15 racing season began as the Osetek team shifted its focus to their 2012 chassis that Shampine has driven since the 2013 season.
In September, the new car’s production kicked into high gear – including a complete redesign of the front-end from straight-axle to independent – and the car is now entering its final stages of assembly as the Oswego season opener draws closer.
“When I started building the car, independent was not allowed, so we designed it as a straight-axle car,” Osetek said. “When the speedway announced the rule change last year, after a lot of thought I decided to scrap the straight-axle front-end and start over to build an independent chassis. It’s been a lot of research, time and work, and we’re all looking forward to getting on the track this spring.”
A new Enders Racing engine will power the new super while the 2012 chassis will serve as a backup car.
The Osetek Technologies team debuted in 2013 and fought engine problems throughout most of the season. The team began to hit its stride in late 2014 with a pair of top-five finishes, including a second-place finish on August 9, 2014. The team entered 2015 with high hopes but struggled for most of the year, which ended prematurely Friday of Classic Weekend with a blown engine.
Shampine and the Osetek team are hoping hard work and perseverance will pay off this year with the new chassis and a renewed energy for competition at Oswego Speedway.
Kids 16 and under will again be admitted free at all Speedway events in 2016 with the exception of Budweiser International Classic Weekend and Race of Champions Weekend.
On track activity beings at Oswego Speedway on Saturday, May 7 with the annual open test session for all racing divisions. Testing will run from 1-5pm on May 7 and is free for spectators to sit in the main grandstand.
Racing action at the Speedway begins on Saturday, May 14 featuring the Speedway’s 66th consecutive opening night highlighted by the Race of Champions Modified Richie Evans Memorial 61 as well as kick-off events for the Novelis Supermodifieds and Pathfinder Bank SBS.
For more information on Oswego Speedway be sure to visit www.oswegospeedway.com. You can also FOLLOW on Twitter @OswegoSpeedway and LIKE on Facebook at www.facebook.com/OswegoSpeedway.
