6/6/11
Sitterly Battles to Fifth Saturday at Oswego
By Keith Shampine
Sitterly Battles to Fifth Saturday at Oswego
By Keith Shampine
OSWEGO, N.Y. – Otto Sitterly and the Nicotra Racing / G&I Homes No. 7 team rebounded
from a rough Oswego Speedway supermodified season opener Memorial Day weekend to
finish a strong fifth Saturday in the Big O’s second event of the new year.
Sitterly started eighth in the 45-lap feature and got boxed in early, forcing the four-time
Oswego champion to hold position in the back half of the top 10 until the field shook out.
Sitting ninth after 10 circuits, Otto began his charge. While single-file racing throughout the
field was the story of the night, Sitterly was one of the only drivers able to stick passes,
beginning with an inside move by Tim Snyder for seventh on lap 23.
After two cautions around the lap 30 mark, Otto battled hard and wheeled his blue Hawk Jr.
chassis by opening night winner Randy Ritskes for sixth, and later past Ray Graham Jr. to
take over the last slot in the top five.
While clearly one of the fastest cars on the five-eighths-mile lakeside oval, and boasting a
fast lap of 17.146 to prove it, fifth place was all Otto could muster as he watched Double
Deuce Racing teammates Dave Gruel and Pat Lavery cross the stripe one-two, followed by
Canadian Dave McKnight and 1996 Indy 500 starter Joe Gosek third and fourth.
Otto spoke about the night and the tough supermodified competition he’s facing each week
at The Steel Palace.
from a rough Oswego Speedway supermodified season opener Memorial Day weekend to
finish a strong fifth Saturday in the Big O’s second event of the new year.
Sitterly started eighth in the 45-lap feature and got boxed in early, forcing the four-time
Oswego champion to hold position in the back half of the top 10 until the field shook out.
Sitting ninth after 10 circuits, Otto began his charge. While single-file racing throughout the
field was the story of the night, Sitterly was one of the only drivers able to stick passes,
beginning with an inside move by Tim Snyder for seventh on lap 23.
After two cautions around the lap 30 mark, Otto battled hard and wheeled his blue Hawk Jr.
chassis by opening night winner Randy Ritskes for sixth, and later past Ray Graham Jr. to
take over the last slot in the top five.
While clearly one of the fastest cars on the five-eighths-mile lakeside oval, and boasting a
fast lap of 17.146 to prove it, fifth place was all Otto could muster as he watched Double
Deuce Racing teammates Dave Gruel and Pat Lavery cross the stripe one-two, followed by
Canadian Dave McKnight and 1996 Indy 500 starter Joe Gosek third and fourth.
Otto spoke about the night and the tough supermodified competition he’s facing each week
at The Steel Palace.
| Otto Sitterly Saturday at Oswego |
“The car was pretty decent. We may be off a little bit, but it’s pretty close. At the start of the
race, I tried to let things sort out, and we got boxed in pretty good. A couple of the fast cars
took off, but I just didn’t feel there was any place to go early (in the race).
“Late in the race, I could see (the top cars) backing up,” Sitterly continued, “but when there
are that many good cars in front of you, there’s no two ways around it, track position just
means so much. There are a lot of really equal cars, a lot of good drivers, and basically you
just have to keep wearing on the guy in front of you until you get him.”
When asked by LakesideRacingNews.com’s Chris Porter why passing seems to be at a
premium at this early stage of the season, Otto cited a couple of reasons.
“There are a lot of really good cars, and the track is not really a two-lane track. A lot of equal
equipment… and there’s not much passing going on. I think track position really means a
lot.”
Saturday’s fifth-place run netted Otto his first top five of the season after Memorial Day’s Jim
Shampine Memorial 75 featured a pair of accidents that relegated the Canajoharie, N.Y.,
veteran to a disappointing 16th-place result.
The 16th and fifth have Sitterly unofficially 10th in the standings, but only 33 markers behind
point leader Ritskes. With a formidable 11-race non-wing supermodified schedule in 2011,
including twin 30s later this month, the Nicotra team has plenty of time to hit its stride and
make a run at its fourth Oswego championship in a row.
Next up for the G&I Homes-sponsored team is another regular 45-lapper this Saturday, June
11 at the John and Eric Torrese-owned speed plant. Racing starts at 6:30 p.m. For more
information, visit www.oswegospeedway.com.
About Nicotra Racing
Nicotra Racing is owned by longtime supermodified fan John Nicotra, a Central New York
native who makes his living as a produce broker in Homestead, Fla. The team, led by top
driver and mechanic Otto Sitterly, debuted in 2007 and since has won three Oswego
supermodified championships and eight Oswego features, including the 2009 International
Classic. Nicotra Racing operates out of Sitterly’s shop in Canajoharie, N.Y.
Nicotra Racing is sponsored by G&I Homes Inc., 5 Brothers Produce, S&L Beans, Florida
Vegetable, Flavor First Produce, V.L. Walker Co, Georgia Crate & Basket, Rite-Pak Produce,
Quality First Produce, Magnolia Packing, Beaver River Distribution, N&N Corporation,
Burnac Produce Limited and Provincial Fruit Co.
For more information, visit www.NicotraRacing.com. To contact Nicotra Racing, call John
Nicotra at 305-345-2437 or e-mail John@NicotraRacing.com.
Press written by New Concept Race Media. For more information, visit www.
newconceptracemedia.com or contact Keith Shampine at 909-918-6276 /
keith@newconceptracemedia.com.
race, I tried to let things sort out, and we got boxed in pretty good. A couple of the fast cars
took off, but I just didn’t feel there was any place to go early (in the race).
“Late in the race, I could see (the top cars) backing up,” Sitterly continued, “but when there
are that many good cars in front of you, there’s no two ways around it, track position just
means so much. There are a lot of really equal cars, a lot of good drivers, and basically you
just have to keep wearing on the guy in front of you until you get him.”
When asked by LakesideRacingNews.com’s Chris Porter why passing seems to be at a
premium at this early stage of the season, Otto cited a couple of reasons.
“There are a lot of really good cars, and the track is not really a two-lane track. A lot of equal
equipment… and there’s not much passing going on. I think track position really means a
lot.”
Saturday’s fifth-place run netted Otto his first top five of the season after Memorial Day’s Jim
Shampine Memorial 75 featured a pair of accidents that relegated the Canajoharie, N.Y.,
veteran to a disappointing 16th-place result.
The 16th and fifth have Sitterly unofficially 10th in the standings, but only 33 markers behind
point leader Ritskes. With a formidable 11-race non-wing supermodified schedule in 2011,
including twin 30s later this month, the Nicotra team has plenty of time to hit its stride and
make a run at its fourth Oswego championship in a row.
Next up for the G&I Homes-sponsored team is another regular 45-lapper this Saturday, June
11 at the John and Eric Torrese-owned speed plant. Racing starts at 6:30 p.m. For more
information, visit www.oswegospeedway.com.
About Nicotra Racing
Nicotra Racing is owned by longtime supermodified fan John Nicotra, a Central New York
native who makes his living as a produce broker in Homestead, Fla. The team, led by top
driver and mechanic Otto Sitterly, debuted in 2007 and since has won three Oswego
supermodified championships and eight Oswego features, including the 2009 International
Classic. Nicotra Racing operates out of Sitterly’s shop in Canajoharie, N.Y.
Nicotra Racing is sponsored by G&I Homes Inc., 5 Brothers Produce, S&L Beans, Florida
Vegetable, Flavor First Produce, V.L. Walker Co, Georgia Crate & Basket, Rite-Pak Produce,
Quality First Produce, Magnolia Packing, Beaver River Distribution, N&N Corporation,
Burnac Produce Limited and Provincial Fruit Co.
For more information, visit www.NicotraRacing.com. To contact Nicotra Racing, call John
Nicotra at 305-345-2437 or e-mail John@NicotraRacing.com.
Press written by New Concept Race Media. For more information, visit www.
newconceptracemedia.com or contact Keith Shampine at 909-918-6276 /
keith@newconceptracemedia.com.
| Oswego’s Roy Sova interviews Otto Memorial Day weekend Photo by Roy Dewhurst |