Super Dirt Week is a modified racing event held annually on Columbus Day weekend in Central New York state.
The first event was scheduled over three days, from September 29, through October 1, 1972 at the New York State Fairgrounds. Inspection and qualifying races were conducted on Friday and Saturday, and the Championship race was held on Sunday.[1]
In 1976 a fourth day was added to the schedule, and a 100 mile race the USAC Champ Cars was held on Saturday October 2.[2] The date of the event was eventually changed to Columbus Day weekend, and expanded to 6 days and championships for 5 car classes. The Syracuse Mile remained the featured race track until 2015, and companion races were added over the week at the nearby race tracks in Elbridge, Weedsport Speedway, and Brewerton Speedway.[3]
After the 2015 event the grandstands at the Syracuse Mile were torn down and the track was eliminated. Oswego Speedway began hosting the primary races the following year.[4]
Oswego Speedway is a five-eighths-mile asphalt track that runs weekly supermodified races. Each year following the Budweiser Classic Weekend, the oval coverts into a dirt track. That process requires placement of over 200 jersey barriers around the inside hub rail, and then 10-wheel dump trucks that bring in between four and five hundred loads are spread around the racing surface.[5]
Super Dirt Week is now the largest economic event for Oswego, New York as more than 30,000 fans attend.[6] Racing rules may be adjusted as necessary, and in 2023 new pit stop strategies were introduced allowing teams to remain on the track while others pit to improve their cars.[7]
The event was first televised live on ESPN in 1980. During the next 35 years, broadcast rights went to TNN, the Empire Sports Net, SPEED, to CBS Sports Network, and more recently to MAVTV. Presently, streaming services are produced by the World Racing Group and are available on all DIRTVisions OTT platforms from iOS to Android, to Samsung, to ROKU.[8]
| Year | Modified[9] | 358 Modified[10] |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | ||
| 1973 | ||
| 1974 | ||
| 1975 | ||
| 1976 | ||
| 1977 | ||
| 1978 | ||
| 1979 | ||
| 1980 | Jeff Heotzler | |
| 1981 | Steve Makocy | |
| 1982 | ||
| 1983 | Alan Johnson | |
| 1984 | Jack Johnson | |
| 1985 | Doug Hoffman | |
| 1986 | ||
| 1987 | ||
| 1988 | ||
| 1989 | Alan Johnson | |
| 1990 | ||
| 1991 | ||
| 1992 | ||
| 1993 | Mike Ricci | |
| 1994 | ||
| 1995 | Jimmy Hauser | |
| 1996 | ||
| 1997 | ||
| 1998 | ||
| 1999 | ||
| 2000 | ||
| 2001 | Bud Christmann | |
| 2002 | Vic Coffey | |
| 2003 | Matt Sheppard | |
| 2004 | Wayne Jelley | |
| 2005 | ||
| 2006 | ||
| 2007 | Vic Coffey | |
| 2008 | Frank Cozze | |
| 2009 | Matt Sheppard | |
| 2010 | ||
| 2011 | ||
| 2012 | ||
| 2013 | Billy Dunn | |
| 2014 | ||
| 2015 | Jimmy Phelps | |
| Oswego Speedway | ||
| 2016 | ||
| 2017 | Matt Sheppard | Matt Sheppard |
| 2018 | Larry Wight | Pete Britten |
| 2019 | Mat Williamson | |
| 2021 | Mat Williamson | |
| 2022 | Matt Sheppard | Matt Sheppard |
| 2023 | Mat Williamson | Mat Williamson |