By – Danny Kapuscinski

There isn’t much to say about the International Classic that hasn’t already been said. Each Labor Day Weekend it features some of the best open-wheel drivers anywhere in the country, in the most extreme and hybrid open-wheel short track cars on the planet. It is arguably the greatest short track event run in the United States.

To put it in prospective, just this past June I sat at a banquet table in Knoxville, Iowa as a part of the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame and Museum luncheon. Across from me sat an older gentlemen probably in his seventies, forgive me for forgetting his name, but after a short period of conversation he learned that I had grown up in Oswego and was a huge fan of the Speedway. Before long, he began to recount broken stories that he had heard of “those guys at Oswego … and if you beat Swifty, you really did something. It was the PLACE to race!”

He went on to say that he deeply regretted that he would never see a race at Oswego Speedway. The Steel Palace and the International Classic demands respect, and it has earned it across the racing world.

Let’s look back at 53 years of the International Classic 200: BY THE NUMBERS.

1 – Only one International Classic winning car has had the number 4 in its winning number. (Art Bennett, 1961 #141)

2 – The number of drivers that have won their only Supermodified feature at Oswego in the International Classic. (John Benson, Sr.: 1966 – Davey Hamilton: 1997)

3 – The number of drivers that have won the International Classic from north of the border in Canada. (Ken Andrews: 1973 – Warren Coniam: 1977 & 1987 – Doug Didero: 1996 & 2008)

3 – The number of drivers from the city of Oswego to win the International Classic. (Steve Gioia, Jr.: 1976 – Joe Gosek: 1991, 1992 & 2002 – Tim Snyder: 2001)

3.180 – Otto Sitterly’s margin of victory over Doug Didero in last year’s International Classic.

4 – The most consecutive International Classics won by a single driver. (Greg Furlong: 2004-2007)

4 – The most International Classics won from the pole position. (Bentley Warren: 1969, 1986, 1989 & 1990)

5 – The number of drivers to win their first career Oswego Speedway Supermodified feature in the International Classic. (Art Bennett: 1961, Gordon Dukes: 1965, John Benson, Sr.: 1966, Davey Hamilton: 1997, Tim Snyder: 2001)

6 – The number of different states that International Classic winners have called home. (New York, Massachusetts, Michigan, Ohio, New Hampshire, Idaho)

6 – The most International Classic wins by any driver. (Nolan Swift, Bentley Warren, Greg Furlong)

10 – The all-time winning number in International Classic history. (Nolan Swift- 6, Warren Coniam- 1)

12 – The number of drivers that have won more than one pole position in International Classic history. (Bentley Warren, Jim Shampine, Fred Graves, Ed Bellinger, Jr., Doug Heveron, Dave Shullick, Sr., Joe Gosek, Pat Abold, Russ Wood, Doug Didero, Mike Ordway, Greg Furlong)

13 – The most Top-5 finishes by any driver in the International Classic. (Nolan Swift)

14 – The number of times the International Classic winner also won the race prior to the International Classic.

15 – The number of times the International Classic has been won from the pole position.

15 – The number of times the driver that won the International Classic, also won the Track Championship.

16.212 – The all-time un-winged track record at the Oswego Speedway set by Doug Didero in 2009.

16.961 – This was fast time for the International Classic in 1989, set by Bentley Warren in the Mike Mazur-owned 61jr. It was the fastest official time under the 17-second bracket in Classic history to that point.

17.928 – This was fast time for the International Classic in 1977, set by Jim Shampine in the radical offset 8-ball. It was the fastest official time under the 18-second bracket in Classic history to that point.

18.73 – This was fast time for the International Classic in 1970, set by Jim Shampine. It was the fastest official time under the 19-second bracket in Classic history to that point.

19.81 – This was fast time for the International Classic in 1966, set by John Benson, Sr.  It was the fastest official time under the 20-second bracket in Classic history to that point.

21.04 – This was fast time for the International Classic in 1961, set by Indianapolis 500 winner Gordon Johncock. According to records, Johncock was the first pole sitter in Classic history that was set by time trials.

25 – The number of different drivers to qualify on the pole for the International Classic since 1961.

26 – The number of different winners of the International Classic.

29 – The most years between a drivers first and most recent International Classic win. (Bentley Warren: 1969 to 1998)

35 – The most career starts in the International Classic by any driver. (Bentley Warren)

53 – The number of International Classics that have been run since 1957.

100 – The number of laps run in the first International Classic in 1957.

101 – The number of drivers that have finished in the Top 5 in International Classic history.

141 – The first 3-digit winning car number in the International Classic. (Art Bennett, 1961)

211 – The only other 3-digit winning number in International Classic history. (John Benson, Sr., 1966)

417 – The number of drivers that have started the International Classic since 1957.

1957 – The year of the first International Classic. The event was 100-laps paying $1,000 to the winner.

1958 – The International Classic was raised to 150-laps.

1965 – Race was increased to present day 200-lap distance, starting 40-cars, paying $5,000 to win.

1984 – Purse increased to $70,000, paying $12,000 to win.

1990 – Classic purse exceeds $100,000 for first time.

1991 – Winner’s share increased to $20,000.

2008 – Doug Didero debuts a brand new Extreme Chassis, just hours prior to the International Classic. Didero goes on to set fast time in Round 2 of Time Trials, and wins the 200.

2009 – Otto Sitterly claims his first International Classic crown as driver, while giving John Nicotra his first Classic checkered as owner.

2010 – The 54th running of the Budweiser International Classic 200.