Inside Groove Podcast

It's championship week in short track racing, and Episode 211 of Inside Groove previews three of the biggest events on the calendar.

Tom Baker looks ahead to the World of Outlaws World Finals at The Dirt Track at Charlotte, with sprint cars, late models, and Super DIRTcar Series big block modifieds closing out their seasons. The show looks at the championship battles, expected entries, and what SWN has planned for its Charlotte coverage.

There's also an extensive preview of Davey Hamilton Jr.'s Open Wheel Showdown at The Bullring in Las Vegas, including the East Coast supermodified teams heading west for the $10,000-to-win Larry Trigueiro Memorial, plus the North-South Shootout's first visit to Southern National Motorsports Park.

The weekend racing roundup covers the World Short Track Championship at Charlotte, Ricky Thornton Jr.'s winning streak, the Trophy Cup at Tulare, Anthony Macri's Bridgeport victory, and much more.

Tom also discusses reports of an expanded Oswego Speedway schedule for 2027 and the announcement that Legion Speedway's operator is stepping away after five seasons.

Inside Groove is produced by Steering Wheel Nation, the home of America's racers.

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Florence Motor Speedway says it has no plans to race in 2027. Meanwhile, Modoc Speedway, another South Carolina track that had been closed, has reopened following a major investment and is hosting the World of Outlaws Late Models. What does that say about the business of short-track racing today?

On Episode 209 of Inside Groove, Tom Baker looks at Florence's uncertain future, the revival of Modoc, the changing economics of weekly racing, and why track promoters need to build relationships with fans, sponsors, and the media instead of relying on Facebook alone. He also discusses developments at Rockingham, Caraway, and Greenville-Pickens Speedway.

There's plenty of racing to cover, too. Ricky Thornton Jr. wins the Dirt Track World Championship while Brandon Sheppard takes the Lucas Oil title. Treyten Lapcevich wins the CARS Tour finale, Matt Swanson wins the 350 Supermodified feature at Lee USA Speedway, and Rico Abreu wraps up another High Limit championship. Plus, World of Outlaws results and a look at the coming weekend.

Then Tom takes a listener question: Could 350 Supermodifieds and Big Block Supermodifieds ever share the track at Oswego? What would it take to make that possible, and would it even be worth doing?

Hosted by Tom Baker. Produced by SWN Media, The Home of America's Racers. For more daily content, visit our motorsports hub here!

INSIDE GROOVE SHOW 208 - Darren Smith Makes Super DIRT Week History at Oswego Speedway

Darren Smith delivered one of the most remarkable finishes in Super DIRT Week history, charging through the field in the closing laps and passing Mat Williamson on the final lap to win the $54,000 Billy Whittaker Cars 200 at Oswego Speedway.

On Episode 208 of Inside Groove, Tom Baker breaks down the strategy, tire decisions, and late-race drama that turned Super DIRT Week 54 into an unforgettable event.

Tom also reviews the weekend's biggest short track racing stories, including Carson Brown's Winchester 400 victory, Alex Yankowski's 358 Modified win, Tristan Ladouceur's Sportsman triumph, Jessica Power's historic runner-up finish, and the latest battles in World of Outlaws, High Limit Racing, and Lucas Oil Late Model competition.

Plus, a look at the future of Super DIRT Week at Oswego, the uncertainty surrounding Volunteer Speedway in Tennessee, and developments involving Rockingham Speedway.

Inside Groove is produced by SWN, the home of America's racers.  For more exclusive content, visit our website.

Oswego Speedway has been the center of some of the greatest moments in short track racing history. With Super DIRT Week 54 bringing hundreds of race cars to the historic New York facility, Tom Baker looks back at the drivers, events, and traditions that helped make Oswego such an important part of American motorsports.

The discussion covers the days when some of racing's biggest names competed on both dirt and asphalt, the impact Super DIRT Week has on Oswego and the surrounding community, and the continuing debate over whether streaming services are helping local racing or changing the reasons fans attend events in person.

Tom also reviews the latest short track racing results, including the controversy surrounding the Fulton Speedway Outlaw 200, along with action from sprint cars, midgets, supermodifieds, pavement late models and modifieds.

Inside Groove is produced by Steering Wheel Nation, the home of America's racers.

Visit Steering Wheel Nation for more short track and grassroots racing coverage.

Inside Groove 206 is a different kind of show, as Tom Baker remembers Jim Shirey, Dick Kluth, and Gordon Johncock.

Jacob Seelman joins Tom to remember Shirey, the Midwest supermodified racer whose career included a memorable 1994 Hy-Miler Nationals victory at Sandusky Speedway and whose family remains deeply rooted in the sport. 

Tom then looks back on Kluth, a Western New York Modified fixture for more than five decades, and Johncock, whose road from Michigan short tracks and supermodified racing carried him to two Indianapolis 500 victories.

It is a heavy show, so Tom changes the mood at the end with a couple of classic Bentley Warren stories from Wicked Fast: Racing Through Life with Bentley Warren, as told to Bones Bourcier.

For more America’s Racers content and the latest Inside Groove episodes, visit the SWN Media Hub.

What happens to Super DIRT Week at Oswego after this year?

Tom Baker is joined by SWN’s Jacob Seelman to dig into one of the biggest questions surrounding short track racing in New York right now. The current 10-year New York State funding agreement that helped bring Super DIRT Week to Oswego Speedway is coming to an end, and while 

World Racing Group wants Oswego to remain the event’s home, a new agreement is not yet in place.

Tom and Jacob talk about what they heard during World Racing Group’s recent media conference, the importance of state funding to the annual dirt conversion at Oswego, the massive crowd and tourism impact the event brings to the area, and whether changes to Oswego County’s tourism funding could potentially become part of the equation going forward.

Before that, the show gets personal.

Jacob shares the story of his uncle, Bob Seelman Jr., 41 years after he died in a supermodified racing accident at Kalamazoo Speedway. He talks about Bob Jr.’s racing career, his grandfather Bob Seelman’s place in open-wheel racing history, and how the Seelman family’s racing legacy ultimately helped lead Jacob into the sport himself.

It’s an episode about history, family, and the future of one of short track racing’s biggest events.

For more America’s Racers content, visit SteeringWheelNation.com, the home of SWN Media and Inside Groove. Follow @TheSWNMedia on Facebook, Instagram, and X for racing news, stories, interviews, and more from across the short track and grassroots racing world.

 Jackson Gill’s First Big Block Win, What’s Next for Oswego, Ryan Newman Goes Ham On Hoosier | Inside Groove 204

Jackson Gill joins Tom Baker after earning his first Super DIRTcar Series Big Block win at his home track, Can-Am Speedway. They talk about the win, a season that has kept Jackson busy in several cars, and how he manages all of it.

Tom also runs through a packed short track weekend, including Caden Lapsevich’s SMART Modified Tour win, Justin Sanders’ last-lap pass for the Dennis Roth Classic victory, and Tyler Shullick’s John Burr Classic win and ISMA-MSS championship. Then he gets into the concerns fans have raised about Oswego Speedway, what the track says it plans to address, and the car counts facing supermodified racing. 

In the final segment, Tom discusses Ryan Newman’s criticism of how tires are being assigned on the SMART Tour.

For more Inside Groove and exclusive SWN content, visit the SWN Hub.  

Inside Groove Show - Sitterly Six Pack - 09 07 26

This week's first episode focuses on the 70th Budweiser Classic Weekend at Oswego Speedway, where seven different divisions of short-track cars did battle on the "Fast 5/8-mile" oval for the right to call themselves 2026 Classic Champions.  Tom briefly recaps each of the seven events, then talks about the highlights of each one and calls out some of the top performers of the weekend.  

This episode leads into a second episode that will drop on Thursday, September 10, which dives deeper into Classic Weekend as a whole, talks about some of the other highlights of the weekend, and looks ahead to some of September's biggest short-track events.  You wanted more "audio" Groove. You've got it! 

Inside Groove is available on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music/Audible, Spotify, and on the Shows page of the SWN Hub (www.steeringwheelnation.com).  

For more exclusive content, visit SWN (Steering Wheel Nation) via our hub and our social channels (@TheSWNMedia on Facebook, X and Instagram, and @SWNMedia on YouTube).  

It’s Classic Week at Oswego, and Episode 202  of the Groove Show has plenty to unpack.

Tom runs through a huge weekend of short-track racing results from across the nation, and then turns his attention to the 70th Budweiser International Classic at the Oswego Speedway. 

There’s a surprise addition to the Supermodified field, plenty of questions about who will actually show up, some very difficult race picks, and a look at what could make this year’s Classic Weekend especially interesting.

Then the conversation turns to Oswego’s greatest drivers, the GOAT debate, and one enormous “what if” that could have changed more than two decades of Speedway history.

Discover More Motorsports Content

We invite you to visit Steering Wheel Nation, the first all-motorsports community platform, for more exclusive motorsports shows and content. Don't forget to watch the Tom Baker Show every Monday at 8 pm (all time zones) on the podcast channel at POWERTube TV - Stay informed about the latest developments in the world of racing and engage with fellow enthusiasts who share your passion for the sport. For the most exclusive open-wheel and Northeast Racing content, subscribe to our fan community, the Inside Groove Pit Pass, at www.insidegroovepitpass.com.  

Summary

In this story-filled episode (201, for those counting!), Tom Baker discusses recent racing events at Oswego Speedway, highlights from championship week, and shares nostalgic stories from the 1976 International Classic, as well as updates on upcoming races and personal insights.

Keywords

Oswego Speedway, Supermodifieds, racing championship, 1976 International Classic, race strategy, racing history, race car development, classic weekend, racing tips

Key topics

• Oswego Speedway championship week
• Close points race in supermodified divisions
• Savannah Simmons' historic win as a female driver
• Otto Sitterley's 51st win and legacy
• 1976 International Classic race story
• Upcoming classic weekend schedule and events
• Race car development and team strategies
• Personal anecdotes and racing history

Discover More Motorsports Content

We invite you to visit Steering Wheel Nation, the first all-motorsports community platform, for more exclusive motorsports shows and content. Don't forget to watch the Tom Baker Show every Monday at 8 pm (all time zones) on the podcast channel at POWERTube TV - Stay informed about the latest developments in the world of racing and engage with fellow enthusiasts who share your passion for the sport. For the most exclusive open-wheel and Northeast Racing content, subscribe to our fan community, the Inside Groove Pit Pass, at www.insidegroovepitpass.com.