Livin'.... BY THE GRACE OF GOD AND 800 HORSE POWER
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Oswego Classic 2008
WOW! What else can one say about Classic weekend? Amazing, unbelievable, incredible…okay I will put the thesaurus away-but it was-well you fill in the blank _______!
Dave’s story was the story of the weekend, heck of the century! Here you have a driver who has only run one race (with the wing) at Oswego; you take the wing off and watch out.
Due to gear problems, Dave was not able to qualify for the Oswego Classic on time, so he had to run the Bud Light B-Main. He gets the outside pole for the Bud Light B-Main, based on time trials he never looked back. It was all Dave-all race long. No one could touch him. Dave was out running some names that are pretty good, names such as Bobby Santos III, Justin Belforie, Michael Barnes, and even Gene Lee Gibson, can you say what’s wrong with this picture?
Domination was the name of the game. Dave held everyone off for 15 of the longest laps run to date. But Dave wasn’t happy with just leading the race, oh no, he had to lead by about three or four car lengths for the entire race. He ruled the restarts.
Dave’s dream was to run a big block super, well three years ago he saw that dream come true. Now while running a limited ISMA schedule, Dave decided to try for yet another dream, making the Oswego Classic.
From Dave himself on lining up for the Oswego Classic:
“The prestige of the Classic and the pageantry of opening ceremonies were just incredible. Make you feel like you are getting ready for the Indy or Daytona 500. We didn’t know what to expect when the race started so I told the one guy starting behind me to go ahead and go because I’m not.
I rode around a few laps feeling the car out and it seemed to handle really well. So I decided it was time to start racing a bit and that’s when it popped out of gear again. Unbeknownst to us, it was the half shaft and the rear end was broke.
So we only ran 45 laps, but it was still the greatest weekend we’ve had in a long time. I can’t wait to try it again!”
From Dave on winning the Bug Light B-Main:
“Winning that was the highlight of my Big Block racing career so far. Not only winning the race, which was huge, but qualifying for the Oswego Classic in our first ever attempt. This was a real big confidence builder for the future.”
You know it’s your time when everything falls into place; when the cards are lined up in your favor. Dave had problems with qualifying due to the broke rear end, he had problems finishing the Classic because of the broke rear end, but not once did he have a problem during the Bud Light B-Main. He ran a smooth race, held his line and dominated the race. We can’t figure it out ourselves, but sometimes you just can’t and need to accept the goodness that comes with it.
SuperDave's Dream Come True
A win on classic weekend.
The Bud light B main
2008
Super Dave Sanborn and Nascar Sprint Cup Driver Tony Stewart.
Press Release for Waterford Ct. 5/09
PDF Format
Super Dave Sanborn Oswego Trips Fund Raiser
$20 donations
These donations will help Dave make the trek out for the Classic along with one or two shows a month until then. He is scheduled to be in Oswego 9,6 topless! Thank you to those who are donating, every little bit helps!
Please mail donations to:
Dave Sanborn
12 Autumn Dr.
Tilton, NH 03276
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Hey check out the GREAT article on Dave.
Click on link below.
Page 2
Friday Sept. 4 2009.
Super Dave is headed to Oswego to try and pull off another win.
Danny Johnson talks to "Super" Dave Sanborn about making his second Classic in 2009. By Oswego Speedway
“It’s the Oswego Classic, you’ll bet I’ll be back!,” Tilton, New Hampshire’s Dave Sanborn said when asked if he was coming back for his second run in the 200. Last year, the guy with the biggest smile on his face at the end of the day wasn’t the driver that led the most laps (Dave McKnight), it wasn’t the fast time trailer (Joe Gosek), it wasn’t even the guy that won the whole ball of wax (Doug Didero), it was the guy that made it full circle, from watching the race in the back grandstand the year before, to putting his supermodified in the biggest show of them all, “Super” Dave Sanborn.
Dave Sanborn is a racer. He’s one of those guys that “borrows’ the grocery money to race on weekends. He puts his heart and soul into the sport. To coin a phrase from the Poker circuit, Dave is “All In,” when it comes to supermodified racing.
“I’ve been coming to Oswego for 10-12 years,” Dave said of his Oswego background. “We always camped out, had a great time, and watched the race from the back grandstand. It’s the coolest race of the year, bar none. I would wish the summer away, just waiting for Classic Weekend to get here.”
“I finally got a big block super,” Dave remembered. “Before the Classic last year, they were talking about getting only 24-26 cars for the race. I thought, hey, I can make it. I’m a loyal guy to ISMA, and with Friday’s race no longer an ISMA sanction event, I didn’t have to worry about running Friday night. I could concentrate on running without a wing.”
The game plan was put in place, and off for his Big O adventure it was for Dave and his loyal band of followers. “We built a body for it, and I talked with Tim Snyder on details, what to run, where to get n and get off, all the stuff I needed.”
The pre-race numbers proves false, one where Dave had to step back and take notice when he got here. “I pull through the gates, and there were 43 cars here,” Dave said, remembering the numbing feeling he had looking at a pit area full of Classic hopefuls. “Realistically, if I knew there would be 43 cars here, I probably wouldn’t have even tried it.”
Saturday didn’t start out all that great for the Tilton resident. “I had problems with the rear end in time trials. We broke the half shaft to the quick change gear. We also went out the first round with stickers, and everyone else went out with scuffs. First day, I timed 23rd fast, which was ok, I was good with it.”
It was in to Sunday, the biggest single day in supermodified racing. Maladies continued for the #12, as Dave picks it up from there. “Sunday, the rear end broke. Time trials come, and it pops out of gear. I’m holding it in gear with my left hand and driving with my right. We just missed it, which I didn’t figure was too bad one handed. We only missed it by two tenths.”
It was on to the Bud Light Consi for Sanborn, as he had an outside front row starting spot for the last chance qualifier. The green came out, and the #12 went out to the lead. “I got to the lead, and kept looking around each side looking for someone to show me a wheel. Ok guys, where are you, I kept asking myself. It was my first time without a wing. I really didn’t have any idea what I was doing.”
“Tim Snyder gave me the biggest help,” Dave said with gratitude. “He helped me with where to get on, and get off, so it was now time to just hit my marks and focus. Halfway through, I drove in one and there was Tim, on the hubrail giving me the thumbs up and spreading his arms wide, so I figured I had a big lead. Do I slow down and save my stuff? I went three laps easy, and that’s when they caught me. Now, I was screwing up, it was time to get back to what I was doing. I took the white, still nobody showing me a wheel.”
“I get to one, and the guy was holding out the yellow,” Dave said as his voice picked up. “You’ve got to be me kidding me! Ok, time to restart, keep it calm and keep a good pace. I don’t like it when people play games, so I wasn’t going to play any games. It was on to the checkers, and it was just so cool.”
The ovation Dave received when he got out of his car and given the checkered flag was the loudest at the speedway all weekend. Here he was, a guy that just a year ago was a bleacher creature having a great time out back, and now here he was, just a year later, in victory lane on Classic Sunday. Does it get any better than that? The fans in attendance knew they had just experienced one of those “Kodak Moments”, and gave the most thunderous approval of the weekend for their newest favorite driver.
“Winning the Consi was cool for me, but it was pretty cool for all the people that I know, Dave explained. “The people sitting back there loved it, it was really cool, it was just such a proud moment. It really was a special race.”
Winning the Consi was great, with the celebration and electricity that went along with it, but it was on with the show. “I didn’t know what to do for the 200,” Dave relayed. “Mike Ordway Sr. and Scotty Martel came up to me, and asked me if I knew what I had done, or knew what to do. I told them, I had no idea. They jumped in and helped me get ready for the big show. I really want to thank them for everything they did, that was really great of them.”
Pre-race pageantry for the Classic is second to none in the supermodified world. That wasn’t lost on a rookie in the 200. “The driver intro’s were cool,” Dave remembered. All the cars lined up on the track, starting 34th and seeing everything ahead of you, all the pageantry, the pictures as you line up next to your car, everything is just great. It was like the Indy 500 when you were a kid, watching it all and taking it all in. I just kept thinking how cool it was.”
On to the race. “I looked over and saw Louie LeVea there, and had time so I went over and introduced myself to him. I told him I was going to take it easy on the start, and stay high and not run over me. We chatted for a bit, and it was race time.”
The green came out, and Dave was in the biggest race of his life. “About 20 laps on, the rear end began screwing up again, and I got it back into gear. The leaders were going by me, and at one point I was third on the grid on a restart. I just fell back, as that wasn’t the place I wanted to be in. The guys kept giving me the thumbs up, as I waved everyone by. Lap 68, the cable messed up, and I was done. It’s not like I was going to go around Dave McKnight on the outside. It was time to call it a day, with the car in one piece and enjoy our accomplishment. We had a good day, a great weekend, and made our first Classic!”
Classic number two for “Super” Dave Sanborn lies ahead. “Hopefully, there will be 24-26 cars again this year,” he joked. “Seriously though, we’ll be back. It’s the greatest race around, and we were very proud to be part of it last year. We’ll be back to defend our Classic Consi title, but hopefully we wont have to race in that one. It would be great to make it in one of the time trial days, not to be in that race, if we didn’t have to be.”
Wife Kristen is the charter member of the Dave Sanborn Fan Club, while 15 year old son Cody is right there with dad as well. The loyal crew consists of Joe, Johnny, Scott, Kim, Dave, Justin, and Cody, and they will have the #12 in tip top shape as race weekend gets underway.
Swisset Tool Company, Posco Inc., NAPA of Laconia, Bone Head Designs, and Rusty’s Towing are the sponsors that help fray expenses for Dave.
Dave Sanborn is one of the guys that’s the heart and soul of supermodified racing. To prove that, just listen to the ovation he gets when he is introduced at the speedway. He’s a supermodified guy through and through, and gives his heart and soul for the sport he loves. He summed Classic Weekend up best when he said, “I got a taste of that, I really want to go back for that!” Dave will not only be back, but looks to move up the charts in the final standings of the 2009 International Classic.
