OSWEGO, NY (April 9, 2024) - Nineteen-year-old Cameron Rowe Jr. is the latest teenage driver to venture into the Pathfinder Bank SBS division at Oswego Speedway. As a second-generation racer, Rowe Jr. is determined to pursue 2024 Rookie of the Year honors with the former Haynes Racing 86.
Son of last year’s Mr. Pathfinder Bank SBS and former SBS Classic champion, Cameron Rowe, driver of the No. 77, Rowe Jr. has been engaged in racing since the age of 12, participating both on the track with go-karts as well as assisting his father in the pits at Oswego.
During three years of go-kart racing, Rowe Jr. competed at various tracks such as the Oswego Kartway, Moose Mountain, and Paradise Speedways. He secured victories in both the big and small pipe classes before shifting his focus to work and school at the age of 15.
Growing up at the race track, Rowe Jr. admits he always had aspirations of racing in the SBS class at Oswego Speedway. However, lack of funding has hindered any opportunities over the years.
Finally, last August brought the beginning of the opportunity Rowe Jr. had long awaited when he was asked to drive the 13X Super Stock for car owner Eric Howell in the Dave London Memorial on Classic Weekend.
The Red Creek High School graduate, who is now spending his days working in construction and demolition alongside his Dad, quickly jumped at the chance to get back behind the wheel.
“We were all just sitting in the garage and Eric gave me an opportunity and asked me if I wanted to drive it,” Rowe Jr. said “It was really fun figuring things out during the week, and getting used to the race car. Things came naturally to me and it wasn’t as intimidating as I expected. I tested on Tuesday of Classic and I think the best lap I ran was 21.9. It was an indescribable feeling to finally get to run at Oswego.”
Ahead of Friday's race, one of the premier Super Stock events in the country, Rowe Jr. found himself starting from the back of the pack in his heat and unfortunately was caught in an early tangle after a couple of cars got together in front of him.
Quick repairs were made by the crew, and Rowe Jr. returned to the track starting from scratch in the Shirley Zacharias Shootout B-Main. Despite starting at the back, Cam quickly made his way through the field, aiming for a spot in the 50-lap main event.
However, the battery dislodged from the car, likely due to damage from the earlier incident, and forced Rowe Jr. back to the pits without power.
Despite the setback, Rowe Jr. was hooked. Reflecting on his first time driving at Oswego, he recalled, "I was addicted after driving the Super Stock. I even drove to the bank and tried for a loan to buy an SBS, but that is when we got talking about the Evans Mills deal and eventually we worked out a payment plan with Bryan Haynes where he agreed to let me pay off the car over the course of six months.”
Still keen on doing more driving before the 2023 season came to a close, Rowe Jr. explained, “By the end of Classic Weekend, my Dad and I were searching around for available cars, and Brad Haynes mentioned the 86. When we saw it was for sale, that’s when Dad contacted Bryan. I really enjoyed the Super Stock, but I wanted to try the SBS before purchasing it to see if I liked it. We agreed to take the car and fix it for the September race at Evans Mills after it got wrecked in the Oswego Classic. If we caused any more damage during the race, we committed to fixing that too."
As it turned out, just like with the Super Stock, Rowe Jr. appeared to have a knack for the SBS and quickly found competitive speed in both hot lap sessions. He backed it up with a solid heat race, narrowly missing the redraw for the John Burr Classic by just one spot.
In the 50-lap feature, Rowe Jr. pulled off several impressive passes and managed to dodge the wrecks ahead, climbing as high as eighth place at one point. However, mechanical issues once again held him back from a good finish.
“It was a good learning experience at Evans Mills and my mindset was pretty much the same as with the Super Stock. I tried to keep up with the pack and learn from some of the veteran guys,” Rowe Jr. said of his first start with the Small Block Super Championship Series. “I didn’t know if I was ever going to get to race this car again because I didn’t have any money, so I wanted to try to do the best I could and just be competitive, but it was pretty awesome racing with those guys that I’ve watched run against my Dad for a long time.”
Not only did Rowe Jr. rely on his Dad for driving tips throughout the afternoon, they also joined a rare group of father-son drivers, such as Denny and Matt Wheeler and Lou LeVea Sr. and Jr., to compete together in the SBS division.
“I think a big part of being competitive was watching Dad race for a long time,” mentioned Rowe Jr. “Seeing him race a lot at Evans Mills and where he would let off or get back onto the throttle helped me a lot and I just felt comfortable from the start. It was special to race with my Dad, but everything happened really fast and I was just trying to take it all in.”
Right now, the CRowe Racing camp is very busy. Father and son have just finished a brand new body on Cam Jr.'s SBS, to be numbered 87. He is also busy learning the mechanical aspects of the car as he prepares for a full season at the Oswego Speedway and on the Small Block Super Championship Series, with high hopes for Rookie of the Year honors.
“I’ve been working on picking up a lot of the stuff in the shop and the car is coming together for us. The main goal this season is Rookie of the Year,” offered Rowe Jr. “I think we can contend for Rookie of the Year, for sure. I just want to be able to run with the veteran guys, not wad the car up and roll it in the trailer every week, and hopefully at some point we can contend for top five finishes.”
This Sunday, April 14, CRowe Racing is hosting a Chicken BBQ and Pulled Pork Fundraiser at Lighthouse Lanes in Oswego to support both the No. 77 and 87 SBS teams. The event will run from noon until sold out, and takeout is available for a donation of just $15.
There will also be a 50/50, door prizes, and raffles, including for a 58” TV and surround sound system, inside the bowling alley located at 295 East Albany Street adjacent to the Speedway.
Oswego Speedway’s 73rd season of racing will take the green flag on Saturday, May 25th, with the 75-lap Jim Shampine Memorial for Novelis Supermodifieds, 35-lap Tony White Memorial for Pathfinder Bank SBS, and a 30-lap Memorial Day Weekend special for J&S Paving 350 Supers serving as the lid lifters.
The Speedway is very close to making 2024 ticket sales and driver registration available in a new portal on the track homepage.
For more information, stay connected with the Oswego Speedway online. Visit our website at OswegoSpeedway.com, FOLLOW us on Facebook or X / Twitter (@OswegoSpeedway), and also on Instagram (@OfficialOswegoSpeedway).
About Oswego Speedway: Oswego Speedway is a 5/8 mile semi-banked pavement racing oval located off the shores of Lake Ontario in scenic Oswego, NY. The speedway has been a continuously run weekly racing venue since August 1951. The premier open-wheel pavement short track cars in the world, Supermodifieds, run weekly at the Oswego Speedway making it the only weekly Supermodified racing venue in the world. The Small Block Supermodifieds and 350 Supermodifieds accompany the full blown Supers on a weekly Saturday night schedule which runs from May through September. Oswego Speedway is mentioned in racing circles as the “Indy of the East,” as no fewer than a dozen past and present competitors have competed at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway including Mario Andretti, two-time Indy 500 champion Gordon Johncock, and former International Classic Champions Bentley Warren, Joe Gosek, and Davey Hamilton.
- OSWEGO ADMIN on Apr 09, 2024
- Article Date: 4/9/2024