SWIFT WINS HIS SECOND INTERNATIONAL CLASSIC

OSWEGO VALLEY NEWS - THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1963

Nolan Swift made a great stab at the 1963 Oswego Speedway driver-point championship, but, after setting a record by winning four successive features, including the Mid-Summer Championship, he was mathematically eliminated by Dave Paul, who finished the season with 306 markers, to claim his first title. Swift, however, gained his objective before over 10,000 spectators Sunday, Sept. 22, when the Syracusan piloted his nationally- famous 10-Pins to victory in the mammoth International Classic, to earn the biggest slice of an overall $15,000 plus purse. The Classic, as most racing fans are aware, is the chief objective of the top throttlers from the entire eastern United States and Canada, and is the richest race of its kind in the entire nation. Paul finished fifth in No. 21, with Gordon Johncock (85), Art Bennett (14) and Sam Sessions (151) placing between the two in the order listed. So, actually, Swift and Paul, the latter of Berrien Springs, Mich., split the top racing honors for 1963 and this pair also enjoyed the most successful financial coups, with Paul presented a $1,400 bonus during Sunday's program, with the management making the presentation in recognition of Paul'3 season-long outstanding performances. Swift, of course, was enriched $3,000 for first place money in the Classic and additional earnings, the gifts of several companies and individuals in the business field, upped Swift's awards to over $3,500. Other drivers, including Bennett, Johncock and Sessions, along with Irish Jack Murphy, Ken Fisher, Bud Johnson, Norm Mackereth, Jim Shampine, Bucky Bucholtz, Dick Jerrett, Sr., Bobby Baker, Jim Gresley, Ronnie Wallace, Graeme Bolia, Don Diffendorf, Peppy Cone, Bob Reitz, Billy Blum, Nolan Johncock, Paul Clark, Casey Jones, Ken Bartholomew and Wayne Landon, among others, all enjoyed their moments in the sun. Sunday's International Classic concluded the Oswego Speedway season for 1963.