Jul 4, 2020 03:36 PM EDT

MATT SHEPPARD DOES IT AGAIN AT OUTLAW SPEEDWAY

WITH THE WIN HE STRETCHES HIS 2020 MODIFIED POINT ADVANTAGE.

Ajay Potrzebowski in American Racer Tire Sportsman, Zach Sobotka in Hoosier Tire Sportsman, Glen Whritenour in Street Stocks, Bob Doolittle in 4 Cylinders, Marc Minutolo in Hobby Stocks all double up in the feature win column.  Brad Smith bags first of the season in IMCA Modifieds.  Blake Parsons breaks Decker win streak in Bandit Division.

Story by Kenny Shupp Jr.  PR Director.

(Dundee, NY) With the Outlaw Speedway remaining under grandstand lockdown as per New York State Governor and Health Department requirements the show went on for the fifth consecutive week. The track bolstered its biggest car count of the year with one hundred twenty machines checking in for the Super 7 Event and under a full moonlit night it was action a plenty in all the regular classes of competition.  The Upstate Region continues to experience a lengthy dry spell making it difficult at best for all track preparation crews as they fight more than ideal drying conditions, however track owner, Tyler Siri and his staff continue to provide a fast racing surface for the competitors.

In the Friendly Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep Ram Modified Division the largest field of the season, twenty-two machines, took the opening green flag after a patriotic four abreast parade lap while fireworks dotted the infield area.  This provided a handsome backdrop for those attending in the pit area as well as the many viewers at home watching the action live on Dirt Track Digest.TV.

A pair of cautions on laps one and two slowed the pace, however it was a bone jarring crash on lap three that eliminated some four machines and sent countless others to the pit area for repairs.  It all began when the machine of Chris Ostrowski became disabled in the middle of the back stretch and with the pack bearing down sent everyone scrambling.  The machine of Greg Birosh was the first to get swept up along with Brady Fultz, Kyle Coffey, Steve Paine and others with Paine the only one to continue.  After a lengthy clean-up, the Birosh machine was cradled back to the pit area suffering the most damage with severe front-end damage to both the Coffey and Fultz machines.  On the restart Derrick Podsiadlo took off from his pole position and let the opening ten laps before Danny Johnson made a bold move passing both Podsiadlo and then second place running, Tyler Siri to take over the top spot.  “The Doctor” was showing the kind of clout that landed in the DIRT Motorsports Hall of Fame as he stretched his advantage as another yellow flag would come out ln lap fifteen.  By that point, Super Matt Sheppard was slicing his way thru the field once again using the bottom of the speedway to pass cars at will from his sixth row starting spot.  On the restart, Sheppard disposed of the second-place machine and set sail for leader, Johnson in what would prove to be a classic battle between the two veterans.  The fans tuning in at home got their moneys worth over the next seven laps as The Doctor on the berm and Super Matt on the bottom would duke it out for the win.  Sheppard continued to dig deep on the bottom with Johnson pounding the cushion, but on lap twenty-two Super Matt lived up to his name as he was able to clear The Doctor and take control.  Another yellow on lap twenty-three would give Johnson one more shot at Sheppard, but it would not happen as Super Matt opened up a sizeable advantage and would cruise to his fourth consecutive win of the season after finishing second to Alan Johnson on opening night.  The Doctor would hold on for the runner-up spot followed across the line by a hard charging Justin Wright who perhaps put on the drive of the night.  Wright, who started in row eight after a subpar qualifying heat was able to hit the set up to perfection for the thirty-lap feature and wound up having his best finish of the season.  Boss Man, Tyler Siri put on another steady performance to finish fourth at the finish as he was able hold off his son, Jordan who rounded the top finishers making all three of the Tyler Siri owned cars finishing in the top five spots.  For Jordan Siri, who makes the long drive every Friday from his home in the Albany area to race each week, it was another strong performance making the long haul worthwhile.  

Friendly Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram Modified heat wins went to Matt Sheppard, Cory Costa and Jordan Siri

The Sunrise insulation American Racer Tire Crate Sportsman feature would be the best event of the night as a perfect green to checkered run in the twenty-five lap feature would find pole sitter, Ajay Potrzebowski leading throughout the entire distance in claiming his second feature win of 2020.  After winning on opening night, Potrzebowski has been shut out of victory lane, but on this night he proved to be way to strong as only the machine of Karl Comfort was able to mount any kind of a challenge for the race leader.  Comfort was able to show his car on the inside of Potrzebowski on only one occasion forcing him to grab and extra gear and drive away from the rest of the field.  At the checkered, in an event run off in record time it was Ajay Potrzebowski claiming the win with 2017 Track Champion, Comfort in second.  Alex Payne continues to impress racing in both Sportsman Divisions as he claimed the third and final podium spot.  Zach Sobotak, who like Payne does double duty in Crate Sportsman action came home for fourth at the finish as he was followed across the line by 2018 Track Champion, Chris Fisher.

Sunrise Insulation American Racer Tire Sportsman heat wins went to Potrzebowski, Comfort and Lance Erwin.

In the companion Hoosier Tire Crate Sportsman Division, it was Zach Sobotka picking up his second win of the season after a hard-fought battle with Alex Payne.  For third generation pilot, Payne it appeared like he was well on his way to claiming his first win of the year in the class after his first feature win ever at Outlaw the week prior in American Racer Tire action, however a late race caution allowed Sobotka one last shot at the high flying Payne.  On the restart, Payne went right back to his customary position of pushing the cushion while Sobotka ran the bottom of the banking.  Coming for the double checkers, Sobotka would gain the momentum exiting thru four and in a drag race to the finish line would just nip Payne for the win and his second trip to victory lane after winning earlier in the season on June 12.  Following the pair across the line was third place Tommy Collins Jr., while Travis Grover and Zach George would round out the top five finishers with Payne, Sobotka and Grover all doing double duty each week in Crate Sportsman action.  

Hoosier Tire Sportsman heat winners were Sobotka, AJ Lloyd and Grover.

Glen Whritenour made short work of the Stan’s No Tubes Street Stock feature event as the veteran competitor and two time Outlaw Speedway Track Champion would dispose of then race leader, Aksel Jensen on lap seven of the twenty lap feature and cruise to the victory.  An anxious moment on lap two would find front runner, Jared Hill getting turned into the front straight a way concrete collecting several other machines.  Hill along with CJ Guererri would go to the pits for quick repairs, restart at the back and charge back thru the field.  Two more quick caution flags on laps thirteen and nineteen would slow Whritenours pace, however he was the class of the field on the night and with the win made it two feature wins on the season.  Last weeks winner, Jake Karlnoski started in the sixth position, ran in the top five throughout and made a late race rally in tracking down Whritenour, however the third generation pilot would have to settle for second with Aksel Jensen putting on a steady drive to nail the third spot.  Jared Hill recovered nicely after the earlier event trip to the pits to claim fourth as first night competitor, Shawn Boyton rounded the top five.

Heat wins in the Stan’s No Tubes Street Stocks were picked up by Whritenour and Karlnoski.  

“Bad Brad” Smith lived up to his name as he put a good old-fashioned butt kicking on the IMCA Modified feature field.  Coming into the event, 2018 Track Champion, Rodney Morgan was making the Outlaw Speedway his personal sand box, but on this night it was Brad Smith who would start sixth, make some nifty moves early on take the top spot away from Nichole Spaulding and drive away from the field.  Morgan, who had a perfect four wins in a row coming into the event would start right behind Bad Brad on the opening grid, but was unable to keep pace and late in the event experienced some mechanical problems relegating him to a sixth place finish.  Trey Palmer, making his first start of the year at Outlaw started the twenty lap feature in the fifth row, put on a steady drive, passed the second and third place machines of Nichole Spaulding and Kevin Smith late in the event and rode home for second.  Lady racer, Spaulding continues to impress in IMCA Modified action as she finished third followed across the line by Kevin Smith and Rick Watt.

IMCA Modified heat wins were claimed by Kevin Smith and Nicole Spaulding.  

In the companion IMCA Hobby Stock feature Marc Minutolo took full advantage of his outside pole position starting spot, jump into the lead, hold off a determined pack of hard chargers and pick up his second win of the 2020 campaign.  The two time and defending Hobby Stock Track Champion had the field covered from start to finish as he led all twenty laps, but the race that kept everyone’s attention was from second on back as first time competitor on the season, Jack Ayers, Jeremy Trank, Justin Eldredge and Bruce Kinner were the show.  With three- time feature winner, Wayne Ellison finding mechanical problems and loosing a couple laps he was out of the picture thus setting the stage for perhaps a new face to find victory lane.  However, Minutolo was the class of the field as he cruised to the win with Trank getting past Ayers late in the race to claim the runner-up spot.  For veteran driver, Ayers who has competed in numerous different classes at the Outlaw Speedway throughout his career it was a hard fought third place run as he was able to hold off Justin Eldredge and Bruce Kinner who completed the top five finishers.

Hobby Stock heats went to Trank and Ayers.

The Mighty 4 Cylinders were the last feature on the night and Bob Doolittle used a power move at the drop of the opening green flag to move from third row starting position to gain the lead before the pack had even exited turn two.  From their Doolittle was not to be denied his second feature win of the season after an opening night victory as he led all twenty laps.  Shawn Bunn has been on a mission winning the last three feature events and once he cleared traffic set his sights on the high -flying Doolittle.  Bunn drew the ninth starting position and methodically worked his way past several quality machines before getting to the second spot and with still several laps remaining looked poised to make it four wins in a row.  But Doolittle had other plans and kicked his machine into overdrive and rode home for the win by a couple car lengths over Bunn.  The Lehman Father/Son duo were once again in full flight with son Scott Jr. taking the third spot in his Front Wheel Drive 4 Cylinder as he held off first time competitor, JJ Kriedler who came from tenth to finish fourth as he was able to hold off the elder Lehman Sr. who crossed the line in fifth.

4 Cylinder heats were won by Lee Fritz and Scott Lehman Jr.  

The opening night feature event saw the Winner’s Circle Deli Bandits taking to the Outlaw Speedway and in dominating fashion, Blake Parsons was able to beat the undefeated Ethan Decker to claim his first feature win of the year.

Congratulations again to all competitors.

Coming up next Friday, July 10 at the Outlaw Speedway it will once again be a Super 7 Show featuring all the regular weekly classes. As of this writing unless something changes as per Governor Cuomo’s directive the grandstands will remain closed, however pit admission is available as well as Pay Per View on Dirt Track Digest.TV.

To stay abreast of the ever changing schedule of events simply follow along on www.Facebook.com/OutlawSpeedwayLLC/.  

For a current listing of the points as well as all other valuable information pertaining to the track go to www.outlawspeedwayllc.com.  

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