May 17, 2026 07:56 PM EDT
SUPER MATT SHEPPARD DOUBLES UP AT OUTLAW SPEEDWAY IN MODIFIED FEATURE ACTION ON LELAND HARRIS INC. NIGHT
Tim Guild wins Sportsman feature. Jimmy Grant makes it 3 trips to victory lane in 2026.
Craig Decamp remains undefeated in Mini’s and Mr. Smooth, Marc Minutolo claims first of season in Hobby Stock Division.
Story by Kenny Shupp Jr.
(Dundee, NY) After showing great consistency during April’s Month of Money at Outlaw Speedway and even though he was kept out of victory lane, Matt Sheppard showed why he is a multi-time Outlaw Speedway Modified Track Champion when the points are on the line as he picked up his second straight point paying feature event
However, it did not come easy for the former Seneca Falls driver who now resides in Savannah, NY as he had to pass a bunch of good cars including the likes of Doctor Danny Johnson, Tyler Siri, Bobby Varin and Brady Fultz on his way to victory in the Friendly Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram Modified 30 lap feature.
Bossman Tyler Siri and Tommy Paine would bring the seventeen-car field to the opening green with Siri getting the early jump and leading lap one before the first of three caution flags would slow down the pace.
On the restart, Siri once again regained control, but after a lap seven re-start, he was overhauled by Defending Track Champion, Michael Maresca of Baldwinsville who stormed into the lead after lining up in spot seven on the grid.
Maresca would then hold court at the top of the heap through lap nineteen when the third and final yellow of the event waved for Maresca who headed pit side with a flat tire.
While Doc Johnson, Tyler Siri and Alex Payne were all battling for the lead, Super Matt Sheppard had worked into position three from his outside row four starting position and with Maresca now deep in the field after the quick pit stop it was Sheppard charging into the lead and from there he would open a comfortable distance between himself and Johnson.
With just a handful of laps remaining and Sheppard out in front a real dog fight was emerging between Johnson, Siri, Payne and Jeff Daugherty who had just entered the picture and with the laps running out that is how they would finish at Raymond Kennerup’s double checkered flags with Sheppard picking up win two on the season followed by The Doctor of Modified Racing Danny Johnson who would go on to claim the runner-up spot after racing in the second spot throughout the entire distance.
Alex Payne would clear Siri in the closing laps to stand on the podium along with teammate Johnson while Sheppard, who pilots another Sunrise Insulation sponsored machine making it a sweep for Big Boy Motorsports.
For Bossman Tyler Siri finishing fourth had to be a victory of sorts as the 11th year owner/promoter of the Outlaw Speedway has struggled mightily thus far in 2026 having had nothing but problems including wrecks, flat tires and other mechanical issues keeping the veteran Horseheads driver from having more up-front finishes and wins.
Second gen Elmira pilot, Jeffer Daugherty has been nothing short of a picture of consistency all season and this week was no exception as he was mired deep in the field in the thirteenth starting slot, played the trio of caution flags to perfection and made some great moves coming through traffic to wind up rounding the top five at the finish.
Twenty-five Knapp and Schlappi Crate Sportsman took to the Fast 4/10 of a Mile Oval to do battle in their twenty-five-lap feature event and it was Tim Guild of Addison along with Watkin Glen, NY Rookie of the Year contender, Craig Gardner leading the charge off the drop of the opening green.
The first of what seemed like never ending yellow flags (5 total) appeared on the opening lap and on the restart, Donnie Lawson showed his years of experience in both Sportsman and Modified action as he lead frogged from starting spot seven into the runner-up spot and from there he would be a thorn in Guild’s butt the entire distance.
Lap after lap, caution after caution Lawson had Guild in the cross hairs, but Guild who like Lawson has decades of experience in open wheel Modifieds and Sportsman would not succumb to the pressure and was able to hold on for his first feature of the season after Blake Parsons picked up last week’s season points opener.
Following Guild and Lawson across the line was yet another ageless veteran who has had his share of stints in Modified and Sportsman competition, Dale Welty who advanced from eighth to complete the top three podium.
Young teenage Sportsman phenom, Chris Darling kept the leaders within range all race long and finished fourth after lining up in the fifth starting spot as he was chased across the line by Brent Ayers who used the numerous caution flags to his advantage keeping close tabs on the lead group and rounded the top five finishers.
The Swarthout Recycling Street Stocks were up next on the nightly agenda as Eli Mangiarelli and 2025 Class Rookie of the Year and one-time 2026 feature winner, Willy Easling would bring the dozen car field to the opening green with Eli getting the jump.
The lone yellow flag of the event would wave on the opening lap but from there it was a clean and green run to the checkered flag as Mangiarelli would set a blistering pace in his Schyler Family Facing 57j however he was overhauled by Corning’s Brett Crawford to who take control on lap ten, however his tenure at the top of the heap would be short lived as Crawford exited the track on lap eleven handing the lead to Jimmy Grant and from there the two-time 2026 feature winner was on his way to claiming win three on the season, with his win on this night and his first of the point paying season.
Last week’s winner, Glenn Whritenour of Jasper started the twenty-lap affair outside row three and made it up to third but that is far as he would go as Grant would lead the entire second half of the feature.
Mangiarelli had his best performance ever in a Street Stock in claiming the runner-up spot with Glenn Whritenour completing the top three after lining up sixth on the start.
Fourth and fifth went to Beaver Dams native, Willy Easling and Jerry Lobdell Jr. who has been a picture of consistency thus far in the early part of the 2026 season.
MR Grafix 4 Cylinder Mini Stocks were on track for their scheduled twenty-lap feature, and the opening line-up would see Lee Fritz and Jayson Smart lead the field to green with Smart immediately showing his muscle and taking control of the event.
A pair of caution flags on laps two and three would slow the pace and keep the field bunched, but on each restart, Smart was able to hold off challenges by Craig Decamp who was looking to nail down the win and keep his unbeaten streak alive having won a pair of April events.
Decamp would begin the night outside the fourth starting row and by lap eight had passed Smart and took command and from there it was on cruise control.
One final caution flag which would turn into a red flag situation was on lap fifteen for a potentially injured competitor having complaining of a leg injury, but on the ensuing green flag re-start, Decamp was once again to much to handle and no matter how hard Jayson Smart tried he was no match for Decamp who picked up the win on the first point paying show for the class this season.
Former Champ, Smart of Branchport had to settle for second place after a very consistent run with invader, Orion Dajnowicz going about his business very quietly lining up fourteenth on the opening start, advancing past several good cars and drivers to finish third capping off a brilliant run.
Completing the top five were Lee Fritz and young lady contender, Courtney Thomas of Jasper who advanced from ninth in a significant effort.
The best feature many have been saved for last as the Addison, Corning, Hornell, Wellsville NAPA Hobby Stocks would wrap up the Fast 5* Show.
The two best in class would find Mr. Smooth Marc Minutolo and 2025 Track Champion, Danny Kerrick lead the twelve car field to green with Minutolo getting the jump and leading the first three circuits before The Nature Boy, Mike Stone of Campbell would take away the lead which he would hold on till the halfway mark before Danny Kerrick would assume control .
A trio of yellow flags on laps one, seven and thirteen would keep the event slowed down, but once in front it looked like Kerrick was on his way to keeping his undefeated streak in tack having won a pair of events in April’s Month of Money.
However, for the many time Outlaw Speedway Hobby Stock Track Champion, Minutolo was not going down without a fight as the two titans in the class would go at it for the remaining handful of laps with Minutolo making one last attempt at Kerrick on the last lap and it would stick as Mr. Smooth would go on the victory with Kerrick having to settle for a disappoint runner-up finish, but still a good point paying start to the 2026 season.
Completing the podium was Jared Hill who put on a masterful performance coming from twelfth at the start.
Fourth place was picked up by Mike Stone who after starting third and leading early would drift late with eleventh place starter, Brighton Grant like Jared Hill putting on a clinic in rounding the top five.
Congratulations to all competitors.
For the second straight year, Leland Harris Inc. of Lindley, NY would sponsor School Bus Races Night and like they have all season a massive crowd was in attendance enjoying the night of competition.
For the Modifieds, Crate Sportsman and Street Stocks it was their second point show of the year as the Hobby and Mini Stocks competed in their first point paying event of 2026.
Next Friday, May 22, 2026, it will be the Annual Gary Montgomery Memorial Event where the unofficial start to the Summer of 2026 begins.
A Regular FAST 5* Show will await anxious drivers and fans.
All gate times, admission prices, hot laps and start times along with plenty of other valuable information will be posted throughout the upcoming week and will be posted at www.Facebook.com/OutlawSpeedwayLLC/.
FRIENDLY CHRYSLER, DODGE, JEEP, RAM MODIFIEDS. 17 cars.
A Feature 1 (30 Laps): 1. 9S-Matt Sheppard[8]; 2. 27J-Danny Johnson[3]; 3. 19G-Alex Payne[9]; 4. 5*-Tyler Siri[1]; 5. 22JZ-Jeff Daugherty[13]; 6. 82S-Will Shields[15]; 7. 007X-Bobby Varin[5]; 8. 70-Brady Fultz[4]; 9. 21G-Aiden Grover[12]; 10. 7MM-Mike Maresca[7]; 11. 713-Tommy Collins[6]; 12. 19W-Justin Wright[17]; 13. 42P-Pat Ward[16]; 14. 57-Pat Kelly[10]; 15. 6-Tommy Paine[2]; 16. M13-David Matwiejow[11]; 17. 2B-Ron Cartwright Jr[14]
KNAPP AND SCHLAPPI LUMBER CRATE SPORTSMAN. 25 cars.
A Feature 1 (25 Laps): 1. 06-Tim Guild[1]; 2. 118-Donnie Lawson[7]; 3. 123-Dale Welty[8]; 4. 714-Chris Darling[5]; 5. 5-Brent Ayers[9]; 6. 41-Josh Nobriga[15]; 7. 87-Collin Brown[4]; 8. 21J-Justin Liechti[11]; 9. 55-Blake Parsons[12]; 10. 1F-AJ Lloyd[6]; 11. 84-Colton Coots[14]; 12. 181-Justice Mayo[13]; 13. 27B-Quintin Buchanan[23]; 14. 88T-Scot Torbitt[19]; 15. 4R-Bryan Rhoads[17]; 16. 1-Steve Lead[3]; 17. 13K-Daryl Krebs[10]; 18. 11J-Braylon Lawson[20]; 19. M3-MJ Weber[22]; 20. 14G-Craig Gardner[2]; 21. 11-Cayden Lawson[24]; 22. 44M-Teddy Morseman Jr[16]; 23. 22K-Kevin DeCamp[18]; 24. 88-Frank Guererri[25]; 25. (DNS) 17-Mikenna Buchanan
SWARTHOUT RECYCLING STREET STOCKS. 12 cars.
A Feature 1 (20 Laps): 1. 36-Jimmy Grant[5]; 2. 57J-Ely Mangiarelli[1]; 3. 15-Glenn Whritenour[6]; 4. 28-Willy Easling[2]; 5. 2L-Jerry Lobdell Jr[4]; 6. 25J-Joe Giardina[8]; 7. 7-Gene Sharpsteen[7]; 8. 9-Aksel Jensen[11]; 9. 79-Adam Leubner[10]; 10. 12-John Burritt[9]; 11. 99-Kenny Hunt[12]; 12. 8-Brett Crawford[3]
ADDISON, CORNING, HORNELL, WELLSVILLE NAPA HOBBY STOCKS. 12 cars.
A Feature 1 (20 Laps): 1. 25B-Marc Minutolo[2]; 2. 61-Danny Kerrick[1]; 3. 93-Jared Hill[12]; 4. 23-Mike Stone[3]; 5. 36X-Brighton Grant[11]; 6. 36K-Keegan Smith[7]; 7. 3X-Meadow Dgien[5]; 8. 21B-William Bradley[8]; 9. 3-Jesse Ballance[4]; 10. 81-Justin Lovejoy[9]; 11. 89-RJ Mathews[6]; 12. (DNS) X36-Don Slover
MR GRAFIX MINI STOCKS. 17 cars.
A Feature 1 (20 Laps): 1. 22C-Craig Decamp[8]; 2. 8-Jayson Smart[2]; 3. 49-Orion Dajnowicz[14]; 4. 19-Lee Fritz[1]; 5. 44M-Courtney Thomas[9]; 6. 40-Ricky VanZile[13]; 7. 22-Zach Daugherty[7]; 8. 11X-Glenn Vancise[10]; 9. 52J-Jack Ormsby[5]; 10. 15-Marvin Jenkins[16]; 11. 61-Timathy Hendrikx[11]; 12. 21X-Mike Ayers[4]; 13. 63-Gavin Hall[17]; 14. 9-Kolston DeCamp[12]; 15. 27-Kenneth Evans[3]; 16. 00-Michael Dickerson[6]; 17. (DNS) 23-Mike Stone
