Sep 13, 2020 11:05 AM EDT

HURRICANE STEVE PAINE PICKS UP THE WIN IN FIRST EVENT OF THE OUTLAW SPEEDWAY FALL SERIES

Donnie Lawson and Alex Payne take Sportsman features.  Guererri in Street Stocks, Minutolo wins Hobby Stocks and Webster takes Mini Stock feature.

Story by Kenny Shupp Jr.

(Dundee, NY) After a one week break it was back to business at the Outlaw Speedway as track owner, Tyler Siri opened the facility to round one of the all new Fall Series at the Yates County facility.  

With one hundred-five machines in the pit area representing the six classes of competition the Hoosier Tire Sportsman Division was the first feature to take to the recently widened and resurfaced Outlaw Speedway for their twenty-five-lap event.  Third generation pilot, Alex Payne picked right back up where he left off by claiming the feature win, his fourth in the class during the 2020 season.  Payne, who was also victorious two weeks ago before the break found the new surface much to his liking as he stormed into the lead from his inside row two starting position and never looked back in claiming the win.  Payne, who is one of several drivers that races in both Sportsman Divisions has found the extra seat time valuable in accelerating his young career along and with one win earlier this season on the American Racer Tires shows his diversification on both tire brands.  Payne was followed across the line by Andrew Jacobson who in a rare Outlaw Speedway appearance followed Payne thru traffic from his third row starting position to claim the runner up spot while 2020 Sunrise Insulation American Racer Tire Track Champion, Karl Comfort bolted on the Hoosier Tires, started eighth and came home for third at the finish.  AJ Lloyd had perhaps the drive of the event by starting twelfth and advanced eight positions claiming fourth while Stacy Jackson lined up tenth and rounded out the top five.

In the companion American Racer Tire Sportsman Division presented by Sunrise Insulation Donnie Lawson showed that he hasn’t lost his touch at Outlaw Speedway wheeling a Crate Sportsman machine as he moved into the lead from his third row starting spot and claimed the twenty-five-lap feature go.  The racing schoolteacher who resides in Addison, NY normally runs his Modified when coming to Outlaw, but on this night opted to compete in the Sportsman Division and it was a wise choice as he would claim the win.  Likewise, Kenny Peoples Jr., who also resides in Addison came well prepared and without racing at Outlaw since his win in last year’s Dutch Hoag Memorial Sportsman event finished right behind Lawson in the runner-up spot after lining up fourth on the opening grid. The back and forth, see saw battle between Lawson and Peoples wasn’t determined till late in the going with Lawson picking up the win.  One-time 2020 feature event winner, Billy Paine advanced nine positions from his outside row six starting position and rounded out the top three podium finishers at the double checkered flags.  Chris Fisher put on another steady performance to claim fourth while Ajay Potrzebowski Jr. ran with the lead pack all race long and rounded out the top five at the finish.

A top-notch field of some twenty-two machines lined up for the Friendly Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram Modified thirty lap feature event including a who’s who list of many high-profile drivers in the northeast. The going was as bit tough for the Mod Squad as a bone jarring wreck and subsequent extended red flag during the event eliminated many of the more dominate cars including those of Brady Fultz, Danny Johnson and Kyle Coffey.  Fultz had a left rear tire let go and from there it was madness as he was hit hard by no less than three other cars literally destroying the rear end of his potent #70 machine.  The Doctor, Danny Johnson suffered equally as much frontend damage on his modified.  Likewise, Coffey had irreparable damage and was done for the night.  In a separate incident, Super Matt Sheppard barrel rolled his machine several times entering the turn one area.  Although Sheppard’s car ended up on all four wheels, he too had significant damage to his #9s.  With many of the top teams out of the event it made The Hurricane, Steve Paine’s life a whole lot easier as he was well in front of any instances having drawn pill four and lined up in the second row at the start of the event.  In clean air Paine could pick and choose his lines and would go on to his third win of 2020 at the track that he once dominated during the 358 Modified. He was followed across the line by Ron Cartwright Jr. who had his best finish at the speedway in recent memory after having much early season success as a top five regular.  Cartwright lined up fifteenth at the start, stayed out of trouble and came home in the runner-up spot putting on perhaps the drive of the night.   Jim LaRock, piloting one of car owner Herbie Wright’s modifieds on this night as LaRock’s mount is down with engine woes finished third at the completion as he was chased across the line by Jordan Siri who raced with the leaders all event and came across the line in fourth.  Like Cartwright before him, Derrick Podsiadlo also lined up in the eighth starting row, avoided the big wreck and came home for his best finish of the 2020 campaign by rounding out the top five after a regular season full of nothing but problems and bad luck.  

The Stan’s No Tubes Street Stocks has been the playground for 2020 Track Champion, Glen Whritenour who dominated the regular season action.  However, during the first event of the all new Outlaw Speedway Fall Series it was a different story for the man who won nine regular season feature events.  With GW drawing the third starting position it was a foregone conclusion that he would cruise to another win at the Yates County oval.  However, that was not the case as he had problems and wound up finishing deep in the field.  This left the door wide open for a host of other very capable drivers including June 12 feature winner, CJ Guererri who lined up sixth, moved to the front and never looked back in taking the victory in the twenty lap A Main event.  For Guererri it ended an exceptionally long dry spell as he was followed across the finish line by Jimmy Grant who had to start deep having lined up ninth in the fourteen-car field.  Like Grant, Kane Stebbins also started in the fifth row, put on a steady drive towards the front and wound up third.  Brandon Birdsell drew the pole position, ran with the lead pack the entire distance and finished fourth, but it was Quinn Sutherland who would wind up advancing the most positions.  The opening night winner lined up thirteenth at the start, moved nicely thru traffic and rounded out the top five at the finish.  

The IMCA Hobby Stocks found track regular Jamie Eldredge Jr. and invader Jeredd Dennis bringing the fourteen-car field to the opening green flag.  Second row starter and three-time 2020 feature winner, Marc Minutolo wasted little time in moving to the front and from there the 2018/2019 Track Champion picked up the win in the twenty-lap thriller.  Dennis, a veteran of many different full fender classes during his career and a Woodhull Raceway Hobby Stock weekly competitor took full advantage of his outside pole starting spot and came away with the runner-up spot.  Shawn Lloyd lined up sixth at the start and advanced three spots to claim third at the finish as he was followed across the line by fourth place finisher Tyler Burnell.  Jeff Hand would put on the drive of the night as he advanced from the last starting row to round out the top finishers.  

The Might 4 Cylinder Mini Stocks completed the Super Six feature events with the usual mix of both front and rear wheel machines. With the noticeable absence of top runners Bob Doolittle, Scott Lehman Jr. and recently crowned 2020 Class Champion, Jeremy Bunn it left the dance floor wide open to a potentially new winner.  At the completion of the twenty-lap main event it was a pair of new faces claiming the top two spots.  Josh Webster was able to get his first win of the season as he was followed across the line by Jack Ormsby who nailed the runner-up spot.  Jayson Smart advanced forward three positions to claim third while as he would be followed across the line by Travis Webster and Chris Force who finished fourth and fifth.   

Congratulations to all competitors.  

Next Friday, September 18, 2020 it will be round two of the scheduled eight race Fall Series at the Outlaw Speedway.  The Friendly Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram Modifieds will headline the Super 6 Show accompanied by the Sunrise Insulation American Racer Sportsman as well as the Hoosier Tire Sportsman.  Also, on the card it will be the Stan’s No Tubes Street Stocks along with the IMCA Hobby Stocks and the Mighty 4 Cylinder Mini Stocks.

Pit gates open at 5:30, hot laps at 6:30 with the first green flag waving at 7:30 pm.

Continual updates leading up to the September 18 event can be found at www.Facebook.com/OutlawSpeedwayLLC/.  

All other information regarding the track can be obtained by logging on at www.outlawspeedwayllc.com.

As per New York State Health Department and Governor Cuomo’s Executive Order, grandstand seating is again non obtainable.  However, Pit access is available and for those who cannot attend high quality Pay Per View can be purchased by going to www.DirtTrackDigest.TV.

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