May 17, 2024 07:21 PM EDT
THURSDAY NIGHT THUNDER AT OUTLAW SPEEDWAY GOES TO THE BIG CAT AND AJAY JR.
Story by Kenny Shupp Jr.
(Dundee, NY) The Kubota High Limit 410 Sprint Car Series made its first appearance at the Outlaw Speedway a memorable experience as series co-owner/promoter, Brad Sweet was able to walk away with victory in the thirty- lap, $12,000 to win A Main event.
Dubbed as Thursday Night Thunder by Outlaw Speedway owner/promoter, Tyler Siri, the event lived up to all the hype as a standing room only crowd was treated to the twin card bill with the Friendly Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram Modified’s thirty-five lap feature claimed by Ajay Potrzebowski Jr.
Thirty-six of the High Limit 410 Sprints checked in for the night of action including an exceptionally good mixture of full- time High Limit followers along with Pa. Posse, Empire Super Sprint and CRSA competitors all looking for the $12,000 winner’s share.
Many of the High Limit regulars had never seen Outlaw Speedway prior to the May 16, 2024, event including Brad Sweet, however it did not take long for the Big Cat to take a liking to the Fast 4/10 of a Mile clay oval.
After making it into the Wheel Spin Dash where he finished third, Sweet was able to keep early race leader and 2023 Outlaw Speedway All Star winner, Zeb Wise and second place runner, James McFadden within striking distance as the trio distanced themselves from the remainder of the twenty-five car starting field after the opening green flag.
By the end of lap ten, Wise was still in command with a slight advantage over McFadden with Sweet rim riding the very top of the banking and closing ground on the lead duo and on lap fifteen Sweet was able to dispose of McFadden and on the following lap he made his move around the outside of Wise and would take control of the event.
From lap sixteen on it would be Brad Sweet’s race to lose as he was surrounded by extremely heavy lap traffic which allowed both Wise and McFadden to keep things close with 2023 All Star Outlaw Speedway feature winner, Sunshine Tyler Courtney now closing on the race leaders.
Courtney, who began the event lined up inside the third starting row was able to sneak by both McFadden and Wise by lap twenty and still had ten laps remaining to challenge Sweet for the race win.
With no cautions to slow the pace and lap cars mixed in through the lead pack Courtney was able to get within a couple car lengths of Sweet, however that is as close as he would get as the double checkered flags dropped ending the thirty- lap, green to checkered, eight minute feature.
For California native Brad Sweet it was the Big Cat’s first ever triumph in the state of New York in sixteen starts as he extended his point advantage over Courtney in the season long battle.
Courtney was less than a second back finishing second while Zeb Wise would complete the podium finishing spots.
James McFadden who would eventually finish fourth had to hold off a hard charging Anthony Macri who would complete the top five finishers and for Macri not only did he have a solid top finish, but he also set quick time earlier in the evening having never seen Outlaw Speedway prior to this night of competition.
Justin Peck would lead the charge of the next group of five across the line chased there by Corey Day, Spencer Bayston, Parker Price Miller with Brad Sweet’s car owner, Casey Kahne completing the top ten finishers.
As part of the twin bill which aired live on Flo Racing, the Friendly Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, Modified’s found twenty-four of the twenty-nine registered entries making the thirty-five-lap feature with a pair of young guns in Ajay Potrzebowski Jr. and Alex Payne bringing the field to green.
Potrzebowski would get the jump and lead the entire distance in an event which saw just one single caution flag with that coming on lap 24 for the third place running machine of Bobby Varin who went pit side for quick repairs as he was joined there by another top five runner in Alex Payne.
Matt Sheppard who has been a world beater over the past several years at Outlaw Speedway would line up in position nine for the feature event and was very quietly working his way through the field and by lap twenty-five was able to leapfrog past both Corey Costa and Jim LaRock to take over second and set his sights on the high-flying Ajay Potrzebowski Jr. who continued to set a torrid pace. With just a handful of laps remaining Sheppard had closed within five car lengths of Potrzebowski, but with no lap traffic in sight and no additional caution flags to tighten the field, Sheppard had to settle for a rare runner up finish to one of the rising stars in northeast racing circles in Ajay Potrzebowski Jr. who went on to score his second feature win at Outlaw in 2024.
Jim LaRock would begin the feature in the third position and that is right where he would finish putting in a solid performance after running as high as second. Two more young guns in Will Shields and Jeff Daugherty who both have previously won at Outlaw during their careers would complete the top five.
Kreg Crooker may have been the story of the night lining up fourteenth on the opening grid and with a brand-new team the former 602 Sportsman Modified standout driver in his freshman Modified season would put on masterful drive to finish sixth followed by Michael Maresca.
The Doctor of Modified Racing, Danny Johnson would begin the event buried in the twenty-second position and go on to nail eighth at the completion after a spirited battle with Maresca throughout the entire distance.
Jake Dgien would advance one spot from tenth to ninth at the double checkered flags with 2023 Modified Rookie of the Year, Tommy Collins Jr. rounding the top ten.
Congratulations to all competitors.
Up next at Outlaw Speedway the track will kick-off the Memorial Day Weekend with the Annual Gary Montgomery Memorial featuring the RUSH Crate Late Model Series in addition to a Regular 5 Star Show on Friday, May 24, 2024.
For more information leading up to the event go to www.Facebook.com/OutlawSpeedwayLLC/.
KUBOTA HIGH LIMIT 410 SPRINT CAR SERIES. 36 cars.
Qualifying heats. James McFadden, Spencer Bayston, Justin Peck, Zeb Wise.
B-Main. Jordan Thomas.
Dash. Zeb Wise.
Fast time. Anthony Macri.
30 lap A-Main. BRAD SWEET, Tyler Courtney, Zeb Wise, James McFadden, Anthony Macri, Justin Peck, Corey Day, Spencer Bayston, Parker Price Miller, Kasey Kahne, Rico Abreu, Sye Lynch, Brent Marks, Jared Zimbardi, Mark Smith, Jonathan Preston, Tanner Thorson, Jordan Thomas, Jordan Poirier, Jacob Allen, Chris Windom, Matt Farnham, Cory Eliason, Ryan Newton, Dylan Norris.
DNQ. Danny Peebles, Danny Dietrich, Lucas Wolfe, Glen Styres, Jordan Hutton, Kerry Madsen, Chad Miller, Reese Nowotarski, Logan McCandless, Davie Franek, Brenham Crouch.
FRIENDLY CHRYSLER, DODGE, JEEP, RAM, MODIFIEDS. 29 cars.
Qualifying heats. Michael Maresca, Matt Sheppard, Steve Paine, Will Shields.
Consolation. Daryl Barrett
35 lap Feature. AJAY POTRZEBOWSKI JR., Matt Sheppard, Jim LaRock, Will Shields, Jeff Daugherty, Kreg Crooker, Michael Maresca, Danny Johnson, Jake Dgien, Tommy Collins Jr., Alex Payne, Steve Paine, Cory Costa, Bobby Varin, Tyler Siri, Brady Fultz, Josh Nobriga, Tommy Paine, Billy Paine, Chris Ostrowski, Adam Coots, Joe Dgien, Daryl Barrett. DNS, Alan Johnson.
DNQ. Nate Hendrix, Carl Cleveland, Josh Keesey, Gil Tegg Jr., Aiden Grover.
