Champs Crowned At Outlaw; Steve Paine Wins Battle While Alan Johnson Wins War

Story By: PAUL SZMAL / OUTLAW SPEEDWAY – DUNDEE, NY – Friday night was Pepsi Championship Night at Outlaw Speedway, with the majority of the classes featuring battles for the track championship that would be decided on the outcome of the feature events.

The Friendly Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram Outlaw Modified feature only got half a lap in before a multi car melee sent Justin Wright flipping, bringing out a red flag. Wright was OK after the crash. When racing resumed, Alan Johnson took the lead with Steve Paine second and Matt Sheppard third…with 23 points separating them as the top three in the championship standings coming into the race.

Paine took the lead, with Sheppard taking second a handful of laps later. Kyle Coffey suffered a flat on lap 13, bunching the field and bringing Danny Johnson into the mix in the fourth spot. Lap 22 is where things went sideways, as Sheppard had a flat right rear and Danny Johnson went pitside. Paine led the rest of the way for the victory, with Alan Johnson second, followed by Eldon Payne, Eric Fisher, and Derrick Podsiadlo. Sheppard made it back to 6th at the checkers, which was not enough to hold on to the point lead. Johnson and Paine were tied in points, with feature wins breaking the tie.

Alan’s 3 wins on the season was one better than Paine, so Johnson was crowned the track champion.

Friendly Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram Outlaw Modified heats were won by Alan Johnson and Tyler Siri.

Kirk Reynolds led the opening laps of the Crate Sportsman feature until Loren Lincoln grabbed the lead on a lap 5 restart. Brian Fish took the top spot two laps later as Reynolds brought out a yellow at lap 12 with a blown engine. Fish led on the restart as Chris Fisher and Tom Collins Jr battled hard for second. Fisher and Collins were separated by only 3 points coming into the feature. Chris Silvers hit a marker tire to bring out a yellow on lap 22, setting the stage for a 3 lap shootout.

Fish held on for the win, followed by Fisher, Collins, Lincoln, and Jimmy Zacharias. Fisher’s runnerup finish was enough to take the track championship battle.

Crate Sportsman heats were won by Kirk Reynolds, Loren Lincoln, and Tom Collins Jr. Brian Knowles and track champion Chad Homan spent the 20-lap Crate Late Model feature in a one on one duel as Jamie Freeman ran behind them in third. Brian’s car seemed to handle better as the race went on, and he took the win over Homan and Freeman.

The Crate Late Model heat was won by Brian Knowles.

Billy Ward and Shawn Bruce battled for the lead in the Marion Decker Agency IMCA Modified feature through the opening laps, with Ward holding the point for several laps until lap 15, when Bruce slid by with Brad Smith in tow. Ward shredded a right rear one lap later and went pitside under yellow to change it. Bruce, even with sheet metal rubbing on the right rear, took a 4 car length win over Brad Smith, Morgan, Brandon Smith, and Phil Yaw. Point leader Will Ward did not start the feature due to engine problems, but had enough of a point cushion to hold the championship.

Marion Decker Agency IMCA Modified heats were won by Rich Karlnoski and Billy Ward.

Glenn Whritenour had enough points in the bank to clinch the 2018 Street Stock track title just by taking the green in the feature event, and started 10th in the field for the regular season finale
CJ Guererri took the lead from Gene Sharpsteen on lap 3, but then spun on lap 8. Sharpsteen retook the lead over Carl Cleveland as Quinn Sutherland and Whritenour battled for fourth. Sutherland spun on lap 13, which moved Jared Hill into fourth. The final few laps saw an intense battle among the top five, with Sharpsteen holding on for the win, followed by Guererri, who came from the rear, Whritenour, Hill, and Cleveland.

Street Stock heats were won Quinn Sutherland, Glenn Whritenour, and Carl Cleveland.

Chris Woodard and Adam Austin were separatted by 3 points coming into the night’s 4 Cylinder feature. Erica Bell was the early leader until contact sent her spinning, setting up a battle between Brian Grant Jr and Austin for the lead, with Ray Hyer battling Woodard for third. Grant’s engine blew and flamed up, knocking him out of the race with 4 laps to go. Austin inherited the lead and Woodard wrestled second from Hyer on the restart, but could not catch Austin, who took the title with the win. Woodard, Hyer, Derrick Puryear, and Scott Lehman rounded out the top five.

4 Cylinder heats were won by Scott Lehman Jr, Chris Woodard, and Ray Hyer.

In the Marion Decker Agency Hobby Stocks, a four car battle for the lead featured Justin Eldridge, Jamie Eldridge, Aaron Miller, and Bruce Kinner, with Eric Williams and Marc Minutolo, the point leader, joining the fray at halfway. Williams retired with a smoking car on lap 13, and the battle continued to the finish, with Jamie Eldridge capturing the win by a bumper over Miller, followed by Justin Eldridge, Bruce Kinner, and Ralph Champion Jr. Marc Minutolo’s 6th place finish was enough to lock down the track championship in the class.

Marion Decker Agency Hobby Stock heats were won by Jamie Eldridge and Jason Clugstone.

In the Winner’s Circle Deli Bandits, Austin LaBar locked down the track championship by winning the feature event over Steven Perkins III.

The Rookie Sportsman feature event was won by Alex Payne, with Timmy Borden Jr. finishing second.

Racing returns to Outlaw Speedway on Friday, September 14th with the return of Tony Stewart’s Arctic Cat All Star 410 Sprint Series, along with The Friendly Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram Outlaw Modifieds, Outlaw Crate Sportsman Series, the Marion Decker Agency IMCA Modified Fastshaft Series, and the Street Stocks. Further information on this event will be available online at www.outlawspeedwayllc.com.

RACE RESULTS-PEPSI CHAMPIONSHIP NIGHT-OUTLAW SPEEDWAY-AUGUST 31, 2018

FRIENDLY CHRYSLER DODGE JEEP RAM OUTLAW MODIFIEDS-STEVE PAINE, Alan Johnson, Eldon Payne, Eric Fisher, Derrick Podsiadlo, Matt Sheppard, Brady Fultz, Loren Lincoln, Kyle Coffey, Tyler Siri, Marcus Dinkins, Danny Johnson, Cory Costa, Greg Birosh, Jim LaRock, Justin Wright.

CHAMPION: Alan Johnson

CRATE SPORTSMAN-BRIAN FISH, Chris Fisher, Tom Collins Jr, Loren Lincoln, Jimmy Zacharias, Dale Welty, Karl Comfort, Todd Heyward, Brent Ayers, Billy Paine, Brandon Butler, Nicole Hoag, Adam Haddow, Chris Silvers, Billy Bowers, Kirk Reynolds, Brett Buono, Tim Guild, TJ Frost, Dan West, Alex Payne.

CHAMPION: Chris Fisher

CRATE LATE MODELS-BRIAN KNOWLES, Chad Homan, Jamie Freeman.

MARION DECKER AGENCY IMCA MODIFIEDS-SHAWN BRUCE, Brad Smith, Rodney Morgan, Brandon Smith, Phil Yaw, Bill Nichols, Ernie Martin, Billy Ward, Sparky Hills, Tyler Stoddard, Rich Karlnoski, Jake Maynard, Tony Harris, Will Ward (DNS).

CHAMPION: Will Ward

STREET STOCKS-GENE SHARPSTEEN, CJ Guererri, Glenn Whritenour, Jared Hill, Carl Cleveland, Quinn Sutherland, Ryan Krause, Jeremy Potrzebowski, Aksel Jensen, Jimmy Grant, John Burritt, Jeremy Trank, Jake Karlnoski, Jayson Smart, James Kreidler III, Allison Teed, Gene Balmer, Zack Teed, Brad Smith (DNS).

4 CYLINDERS-ADAM AUSTIN, Chris Woodard, Ray Hyer, Derrick Puryear, Scott Lehman, Erica Bell, Scott Lehman Jr, Mike Stone, Tim Van Etten, Steve Perkins Sr, Brian Grant Jr, Frank Putman, Joshua Oles, Aaron Spinnichia, Shawn Gleason, ShiAnn LaBar, Desi Force, Michael Merrill.

CHAMPION: Adam Austin

MARION DECKER AGENCY HOBBY STOCKS-JAMIE ELDRIDDGE, Aaron Miller, Justin Eldridge, Bruce Kinner, Ralph Champion Jr, Marc Minutolo, Dennis French, Frank Burnell, Jason Clugstone, Dave Decker, Shawn Lloyd, Amber Pierce, Jeremy Perkins, Eric Williams, Jamie Eldridge Jr, Allison Pierce.

CHAMPION: Marc Minutolo

WINNERS CIRCLE DELI BANDITS-AUSTIN LABAR, Steven Perkins III. CHAMPION: Austin LaBar

ROOKIE SPORTSMAN-ALEX PAYNE, Timmy Borden Jr.