It’s Lucky #7 For Matt Sheppard At Outlaw Speedway

Story By: PAUL SZMAL / OUTLAW SPEEDWAY – DUNDEE, NY – Pepsi presented Friday night’s racing action at Outlaw Speedway, and while there was a repeat winner in the Friendly Dodge Outlaw Modifieds, some new winners found their way to Victory Lane in other classes.

Joe Dgien was the early lead in the 30-lap Friendly Dodge Outlaw Modified feature as Eldon Payne moved to second and began to challenge for the lead on lap 4. As the lead battle continued, there was furious action just outside the top five as Tyler Siri, Alan Johnson, and Matt Sheppard all battled for position. Marcus Dinkins went over the third turn bank on lap 9, which brought the field together for a restart. Payne nabbed the lead when racing resumed, with Matt Sheppard making some quick moves to move into fourth place. Sheppard grabbed second on the restart and battled Payne for the lead until Payne spun in turn two on lap 13. Sheppard motored away on the restart as Dgien and Brady Fultz battled for second. Siri had rear end trouble that knocked him out on lap 18, moving Alan Johnson into the top five. Joonson passed Fultz and Dgien over two successive laps to move to second, but Sheppard was a full straightaway ahead and brought it home for the win. Johnson was second, followed by Fultz, Derrick Podsiadlo, and Don Lawson.

Friendly Dodge Outlaw Modified heats were won by Tyler Siri and Brady Fultz.

Tom Collins Jr. grabbed the lead from Mike Buchanan in the first lap of the 25-lap Crate Sportsman main, with Buchanan spinning in front of the field one lap later. The rest of the field avoided contact with Buchanan, who was able to restart.

Collins maintained the lead through several restarts as Todd Heyward and Brett Ayers battled with Karl Comfort for position. As Collins pulled away late in the race, Ayers fell into a battle with Comfort for third while Brian Fish was being challenged by Doug Smith and Chris Fisher. Comfort’s top five run ended with a spin on lap 20. Collins held on through the late race restarts to take the victory, his second of the year. Ayers was second, followed by Heyward, Fish, and Fisher.

Crate Sportsman heats were won by Tom Collins Jr. and Chris Silvers.

Kurt Stebbins held off an inital challenge from Brian Knowles at the start of the 20-lap Crate Late Model feature and stretched out his lead, but Knowles made a run in the final few laps to put the pressure on the leader. Stebbins held on for the win over Knowles, Steve Labarron, and Brad Smith.

The Crate Late Model heat was won by Brian Knowles.

The 20-lap IMCA Modified feature started with Todd Stone grabbing the lead from Sparky Hills and he pulled away from an intense battle between Bill Ward, Will Ward, Phil Yaw, and Brandon Smith. Rich Michael Jr. spun on lap 2 and the multi-time feature winner took his car pitside. On the restart, Stone again took the point with Will Ward and Phil Yaw settling into second and third place. Ward moved up to challenge Stone for the lead and after a couple of laps side by side, Ward was able to take the lead on lap 10. He held on in a one-lap dash to the finish for his first Outlaw win of 2017, followed by Todd Stone, Billy Ward, Shawn Bruce, and Glenn Whritenour.

IMCA Modified heats were won by Brandon Smith and Todd Stone.

In the 20-lap Street Stock feature, Quinn Sutherland jumped from his third starting spot into the lead whiel Jared Hill also move a move to go from sixth to third in the opening lap. After a lap 4 yellow for Jess Snell’s crash on the frontstretch, Sutherland continued to lead as Glenn Whritenour cracked the top five after starting thirteenth in the field. As CJ Guererri and Gene Balmer battled for second, Whritenour joined in the fight as Sutherland pulled out a gap up front. Whritenour had an issue on lap 12 and dropped out, moving Bob Buono and Kurt Stebbins into the top five. Sutherland cruised home for his fifth win of the season, followed by Guererri, Balmer, Buono, and Stebbins..

Street Stock heats were won by Jared Hill and Quinn Sutherland.

The 20-lap 4 Cylinder feature began with Chris Percy grabbing the early lead but Scott Lehman was in control by the completion of the first lap. Billy Bowers moved past Percy to get second on lap 3 as Ray Hyer was also on the move. The first yellow flew on lap 6 when Chad Ayres had a flat right front, which bunched the field back up. Hyer restarted fourth and took the lead on lap 7 from Bowers as Lehman and Bowers battled for second. Alan Crooker, in his first run at Outlaw this year, was also moving up, taking the fifth spot at halfway. The yellow flew again on lap 13 when Dan Smart had engine problems, but on the restart, Hyer was able to hold off Lehman as Crooker moved into third. The yellow flew again on lap 18 when Derrick Puryear’s engine blew and Desi Force pitted under the caution. In the two lap dash to the finish, Hyer held on for the win as Crooker barely edged Lehman for second, followed by Bowers and Mike Stone.

4 Cylinder heats were won by Alan Crooker, Derrick Puryear, and Billy Bowers.

Dave Decker led all 10 laps of the Farmers Insurance/Marion Decker Agency Hobby Stock feature to take his first win of the year in the division. Marc Minutolo came back from a lap 9 spin to grab third behind Shawn Lloyd, with Allison Pierce and Aaron Miller rounding out the top five.

Cole Youse charged from his fourth starting spot to first in the opening lap of the Winner’s Circle Deli Bandit feature and led the rest of the distance for his seventh win in a row. Austin LaBar and newcomer Carter Crooker followed Youse across the line.

Next Friday night, Lane’s Yamaha presents the first ever visit of Tony Stewart’s Arctic Cat All Star 410 Sprint Series, which will feature Sammy Swindell and Tony Stewart in competition. For more information, visit www.outlawspeedway.com

RACE SUMMARY-PEPSI NIGHT-OUTLAW SPEEDWAY-JULY 14, 2017

FRIENDLY DODGE OUTLAW MODIFIED FEATURE-MATT SHEPPARD, Alan Johnson, Brady Fultz, Derrick Podsiadlo, Donnie Lawson, Joe Dgien, Eric Fisher, Steve Paine, Kyle Coffey, Dave Rauscher, Jim LaRock, Eldon Payne, Brian Swarthout, Brian Doolittle, Steve Perry, Cory Costa, Dillon Groover, Tyler Siri, Justin Wright, Marcus Dinkins.

CRATE SPORTSMAN FEATURE-TOMMY COLLINS JR., Brett Ayers, Todd Heyward, Brian Fish, Doug Smith, Chris Fisher, Brett Buono, Chris Silvers, Mike Buchanan, Karl Comfort, Zach Zigenhagen, Dean Laughlin, Dale Welty, Rob Bussey.

CRATE LATE MODEL FEATURE-KURT STEBBINS, Brian Knowles, Steve Labarron, Brad Smith.

IMCA MODIFIED FEATURE-WILL WARD, Todd Stone, Billy Ward, Shawn Bruce, Phil Yaw, Glenn Whritenour, Bruce Tinsley, Brad Smith, Brandon Smith, Sparky Hills, Rich Karlnoski, Richard Michael Jr.

STREET STOCK FEATURE-QUINN SUTHERLAND, CJ Guererri, Gene Balmer, Bob Buono, Kurt Stebbins, Jared Hill, Carl Cleveland, James Kreidler III, Allison Teed, Jayson Smart, Bill Tice, Glenn Whritenour, Jess Snell.

4 CYL FEATURE-RAY HYER, Alan Crooker, Scott Lehman, Billy Bowers, Mike Stone, Joey Clark, Jeremy Trank, Chris Percy, Bruce Kinner, Scott Lehman Jr, ShiAnn LaBar, Steven Perkins Sr, Justin Riche, Erica Bell, Desi Force, Chad Ayers, Derrick Puryear, Dan Smart, Timmy Bordern Jr., Harold Fenton Jr. (DNS).

FAMERS INSURANCE/MARION DECKER AGENCY HOBBY STOCK FEATURE-DAVE DECKER, Shawn Lloyd, Marc Minutolo, Allison Pierce, Aaron Miller, Mike Minutolo.

WINNERS CIRCLE DELI BANDITS FEATURE-COLE YOUSE, Austin LaBar, Carter Crooker, Braden Buchanan, Steven Perkins III.