Story By: KENNY SHUPP / OUTLAW SPEEDWAY – DUNDEE, NY – Friday, June 14, 2024 was another exciting night of great racing action at the Outlaw Speedway in Dundee, NY with Elmira, NY young gun, Jeff Daugherty putting on a last lap pass to claim his first Friendly Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram Modified Feature event of the 2024 season.
Brothers Tommy and Billy Paine would bring the twenty-three- car field to the opening green, but it was Dundee native, Brady Fultz wrestling the lead away from Tommy Paine on lap three and opened a sizable advantage over Bossman, Tyler Sir who began the thirty-lap grind in sixth.
A pair of cautions on laps seven and eight would slow the pace, but it was a lengthy red flag on lap ten that closed the track for some forty minutes as no less than six machines were caught up in a mele including second generation Bath, NY speedster, Adam Coots who had to be extricated from his mangled machine.
Coots complained of an arm injury from another car’s tire that came into the driver’s cockpit bending the seat, however he was reported to be ok as of press time.
In addition to Coots others included his father, Steve, Cory Costa, Jordan Siri, Steve and Billy Paine.
Once the track was cleared, Fultz continued to set a blistering pace with the final yellow waving on lap twenty-three and that may have been his undoing as it put Jeff Daugherty who began the event in eleventh and Mike Maresca in fourteenth right on his back bumper.
However, Fultz was able to withhold the Daugherty/Maresca onslaught right up till the final lap when the pair were able to squeak by and go on to finish in the top two positions with an extremely disappointed Fultz completing the podium.
Fourth went to Tyler Siri who was a picture of consistency throughout the entire distance with current high point man, Alex Payne completing the top five.
For Daugherty it was his first of 2024 in a division that has now witnessed five different feature winners in seven weeks of competition.
In the Sunrise Insulation/Knapp and Schlappi Lumber Crate Sportsman twenty-five lap feature, Bryan Rhodes and former Hoosier Tire Sportsman Track Champion, AJ Lloyd would lead the charge of the twenty-two car field to green with Lloyd getting the early jump leading laps one through thirteen before Beaver Damns, NY youngster, Blake Parsons would take over the top spot and never look back leading the remainder of the event in route to his first victory of the season.
Three yellow flags on laps eight, twelve and seventeen would slow the pace and keep the field bunched, but Parsons was up to the challenge on every restart.
Coming into the event, Daryl Krebs was second place in points and once again put on a very steady performance beginning the feature in tenth, using the cautions to his advantage and wound up in the runner-up position at the completion event.
Dale Welty of Montour Falls had a nice recovery after taking a nasty flip a few weeks ago to complete the top three podium finishers.
After leading early, AJ Lloyd would drift to fourth as he was chased across the line by Tim Guild who lined up ninth on the start and advanced to complete the top five.
Current high point man, Carter Crooker wound up seventh thus loosing some ground to Krebs as the season nears its mid-season mark.
In the Swarthout Recycling Street Stock twenty-lap feature, Damon Decker would begin the event inside row three and waste little time getting to the point and take control of an event that was only slowed twice by caution flags on laps five and eleven.
Once out front and on cruise control, Decker really was in his own world as a spirited battle raged for second on back between Gene Sharpsteen, Chris Woodard and CJ Guererri who were slugging it out for position.
At the drop of the double checkered flags, Decker had a full two second advantage over Sharpsteen who had to settle for the runner-up position with Woodard in tow. Guererri had one of his better 2024 finishes at Outlaw claiming fourth chased across the line by ageless Dundee veteran, Carl Cleveland who rounded the top five.
The Addison, Corning, Hornell and Wellsville NAPA Stores Hobby Stock Division found a new face visiting victory lane as veteran drive of many different divisions Jeredd Dennis would finally get the monkey off his back long enough to take home a checkered flag.
In the early going, Justin Eldredge and Dennis would duke it out for the top spot until Ed Stevens would get into the mix but Dennis, who is a master craftsman building many Hobby Stocks that compete locally was not going to be denied on this night as he finally hit pay dirt for his first win of the year after several other close calls.
Stevens would go on to nail second with Eldredge in third.
Frank Burnell and Jesse Ballance would go on to complete the top five.
The Winner’s Circle Deli 4 Cylinder Mini Stocks put a solid field of eleven on the line for their twenty-lap A Main and it was former class track champion, Mike Stone leading lap one from his third starting spot, but Stones night would be short lived as he was immediately pit side.
His exit would put Jason Smart into the top spot which he would never relinquish for the remainder of the event as he cruised to win number one on the 2024 campaign.
Lee Fritz began the event outside pole as he and Chris Davis would bring the field to green with Fritz handing tough the entire distance in claiming second his best finish of the season.
Michael Morton would begin the event in seventh and with no caution flags to help his cause drove through the field to take home third place money as he was chased across the line by Connor Eric who started in the last row.
Gavin Halll started the twenty lapper in fifth and he was able to maintain that spot throughout the entire distance.
At the beginning of the night a $200 Bounty was placed on four-time 2024 Mini Stock winner, Willy Easling who had completely dominated the class over the last four weeks.
However, it was a bad night for the second-generation Beaver Dams pilot as any hopes of making it five in a row ended on lap one as his night came to a premature end.
Early in the evening the Fritz Masonry Bandits were on the Fast 4/10 of a mile oval competing in their ten- lap feature only event.
Five youngsters would take the opening green with Zach Daugherty, younger brother of Modified feature winner, Jeff Daugherty assuming control and going on to his third straight victory of 2024.
May 3, 2024, winner, Parker Cunningham would chase Daugherty across the line with Connor Crane, Kassitie Clugstone and Danica Hall completing the field.
Congratulations to all competitors.
Up next at Outlaw Speedway on Friday, June 21, 2024, the CRSA 305 Sprints will join a Regular Super 5 Show.
The speedway will then take a scheduled NIGHT OFF on June 28 to commemorate all local High School Graduates.
FRIENDLY CHRYLSER, DODGE, JEEP, RAM, MODIFIEDS. (23 cars) 30 lap feature.
JEFF DAUGHERTY, Mike Maresca, Brady Fultz, Tyler Siri, Alex Payne, Gil Tegg, Kreg Crooker, Jim LaRock, Danny Johnson, Bobby Varin, Tommy Collins Jr., Jake Dgien, Tommy Paine, Dave Rauscher, Ajay Potrzebowski Jr., Ron Cartwright Jr., Billy Paine, Jordan Siri, Cory Costa, Adam Coots, Steve Paine, Steve Coots, Steve Gray.
SUNRISE INSULATION/KNAPP AND SCHLAPPI LUMBER SPORTSMAN. (22 cars) 25 lap feature.
BLAKE PARSONS, Daryl Krebs, Dale Welty, AJ Lloyd, Tim Guild, Scott Torbitt, Carter Crooker, Cayden Lawson, Ben Feldman, Greg Crooker, Loren Lincoln, Karl Comfort, Justice Mayo, Chris Fisher, Andrew Clark, Collin Brown, Colton Herrington, Tony Velez, Brent Ayers, Dean Laughlin, Bryan Rhodes, Brett Buono.
SWARTHOUT RECYCLING STREET STOCKS. (14 cars) 20 lap feature.
DAMON DECKER (2), Gene Sharpsteen, Chris Woodard, CJ Guererri, Carl Cleveland, Jared Hill, Bobby Lippa, Zach Teed, Joe Giardina, Tim Grady, Jesse Tuthill, Justin Eldredge, Sparky Hills, John Zimmerman.
ADDISON, CORNING, HORNELL, WELLSVILLE NAPA HOBBY STOCKS. (9 cars) 20 lap feature.
JEREDD DENNIS, Ed Stevens, Justin Eldredge, Frank Burnell, Jesse Balance, Tyler Burnell, Willy Easling, Marc Minutolo, Doug Batterson.
WINNER’S CIRCLE DELI MINI STOCKS. (11 cars) 20 lap feature.
JASON SMART, Lee Fritz, Michael Morton, Connor Erick, Gavin Hall, Brady Richardson, Mike Ayers, Ricky Vanzile, Mike Stone, Willy Easling, Chris Davis.
FRITZ MASONERY YOUTH BANDITS. (5 cars) 10 lap feature.
ZACH DAUGHERTY (3), Parker Cunnigham, Connor Crane, Kassitie Clugstone, Danica Hall