Column By: MARTY CZEKALA / RPW – WEEDSPORT, NY – The 30-car World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series roster Sunday night at Weedsport Speedway was filled with a lot of unique names.
The most notable was perhaps NASCAR Truck Series driver Stewart Friesen.
It was the first start for Friesen in Outlaws competition since 2016. The entry also came nine years after his Outlaw upset victory at Ohsweken Speedway in 2015.
However, this year wasn’t his first start in a sprint car, as he piloted the Glenn Styres Racing No. 0 to victory lane in an Empire Super Sprints feature at Utica-Rome Speedway.
Sunday night, he finished fourth and started ninth in the feature, making moves throughout the race and nearly coming home on the podium.
“Big thanks to Glenn for the opportunity to get back in a 410,” Friesen said. “Took a while to get the rust off, had a decent heat and a good run throughout the feature.”
The trending topic of 410 Sprint Car racing in New York in recent years continues to be how the local drivers will perform. Of the 30 entries, about a third were based in the Empire State.
The notable driver coming in was Danny Varin, who not only won an All-Star Circuit of Champions feature last year but also coming off a win at Weedsport with the Empire Super Sprints July 6.
Unfortunately, in qualifying, the driver of the No. 01 flipped the car in turn two to damage the top wing, front end and some radius rods. Varin came back out and made it into the feature, finishing 24th in the end.
Quebec’s Jordan Poirier was the highest-finishing ESS regular in his World of Outlaws debut. The defending series champion finished seventh after starting 10th in his No. 28.
The highest-finishing New Yorker was Larry Wight in 10th, but not the No. 99L, as he had previously entered. “Lightning” ran in Jason Barney’s No. 10B machine Sunday night. Gaining nine spots throughout the feature, Wight was named the KSE Racing Hard Charger.
In the other No. 10 owned by PJC Motorsports (Paul Colagiovanni) was Billy VanInwegen, looking to make his 410 Sprint debut. Relegated to the B-Main after a ninth-place finish in his heat, “Billy V” took the final transfer spot out of the B-Main in sixth and moved up eight places to finish 16th.
Sunday’s race also was a homecoming in the region for another figure in the World of Outlaws. He doesn’t strap on a helmet or turn wrenches on a car. You may have recognized his voice if you listen to the one-way regularly.