Matt Sheppard Returns To Victory Lane Friday Night At Outlaw Speedway In Preparation For Next Week’s STSS Event

Story By: KENNY SHUPP JR. / OUTLAW SPEEDWAY – DUNDEE, NY – After nearly three full months of rain and cold temperatures which have dominated the news in the first half of the 2025 season at Outlaw Speedway, Mother Nature decided to play nice on July 4 and it paid off in huge dividends as the popular Yates County Speedway saw one of its largest crowds ever as the massive fan base was treated to phenomenal racing and perhaps one of the largest Fireworks Extravaganza’s in New York State under picture perfect weather conditions.   

There was a time not so long ago that Matt Sheppard called Outlaw Speedway home as the Savannah, NY speedster well dominated the place and won double digit feature wins almost every year prior to relocating to a different Friday Night venue.

Since then, Super Matt makes exceedingly rare appearances at Outlaw just running the traditional Short Track Super Series Event when it comes to town once per year.

However, Sheppard found himself in an ideal situation of not having any place to race on Friday, July 4, 2025, coupled with the fact that the Short Track Super Series is scheduled to come to the track in less than a week on Thursday, July 10.  What a perfect situation for him to use the opportunity to prepare for an event that he has won at Outlaw Speedway in the past.

In the thirty-lap Friendly, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram Modified feature, Young Gun, Aiden Grover of Corning and seasoned veteran Brady Fultz from Dundee would bring their family-owned cars to the opening green with Fultz immediately flexing his muscle and taking the early advantage.

By lap ten Fultz was on cruise control and on lap fourteen he had a three second advantage over the second place running machine of Ron Cartwright Jr. when the only caution flag of the event would fly for a disabled machine in turns one and two.

Sheppard, who began the thirty-lap feature outside row six was methodically working his way into the top five and was up to third when the lap fourteen caution flag waved.

On the restart Sheppard disposed of Cartwright who has been running very well as of late and set sail for the high-flying Fultz who had a two second lead on the field.

Finally on lap twenty-two and after a spirited battle with Fultz, Super Matt was able to nose out in front try and fend off a hard charging Alex Payne who had disposed of Fultz and was rapidly closing in on Sheppard.

With the two nose to tail and the crowd on their feet, Payne tried everything he could to pass Sheppard, but it was all for naught as he would come up just a half a car length shy of backing up his June 20 victory at the Yates County Facility.

Chasing Sheppard and Payne across the line was Brady Fultz as he completed the podium.

Ajay Potrzebowski who lined up along side of Sheppard on the opening grid charged through the field to finish fourth while May 30 feature winner and current high point man, Michael Maresca put on another very steady drive to round out the top five competitors.

The Knapp and Schlappi Lumber 602 Crate Sportsman found thirty-three machines checking in with many track regulars and invaders using the opportunity to use the night as a tune-up for the upcoming Dave Machuga Memorial in less than a week on July 10.

Scot Torbitt and lady competitor, Kennedy Payne would bring the field to the opening green flag however an accident early in the going caused a lengthy yellow flag situation and with that track owner, Tyler Siri made the decision to red flag the event and allow the huge crowd the opportunity to witness the largest Fireworks Show in the Finger Lakes Region with the plan all along of having the Fireworks set off right after dark if possible.

Once back into action later in the program, the Crate Sportsman would find Mike Jackson Memorial winner on April18, Donnie Lawson moving into the top spot from position fifteen.  The Addison, NY veteran driver who worked his way through the ranks from the Youth Divisions right up the ladder into full time Modified competition now is spending many Friday nights competing with his three sons in Sportsman competition at Outlaw Speedway.  

After selectively working his way through traffic, Lawson would take over the top spot but a yellow flag on lap eighteen would wipe out a three second advantage and put June 20 feature winner, Blake Parsons of Beaver Dams on the rear bumper of the Lawson machine.

However, with just a pair of laps to go Lawson was able to hold off any challenge by Parsons as he would go on to win number two in the 2025 season holding off Parsons who drove from tenth to claim the runner-up spot.  Third would go to Branchport’s Chris Fisher who once again put on masterful performance coming from twelfth and with another solid run continues to put himself in position for another Sportsman Championship run.

Quintin Buchanan advanced one spot from his original starting position claiming fourth at the double checkered flags as he was chased across the line by veteran driver, Dale Welty who continues to show steady progression after a dismal 2024 season at Outlaw Speedway which found him on his top on two separate occasions during the season.

The Classy Swarthout Recycling Street Stocks would find sixteen machines signing in for the night and a pair of veteran drivers in Brett Crawford of Corning along with Campbell’s Tony Harris piloting the Schyler Family Racing machine bringing the solid field to the opening green flag with the first yellow flag waving on lap two of the twenty lap grind.

Once back in action Chris Woodard from Campbell would assume control of the event from position three and lead from laps six through eight before being overhauled by multi -time Outlaw Speedway Steet Stock Track Champion, Glenn Whritenour who began the event inside row four, used the ultra-tacky, smooth and wide Fast 4/10 of a Mile Oval to wrestle the top spot away from Woodard and from there cruise to win four on the 2025 campaign.  

Late in the event, 2023 Track Champ, Shane Wolf was able to break the pack from his opening outside row three starting position and set sail for the high flying Whritenour, however for the Susquehanna, Pa speedster now back behind the wheel of the potent George Miller owned machine time ran out as Wolf would have to settle for the runner-up position after an early 2025 season that has found the team fighting mechanical issues.

2024 Track Champion, Gene Sharpsteen would begin the twenty-lap feature in position five and move forward two spots to complete the top three podium.

Chris Woodard and Brett Crawford would both drift back after stout early event runs to round out the top five.

Two-time Street Stock feature winner in 2025, Jimmy Grant had a bit of an off night claiming seventh at the finish as he along with Whritenour remain the only feature winners in the class thus far in 2025.

The Mighty Winner’s Circle Deli 4 Cylinder Mini Stocks would take to the speedway for their scheduled twenty-lap A Main event with Dundee, NY native Gavin Hall leading the seventeen-car field to the opening green.

However, it did not take long for three time 2025 feature winner, Jayson Smart to move into the top spot from position five on the opening grid and once in control the former Outlaw Speedway Mini Stock Track Champion who hails from Branchport, NY would go on to win four on the season holding off a pair of tough competitors in the division as Kenneth Evans would follow Smart through traffic from position eight to take home the runner-up finishing position with another class Track Champ, Mike Stone of Campbell completing the podium in third.

Austyn Diaz would nail down the fourth finishing position as he was chased there by Class Rookie of the Year Challenger, Zach Daugherty of Elmira who continues to turn heads after picking up the 2024 Youth Bandit Title.

Addison, Corning, Hornell, Wellsville NAPA Sponsored Hobby Stocks brought a dozen cars to the fight in their twenty-lap feature with Waverly’s Rich Sharpsteen along with Corning’s Jesse Balance bringing the field to green.

Sharpsteen would lead the opening pair of circuits before being overhauled by Daniel Kerrick of Stanley who wasted no time in asserting his strength moving from sixth into the top spot which he would never relinquish.  

From there the third-generation pilot held a comfortable advantage on the field while a spirited battle shaped up between Jared Hill of Dundee along with many times Hobby Stock Track Champion, Marc Minutolo.

With no additional caution flag slow downs from lap two onto the finish it was clear sailing for Kerrick who used his Freedom 40 triumph just two weeks ago on June 20 as a much needed confidence booster in his young driving career and when the final checkered flag of the night waved it was Kerrick taking home win two on the season as Hill was able to fight off Minutolo for second with Mr. Smooth coming home third.

Sharpsteen and Jesse Balance would both back slide a bit from their front row starting positions, however the pair had respectable top five finishes with Sharpsteen holding off Ballance at the line.

Congratulations to all our competitors!

As mentioned earlier a massively huge crowd of race fans were in attendance with the main grandstanding filling up and late arrivers put into grandstand seating in the pit area.

For the first night in the entire 2025 racing season, which is now well into the second half of the season both fans and drivers were treated to a night where there was not a cloud in the sky after suffering through no less than half a dozen rained-out events dating back to early April and numerous other nights where the show was run off with rain in the offing.

The $25,000 Fireworks Extravaganza was everything it was cracked up to be as Outlaw Speedway owner/promoter, Tyler Siri continues to grow the event into one of the largest Pyrotechnic Events in the Upstate Region of New York.

“The timing was perfect this year for the Fireworks Show.  It fell right on July 4; the weather could not have been any better and we had one of the largest crowds on hand in the sixty-eight-year history of Outlaw and the racing in all five weekly adult classes was just phenomenal. And on top of all that we had a car count well over the one-hundred mark.” That is according to tenth year Outlaw Speedway owner/promoter, Tyler Siri.

Up next at Outlaw it will be yet another huge night as coming up in less than a week it will be Thursday Night Thunder on July 10, as the Short Track Super Series will invade the Yates County Facility for the 3rd Annual Dave Machuga Memorial Event.

The Friendly, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram Modifieds will be complemented by the Knapp and Schlappi Lumber Crate Sportsman, Swarthout Recycling Street Stocks along with the Winner’s Circle Deli Mini Stocks with all classes competing for record purses and in the case of the Mini Stocks, lap money and other bonuses will be on the line as well.

Facebook expert, Craig Spazman Simmons will keep you well informed of the upcoming Machuga Memorial with plenty of stats, photos and ticket giveaways as the Outlaw Speedway Facebook nears the 2 million views per month threshold.

Each division will receive 30 show-up points for the July 10 event and in the case of the Modifieds Stewart Friesen will look to defend his 2024 victory at Outlaw after inheriting the lead after Matt Sheppard suffered a flat time while leading with just a handful of laps remaining in the fifty-lap event.

FRIENDLY CHRYSLER, DODGE, JEEP, RAM MODIFIEDS.  (26 cars)

30 lap feature.  MATT SHEPPARD, Alex Payne, Brady Fultz, Ajay Potrzebowski Jr., Mike Maresca, Ron Cartwright Jr., Jim LaRock, Jeff Daugherty, Bobby Varin, Billy Paine, Kreg Crooker, Danny Johnson, Steve Paine, Will Shields, Aiden Grover, Tommy Collins, Pat Ward, Derrick Podsiadlo, Tyler Siri, Jordan Siri, Tommy Paine, Brian Swarthout, Eric Williams, Michael Schane, Stacy Jackson.  DNS, Alan Johnson.  

KNAPP AND SCHLAPPI LUMBER CRATE SPORTSMAN.  (32 cars)

20 lap feature.  DONNIE LAWSON (2), Blake Parsons, Chris Fisher, Quintin Buchanan, Dale Welty, AJ Lloyd, George Schweigart, Scot Torbitt, Collin Brown, Brent Ayers, Kennedy Payne, Josh Nobriga, Karl Comfort, Timmy Borden Jr., Daryl Krebs, Andrew Clark, Dean Laughlin, Bryan Rhoads, Brandon Grover, Chris Hall, Tim Guild, Justice Mayo, Cayden Lawson, Braylon Lawson, Loren Lincoln, Eric Bingham

SWARTHOUT RECYCLING STREET STOCKS.  (16 cars)

20 lap feature.  GLENN WHRITENOUR (4), Shane Wolf, Gene Sharpsteen, Chris Woodard, Brett Crawford, Joe Giardina, Jimmy Grant, Willy Easling, Tony Harris, Bradly Morseman, Carl Cleveland, Zach Teed, Mick Seeley, John Burritt, Tim Grady.  DNS, Sparky Hills.

ADDISON, CORNING, HORNELL, WELLSVILLE NAPA HOBBY STOCKS.  (12 cars)

20 lap feature.  DANIEL KERRICK (2), Jared Hill, Marc Minutolo, Rich Sharpsteen, Jesse Balance, Mike Stone, Ed Stevens, Meadow Dgien, William Bradley, Zach Pipe, TJ Grady, Les McCann.

WINNER’S CIRCLE DELI 4 CYLINDER MINI STOCKS.  (17 cars)

20 lap feature.  JAYSON SMART (4), Kenneth Evans, Mike Stone, Austyn Diaz, Zach Daugherty, Gavin Hall, Mike Ayers, Jeff Moore, Parker Cunningham, Justin Wilson, Ralph Teeter, Craig DeCamp, Matthew Sampson, Connor Erick, Glenn Vancise, Dakota Fuller.  DNS, Brighton Grant.