Mike Maresca Tallies Second Modified Win Of Season At Outlaw Speedway

Story By: KENNY SHUPP / OUTLAW SPEEDWAY – DUNDEE, NY – With Santa Claus in the house, tons of bicycles given away, Driver Autograph’s during intermission and just $5 to get in, the Outlaw Speedway celebrated their Annual Christmas in July Night at the famed Yates County Facility and it was all presented by Swayer’s RV and Trailer Service Center of Lindley, NY,

Packing the place was an understatement as fans flocked to the track under beautiful weather conditions and as always, the Fast 4/10 of a Mile Clay Oval lived up to all the hype with a smooth and tacky surface providing lots of three and four wide action.

After sporadic appearances at Outlaw over the past several years, Mike Maresca has focused this entire season onto competing full time in the Modified Division and it has paid off with huge dividends as he sits atop the point standings heading into the July 18 event.

Lining up eleventh on the grid for the Friendly Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram Modified 30 lap feature, Maresca would have his work cut out as many of the heavy weights in the sport including Matt Sheppard who won in his past two attempts where in the stacked up twenty-three car field,

Brian Swarthout of Beaver Dams along with Pat Ward would bring the field to the opening green flag with multi-time Outlaw Speedway (Black Rock) Track Champion, The Hurricane Steve Paine flexing his muscle and taking control of the event and it appeared as though Paine was on his way to his first Outlaw Speedway feature victory since his last win during the Short Track Super Series event at Outlaw in 2022 where he led all 50 laps.

A few caution flags during the second half of the thirty-lap grind would erase any advantage that Paine had on the field and allowed Maresca and the tenth-place starter, Alex Payne the opportunity to keep Paine within striking distance.

With the laps winding down Maresca was able to take over the top spot bringing Alex Payne along with him and when the double checkers dropped that was how they would finish with Maresca taking home his second feature event of the season and extending his point advantage over Alex Paine and Bobby Varin with just 4 regular point nights remaining prior to the regular season ending Double Point Finale on August 29.

Steve Paine would hold on for a well deserved third place finish ending one of his best runs at Outlaw in recent memory.

Jim LaRock, who has had a lackluster 2025 campaign thus far lined up sixth on the start and advanced two spots to claim fourth with two-time 2025 Outlaw Speedway Modified feature winner, Bobby Varin completing the top five.

To say that the Knapp and Schlappi Lumber Crate Sportsman Division is super competitive would be an understatement and with seven different faces visiting victory lane thus far, the question remained would, yet another driver hit paydirt on this night.

Bryan Rhodes would bring the field to green from his inside front row staring spot; however, it did not take Justice Mayo long to take over the top spot as he lined up alongside Rhodes on the start.

A caution flag on lap fourteen erased a near four second Mayo advantage over the field and it allowed many of the top names in the division to get back into the game.

Mayo would continue to lead, but Dale Welty, who began the twenty-five-lap event in the tenth slot was methodically working his way through traffic and with less that five laps to go he was right there challenging Mayo for the win.  With the parallel sticks up Welty made his move around Mayo and he would go on to pick up his first feature win of the 2024 season.

A disappointed Justice Mayo would hold on for second with former Sportsman Track Champion, Chris Fisher completing the podium.

Another class Track Champ, Karl Comfort finished fourth after starting tenth with Scott Torbitt completing the top five.

The two top runners in the Swarthout Recycling Street Stock Division, Glenn Whritenour and Jimmy Grant have won all the previous seven feature wins thus far in 2025 heading into the night.  Whritenour with five wins to a pair for Grant.

The two titans would begin the twenty -lap feature side by side in the fifth row with GW getting the jump and going on to feature win number six on the season and stretching his point advantage.

Try as he might, Jimmy Grant gave Whritenour a good fight but had to settle for second at the completion of the twenty-lap affair.

2024 Street Stock Track Champion, Gene Sharpsteen started eighth on the grid and completed the top three podium finishers.

Fourth and fifth went to Chris Woodard and Brett Crawford who both had good runs coming from sixth and seventh respectfully.

Jared Hill of Dundee has rich family ties to the Outlaw Speedway as his grandfather and father both worked on the track in various capacities when the track was known at Dundee Raceway Park and Black Rock Speedway.

Following in their footsteps, Jared Hill is now a track employee for Tyler Siri overseeing a multitude of various tasks and he has shown signs of brilliance competing in the NAPA Hobby Stock Division on a weekly basis in 2025.

Hill has been a real threat on several occasions but has not been able to break through for his first Hobby Stock feature win of the season.

That would all change on this night as Hill would begin the twenty-lap feature inside row three and blast into the lead and never look back.

William Bradley of Canandaigua and lady competitor, Meadow Dgien of Cameron would bring the field to green as most eyes were on Hill and Marc Minutolo as they worked their way to the front of the field.

Once in the lead Hill was the class of the field as Mr. Smooth, Minutolo had nothing for him and had to settle for second.

Third place went to Lanson Albanese who started eighth with Jesse Ballance starting fourth and finishing in that spot.

Daniel Kerrick finished fifth, but with Minutolo’s strong runner-up finish he has taken over the point lead in the Addison, Corning, Hornell, Wellsville Hobby Stock Division and with the win Hill sits third in the point tally.

In only his third start of the “25” season at Outlaw in the Winner’s Circle Deli Mini Stocks, Craig DeCamp would begin the twenty-lap feature inside row four, work his way through traffic very quickly and go on to his first Mini Stock Feature win of the season.

Branchport, NY Speedster, Jayson Smart stretched his point advantage after a solid second place finish coming from eighth as Scott Lehman nailed down the third position.

Rookie contender, Zach Daugherty continues to impress as he crossed the line in fourth as he was chased there by Mikek Ayers who completed the top five.

The feature action got underway with the traditional running of the 10 lap Fritz Masonry Youth Bandits.

Third Gen pilot Connor Crane of Dundee along with Danica Hall would bring the field to the opening green, but it was fourth place starter, Kolston DeCamp once again barnstorming his way to the front and picked up win four on the season and remain undefeated in the Junior Division.

Connor Crane would hold on for the runner-up spot with Kassitie Clugstone completing the podium.

Fourth went to Danica Hall with Dodge Smith completing the field in his very first event start after coming through the go-kart ranks.

Congratulations to all our competitors.

Up next at Outlaw Speedway it will be the 10th Annual Steve Kent Memorial Summer Nationals featuring the first appearance of the season for the 360 Empire Super Sprints along with the first appearance ever for the NYPENN IMCA MODIFIED Touring Division.

Rounding out the July 25 card will be the Friendly Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram Modifieds, Knapp and Schlappi Lumber Crate Sportsman, Swarthout Recycling Street Stocks, along with the Winner’s Circle Deli Mini Stocks.

It will be a FULL POINT SHOW for all the Outlaw Speedway Weekly Divisions.

 

OUTLAW SPEEDWAY RESULTS.  JULY 18, 2025

Christmas in July, $5 Night, Bicycle Give Away, Santa Claus and Driver Autograph Night.

 

FRIENDLY CHRYSLER, DODGE, JEEP, RAM MODIFIEDS.  (23 cars)

30 lap feature,  MIKE MARESCA (2), Alex Payne, Steve Paine, Jim LaRock, Bobby Varin, Kreg Crooker, Danny Johnson, Jeff Daugherty, Pat Ward, Brian Swarthout, Brady Fultz, Ron Cartwright Jr., Derrick Podsiadlo, Billy Paine, Tyler Siri, Will Shields, Adam Coots, Matt Sheppard, Aiden Grover, Walt Chyrywaty, Tommy Paine, Christian Thompson. DNS, Tommy Collins.

KNAPP AND SCHLAPPI LUMBER CRATE SPORTSMAN.  (25 cars)

25 lap feature.  DALE WELTY, Justice Mayo, Chris Fisher, Karl Comfort, Scot Torbitt, Loren Lincoln, Brent Ayers, Cayden Lawson, Tim Guild, Donnie Lawson, Blake Parsons, AJ Lloyd, Daryl Krebs, Andrew Clark, Josh Nobriga, Quintin Buchanon, George Schweigart, Braylon Lawson, Bryan Rhodes, Billy Suave, Jim Rushman, Branden Buchanon, Kevin DeCamp, Collin Brown, Kenny Peoples Jr.

SWARTHOUT RECYCLING STREET STOCKS. (16 cars)

20 lap feature.  Glenn Whritenour (6), Jimmy Grant, Gene Sharpsteen, Chris Woodard, Brett Crawford, Willy Easling, Carl Cleveland, Brighton Grant, Tim Grady, Joe Giardina, Dave Yehl, John Burritt, Zach Teed, Sparky Hills, Tony Harris.  DNS, Jim Buck.

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

20 lap feature. JARED HILL, Marc Minutolo, Lanson Albanese, Jesse Ballance, Daniel Kerrick, Rich Sharpsteen, Meadow Dgien, William Bradley, Jake Karlnoski.  DNS, Mike Stone, Rick Rider, Les McCann.

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

20 lap feature.  CRAIG DECAMP, Jayson Smart, Scott Lehman, Zach Daugherty, Mike Ayers, Jeff Moore, Chris Davis, Parker Cunningham, Connor Erick, Justin Wilson, Marvin Jenkins, Ralph Teeter, Kenneth Evans, Gavin Hall.  DNS, Mike Stone, Brighton Grant, Brandon Smith.

FRITZ MASONRY YOUTH BANDITS (5 cars)

10 lap feature.  KOLSTON DECAMP (4), Connor Crane, Kassitie Clugstone, Danica Hall, Dodge Smith.