Danny Johnson Dominates Modified Action For First Feature Win of 2025 At Outlaw Speedway

Story By: KENNY SHUPP JR. / OUTLAW SPEEDWAY – DUNDEE, NY – With the calendar flipping to the month of August and the point battles taking center stage in all the weekly divisions at the Outlaw Speedway, several fresh faces found their way to victory lane on SPCA Night, Friday, August 1, 2025.

Coming into 2025, The Doctor of Modified Racing, Danny Johnson was not sure if he would even be racing as his car owner, Tim Gibson had made the decision at the end of 2024 to liquidate all inventory and call it quits.

However, as April of 2025 rolled around Gibson decided to stick it out at least one more season, but the team did not get off to a very good start whatsoever as one problem right after another found both Johnson and Gibson scratching their heads and trying every chassis set-up combination possible with few if any top five finishes.

The plan right along has been to focus just on Outlaw Speedway in 2025 with the end goal of picking up the Modified Track Title and the $10,000 that goes along with it, but poor finishes, crashes and other unforeseen circumstances have kept Johnson out of victory lane.

That would all change on Friday, August 1 as The Doctor was firing on all eight and completely dominated the thirty-lap Friendly Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram Modified feature to pick up his first of 2025.

Tommy Paine and Aiden Grover would bring the twenty-two-car field to the opening green with Grover taking control and leading the first nine circuits before giving way to the high-flying Danny Johnson who was mowing the field down from his outside row three original starting spot.

Once in clean air Johnson of Phelps, NY and with well over 600 Modified Feature wins throughout his career was able to pull away to an insurmountable lead and when the double checkered flags waved had a halftrack advantage over the second place finishing machine of Mike Maresca who began the thirty-lap grind mired back in the eleventh starting spot and with the help of no yellow flags was able to move through traffic and go on to claim the runner-up position and extend his current point lead in the Modified Division with just a pair of regular point paying shows still to go prior to the August 29 Double Point Championship Night.

Tommy Collins was once again a picture of consistency having lined up fourth on the opening grid, raced with the lead pack throughout the entire distance and came home third to complete the podium.

Like Maresca, Bobby Varin also had a lot of work ahead of him at the start of the feature lining up tenth and moving forward to nail fourth at the finish as he was chased across the line by Elmira’s Jeff Daugherty who began the feature along side of Varin inside row five.

The Knapp and Schlappi 602 Crate Sportsman saw twenty-three drivers take the opening green flag and the big question would be if another new driver would find victory lane in the super competitive class where thus far in 2025, eight different competitors have won feature events.

Quintin Buchanan of Horseheads has been a threat wherever he has gone thus far in 2025, however he has yet to find victory lane, however that would all change on this night as Buchanan would take full advantage of his outside front row starting position to lead the entire distance in claiming his first feature win of the year at the famed Yates County Speedway.

Buchanan along with Bryan Rhodes of Beaver Dams would bring the field to the opening green, however a flurry of yellow flags throughout the entire twenty-five lap distance would keep the pace slowed and not allowing Buchanan a chance to run away and hide.

No less than five caution flags would keep the field bunched up allowing many of the heavy weights in the class an opportunity to keep the leaders within striking distance, however on every restart Buchanan was up to the challenge and rolled to the victory.

Josh Nobriga of Lindley has been consistent throughout most of the 2025 season thus far and he was able to break out of the pack early on from his fifth starting spot and track down Buchanan.

Lap after lap Nobriga tried everything to pass the race leader, but to no avail as he had to settle for a well-deserved runner-up finish, his best of the year.

Blake Parsons was looking to back up an earlier season feature win but came up short claiming third after starting twelfth as the Beaver Dams, NY speedster was followed across the line by last week’s feature winner, Justice Mayo who lined up fourteenth.

However, the biggest mover and shaker of the event was Chris Fisher as the many times Outlaw Speedway Crate Sportsman Track Champion had a poor qualifying attempt and was bogged down in the eighteenth starting slot. Making some nifty moves coming through traffic along with the help of a handful of caution flags, Fisher was able to complete the top five finishers.

For the eighth time in 2025, Jasper, NY veteran competitor, Glenn Whritenour ran rough shot over the Swarthout Recycling Street Stock field.

Starting the twenty-lap, A Main event, Tim Grady and Zach Teed would bring the field to green with Teed leading the opening pair of circuits before giving way to Corning’s Brett Crawford who would take control and lead laps three through nine.

Whritenour, who began the event inside the fifth starting row, was methodically working his way to the front and by the halfway mark was in control and not about to look back as a torrid battle was shaping up for second on back.

Willy Easling has focused all his attention on the Street Stock Division at Outlaw Speedway in 2025 after doing double and sometimes triple duty last season in route to the 2024 Mini Stock Track Title.

Easling has struggled thus far in 2025 with the Street Stock, but he was finally able to put everything in place on this night as he would progress forward from starting position five and go on to claim the runner-up spot at the completion of the twenty-lap feature.

Like Easling, Joe Giardina also hails from Beaver Dams, and he once again continued his consistent run of top finishes completing the podium after lining up fourth on the opening grid.

Although still shut out of victory lane thus far in 2025, last seasons Street Stock Track Champion, Gene Sharpsteen of Chemung continues to knock down top five finishes moving from the eighth starting position to nail down fourth while early race leader, Zach Teed would lose a few spots in claiming fifth.

Although slim in numbers, the competition in the Addison, Corning, Hornell, Wellsville NAPA Hobby Stock Division has been at a fever pitch all season with no less than three different drivers finding their way to victory lane and this night would be no different as Jesse Balance would wrestle the lead away from Rich Sharpsteen on lap six and go on to his first win of the campaign.

Once out in front Ballance was uncontested in leading the final fourteen circuits as Campbell’s Mike Stone would have his best finish of the season in Hobby Stock action after lining up on the pole position and finishing second.

Mr. Smooth, Marc Minutolo and Danny Kerrick would begin the twenty-lap feature in spots six and seven respectively and move through traffic like a pair of synchronized swimmers to claim positions three and four at the finish with July 18 feature winner, Jared Hill completing the top five.

Yet another first time 2025 class feature winner on this night would find last season’s Youth Bandit Track Champion, Zach Daugherty of Elmira winning his first Winner’s Circle Deli Mini Stock feature after a season filled with top five finishes.

Daugherty would begin the twenty-lap feature in position seven and take away the race lead from Gavin Hall on lap four and go on to victory.

Just a pair of yellow flags would slow the event coming on laps one and eight as Daugherty had the field covered the entire distance.

Finishing second and capping off a stellar night was The Nature Boy, Mike Stone making it a pair of runner-up feature finishes on the night.

Four-time 2025 Mini Stock feature winner, Jayson Smart of Branchport would complete the podium with Scott Lehman and last week’s feature winner, Craig DeCamp wrapping-up the top five.

Kolston DeCamp would keep his perfect season intact by claiming his fifth feature win in that many events thus far in the Fritz Masonry Youth Bandit Division.

Danica Hall would lead the opening lap prior to being overhauled by DeCamp as he would go on to the win in convincing style.

Second place went to Danica Hall with Dodge Smith placing third.

Connor Crane and Kassitie Clugstone would complete the field.

Congratulations to all our competitors.

Coming next Friday, August 8, 2025, at Outlaw Speedway will be the 4th Annual Ted Siri Memorial run in conjunction with NASCAR Night.

The Friendly Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram Modified’s will run a unique feature event paying the winner a whomping $10,000, the highest paying Modified feature winners’ paycheck in the 68-year history of the facility.

Also, on the card will be a FAST 5* Show plus the CRSA 305 Sprints.

The night of action presented by Lane’s Yamaha of Watkins Glen.

For those who cannot attend in person the entire show will be streamed on The Cushion for a low one-time nightly fee.

SPCA NIGHT AT OUTLAW SPEEDWAY FEATURE FINISHING RESULTS. Friday, August 1, 2025.

FRIENDLY CHRYSLER, DODGE, JEEP, RAM MODIFIEDS. (22 cars)
30 lap feature. DANNY JOHNSON, Mike Maresca, Tommy Collins, Bobby Varin, Jeff Daugherty, Aiden Grover, Kreg Crooker, Ron Cartwright Jr., Pat Ward, Brady Fultz, Steve Paine, Tommy Paine, Will Shields, Billy Paine, Derrick Podsiadlo, Jim LaRock, Brian Swarthout, Alex Payne, Tyler Siri, Nick Nye, Vinnie Vitale, Walt Chyrywaty

KNAPP AND SCHLAPPI LUMBER CRATE SPORTSMAN. (25 cars)
25 lap feature. QUINTIN BUCHANAN, Josh Nobriga, Bake Parsons, Justice Mayo, Chris Fisher, Karl Comfort, Bryan Rhoads, Loren Lincoln, George Schweigart, Collin Brown, Dale Welty, Cayden Lawson, Brent Ayers, Andrew Clark, Colton Coots, Kevin DeCamp. Jim Rushman, Chris Darling, Daryl Krebs, Tim Guild, AJ Lloyd, Kenny Peoples Jr., Donnie Lawson. DNS, Scot Torbitt, Chris Hall.

SWARTHOUT RECYCLING STREET STOCKS. (15 cars)
20 lap feature. GLENN WHRITENOUR (8), Willy Easling, Joe Giardina, Gene Sharpsteen, Zach Teed, Brian Knowles, Sparky Hills, Carl Cleveland, Tim Grady, John Burritt, Dave Yehl, Adam Leubner, Jimmy Grant, Brett Crawford. DNS, Chris Woodard.

ADDISON, CORNING, HORNELL AND WELLSVILLE NAPA AUTO HOBBY STOCKS. (11 cars)
20 lap feature. JESSE BALANCE, Mike Stone, Marc Minutolo, Danny Kerrick, Jared Hill, Rich Sharpsteen, Jake Karlnoski, Jimmy Grant, William Bradley. DNS, Mike Charette, Rich Rider

WINNER’S CIRCLE DELI MINI STOCKS. (16 cars)
20 lap feature. ZACH DAUGHERTY, Mike Stone, Jayson Smart, Scott Lehman, Craig DeCamp, Mike Ayers, Gavin Hall, Ralph Teeter, James Kreidler, Justin Wilson, Connor Erick, Derrick Puryear, Parker Cunningham, Brighton Grant, Jesse Smith, Ely Mangiarelli.

FRITZ MASONRY YOUTH BANDITS. (5 cars)
5 lap feature. KOLSTON DECAMP (5), Danica Hall, Dodge Smith, Connor Crane, Kassitie Clugstone.