Story By: KENNY SHUPP / TEAM SIRI RACING – DUNDEE, NY – In somewhat of a surprise move, Outlaw Speedway owner/promoter, Tyler Siri who also has his own fleet of potent Modifieds recently announced that one of the northeast’s winningest drivers will become one of his hired guns when the 2024 season begins at Outlaw Speedway on April 5, 2024.
“I recently negotiated a deal to put Alan Johnson in one of my Modifieds for weekly action at Outlaw Speedway this coming season. Alan knows how to get around this place and he owns an Outlaw Modified Track Championship with that coming in 2019.” That statement according to Bossman, Tyler Siri.
Johnson, who for the past several years has been the full-time driver for Mark Spoor has been able to pick-up wins at places like Outlaw, Utica Rome and Land of Legends, however his half century string of seasons where he picked up at least one feature win came to an end in 2023 with no check marks I the win column. Spoor has decided to cut back on his racing in 2024 just focusing on Land of Legends Speedway in Canandaigua, NY where he and Johnson will make an all- out attempt to finish one spot better in the Modified point standings than 2023 where Johnson was runner up to Track Champion, Justin Haers.
“With Mark cutting back it freed Alan up on Friday nights so I am going to provide a car for him at Outlaw. The guy is an outstanding driver, and he takes care of his equipment plus he enjoys working in the shop so he will be able to make the drive from his home to our race shop in Dundee and do his thing during the week.” That once again according to Siri.
Siri also has one full time race team employee that manages most of the weekly car maintenance including washing and tire preparation which will allow Johnson more time to focus on chassis set up.
With a feature win total nearing six hundred, Ajay Slideways is also credited with a quartet of Big Block Dirt Modified wins on the Moody Mile in Syracuse with the first Super Dirt Week win in 1983 followed by the second in 1989. His third Super Dirt Week victory came in 2003. A fourth victory on the Syracuse Mile was recorded on a special July 4 Night Race. Johnson has also chalked up five Super Dirtcar Series Championships with those coming in 1981, 1983, 2002, 2003 and his most recent in 2006.
Johnson was also recognized by the Eastern Motorsports Press Association as Driver of the Year in 2007, but it was most recently in 2017 that Ajay Slideways received the ultimate prize when he inducted into the Dirt Motorsports Hall of Fame in Weedsport, NY.
Outlaw Speedway pays some of the highest weekly purses in the region and the $10,000 to win Friendly Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram Modified Track Championship will be added incentive for Johnson when he cinches the belts for his first official race at Outlaw Speedway in a Tyler Siri owned machine on April 5 and 6, 2024 as part of the season opening Lucas Oil Nationals.
For the record, Tyler Siri will drive his familiar 5* machine with Alan Johnson in his well-known 14j numbered car.
In addition, Outlaw Speedway and Friendly Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram of Penn Yan, NY will be the two headline sponsors on the entire fleet.
Then Siri went on to exclaim, “One thing I am personally doing in 2024 with my race schedule is that we are focusing a 100% effort in winning the track title. I currently have no plans to compete with my Modified any other night of the week. I am just sticking with one track, Outlaw and one focal point.”
2023 Friendly Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep Modified Track Champion, Cory Costa proved that a solid one car, one engine, one night approach can turn out to be a good thing dedicating his season just to Outlaw and forgoing any other weekend tracks which could have been a distraction to his championship run.
“What Cory did last season was a revelation for a lot of us. It is getting harder and harder to afford these things and when you run two or three nights a week it really stretches out your resources and your race team. I have received a lot of positive feed-back form the guys that race here every week when I announced a minimum 44/48 American Racer Tire compound for 2024. This is going to save everyone money and cut down on tire inventory. I have had drivers from other tracks also calling indicating that with the tire rules they will now consider Outlaw Speedway as their Friday night race place.”
Alan Johnson then closed by saying that, “This is a terrific opportunity for me to keep racing, especially at a track where I have had so much success throughout my career. Tyler has all front-line equipment and I know that he will provide whatever is needed to run up front.”