Weedsport Speedway hosted one of their biggest weekends of the year, welcoming the World of Outlaws Sprint Cars Sunday for the Empire State Challenge, held the day after the annual Hall of Fame 100.
Stewart Friesen, who has been dominant at Weedsport, delivered yet another win in Saturday night’s 100-lap Hall of Fame feature, his 52nd career Super DIRTcar Series win.
“The 52 was the track champion here in 1972 with my (grandfather),” Friesen said in a DIRTcar release. “So that’s pretty cool.”
In the past year, no one has been able to beat Stewart Friesen in a Super DIRTcar Series feature at Weedsport Speedway.
Friesen charged past defending series champion Mat Williamson on lap 57 to take the lead, forging the decisive pass en route to his second straight Hall of Fame 100 win.
Williamson started on the pole and left Darren Smith to battle with Jack Lehner. Matt Sheppard, Tim Sears Jr. and Friesen were charging.
The pace quickly found the first breaking point on lap 5. Friesen was attempting to pass Todd Root and swapped to the high groove. That real estate was also trying to be claimed by Tim Sears Jr. Contact sent Sears into the concrete, and ended his night. Friesen’s car was unharmed.
Lehner moved to second on the restart, with Friesen and Sheppard working on Smith for third. With Sheppard following Smith low, Friesen found clear sailing on the top, passing both on lap 29 to secure third. While navigating slower traffic, Williamson and Lehner gave up ground to Friesen. While passing Matt Stangle’s machine, Lehner left the bottom open and Friesen pounced to second. Stangle then slowed, and drew the second caution.
Williamson pulled away on the restart. Quickly catching slower cars again, he was mired in traffic on lap 55. With the leader trying to pass a lapped car high, Friesen found the bottom open again and struck. Mirroring his pass on Lehner, Friesen dispatched Williamson for the lead on lap 57.
From there, he went to the checkers without challenge, taking his third straight win in Super DIRTcar Series action at Weedsport. The race paid $10,000 to win.
Friesen locked into Super DIRT Week 53 after winning at Selinsgrove. Thus, Williamson pocketed the trickle down starting spot in the Whittaker Cars 200. Williamson also cut Alex Yankowski’s overall point lead to just two points; Yankowski was fourth. Sheppard finished fifth.
Sheppard raced to third ahead of Yankowski and Outlaw Speedway winner Alex Payne rounded out the top five.
Mike Welch took the $1,000 prize in Saturday’s 30-lap Empire Street Stock Series feature. Marc Minutolo positioned himself to challenge Welch — he had won the last Empire Street Stock Series event at Weedsport last fall — but the Welch machine improved in the late going and raced away to the win. Luke Boom rallied to second in the final circuits, leaving Minutolo third ahead of Brandon Sherwood and CJ Guererri.
The CRSA Sprints were rained out at the end of the program, and a make up date is being explored.
Sunday, David Gravel won the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series Empire State Challenge, leading the field to the green straight through to checkers, winning from the pole. Racing a feature that was under 13 minutes in duration, Gravel scored the win over Michael Kofoid and Sheldon Haudenschild. Carson Macedo was fourth ahead of Cole Macedo. It marks Gravel’s 11th win of the year, and adds to his points lead over Kofoid; the duo each have 43 starts thus far. Gravel has owned Weedsport, with this standing as his third straight win, and fifth in six starts. In 2022, Gravel won on July 30 and Donny Schatz won on July 31 when the Empire State Challenge was contested as a two-day event. Weedsport Speedway and the World of Outlaws announced the 2026 edition will be back to the two-day format. Zach Sobotka raced to ninth in his World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series debut.
In Modified action, Erick Rudolph won the 40-lap feature, starting outside the front row. The win was worth $3,000. Larry Wight drove his machine to second, backing up his win from earlier in the weekend at Brewerton. Mike Mahaney took third overall, with Matt Sheppard and Jimmy Phelps rounding out the top five.
The Hall of Fame 100 weekend festivities included the 33rd annual inductions to the DIRT Motorsports Hall of Fame, honoring drivers Duane Howard, Dale Planck and Billy Van Pelt, car owner Vinny Salerno, mechanic Tommy Conroy, promoters Charlie and Joyce Cathell, historian Fred Voorhees, and Woman in Racing honoree Jane Cella.
Next, the Super DIRTcar Series will visit Autodrome Drummond in Drummondville, QC, on July 28-29, racing in the two-day King of the North program. Both nights will highlight a 75-lap feature paying $10,000-to-win and offering a guaranteed spot in the Billy Whittaker Cars 200 at Super DIRT Week. Then, on July 30, the series heads to Brockville Ontario Speedway for the Canadian Classic
Touring series
Davie Franek scored the Empire Super Sprints’ victory at Outlaw Speedway during Friday’s Summer Nationals program. Franek has consistently been a contender at Outlaw Speedway, and leveraged that experience to win the 25-lap main from the outside pole. Franek was chased by Dalton Rombough, Dylan Swiernik, Jordan Poirier and Shawn Donath. The feature was contested without interruption for on-track an incident.
In the co-headline, Alex Payne tallied a modified victory after 30-laps of racing. Will Shields was second, leading Pat Ward at the line while Tommy Collins and Bobby Varin filled the top five. Justice Mayo won the Sportsman feature. Rodney Morgan scored the IMCA NY Penn Modified Series win over Keith Lamphere and Tyler Belcher. In full-fendered action, Glenn Whritenour scored a win in the Street Stock feature, taking the checkers by 2.7-seconds over Gene Sharpsteen after 20 laps of work. Willy Easling was third ahead of Brett Crawford and Jimmy Grant. Craig DeCamp won the Four-Cylinder feature, taking the 20-lap race over Zach Daugherty and Mike Stone. Derrick Puryear was fourth ahead of Connor Erick.
Wednesday, Josh Pangrazio won his fourth Les Whyte Top Gun Shootout in Street Stock action held at Land of Legends Raceway during the Ontario County Fair. Pangrazio ties a record with his fourth, having previously won in 2019, 2020 and 2021. The win is his second of the year at Land of Legends Raceway. He has won 16 times this season, pairing additional victories at Genesee and Ransomville. The Top Gun Shootout was contested as part of the Empire Street Stock Series.
Pangrazio took the win ahead of Marc Minutolo and Rick Crego. Damian Long was fourth and Mike Welch posted a fifth-place finish. Nathan Peckham recorded a popular Hobby Stock win, holding off Blane Smith in the 20-lap feature. Tyler Burnell, Craig Dingy and Kevin Schrader filled the top five. Tom Fletcher wheeled a Mike McLaughlin replica to the win in the Modified Vintage Classic 12-lap feature, topping Johnny Hill and Todd Burley. Jipp Ortiz drove a 1984 Troyer decked out in Merv Triechler’s No. 58 livery to the win in the Sportsman Classic Feature. Loren Lincoln worked through a damaged clutch to take the true vintage division win after finishing seventh overall in a Sammy Reakes’ No. 111 machine.
Land of Legends Raceway was scheduled to be off Saturday in lieu of the Ontario County Fair. The half-mile oval will roar back to life this Saturday, featuring a full card of Big-Block Modified, Sportsman, 305 Sprint, Street Stock, Hobby Stock and New Legends Sportsman action. Kids Power Wheels races will also be on the card.
Area results SATURDAY
Alan Fink pocketed a Modified feature win at Fulton Speedway Saturday night. Fink won from third, taking the 35-lap modified feature over Amy Holland and Billy Dunn. Marshall Hurd was fourth and Corey Barker was fifth. Emmett Waldron started on the pole for the DIRTcar Sportsman Series Central Region feature, and delivered a winning performance in the 30-lap main. It is Waldron’s first series win; Jason Parkhurst was second ahead of Tony Finch II, Tyler Corcoran and Kyle Perry. Belle Hogan won the Novice Sportsman feature, with Chris Darling and Kingston Sprague giving chase. Jerry Lobdell scored the 15-lap Hobby Stock feature win over Ron Hawker and John Pietrowicz.
Oswego Speedway was scheduled to be off, hosting the Jeffrey Earnhardt Driving Experience Saturday. The 5/8-mile oval will reopen for a Fast Friday test session on August 1, and then host their annual Retro Night on August 2. The Retro card features Twin 40s for the Supermodifieds, Twin 20s for the GTR Super Stocks and the 350 Supers. For more details, visit www.oswegospeedway.com
FRIDAY
At Brewerton, Larry Wight delivered a win in the 35-lap Modified feature. Tim Sears Jr. was next after 35-laps. Matt Caprara, Darren Smith and Jeff Taylor filled the top five. Ryan Barrett won the 25-lap Sportsman feature from the pole, holding off Michael Button and Brett Sears. Owen Bird and Cody Manitta were next. Mike Mullen tallied another Mod Lite win, collecting the checkers after 20 laps. He was followed by Roger Olchewske, Joe Isabell, Thomas Mackey and Jacob Dupra. Nathan Powers won the Four Cylinder Super Stock feature over Chris Bonoffski and Jack Taskey.
Billy Dunn won the 25-lap 358-Modified feature at Can-Am Speedway, topping Tim Fuller. Fuller started outside the front row, and Dunn charged from sixth to wrestle the top spot away and hold on for the win. Lance Willix was third ahead of Shaun Shaw and Ryan Bartlett. Taylor Doxtater charged from ninth to win the 20-lap Sportsman feature. Paul DeRuyter was next, followed by Eir Nier, Owen Nier and Jessica Power. Andrew Hennessey and Josh Verne Jr. finished in the same order they started the 25-lap 602 Sprint feature, taking the win and second after sharing the front row. Bruno Richard settled for third. Jared Gilson won the 15-lap Thundercar feature and Caleb Howard scored a win in the 12-lap limited Sportsman main.
At Utica-Rome Speedway, Matt Sheppard picked up a popular Modified win over Alex Yankowski and Willy Decker; Rocky Warner was fourth ahead of Matt Janczuk. George Cushman won the Pro Stock feature, topping Decon Camenga and Luke Horning. Chris Darling scored a Limited Sportsman win. Jeff Connolly (DOHC) and Wayne Russell (SOHC) were triumphant in their respective four-cylinder features. Brody Janczuk (Juniors) and Brayden Ketchum (All Star) earned Slingshot wins.