With a huge, standing-room-only crowd looking on, the 30-year-old, Watertown, Connecticut racer bolted out into an early lead and easily rolled to a $10,000 victory on the slick, three-eighth-mile Weedsport oval.

It was Gravel’s second straight Weedsport triumph for his Big Game Motorsports team. He now has five World of Outlaws wins in 2022 and 74 for his career.

Ten-time Outlaw champion, Donnie Schatz, and Gravel shared the front row for the main event and Schatz led the first twelve circuits. But the winner caught the leader in heavy lap traffic, took over on lap thirteen and never looked back.

Cicero’s Paul Colagiovanni raced up through the field and secured a podium finish with a fine third-place windup. WoO point leader Brad Sweet was fourth, followed by Jacob Allen and Carson Macedo. Larry Wight was the hard charger for the night, starting seventeenth and finishing seventh. Spencer Bayston, James McFadden and Bobby Varin completed the top ten finishers.

A controversial incident occurred midway through the feature when Sheldon Haudeschild spun into the infield just off the racing surface in the first turn area. The driver sits third in Outlaw points and was running in the top five in Saturday’s race.

But WoO officials elected to not throw a caution flag and Haudenschild lost several laps before jumping out of his car and throwing his helmet onto the track to create a caution period. He then took his sprinter into the pits for the rest of the night and was scored in the back of the field.

PHELPS WINS 358 RACE: Baldwinsville’s Jimmy Phelps won the DIRT 358 modified support feature at Weedsport, with Larry Wight, Max McLaughlin, Billy Dunn and Bob Henry following.

SCHATZ CLEANS HOUSE: Sunday night’s World of Outlaws sprint car program at the Weedsport Speedway can best summed up in two words, Donnie Schatz.

The ten-time WoO champion from Fargo, North Dakota scored a clean sweep of the second night of the Empire State Challenge by setting fast time, winning his qualifying heat race and dash and leading the 30-lap main event from start to finish. The 44-year-old Schatz pocketed a $10,000 check for his domination on the slick three-eighth-mile Weedsport oval.

The Outlaws ran their entire program caution-free, without a caution flag being thrown the entire night. After dominating the entire 30-lap feature race, Saturday night Outlaw winner, David Gravel caught Schatz in a strong closing rush with two laps remaining.

But Schatz just held him off to complete his unbeaten night at Weedsport. Logan Schuchart was third, with Brock Zearfoss, James McFadden, Larry Wight, Brad Sweet, Spencer Bayston, Danny Varin and Sheldon Haudenschild completing the top ten finishers.

Local racers Paul Colagiovanni of Cicero wound up eleventh, while Joe Trenca of Liverpool finished fourteenth.

WIGHT WINS: After finishing sixth in the sprint race, Larry Wight jumped into his Gypsum Express big-block modified and grabbed off the early lead. But Anthony Perrego and Tim Fuller caught him in the closing laps and their three-car battle for the top spot was the best racing of the night.

At the checkered flag, it was Wight, Fuller and Perrego, with Chad Phelps, Ronnie Davis III, Darren Smith, Tim Sears Jr., Jackson Gill, Peter Britten and Alex Payne completing the top ten finishers. Matt Sheppard dropped out on the nineteenth lap with mechanical issues.

ORDWAY STAYS HOT: Mike Ordway Jr. won his third straight ISMA winged supermodified special this month and his Clyde Booth-owned machine has set three track records along the way.

Earlier this month he set a new track qualifying record at Oswego, along with a win in the main event. The following week he set another record at the Berlin (Michigan) Speedway and his second feature triumph.

Saturday night at the Sandusky (Ohio) Speedway, this Windam, Maine racer outdueled Otto Sitterly down the stretch to win the 100-lap, Hy-Miler Classic on the half-mile Ohio oval.

Mike McVetta followed Sitterly home in third and only seven of the fifteen starters were around at the end of the 100-lap grind.

Friday night’s 40-lap, preliminary feature at Sandusky saw Otto Sitterly rack up his 50th career supermodified triumph. Sitterly picked up $2,400 for the win, with Kyle Edwards second.

SUPER DIRT SERIES: The long racing weekend opened with a 73-lap Super DIRT Series event at the Orange County Fair Speedway in Middletown. SDS point leader Matt Sheppard picked up the $10,000 winner’s check followed by Anthony Perrego, Max McLaughlin, Stewart Friesen and Larry Wight.

UTICA-ROME: Matt Sheppard made it two wins in two nights Friday, picking up the $2,400 top money for winning the 30-lap modified main event at U-R. Rocky Warner and Alex Yankowski were second and third. It was Sheppard’s 23rd feature win of 2022

BREWERTON: Larry Wight won his third Brewerton big-block modified main event of the year Friday, with Tim Sears Jr. and Jimmy Phelps trailing.

OUTLAW: Ajay Portrzebowski picked up the modified win and $3,600 at Outlaw Speedway. Danny Johnson and Steve Paine were second and third.

RANSOMVILLE: Erick Rudolph held off Mat Williamson for his seventh 358 modified win of 2022 at Ransomville.

CAN-AM: Veteran Tim Fuller won his seventh feature of the year Friday at Can-Am Speedway.

ALBANY-SARATOGA: Demetrios Drellos won his second straight A-S feature and a $3,200 check Friday

NASCAR TRUCKS: Stewart Friesen finished fourth in Friday night’s truck race at the Indianapolis Raceway Park. His Halmar team truck with Layne Riggs driving wound up seventh and Grant Enfinger won the event in overtime.

FONDA: Stewart Friesen hustled home from Indiana and won his fifth Fonda feature of 2022. This Sprakers pilot now has 84 career wins at this half-mile fairgrounds oval.

58TH HEATH MEMORIAL: Brian Malcolm won the 58th Heath Memorial modified special at Five Mile Point Speedway Saturday. He picked up a $4,000 winner’s check.

BACHETTI DOUBLES: Andy Bachetti won both the DIRT big-block and 358 features at the Lebanon Vally Speedway. He now has 212 career feature wins.

FULTON: Rich Murtaugh and Tony Finch each won a 25-lap sportsman finale, with Hunter Hallenbeck winning the novice sportsman race. Jim Evans was the hobby stock victor and Eddy Springer picked up $500 for winning the boat race.

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