Utica-Rome Speedway

8/23/2025

Utica-Rome Speedway

CHAMPIONS CROWNED AT UTICA-ROME SPEEDWAY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - UTICA-ROME SPEEDWAY - August 22nd, 2025
CHAMPIONS CROWNED AT UTICA-ROME SPEEDWAY
VERNON, NY...Friday night was Championship Night at Utica-Rome Speedway, as track champions were crowned in all regular racing divisions. The night's action was sponsored by Christian Fabrication, Scenic View Campground, and Wilcox Construction LLC.
Matt Sheppard had already clinched the 2025 Track Championship in the 3 Bastards Brewing Modified division coming into the night's feature. At the start of their 30-lap contest, Justin Wright took the lead as Alex Yankowski moved past Randy Shantel for second. Yankowski took the lead on lap 7 as Matt Sheppard was trying to move up from the fifth spot after nearly slipping off the track in turn four. Sheppard got past Rocky Warner for fourth on lap 12 and moved past Wright into third two laps later. On a lap 18 restart, Sheppard blasted from fourth to second and began chasing Yankowski. The yellow flew for Justin Wright's slowing car on lap 25 and Sheppard took the lead from Yankowski on the restart and pulled away for the win. Decker got past Matt Janczuk for third late in the race with Warner rounding out the top five.
3 Bastards Brewing Modified heats were won by Rocky Warner and Alex Yankowski.
In the Taylor's Trailers Crate 602 Sportman main event, Blake Sarpriacone took the early lead while the pack battled three and four wide behind him. Payton Talbot was on a charge from 12th into the top five by lap 6. Talbot moved past Tim Falter for second as Josh Coonradt battled his way past Falter a couple of laps later. Talbot took the lead on lap 13 as Tyler Peet and Mike Richmond were also moving their way forward. Richmond closed in on Coonradt to battle him for third, taking the spot on lap 20 as Talbot pulled away at the head of the pack. At the checkers, Talbot put an exclamation point on his track championship with another win as Richmond nipped past Sarpriacone on the last lap to grab second. Peet and Coonradt completed the top five.
Heats for the Taylor's Trailers Crate 602 Sportsman were won by Blake Sarpriacone, Carson Rothwell, and Josh Coonradt.
The Next Generation Graphix Pro Stock feature began with a special tribute to the late Jim Normoyle, a regular competitor in the division who passed away on August 14th. When the green flag flew on the 20-lap feature, Ed Kotary jumped into the early lead for one lap until Toby Cooper took the top spot. Luke Horning and Slater Baker battled for third for several laps with Horning grabbing third on lap 6. As Devon Camengea and Brett Belden tried to work their way into the top five, Cooper held the lead. By lap 13, Horning was putting pressure on Cooper for the lead when Camengea spun off turn three while running third as Belden slipped into fourth. Horning grabbed the lead from Cooper on lap 17 as Belden slid into second. Gus Gould's spin on lap 18 set up a two lap shootout. Horning was able to hold off Belden for the win and the track championship, followed by Slater Baker, Nick Stone, and AJ Walters.
Next Generation Graphix Pro Stock heats were won by Hunter Keith and Brett Belden.
In the Fastline Performance Limited Sportsman feature, Nicholas Jenkins jumped into the lead until Chuck Lowe grabbed the top spot on lap 5. Track champion Jayden Wust moved into second on a lap 6 restart, moving his way past Lance Hill. The race was called complete on a lap 12 yellow due to the time limit expiring, with Lowe getting the win, followed by Wust, Hill, Kyle Coley, and John Baker.
Fastline Performance Limited Sportsman heats were won by Chuck Lowe and Nicholas Jenkins.
The JB's Sewer and Septic 4 Cylinder feature, Rudy King took the lead from Jeff Connolly on lap 4 and held on for the win as the top finishing DOHC car. Wayne Russell Jr. was the top finishing SOHC car in fourth. Connolly earned the DOHC track championship while Russell took track championship honors in the SOHC category.
In Slingshot action, Brett Putnam captured the win in the Ted's Body Shop All Star Slingshot feature and locked down the track championship for the class. The Diaz Aviation Junior Slingshot main went to Preston Trautschold, who also captured the track championship in that division.
The next event at Utica-Rome Speedway will be on Sunday, August 31st with the running of the 'Cole Cup' for the Empire Super Sprints. The Fastline Performance Limited Sportsman, JB's Sewer and Septic 4 Cylinders, and a 50 lap Enduro will also be on the card. Racing begins at 7:00 p.m. For more information, visit www.uticaromespeedway.com .
RACE SUMMARY-CHRISTIAN FABRICATION/SCENIC VIEW CAMPGROUND/WILCOX CONSTRUCTION LLC NIGHT-UTICA-ROME SPEEDWAY-AUGUST 22, 2025
3 BASTARDS BREWING MODIFIEDS-MATT SHEPPARD, Alex Yankowski, Willy Decker, Matt Janczuk, Rocky Warner, Randy Shantel, Brad Godshalk, AJ Miller, Brandon Carvey, Justin Wright, Tim Mayne, Aaron Jacobs, Mike Ward, James Sweeting.
TAYLOR'S TRAILERS CRATE 602 SPORTSMAN-PAYTON TALBOT, Mike Richmond, Blake Sarpriacone, Tyler Peet, Josh Coonradt, Ed Lukas, Sullivan Dickey, Zack Welch, Tim Falter, David Hackett, Andrew MacFadden, Nick Zielinski, Matthew Richardson, Carson Rothwell, Garret Chillot, Josh Amodio, Seth Martin, Jeremy Slosek, Karl Comfort, Eymarah Bowman, Johnny Feagles, Paul Carey, Brodie Davis, Stephen Denton, Fred Christ, Eric Jensen, Hayden Coons.
NEXT GENERATION GRAPHIX PRO STOCKS-LUKE HORNING, Brett Belden, Slater Baker, Nick Stone, AJ Walters, Toby Cooper, George Cushman, Hunter Keith, Michael Achzet, Ed Kotary, Andy Graves, Ryan Denton, Shane Playford, Mike Kazlauskas, Ivan Joslin, Mike Keith, Gust Gould, Devon Camengea, Ray Richer.
FASTLINE PERFORMANCE LIMITED SPORTSMAN-CHUCK LOVE, Jayden Wust, Lance Hill, Kyle Coley, John Baker, Matt Bukovan, Ayden Goodier, Joe Hilts, Mike Evans, Tim Halsey, Kadyn Depasquale, Nicholas Jenkins, Josh Andrews, Ernie Staelens.
JB'S SEWER AND SEPTIC 4 CYLINDERS-RUDY KING (DOHC winner), Jeff Connolly, Wayne Russell Jr (SOHC winner), Hank Wedgren, David DeNova, Hank Wedgren Jr.
TED'S BODY SHOP ALL STAR SLINGSHOTS-BRETT PUTNAM, Paul Holic, Scott Sprague, Chloe Beard, Kevin Loveless, Tadd Granger, Brayden Ketchum, Corbyn White.
DIAZ AVIATION JUNIOR SLINGSHOTS-PRESTON TRAUTSCHOLD, Blake Banek, Brody Janczuk, Jaxx Welch, Alexis Porter, Wyatt Wilmot.