Written by Chris Moore

VERNON, NY – Payton Talbot put an exclamation point on his championship season at Utica-Rome Speedway, winning the $2,400 top prize in the inaugural ‘Empire State Showdown.’

The South New Berlin, N.Y., native slid by Zack Sabotka on lap 32 of the 50-lap affair and led the final 18 laps of the event for the biggest Taylor’s Trailers Crate 602 Sportsman win of the season.

The ‘Empire State Showdown’ featured a purse of over $13,000 for the 28-car starting field, spotlighting the Sportsman stars of the ‘Home of Heroes.’

Sabotka led the opening 31 laps of the affair, but a broken drive shaft exiting turn four on lap 32 ended his night. As Talbot got by the slowing Sabotka, contact was made.

“First of all, I just want to apologize to Zack (Sabotka), I just got loose off turn four and got into him… I hope I didn’t end his night,” said an unknowing Talbot that Sabotka had already broken.

Talbot held off a late challenge from Tyler Peet on a pair of late race restarts, and ultimately drove away on the final green flag run for the victory.

“I was playing some games on those last restarts,” Talbot said with a laugh. “Peety had me nervous, but we had a great racecar, thanks to everyone who helps make this possible.”

Lake Ariel, Pa.’s Peet came on in the second half of the 50-lap event, rebounding from a poor time trial effort to start his night.

“We weren’t good all night until the feature,” Peet said with a laugh. “We threw another 15 different things at it before the feature and it came to life, we just have to get a little better to catch Payton.”

West Winfield, N.Y.’s Jeremy Slosek, who started 13^th and fell back as far as 19^th, charged forward to complete the podium.

“I think I counted we were as far back as 18^th or 19^th,” Slosek said. “Everybody was fighting to get to the top, so I just figured I had to make the bottom work.”

Slosek did exactly that, rolling the bottom groove and coming home third following his Non-Winners’ race victory on Friday night.

Gloversville, N.Y.’s Tanner Warner was the Hard Charger of the race, coming from the 25^th starting position to finish fourth.

New Berlin, N.Y.’s A.J. Digsby completed the top five.

Finishing sixth through 10^th, respectively, were Walton, N.Y.’s Blaine Klinger, who ran as high as second; Schoharie, N.Y.’s Seth Martin; Mexico, N.Y.’s Addison Bowman; Oxford, N.Y.’s Gordon Smith; and Plymouth, N.Y.’s Carson Rothwell.

Thirty-eight Taylor’s Trailers Crate 602 Sportsman signed in for the ‘Empire State Showdown.’

Heat winners were Matt Janczuk, Richard Murtaugh, Klinger, and Kyle Devendorf.

The Fonda Fair Four Cylinders put on a thrilling race with 20 cars on hand for the $500 top prize.

In the end, Justin Pope outdueled Brad Whiteside in the final stages of the 20-lap race to pick up the victory.

Pope passed LaVair in the second half of the race, and held off the hard charging Whiteside to claim his first Utica-Rome Speedway win of the season.

Whiteside settled for the runner-up spot, with LaVair, Corey Valade, and Dan Valade rounding out the top five.

Brayden Ketchum picked up the All-Star Slingshot triumph after Sullivan Dickey slowed under yellow, relinquishing the lead.

Ketchum came from the last starting position to claim his first win of the season at Utica-Rome.

Blake Banek led all 15 laps of the Junior Slingshot feature, holding off E.J. Hatch, who pressured him the entire race, to pick up his third win of the season.

Racing continues at Utica-Rome Speedway this Fri.-Sat. Sept. 27-28 with the 15^th annual ‘Short Track SuperNationals.’ The Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series (STSS) Fueled By Sunoco Modifieds return for a non-points event paying $4,000-to-win, $2,000 for 10th, and $1,000 for 16^th in the ‘Working Man’s Race.’ The STSS Crate 602 Sportsman go on Friday night in the Championship Round of the Madsen Overhead Doors North Region. Also on the weekend docket are the CRSA Sprint Cars, Next Generation Graphix Pro Stocks, Stone Motorsports/Online Performance Parts Street Stocks, Fastline Performance Limited Sportsman, Fonda Fair Four Cylinders, and the All-Star and Junior Slingshots on the inner oval.

Utica-Rome Speedway is located at 5591 NY-5 (Seneca Turnpike) Vernon, NY 13476. The official website is www.uticaromespeedway.com and the speedway can be reached by phone at 315.953.4097. Like Utica-Rome Speedway on Facebook or follow us on Twitter @UR_Speedway.

EMPIRE STATE SHOWDOWN NIGHT NO. 2 RESULTS SUMMARY – SEPTEMBER 21, 2024

Taylor’s Trailers Crate 602 Sportsman Empire State Showdown Feature Finish (50 laps): 1. 14T-Payton Talbot[5]; 2. 12T-Tyler Peet[13]; 3. 16S-Jeremy Slosek[11]; 4. 78-Tanner Warner[25]; 5. 10A-AJ Digsby[16]; 6. 9K-Blaine Klinger[8]; 7. 621-Seth Martin[3]; 8. 5B-Addison Bowman[12]; 9. 23S-Gordon Smith[1]; 10. 4-Carson Rothwell[19]; 11. 82H-David Hackett[21]; 12. 5D-Kyle Devendorf[7]; 13. 262-Matthew Richardson[28]; 14. 123-Dale Welty[17]; 15. 26B-Maddy Broedel[22]; 16. 67W-Zack Welch[15]; 17. 38-Zach Sobotka[2]; 18. 69-Blake Sarpriacone[23]; 19. 33-Richard Murtaugh[6]; 20. 61-Dave Rosa[24]; 21. 63-Chip Constantino[10]; 22. 99-Jordan Millard[18]; 23. 01-Dylan Nichols[20]; 24. 33X-Matt Janczuk[4]; 25. 23D-David Dickey[14]; 26. 42H-Kadon Hohensheldt[9]; 27. 43J-Jayden Wust[27]; 28. 318-Dave Richer[26]

Did Not Qualify: 3-Colby Herzog; 31J-John DuMond; 66-Don Bellen; 10M-Andrew MacFadden; 18-Brian Harber; 11. 5EJ-EJ Gallup; 60-Brad Poppleton; 00X-Josh Coonradt; 76A-Mike Arnold; 797-Corky Warner.

Fonda Fair SCDRA Four Cylinder Feature Finish (20 laps): 1. 27D-Justin Pope[5]; 2. 46D-Brad Whiteside[8]; 3. C4D-CJ LaVair[2]; 4. 21VD-Corey Valade[1]; 5. 22D-Dan Valade[4]; 6. 5MS-Damien Beckler[12]; 7. 26D-Len St Andrews[14]; 8. 107D-Tim Vandermark[3]; 9. K1S-William Liberatore[13]; 10. 38D-Ian Paul[9]; 11. 007S-Paul Becker Jr[15]; 12. 78D-Jacob Kimball[6]; 13. 54S-Wayne Russell Jr[11]; 14. 736D-Matt Bukovan[19]; 15. 16D-Chris Bonoffski[10]; 16. 53D-Anthony Stevens[16]; 17. 666D-Rudy King Jr[20]; 18. 17RD-Joseph Bouck[17]; 19. (DNS) 37D-Billy Hillman; 20. (DNS) 31D-Jeff Connolly

Allstar Slingshot Feature Finish (20 laps): 1. 15-Brayden Ketchum[6]; 2. 8-Tadd Granger[4]; 3. 29-Billy Richardson[2]; 4. 42-Kevin Loveless[3]; 5. 7J-Nicholas Jenkins[5]; 6. 54-Sullivan Dickey[1]

Junior Slingshot Feature Finish (15 laps): 1. 27-Blake Banek[1]; 2. 50-EJ Hatch[3]; 3. 33X-Brody Janczuk[2]; 4. 22-Parker Fowler[4]; 5. 67X-Jaxx Welch[5]