Zeb Wise was victorious in 19 All Star Circuit of Championship (ASCoC) races, \won that series championship in 2023 and carries a three-year winning streak there, but he had not yet won in the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series - until Saturday night when in his 23rd premiere series start he outran Tyler Courtney and Logan Schuchart at Port Royal (Pennsylvania) Speedway.
“It’s been a long road,” Wise said in a press release. “I remember my first few Outlaw races. One of them was actually here, and I had no clue what I was doing. I was definitely out in left field.
“And coming back here as many times as I’ve been here, I’ve gotten really comfortable here. And this is always a place I love coming to but always seemed to struggle at.”
It was not an easy win as Wise held off challenges from the Lance Dewease, the winningest driver on this track and beat Outlaws points contenders Brad Sweet and David Gravel in the process.
Wise won the pole for the 30-lap feature but it was Dewease who took the lead on the opening lap and held it for the first lap of the race. As the halfway point closed in, Wise closed the gap and took the lead with 10 laps remaining.
“I knew Lance wasn’t going to go to the top in (Turns) 1 and 2, but he was just high enough on entry where it was really hard for me to get into the corner good enough to clear him off of (Turn) 2,” Wise said. “I got close multiple times and just didn’t want to show my nose too early and put us in a bad spot for later.
“So, I kind of took my time, and I knew we had a really fast race car. Even right after Lap 1 when I was in second, I figured we’d have a shot at it for sure.”
Tyler Courtney charged through the field from 10th to assume second-place in the closing laps. He was seeking his second straight Outlaws win after visiting victory lane on Friday night.
“Every time I’d get to him with my wing that far back I would kind of just lose my nose just a little bit right at the entry of the corner just kind of slip by grip a little bit,” Courtney said. “I tried the middle there coming to the checkered, and I should’ve moved up there about five laps before that.
“But I had made all my ground there on the bottom and felt like if I could hit my marks I was better than him down there, but it wasn’t meant to be tonight. It’s cool to see him win. He’s had a hell of a year. I know how special those first ones are.”
Outlaws regular Schuhart rounded out the podium and closed the gap on Giovanni Scelzi as those two drivers battle for fourth in the points. Scelzi finished sixth and currently holds a four-point advantage for the position.
The battle for the championship lead also tightened with David Gravel finishing fourth and Brad Sweet back in 11th.
Wise became the third first time winner this season following Brady Bacon at Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt, Indiana and Corey Day at Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, California.
Results
Feature (30 Laps): 1. 26-Zeb Wise[1]; 2. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[10]; 3. 1S-Logan Schuchart[8]; 4. 2-David Gravel[9]; 5. 39M-Lance Dewease[2]; 6. 18-Giovanni Scelzi[5]; 7. 24-Rico Abreu[15]; 8. 41-Carson Macedo[4]; 9. 1T-Tanner Holmes[16]; 10. 19-Brent Marks[11]; 11. 49-Brad Sweet[3]; 12. 21-Brian Brown[6]; 13. 45-Jeff Halligan[14]; 14. 91-Kyle Reinhardt[18]; 15. 23-Devon Borden[7]; 16. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild[19]; 17. 9P-Parker Price Miller[17]; 18. 11T-TJ Stutts[25]; 19. 5-Spencer Bayston[13]; 20. 20G-Noah Gass[26]; 21. 5W-Lucas Wolfe[23]; 22. (DNF) 48-Danny Dietrich[21]; 23. (DNF) 47K-Kody Lehman[27]; 24. (DNF) 13-Justin Peck[12]; 25. (DNF) 1-Hunter Schuerenberg[20]; 26. (DNF) 15-Donny Schatz[22]; 27. (DNF) 83JR-Michael Kofoid[24]
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