By Steven Ovens
(Dundee, NY) After a few postponements to begin the 2022 season, the A-Verdi Storage Containers Patriot Sprint Tour will start its 20th Anniversary Tour this Tuesday at the Outlaw Speedway.
With $5,000 to win the championship on the line this season, some of the best 360 sprint car drivers are expected to attend the Tuesday night program, including the Short Track Super Series Modifieds and Crate Sportsman.
Leading the group of elite drivers will be Jordan Thomas from Harding, Pennsylvania. The second-generation talent finally broke through in 2021, securing his first career series championship with several Podium Runs and two wins at Land of Legends and Outlaw Speedways. He won that championship by just four points over Davie Franek, where the two will be chasing their second career series championship this season.
Franek of Wantage, New Jersey, has been noted on the national scene this season as the No. 1 360 Sprint Car Driver in the country per the Wheatly Chronicles. In early February, Franek began his season down south with USCS and already had strong runs to start the season up north, posting five top-five runs with ESS & URC. Frank has come to like Outlaw Speedway the last few seasons, scoring the win in last year’s PST season opener and winning their weekly championship.
A driver who finally broke through the win column in 2022 with PST was 21-year-old Paulie Colagiovanni of Marcellus. Colagiovanni picked up wins at Fonda and then later in the season at Utica Rome along with several wins in weekly competition at Outlaw putting together another solid season for the Central New York driver.
Despite no wins in series competition in 2021, you always have to look out for the five-time series champion, Jared Zimbardi. Zimbardi was so close to winning the 2021 Outlaw Summer Nationals after losing the lead to Ryan Smith with two laps to go; a lot of motivation will be had come Tuesday night and his quest for his sixth series championship.
Several other drivers are expected to attend this Tuesday streaming on Flo Racing, including former PST Canadian Series Champion Dylan Westbrook of Scotland, Ontario. Westbrook has gone on the ASCS National Tour and has continued to make strides on the National Stage since going to drive for Hills racing. Westbrook had a win at Outlaw back in 2019 during the Summer Nationals.
Other drivers planning on attending will be Joe Trenca, Brett Wright, Jonathan Preston, Dave Axton, Kyle Drum, Steve Glover, Denny Peebles, and 2022 Rookie of the Year Contender Jordan Hutton.
For those unable to attend Tuesday’s race, it will be streamed Live on Flo Racing. You can also follow along on Facebook by liking the Patriot Sprint Tour and following @PatriotSprints on Instagram and Twitter. To keep up to date with everything going on with the Patriot Platinum Tour, please be sure to visit our website patriotpsrinttour.com.