Costa and Wright Taking Aim at Outlaw Speedway Track Title
Story By: STEVE OVENS / OUTLAW SPEEDWAY MEDIA Photos By: DUANE CANFIELD / RACERSGUIDE.COM
DUNDEE, N.Y. – March 9, 2016-Cory Costa has to be pinching himself these days.
The Corning, N.Y. hot shoe has had success in Street Stocks — being a former winner of Outlaw Speedway’s Empire 100 — and took a weekend sweep of the Short Track Supernationals in his Crate Sportsman during a successful 2014 campaign. He’s also one of the hardest working guys in the Outlaw & Woodhull Modified pit areas on a weekly basis and just aligned himself with a quality Friday night ride at Outlaw Speedway for the 2016 season.
Costa and local dirt modified owner Herbie Wright are proud to announce they have combined forces for the 2016 season to make a run at the Outlaw Speedway track title. Costa will race for Wright in his locally familiar No. 88 ‘Batmobile’ on Friday nights, freeing Costa’s own ride up for Saturday night competition and a run at the Short Track Super Series North region series promoted by Brett Deyo.
Their Saturday night plans are not solid, opening the door for them to potentially test and tune at tracks they will need to be spot-on at when the Short Track Super Series comes to town.
With Monday evening’s announcement, Costa’s energy for the upcoming season was palpable.
“It takes a lot of pressure off me and my team to be able to run a second car Friday nights and still be able to chase some racing on Saturday nights with my own car,” Costa said. ”I learned a lot in 2015 and intend on applying myself 110 percent in 2016. I’m excited to get this race season underway, and fully intend on bringing home some W’s.”
Costa had to work hard to get through the 2015 season — his rookie year in the Modifieds at both Outlaw Speedway and Woodhull Raceway. It was a tough learning curve but the crew thrashed whenever it was called on them to do so and the Costa No. 02 made it to the track to compete.
Not even a rollover could keep them down — they just bolted on their old body from 2014 and kept on plugging away. Things like that made car owner Herbie Wright take notice.
“Cory is a great racer, he puts his all into it and picked up an impressive win last season,” said Wright when contacted by Race Chaser Online. ”I’m happy to have Cory in my car for this season at Outlaw Speedway, and there’s a lot to look forward to there by the sounds (of things).”
The Big Block/Small Block Modifieds will race for $2,000-to-win and $200 to take the green flag weekly at Outlaw Speedway. Outlaw opens up with a $3,000-to-win kickoff on Friday, April 22 during the Outlaw Spring Nationals co-starring the Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprints.
The pot gets even sweeter with the recently announced Insinger Performance/Sunoco Outlaw Challenge — if a Modified driver can win the Outlaw Sprint Nationals, Outlaw Fall Nationals and the Dutch Hoag National Open, they will take home a cool $25,000.
That’s a bonus that Costa and car owner Wright no-doubt have their eyes on come April 22 in Dundee. Wright’s team is by no means a high dollar, stacker trailer type of team- but they are competitive as any. Last year, Stacey Jackson took Wright to victory lane with the Batmobile in convincing fashion.
Costa, who is as determined as he has even been in his career, looks forward to doing the same for the car owner in the Southern Tier that is better known by his first name than his last.
