8/2/2025
The Dirt Track at Genesee
Batavia’s Xavier Cook Leads Every Lap for First Feature Win
Genesee Kartway is heading down the final stretch of the season, and August promises to deliver plenty of excitement with four nights of racing action still on the schedule after tonight. As the season winds down, the competition heats up, and racers are looking to finish strong in their divisions.
The night kicked off with the Senior Lites division, where Matthew Barry of Albion, NY, and Paige Gayton led the field to green. Barry jumped out to lead lap one, but Gayton quickly slid underneath him on lap two. The two raced side-by-side for three laps before Barry regained control on lap four. From there, Barry never looked back, leading the remainder of the feature to score his third win of the season in the division. In victory lane, Barry said, “This was fun, we still have one more later,” referencing his upcoming run in the Senior Heavy division.
In Junior 1, it was Tucker Hazlett of Corfu, NY, battling with Bentley Olszewski at the start. Olszewski took the early lead, but Hazlett found the inside groove on lap six and made the pass. He led the final nine laps to capture his first feature win since June 18th. “This feels good, I thought I had them on the start but the kart just wouldn’t go yet,” Hazlett said after the race.
The Novice division once again featured a familiar matchup between Kensley Martinez and Xavier Cook of Batavia, NY. Cook got out front early and never gave up the lead, scoring his first feature win of the season. “Thanks to my Mom, my Dad, and my Brother,” Cook said proudly in victory lane.
Ryan Maher of Amherst, NY, continued his strong season in Junior 2, going head-to-head with John Massar, who was making his first appearance at Genesee Kartway this year. Maher dominated the race, leading every lap and bouncing back from a previous loss that had broken his undefeated streak. “I just found my line and ran it,” Maher said. “This means a lot because I was undefeated before last week and now I’m able to be back here.”
In Junior 3, Laina Stewart of Albion, NY, led the way from the start with Chase Powers and Olivia Barry keeping her honest the entire time. Powers stayed glued to Stewart’s bumper but couldn’t find a way by. Stewart hit every mark to stay perfect throughout the race, collecting the win in her first visit to the track this year. “This is really great,” Stewart shared in victory lane.
The Xtreme Budget Predator class brought 12 competitors to the grid with Fred Lord and Gary Gow leading them to green. Gow took the early lead, but the race was quickly slowed by a yellow flag on lap two following a tangle between Jonathon Guthrie and Larry Richmond. On the restart, Gow again fired off strong but was closely pursued by David Pangrazio of Elba, NY. As Gow worked through lap traffic, he became tangled with Guthrie in turn four, triggering another yellow and handing the lead to Pangrazio. Two more cautions would follow — one for points leader Jack Freeman and another involving Covert and Jett Wilcox — but Pangrazio held strong through each restart to claim his first win of the season. “I took prep a little more serious this week, I was sick of running 3rd and it paid off,” Pangrazio said.
Wrapping up the night was the Senior Heavy division, where Matthew Barry returned to the track alongside Josh Nearhood. Barry was flawless, leading all 15 laps and cruising to the win by 6.9 seconds, sweeping both Senior divisions for the second time this season. “Hopefully we can keep this going into the next race and we can do it again,” Barry said, already looking ahead.
Genesee Kartway returns to action on Wednesday, August 6th with just four races remaining before champions are crowned. Racing begins at 7:00 PM, and with the season nearing its end, every lap counts.
Article Credit: Jeremy Perry
Submitted By: Jeremy Perry
