Some people are looking at Bixby’s Greg Skaggs with a little bit of reverence since he conquered NASCAR veterans Kenny Wallace and Ken Schrader in the special Outlaw Modified race a week ago Monday at Outlaw Motor Speedway.

Count among them the Outlaw Modified points leader, Joe Duvall of Chelsea, who happens to be Skaggs’ cousin.

“I was one of the first guys to his trailer,” Duvall said. “I thought it was awesome and a show of sheer determination. I don’t know if he got that in his Wheaties or not that morning but he was the man that night.”

It marked the second of three straight victories for Skaggs, who has also won eight of the last 10 and has climbed to within 60 points of Duvall in the points standings. Duvall has 1,194 points, but only one victory this season. Skaggs is second.

Skaggs just shrugs off the story that will be worth sharing with grandkids one day. He even maintained a tradition of giving away his trophies when on Friday, receiving the hardware for his Monday night win, he autographed it and gave it to a fan from California in attendance that night.

“Last year I raced USMTS (United States Modified Touring Series) and spent some time traveling with eight to 10 guys that use those cars as their primary sources of income,” he said. “Kenny and Ken just raced our cars occasionally and they never race this track like we do. I don’t think they hold a candle to the cars of those eight to 10 who race these cars every time out.”

Skaggs started the second row in the heat race with Wallace on the pole. “The track was real fast that night,” he said. “With as many cars as we had in the heats, you have to stay close to the front if you’re going to have a chance and I did.”

In the feature, Skaggs started on the third row inside, but a car on the pole fell out at the last minute, allowing him to move up one row. He won the race ahead of Wallace, who was fifth, and Schrader, who was seventh. Duvall blew a tire early and watched from the infield.

Even Wallace, a NASCAR veteran who is almost fully retired now, had some reverence. “He looked like a NASCAR guy on dirt,” Wallace said of Skaggs after the 20-lap race.

After finishing third in the USMTS Southern Series and eight in overall points with five victories, Skaggs tried that circuit again early this season, but several factors ended that run. He didn’t race at OMS until late in the spring.

“We had intentions of following USMTS as much as I could but with the insane fuel prices and time away from work, we pulled back,” he said regarding his race team, which includes his dad, John Skaggs, himself a former longtime Super Modified and late model driver.

Duvall has raced the past four years after two decades spent on the AMA motorcycle dirt track tour. He won a national event in Knoxville, Tenn.

“Success didn’t come as often as I’d have liked,” he said. “For several years I scratched out a pretty decent living, but I had a lot of friends in that who were killed or paralyzed and really, I consider myself successful just being able to walk away in one piece,” Duvall said. “I’m at peace with that.”

Duvall appreciates being able to race with his cousin. “We’d see each other at Christmas but now we’ve been able to get to know each other a lot more,” he said.

Duvall has talked to Skaggs about some of those economic and other frustrations of maintaining a highly competitive race career.