POTTSVILLE, Pa. — Matt Sheppard’s stellar season in big-block dirt modified competition kept right on rolling Tuesday night at Big Diamond Speedway.
Sheppard was the star of the show during the Anthracite Assault North/South combination event for the Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series fueled by Sunoco, driving to his 13th overall feature victory of the season.
Sheppard started 21st on the grid and took the lead from Ryan Godown on lap 42 of the 50-lap affair, earning $5,000 for the victory.
Driving his familiar No. 9s, Sheppard beat Ryan Godown, Mat Williamson, Billy Pauch Jr. and Mike Gular to the checkered flag in the 50-lap main event at the three-eighths-mile oval.
“We really didn’t change a whole lot after the heat race,” Sheppard said. “We waited for the track to come around to us.”
Jordan Watson, Andy Bachetti, Brandon Grosso, Jeff Strunk and Danny Creeden completed the top 10.
In addition to extending his lead atop the STSS South region standings with his second win and fourth top-five finish in four series starts this year, Sheppard is also the current Super DIRTcar Series points leader, as he seeks his record-tying eighth SDS championship.
The finish:
Matt Sheppard, Ryan Godown, Mat Williamson, Billy Pauch Jr., Mike Gular, Jordan Watson, Andy Bachetti, Brandon Grosso, Jeff Strunk, Danny Creeden, Ryan Watt, Craig Von Dohren, Alex Yankowski, Craig Hanson, Rick Laubach, Frank Yankowski, Jimmy Horton, Duane Howard, Dan Bouc, Stewart Friesen, Allison Ricci, Ryan Krachun, David Van Horn, Mike Mahaney, Jeremy Smith, Anthony Perrego, Jared Umbenhauer, Doug Manmiller, Billy Decker.