VERNON, N.Y. — Matt Sheppard led all 30 laps in a dominant performance for his second consecutive victory with the 3 Bastards Brewing Modifieds at Utica-Rome Speedway on Scenic View Campground/Christian Fabrication night.
Sheppard started on the pole following the redraw and never missed a beat on his way to his 62nd career Modified win at Utica-Rome. The 62 wins move him to within one win of tying Stewart Friesen’s all-time wins record at the ‘Home of Heroes.’
“I didn’t even know we were still redrawing tonight but it worked out for me,” Sheppard laughed in victory Lane. “It made my job a lot easier and we’ve had a fast car all year.”
The Savannah, N.Y., resident occupied the pole starting position with Andy Bachetti joining him on the front row.
After the first attempt at the initial came back due to a spinning car in turn one, Sheppard fired off the bottom on the second attempt and quickly had an advantage.
The race’s second and final yellow came on the third circuit, resetting the field and giving Bachetti one more chance at a restart to jump Sheppard.
It was to no avail.
Sheppard darted out to the lead while Bachetti settled into the runner-up spot and Alex Yankowski battled Alan Johnson for the final podium spot.
With the rest of the top five running the bottom, Yankowski was working the outside groove and using it to his advantage. The Covington Township, Pa. native closed into Bachetti’s back bumper on lap eight and began to pressure Bachetti.
Bachetti, however, changed grooves sensing Yankowski was there and pulled away from his counterpart to maintain the runner-up spot.
Canandaigua, N.Y.’s Alex Payne was on the move as well, using the outside groove to race his way into the top five, getting around Pat Ward and Bobby Hackel IV just shy to the halfway point.
When speedway starter Joe Kriss displayed the cross-flags – signaling the halfway mark – Sheppard led Bachetti, Yankowski, Johnson, and Payne.
The top four remained unchanged, but the battle for fifth would heat up again as Payne’s racecar began to fade.
Hackel IV and Ward both got by the youngster and began to duke it out for fifth amongst themselves. Ward would race by Hackel IV at the completion of the 21st lap and drive away with fifth.
The top five remained unchanged for the remainder of the race, and Sheppard walked away with another impressive victory at Utica-Rome.
“I felt good on the top, but it was thin up there,” Sheppard said of his strategy for the 30-lap affair. “I went up there a couple times and almost went over the bank once.”
“There was just a nice strip of moisture around the bottom, and I figured we’d just stay there.”
Sheffield, Mass., native Bachetti continued his strong start to the season with a runner-up finish and Alex Yankowski rounded out the podium aboard his family-owned No. 84Y.
Middlesex, N.Y.’s Alan Johnson finished fourth aboard the Mark Spoor-owned No. 14J and Genoa, N.Y.’s Pat Ward rounded out the top five.
Paulie Colagiovanni took home the win in the first appearance for the Empire Super Sprint Series 25-lap A-Main.
Colagiovanni, using that razor thin cushion Sheppard referenced, raced his way to the lead and navigated lap traffic perfectly to win the non-stop affair.
Danny Varin powered his way to the runner-up spot, but never got close enough to offer a challenge for the win.
Shawn Donath, Jordan Poirier, and Jeff Cook rounded out the top five.
Matt Janczuk returned to victory lane for the 70th time in his Utica-Rome Speedway career with the Worthington Industries Crate 602 Sportsman.
Janczuk, who started 10th, took advantage of several early race restarts to gain positions before racing by opening night winner Payton Talbot to claim the victory.
Talbot would settle for second with Jim Nagle, Mike Richmond, and Willy Decker Jr. rounding out the top five.
Bret Belden grabbed his second consecutive Next Generation Graphix Pro Stock victory from the fifth starting spot.
Connor Prokop won another exciting Fastline Performance Limited Sportsman feature.
Rudy King Jr. (DOHC) and Wayne Russell Jr. (SOHC) crossed the line one-two in the Fonda Fair Four Cylinder division to pick up the victories.