PORT ROYAL, Pa. – The second running of the Speed Showcase 200 sanctioned by the Short Track Super Series transpires tonight at Port Royal Speedway.
Like all long-distance dirt races, tire management typically rounds out as the X-Factor.
For the 200-lap, $50,000-to-win event, tire management is two-fold: a balanced attack on the race track, but not before teams figure out the right tire combination.
Drivers and teams have the option to employ five different right rear tire combinations, four right front tires and two left rear tires all while needing to account for rainy weather.
“What’s scary is we have some weather, so how fast is the pace going to be?” Ryan Godown said. “This place builds a lot of tire heat. I think management is going to be key for 100 laps at a clip. That’s going to be tough.”
During the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series weekend at Port Royal in August, teams and drivers didn’t have any tire flexibility.
Late model teams had to run what the series and track agreed to supply that weekend.
This weekend, modified teams can run compounds of 48, 50, 53, 56 or D3B on the right rear. On the right front, 38, 44, 48 and D1B tires are available.
As for the left rear, 44 or 48 are the only options. A 33 compound is the only tire option for the left front.
“That’s always a challenge for these longer races,” Mike Mahaney said of needing to decipher the most suitable tire combination.
“We’ve already talked about what we’re going to do,” Stewart Friesen said. “You have a lot of options.
“You have a halfway break,” Friesen continued. “You can short pit or pit again late and put some tires on it, blast on through [the field] but cars on the lead lap start dwindling. We’ll watch it.”
At lap 100, there will be a 10-minute open red for refueling, tire pressure adjustments and a change of tear-off strips. Those who stay on the track keep their position.
Majority of teams, however, will likely make a trip to the back pits for fresh tires under the open red and restart at the rear.
Friesens Look To Right Ship
The married couple of Jessica and Stewart Friesen haven’t had a great week thus far at Port Royal.
On Thursday, a mechanical failure knocked Stewart Friesen out of the seventh position. During Friday’s qualifiers, driveline issues ended Jessica Friesen’s night early.
Stewart Friesen managed to qualify for tonight’s big event, but he’ll have to start 15th, a position that doesn’t thrill the nation’s winningest modified driver.
“We haven’t had the best luck here as a race team,” Stewart Friesen said through a faint laugh.
“I don’t know,” Friesen added on what else he needs from his car. “The track is really fast and it’s hard to make something happen with a bad draw. We’ll see what happens [tonight].”
Port Royal is on the short list of clay ovals Stewart Friesen has yet to win at. He did finish on the podium at the track in March, giving him two top fives in four Port Royal events.
“Hopefully we can be good,” Stewart Friesen said.
Jessica Friesen will have to race through a B main if she wants to join her husband in the main event.
Notes
— Matt Sheppard is the second-winningest driver nationally at 25 wins, but his 2021 resume is missing a Crown Jewel. A Speed Showcase 200 win can sufficiently fill that void.
Matt Stangle, Peter Britten, Ronnie Johnson, Erick Rudolph, Ryan Watt, Alex Yankowski, Mike Mahaney and Rocky Warner finished on the podiums to comprise the 12-driver redraw Saturday evening.
Reigning event winner Mat Williamson is projected to start 13th
— Max McLaughlin has withdrawn from the event after motor issues during Thursday’s preliminary feature.