VERNON, NY – For the sixth time during the Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series (STSS) Fueled By Sunoco season, Matt Sheppard was triumphant — this time at Utica-Rome Speedway.
Sheppard came back from his 22nd starting position to claim the $6,100-plus payday at his home track in the “Richie Evans Remembered 61” in round seven of the River Valley Builders North Region.
“I told one of my guys before the feature, I’d rather start 22nd with a car that’s driving well than start on the pole with a car that’s not driving well,” Sheppard said of his confidence, despite starting from the outside of the 11th row.
“I kind of stalled out in the middle there, but the track started blowing off and when that happened, we started rolling really good,” said an elated Sheppard.
With Sheppard starting deep in the field, Mat Williamson and Brett Haas occupied the front at the drop of the green flag following the Beyea Custom Headers Redraw.
Williamson raced out to the front of the field while Tim Fuller quickly occupied the runner-up spot after getting by Haas on the initial start. Rocky Warner was on the march early on, racing from his ninth starting position into the top five just six laps into the 61-lap affair.
Three laps later, Fuller used the inside groove to drive underneath Mat Williamson and take the lead just as the field completed the ninth circuit.
Stewart Friesen was looking to join Fuller up front, as he raced by Williamson one lap later for the runner-up spot.
The race’s first yellow flew on lap 13, as Erick Rudolph slowed to a stop at the entry of the third turn.
Fuller went back to the lead on the restart, but it was short-lived. Friesen began to use the outside groove, finding speed at the top of the speedway and driving around Fuller on lap 17.
With Friesen setting the pace at the front of the field, Sheppard was continuing his charge through the field. The next yellow fell on lap 26 after Alex Yankowski had mechanical problems, parking his No. 84Y over the banking of turns one and two.
With the race just short of the halfway mark, Friesen was leading Fuller, Williamson, Warner and Haas, with Sheppard lurking behind in seventh.
The following restart was a key one for Sheppard, as he was able to drive underneath Haas, Williamson and Jessica Friesen to get to fourth by the completion of the 26th circuit.
Two laps later, Sheppard used the outside line to get around Warner for a podium position. Sheppard then cleared Fuller for the runner-up spot as the field completed lap 37.
The race’s next yellow fell on lap 41, giving Sheppard the opportunity he needed to take the lead away from Friesen. He used the outside line to get around Friesen, taking the lead away for good and staying out front for the remaining 20 laps.
Sheppard picked up his sixth STSS victory of the season and extend his lead atop the River Valley Builders North Region standings.
“I saw him sneaking up the leaderboard and didn’t know if we’d have enough to hold him off. When he got by us on that restart, it was game over after that,” Friesen said.
“Keeping this company? There are no complaints for us,” Rocky Warner said, who rounded out the podium finishers. “To be racing with the guys we were battling shows we’re gaining ground.”
Williamson came home fourth in his Behrent’s Performance Warehouse No. 3, remaining within shouting distance of Sheppard atop the North Region point standings.
Jimmy Phelps rounded out the top five after starting in 10th, his best career STSS finish aboard his HBR No. 98H.
Thirty-eight STSS modifieds signed in to compete in the “Richie Evans Remembered 61.”
Matt Janczuk captured the 30-lap, $2,061-to-win Crate 602 Sportsman victory — the first of his STSS career and 62nd at Utica-Rome Speedway. Janczuk came from the ninth starting position to outduel Payton Talbot on a lap-12 restart for the win in round five of the Precision Hydraulic & Oil North Region.
Thirty-nine STSS Crate 602 Sportsman took part in the night of racing.
Feature (61 Laps): Matt Sheppard, Stewart Friesen, Rocky Warner, Mat Williamson, Jimmy Phelps, Tim Fuller, Anthony Perrego, Marc Johnson, Ronnie Johnson, Max McLaughlin, Jessica Friesen, Erick Rudolph, Michael Trautschold, Bobby Hackel IV, Dan Creeden, Darren Smith, Mike Mahaney, Billy Decker, Brett Haas, Andy Bachetti, Dave Marcuccilli, Shaun Walker, Justin Wright, Kyle Coffey, Alex Yankowski, Pat Ward, David Schilling