Written by Chris Moore
MIDDLETOWN, NY – For fun and five grand!
The Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series (STSS) Fueled By Sunoco returns to the site of its inaugural race on Friday, October 22 for the ‘Hard Clay Finale.’
The event will be run as a non-points race run under Hurlock Auto & Speed Supply North Region rules to kick off Orange County Fair Speedway’s (OCFS) Eastern States Weekend.
The STSS big-block/small-block Modifieds will run for 50-laps around the five-eighths mile speedway for $5,000 to win, $1,000 for 10th and $500 to start.
The STSS returns to the ‘House of Power’ for the first time since October of 2019. The 2021 edition of the ‘Hard Clay Finale’ will be the 10th visit for the STSS to the Orange County Fairgrounds.
Sprakers, N.Y.’s Stewart Friesen has won four of the previous nine STSS events at the famed Orange County Fair Speedway, including the most recent in the 2019 ‘Hard Clay Finale.’
Sheffield, Mass., resident Andy Bachetti won the first STSS event in history which took place at Orange County Fair Speedway back in April of 2014. The ‘Wild Child’ also won the ‘Hard Clay Open’ in April of 2017.
Savannah, N.Y.’s Matt Sheppard and Boyertown, Pa.’s Mike Gular each won their first career Orange County Fair Speedway races with the STSS. Sheppard triumphed in the 2019 ‘Hard Clay Open.’ Mike Gular’s win came in the preceding STSS event – the 2018 ‘Hard Clay Finale.’
Waldwick, N.J.’s Tommy Meier is the only other STSS winner at the ‘House of Power,’ claiming the 2016 ‘Hard Clay Open.’ The victory was Meier’s one and only STSS triumph.
Now the STSS returns for another running of the ‘Hard Clay Finale’ to kick off OCFS’s biggest weekend of racing.
With no points on the line, drivers will simply be in pursuit of the $5,000 payday and momentum going into the rest of the weekend for the one of the Northeast’s most prestigious events.
The General Information Sheet has been posted at: http://shorttracksuperseries.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/HardClayFinaleGeneralInfoSheet.pdf
The event will be broadcast live on FloRacing (www.floracing.tv) as part of the annual subscription.
Orange County Fair Speedway is located at 239 Wisner Avenue in Middletown, NY 10940. To contact Orange County Fair Speedway, e-mail info@ocfsracing.com or call the speedway office at 845.342.2573.
To learn more about the Short Track Super Series Fueled By Sunoco, visit www.shorttracksuperseries.com, e-mail bdmotorsportsmedia@gmail.com, check out ‘Short Track Super Series’ on Facebook or @ShortTrackSS on Twitter or Instagram.
The Short Track Super Series is presented by American Racer/Lias Tire, Sunoco Race Fuel, Insinger Performance, FloRacing, Bob Hilbert Sportswear, Hurlock Auto & Speed, Velocita-USA, Design for Vision/Sunglass Central, Behrent’s Performance Warehouse, Beyea Custom Headers, Bicknell Racing Products, Dirt Track Digest, Penske Racing Shocks, Danny’s Pizza Pizzazz, Algonkin Motel, Henry’s Exhaust, Hig Fab, Kirkey Racing Fabrication, Precision Hydraulic & Oil, Belmont’s Garage, Superior Remodeling, Spyder High Performance Filters, Fastline Performance, Teo-Pro Car, VAHLCO, WELD Racing & Wilwood.
STSS ORANGE COUNTY HISTORY: PAST EVENT WINNERS
October 24, 2019 – STEWART FRIESEN – Anthony Perrego – Matt Sheppard – Andy Bachetti – Matt Sheppard – Billy Decker
April 7, 2019 – MATT SHEPPARD – Stewart Friesen – Anthony Perrego – Brett Hearn – Mike Gular
October 18, 2018 – MIKE GULAR – Mat Williamson – Anthony Perrego – Tyler Dippel – Mike Mahaney
May 8, 2018 – STEWART FRIESEN – Rick Laubach – Jerry Higbie – Brett Hearn – Billy Decker
October 19, 2017 – STEWART FRIESEN – Andy Bachetti – Rick Laubach – Craig Mitchell – Jeremy Smith
April 9, 2017 – ANDY BACHETTI – Stewart Friesen – Brett Hearn – Billy Decker – Tommy Meier
April 2, 2016 – TOMMY MEIER – Danny Johnson – Mike Ricci – Andy Bachetti – L.J. Lombardo
April 11, 2015 – STEWART FRIESEN – Jerry Higbie Jr. – Danny Johnson – Tommy Meier – Brett Hearn
April 6, 2014 – ANDY BACHETTI – Tim Hindley – Danny Tyler – Danny Johnson – Jeff Heotzler