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Written by Chris Moore
LAKE CITY, FL – Sun, fun, speed and money? Mat Williamson hopes so.
The St. Catherines, Ontario, Canada driver will make his return to the ‘Sunshine Swing’ presented by Capitol Custom Trailers & Coaches at All-Tech Raceway with the Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series (STSS) Fueled By Sunoco in 2024.
The fifth annual ‘Sunshine Swing’ takes place Tues.-Sat., Feb. 6-10 with four nights of racing, preceded by a night of practice on Tuesday.
The week culminates in a 50-lap, $10,000-to-win feature event on Saturday night to close out the profitable week of racing for the STSS Modifieds.
“Everything just kind of makes sense for me to do it this year,” said the driver set to get married next month. “We have tires ready; the trailer is getting worked on, it’ll be ready to go, we’re just in a place where it makes sense.”
Williamson attended the inaugural ‘Sunshine Swing’ in February of 2020, but has not returned since, despite a pair of runner-up finishes in that effort.
“COVID played a factor in not going in ’21, and then February is a tough time for Jeff (Behrent, Williamson’s car owner on the STSS tour) with the business, so it just hasn’t worked out for us to make the trip,” Williamson stated.
This year, Williamson will have a new look for the Swing, as he will be driving his self-owned No. 6 for the first time with the STSS.
Under the hood will be a PA/NJ Spec Small-Block built by GSR.
“I think with the weight break and All-Tech being as slick as it can get, I think it’s going to be the way to go,” Williamson offered.
“Our small-block program has been pretty good in recent years also, so I definitely think if we can draw halfway decent, we’ll have a chance to win some races,” he continued.
Williamson ran well in his only appearance in ’20, picking up a pair of runner-up finishes in the three races.
“We should’ve won the one night there,” he explained of his ’20 appearance. “It took rubber, and I was more aggressive on tire choice than most others were, and it cost us.”
Williamson will give it another go in ’24, with more of a notebook and a place he’s familiar with as a comparison.
“It reminds me a little bit of Ransomville (N.Y.) Speedway,” he explained. “It’s a little bit bigger and definitely gets a little more slippery.”
“It’s been four years now, so I could be way off,” he said with a laugh. “That’s what I remember about it though.”
As for the rest of 2024? Williamson and the Behrent’s Performance Warehouse team will make more plans in months to come in planning an attack for the STSS.
“Ultimately, if Jeff and Harry (Behrent) tell me they want somewhere, I’ll be there to race,” he proclaimed. “Once we get a chance to look at schedules together and form a plan, I’ll have a better idea.”
Williamson has been a staunch supporter of the STSS North Region in recent years, but more trips to join the Quality Drywall South Region could be in order in the new year.
First and foremost, Williamson’s mind is on taking home some cash in Florida.
“Hopefully I can put together some good nights and Florida and show Jeff we can run up front wherever we go with these American Racers on.”
Online registration for the STSS Modifieds and STSS Crate 602 Sportsman is available online at: https://www.myracepass.com/series/1996/registrations/8770
All-Tech Raceway is located off Interstate 75 at 1024 SW Howell Rd. Lake City, FL 32024. Learn more at www.alltechraceway.com, call 386.754.RACE (7223) or like All-Tech Raceway on Facebook.
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, FloSports, Bob Hilbert Sportswear, NJ Quality Drywall, Capitol Custom Trailers & Coaches, BDR Speed, Bicknell Racing Products, Ollie’s, Penske Racing Shocks, Wegner Automotive, River Valley Builders, Behrent’s Performance Warehouse, DIG Race Products, ATL Fuel Cells, Velocita-USA, Franklin Products, Design for Vision & Sunglass Central, Belmont’s Garage, Madsen Overhead Doors, Prime MAC Tools, F.X. Caprara Car Companies, Dirt Draft, Algonkin Motel, Beyea Custom Headers, Dirt Track Digest, EIBACH, Electric Neon Custom Signs, Fastline Performance, Flach Performance Products, Henry’s Exhaust, Hig Fab, Schultz Racing Fuel Cells, Spyder Filters, Superior Remodeling, Teo-Pro Car, VAHLCO & Wilwood.
2024 ‘Sunshine Swing’ Schedule of Events: All-Tech Raceway/Lake City, Fla.
Tuesday, February 6 – Open Practice
Wednesday, February 7 – STSS Modifieds 30 laps, $5,000 to win & STSS Crate 602 Sportsman 25 laps, $1,500 to win
Thursday, February 8 – STSS Modifieds 35 laps, $6,000 to win & STSS Crate 602 Sportsman 25 laps, $1,500 to win
Friday, February 9 – STSS Modifieds 40 laps, $8,000 to win & STSS Crate 602 Sportsman 30 laps, $2,000 to win
Saturday, February 10 – STSS Modifieds 50 laps, $10,000 to win & STSS Crate 602 Sportsman 30 laps, $2,500 to win
