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Written by Chris Moore
PLATTSBURGH, NY – Zero to Hero.
Anthony Perrego turned the tide on Thursday night, getting his first Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series (STSS) Fueled By Sunoco victory of 2024 in the ‘Adirondack Invasion’ at Airborne Park Speedway.
After not qualifying for the ‘Battle of the Bullring’ at Accord (N.Y.) Speedway – an event Perrego has won three times previously – the Walden, N.Y., native flipped the script for a $7,070 top prize in Round No. 2 of the River Valley Builders North Region and Round No. 6 of the Ollie’s Overall Championship.
“We made such a stupid mistake at Accord,” Perrego explained following Bicknell Racing Products Victory Lane. “When we finally found what was wrong, I couldn’t believe that was what was wrong.
“Accord is in my backyard, not qualifying there had me depressed for a week,” he continued.
After starting from the eighth position following the Beyea Custom Headers Redraw, Perrego drove around then leader Alex Payne for the lead on lap 46 and never looked back.
“If you had told me we were going to win this race today, I would’ve said you were crazy,” Perrego said with a laugh.
Potsdam, N.Y.’s Michael Maresca and Canandaigua, N.Y.’s Alex Payne occupied the front row at the drop of the green flag and would occupy the top two spots for the entirety of the first half of the race.
Maresca led the opening 14 laps, before the pair swapped the lead on laps 15, 18 and 25 while battling through lapped traffic.
Lap 25 also represented the lap that Perrego’s march began. He climbed as high as fourth in the opening 20 laps, before slipping back to fifth for a handful of laps.
From there, however, Perrego’s Bob Hentschel-owned No. 4 took off. Using the outside groove, Perrego took the fourth spot back on lap 25, and nabbed third just three laps later.
Perrego then chased the lead duo for a long stretch, before waging an epic three car battle for the top spot.
Payne and Maresca had continued their strong race up front, but Perrego had quickly made it a three-car war.
From lap 41 through 45, Payne held off both Maresca and Perrego as they traded second back-and-forth. Ultimately, Perrego’s car rolled the outside groove better than the pair he was fighting with.
Perrego used that to his advantage, getting around the duo on lap 46 and setting sail.
From lap 46 to 62, Perrego had built an advantage of over five seconds, before the race’s first and only yellow came out with just eight laps remaining.
Despite the yellow, nobody had anything to offer Perrego for the top spot and the New Yorker raced away with his 11th career STSS victory and his first since ’22.
Maresca settled for the runner-up position.
“Second stinks when you start on the pole and lead some of the race,” Maresca proclaimed. “I felt pretty bad though after the heat race, so we’ll take it after the changes we made.”
Payne rounded out the podium.
“It was a lot of fun, me and (Maresca) changed the lead quite a bit,” Payne smiled. “All of a sudden (Perrego) drove around and I was wondering where he came from.”
St. Catherines, Ontario, Canada’s Mat Williamson piloted the Behrent’s Performance Warehouse No. 3 to a fourth-place finish and Sprakers, N.Y.’s Stewart Friesen came from 13th to complete the top five.
Finishing sixth through 10th, respectively, were St.-Damase, Quebec, Canada’s David Hebert making a rare STSS start South of the Canadian border; Savannah, N.Y.’s Matt Sheppard who drew the worst number in the Beyea Custom Headers Redraw; Napierville, Quebec, Canada’s Felix Roy with his best career STSS outing; Hogansburg, N.Y.’s Carey Terrance who ran as high as third in the early going; and Granby, Quebec, Canada’s Michael Parent.
Jack Lehner of Saratoga Springs, N.Y., earned the Saint Lawrence Radiology Hard Charger, driving from 23rd to 12th.
Thirty-one STSS big-block/small-block Modifieds signed in for competition in the ‘Adirondack Invasion.’
Heat winners were Perrego, Tim Fuller, and Payne. The consolation was won by Chris Raabe.
The STSS returns to action in just over two weeks’ time, at another Mike Bruno-promoted facility. Devil’s Bowl Speedway in West Haven, Vt. hosts the STSS Modifieds for the ‘Slate Valley 50.’ The 50-lap affair pays $10,000 to the winner in Round No. 3 of the River Valley Builders North Region and Round No. 7 of the Ollie’s Overall Championship.
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, @ShortTrack_SS on Twitter or @ShortTrackSS on Instagram.
The Short Track Super Series is presented by Bob Hilbert Sportswear, FloRacing, American Racer, Lias Tire, Sunoco Race Fuels, BDR Speed, NJ Quality Drywall, River Valley Builders, Ollie’s, Penske Racing Shocks, Saint Lawrence Radiology, Capitol Custom Trailers & Coaches, Bicknell Racing Products, Behrent’s Performance Warehouse, Madsen Overhead Doors, Belmont’s Garage, Wegner Automotive, DIG Race Products, ATL, Dirt Draft, Swagger Factory Apparel, F.X. Caprara Car Companies, Algonkin Motel LLC, Beyea Custom Headers, Design for Vision, Sunglass Central, Dirt Track Digest TV, DKM Fabrication, EIBACH, Fastline Performance, Flach Performance Products, Henry’s Headers & Exhaust Systems, JK Signworks, JLR Technologies, Dave Prime Jr. MAC Tools, Schultz Racing Fuel Cells, Superior Remodeling, TV 12 Racing Products, VAHLCO Wheels & Wilwood Disc Brakes.
‘ADIRONDACK INVASION’ RESULTS SUMMARY – AIRBORNE PARK SPEEDWAY THURSDAY, MAY 30, 2024
‘Adirondack Invasion’ Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series Fueled By Sunoco River Valley Builders North Region Round No. 2 Feature Finish (70 laps): 1. 4P-ANTHONY PERREGO[9]; 2. 7MM-Michael Maresca[1]; 3. 70A-Alex Payne[2]; 4. 3W-Mat Williamson[7]; 5. 44-Stewart Friesen[13]; 6. ONE-David Hebert[3]; 7. 9S-Matt Sheppard[12]; 8. 91-Felix Roy[14]; 9. 66X-Carey Terrance[5]; 10. 25P-Michael Parent[15]; 11. 84Y-Alex Yankowski[10]; 12. 02-Jack Lehner[23]; 13. 28T-Michael Trautschold[17]; 14. 01-Chris Raabe[19]; 15. 19-Tim Fuller[4]; 16. 25-Steve Bernier[11]; 17. 90JR-Jeremy Roy[16]; 18. 9J-Marc Johnson[18]; 19. 97-Bobby Hackel IV[21]; 20. 35M-Mike Mahaney[8]; 21. 55-Matt Woodruff[24]; 22. 61-Donovan Lussier[6]; 23. 5S-Tanner Siemons[27]; 24. 35-Francois Bellemare[26]; 25. 72-Ajay Potrzebowski II[25]; 26. 124-Mario Clair[20]
Did Not Start: 35C-Chris Curtis
Did Not Qualify: 24D-Patrick Dupree; 87.9-Darryl Mitchell; 111-Demetrios Drellos; 15M-Daniel Morgiewicz Jr
American Racer/Lias Tire Bonuses (FREE Tire Certificate): Felix Roy (eighth) & Chris Raabe (14th)
ATL Fuel Cell ‘Hot Lap Hero’ ($100): Matt Sheppard (16.715)
Behrent’s Performance Warehouse Bonuses ($50 Gift Cards): Mat Williamson (fourth) & Carey Terrance (ninth)
Beyea Custom Headers Redraw Bonus ($50): Matt Sheppard (Redrew 12th)
Eibach Springs Bonus ($100 Certificate): David Hebert (sixth)
Henry’s Exhaust Power Position ($50 Certificate): Alex Yankowski (11th)
PEM Engineering Bonus (Quick Change Gears): Alex Payne (third)
Penske Racing Shocks Bonuses: Anthony Perrego (first – $150 certificate); Michael Maresca (second – $75 certificate); Alex Payne (third – $50 certificate); Mat Williamson (fourth – $25 certificate)
Saint Lawrence Radiology Hard Charger ($200): Jack Lehner (23rd to 12th)
Schultz Racing Fuel Cells Bonus ($100 Certificate): Michael Parent (10th)
Wilwood Brakes ‘Lucky 7’ Bonus ($100 Certificate): Matt Sheppard (seventh)
