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Written by Chris Moore
VERNON, NY – Three-peat.
For the third consecutive year, Matt Sheppard topped the ‘Richie Evans Remembered 61’ at Utica-Rome Speedway.
Sheppard’s win earned him a cool $6,100 payday for his 44th career Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series (STSS) Fueled By Sunoco triumph.
“This race has really been good to us,” Sheppard smiled. “Anytime you can win a race with Richie’s name on it is a big win.
“He was probably the best ever at Utica-Rome and in the Northeast.”
Sheppard fired from the third starting position in Round No. 12 of the Ollie’s Overall Championship and Round No. 6 of the River Valley Builders North Region.
The Beyea Custom Headers Redraw put Mexico, N.Y.’s Addison Bowman and Elizabethtown, N.Y.’s Mike Mahaney on the front row of the 61-lap event.
Mahaney quickly raced out to the early lead while Sheppard worked his way to the runner-up spot at the completion of the fourth circuit.
Mahaney kept a healthy advantage nearing two seconds over Sheppard prior to the races first caution flag fell eight laps into the affair.
On the restart, Mahaney chose the inside groove and tried to slide up in front of Sheppard in turns one and two to try and maintain the lead.
The attempt was unsuccessful, however, as Sheppard crossed over on Mahaney and cleared the No. 35 down the back straightaway to take the lead.
Sheppard went the remaining 53 laps relatively unchallenged. Despite a few yellows over the remainder of the race, Sheppard held firm for a dominant victory.
“We got out front and I didn’t know where the fast lane was,” Sheppard explained. “I didn’t feel spectacular anywhere, so I just tried to move and keep the guys behind me guessing.”
The win was the eighth of the season with the 3 Bastards Brewing Modifieds at Utica-Rome Speedway and his sixth STSS Modified triumph of ’24.
Sprakers, N.Y.’s Stewart Friesen charged from the 10th starting position in his Halmar No. 44, including going from fourth to second on a lap 38 restart, to come in the runner-up spot.
“We made a bunch of adjustments before the feature and we missed it just a little bit,” Friesen proclaimed. “Matt’s had this place wired the last little bit here… just second best for our team tonight.”
Baldwinsville, N.Y.’s Jimmy Phelps completed the podium aboard his HBR No. 98H in a rare STSS appearance.
“I think the car was probably a little better than me,” Phelps laughed. “We raced really hard with (Mahaney) and I think if I could’ve cleared him and restarted on the front row we could’ve gotten second.”
Saint Catherines, Ontario, Canada’s Mat Williamson came from the 13th starting position to finish fourth in the Behrent’s Performance Warehouse No. 3 and Mahaney rounded out the top five in the George Huttig owned No. 35.
Finishing sixth through 10th, respectively, were Covington Township, Pa.’s Alex Yankowski aboard his family-owned No. 84y; Genoa, N.Y.’s Pat Ward in the Beyea Custom Headers No. 42p; Saratoga Springs, N.Y.’s Jack Lehner in the BDR Speed No. 02; Watertown, N.Y.’s Tim Fuller in the St. Lawrence Radiology No. 19; and Roscoe, N.Y.’s Michael Trautschold piloting his self-owned No. 28.
Thirty-two STSS big-block/small-block Modifieds signed in for the ‘Richie Evans Remembered’ at Utica-Rome Speedway.
Heat winners were Sheppard, Lehner, Yankowski, and Bobby Hackel IV. The consolation was won by Ronnie Johnson.
Johnstown, N.Y.’s Brian Calabrese raced from the fifth starting position to the lead on lap four in the Taylor’s Trailers LLC Crate 602 Sportsman feature for his second career STSS triumph.
The win nets Calabrese a $2,061 payday for the win in the 25-lap event.
Calabrese got to the front, leaving seventh place starting Matt Janczuk and ninth place starting Payton Talbot behind.
By the time the pair reached the podium positions, Calabrese was too far gone to close in.
Janczuk, Talbot, Tyler Peet, and Zack Sobotka completed the top five.
Andrew MacFadden dominated the $500-to-win Fastline Performance Limited Sportsman main event presented by Ted’s Body Shop.
MacFadden started from the outside of the front row and led all 15 laps for the victory despite multiple mid-race yellows.
Eric Jensen, Carson Rothwell, Eymarah Bowman, and Corky Warner rounded out the top five.
The STSS returns to action ‘North of the Border’ on Tues.-Wed., July 30-31 for the second annual ‘Lumberjack Swing’ at Autodrome Granby and Le RPM Speedway in Quebec, Canada. The STSS Modifieds go for a pair of $10,000-to-win features in Rounds 7 & 8 of the River Valley Builders North Region and Rounds 13 & 14 of the Ollie’s Overall Championship.
Racing continues at Utica-Rome Speedway next Friday, July 26, as Tibbitts Masonry & Stretch’s Lawn & Landscaping present a full night of racing. The 3 Bastards Brewing Modifieds headline the night and are joined by the Taylor’s Trailers LLC Crate 602 Sportsman, Next Generation Graphix Pro Stocks, Fastline Performance Limited Sportsman, and Fonda Fair Four Cylinders. The slingshots join the program on the inner oval.
Utica-Rome Speedway is located at 5591 NY-5 (Seneca Turnpike) Vernon, NY 13476. The official website is www.uticaromespeedway.com and the speedway can be reached by phone at 315.953.4097. Like Utica-Rome Speedway on Facebook or follow us on Twitter @UR_Speedway.
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.
RICHIE EVANS REMEMBERED’ RESULTS SUMMARY – UTICA-ROME SPEEDWAY THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2024
‘Richie Evans Remembered 61’ Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series Fueled By Sunoco River Valley Builders North Region Round No. 6 Feature Finish (61 laps): 1. 9S-MATT SHEPPARD[3]; 2. 44-Stewart Friesen[10]; 3. 98H-Jimmy Phelps[4]; 4. 3W-Mat Williamson[13]; 5. 35M-Mike Mahaney[2]; 6. 84Y-Alex Yankowski[12]; 7. 42-Pat Ward[7]; 8. 02-Jack Lehner[11]; 9. 19-Tim Fuller[8]; 10. 28T-Michael Trautschold[14]; 11. 9J-Marc Johnson[25]; 12. 97-Bobby Hackel IV[9]; 13. 70A-Alex Payne[17]; 14. 4P-Anthony Perrego[22]; 15. 98JS-Rocky Warner[19]; 16. 1X-Willy Decker[15]; 17. 27-Tanner Van Doren[23]; 18. 22W-Brandon Walters[27]; 19. 23-Brandon Loucks[24]; 20. 77X-Addison Bowman[1]; 21. 35B-Francois Bellemare[16]; 22. 1Z-Jessica Friesen[6]; 23. 879-Darryl Mitchell[26]; 24. 34-Dave Constantino[20]; 25. 91-Billy Decker[5]; 26. 2RJ-Ronnie Johnson[21]; 27. 27J-Danny Johnson[18]
Did Not Qualify: 77-Alan Barker; 47-Kreg Crooker; 15M-Daniel Morgiewicz Jr; 44CD-Ed Downing; 97S-Randy Shantel
American Racer/Lias Tire Bonuses (FREE Tire Certificate): Tim Fuller (ninth) & Rocky Warner (15th)
ATL Fuel Cell ‘Hot Lap Hero’ ($100): Stewart Friesen (18.107)
Behrent’s Performance Warehouse Bonuses ($50 Gift Cards): Mat Williamson (fourth) & Tim Fuller (ninth)
Beyea Custom Headers Redraw Bonus ($50): Alex Yankowski (Redrew 12th)
Eibach Springs Bonus ($100 Certificate): Alex Yankowski (sixth)
Elite Welder Training & Testing Halfway Leader Bonus ($150): Matt Sheppard
Henry’s Exhaust Power Position ($50 Certificate): Marc Johnson (11th)
PEM Engineering Bonus (Quick Change Gears): Jimmy Phelps (third)
Penske Racing Shocks Bonuses: Matt Sheppard (first – $150 certificate); Stewart Friesen (second – $75 certificate); Jimmy Phelps (third – $50 certificate); Mat Williamson (fourth – $25 certificate)
Schultz Racing Fuel Cells Bonus ($100 Certificate): Michael Trautschold (10th)
Wilwood Brakes ‘Lucky 7’ Bonus ($100 Certificate): Pat Ward (seventh)
Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series Fueled By Sunoco Crate 602 Sportsman Madsen’s Overhead Doors North Region Round No. 4 Feature Finish (25 laps): 1. 21C-BRIAN CALABRESE[5]; 2. 33X-Matt Janczuk[7]; 3. 14T-Payton Talbot[9]; 4. 12T-Tyler Peet[12]; 5. 38-Zach Sobotka[1]; 6. 5D-Kyle Devendorf[3]; 7. 63-Chip Constantino[6]; 8. 2K-Josh Amodio[13]; 9. 10-Jim Nagle[10]; 10. 77X-Zack Welch[14]; 11. 23-David Dickey[22]; 12. 89-Dylan Madsen[21]; 13. 12B-Tyler Bobar[4]; 14. 31J-John DuMond[17]; 15. 9K-Blaine Klinger[25]; 16. 44-Gordon Smith[26]; 17. 27-Michael Ballestero[18]; 18. 7H-Allan Hodge[11]; 19. 69-Blake Sarpriacone[16]; 20. 74-Matt Perry[27]; 21. 03-Joshua Jock[24]; 22. 123-Dale Welty[20]; 23. 5EJ-EJ Gallup[2]; 24. 78-Tanner Warner[15]; 25. 82H-David Hackett[8]; 26. 44C-Stephen Denton[19]; 27. 77L-Ed Lukas[23]
Did Not Qualify: 35R-Jim Ryan; 48L-Luke Powell; 16S-Jeremy Slosek; 52-Ron Proctor; 0-Austin Cooper; 12-George Schweigart; 318-Dave Richer; 14-Seth Martin
American Racer/Lias Tire Bonus (FREE Tire Certificate): Jim Nagle (ninth)
Beyea Custom Headers Redraw Bonus ($25): Tyler Peet (Redrew 12th)
Fastline Performance Bonuses ($100 Certificates): Matt Janczuk (second) & Dylan Madsen (12th)
Fastline Performance ‘Hot Lap Hero ($50): Brian Calabrese (19.810)
Henry’s Exhaust Bonus ($50 Certificate): David Dickey (11th)
Fastline Performance Limited Sportsman Feature Finish (15 laps): 1. 10-ANDREW MACFADDEN[2]; 2. 57-Eric Jensen[1]; 3. 4-Carson Rothwell[4]; 4. 5-Eymarah Bowman[7]; 5. 78-Corky Warner[15]; 6. 43J-Jayden Wust[3]; 7. 77N-Bobby Newman[9]; 8. 1B-Jeff Bobilin[8]; 9. 26B-Maddy Broedel[6]; 10. 9J-James Galarneau[10]; 11. 60-Brad Poppleton[14]; 12. 0-Kyle Coley[13]; 13. 25X-Josh Andrews[12]; 14. 44-Rocco Constantino[5]; 15. 44D-Kadyn Depasquale[11]
