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NEW YORK MILLS, NY – The Roselawn Banquet Facility served as the backdrop for a jam-packed Night of Champions Awards Banquet for promoter Brett Deyo, closing the book on the 2024 season for the Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series (STSS) Fueled By Sunoco, Fonda Speedway, Utica-Rome Speedway and Brookfield Speedway.
Jeff Ahlum served as master of ceremonies for the event, with the wide range of awards presented prior to and after a buffet-style dinner.
Deyo addressed attendees, thanking the competitors and staff from ’24, discussing FloRacing viewership numbers and highlights of the completed season, while looking ahead to ’25.
Matt Sheppard and Alex Yankowski led the STSS Modified recipients.
Sheppard topped the River Valley Builders North Region for the STSS Modifieds, earning $15,000 for his efforts. The Savannah, N.Y., driver bested the North Region for the fifth consecutive season and sixth time overall.
Sheppard utilized six points-paying victories – including the $53,000-to-win Fonda 200 – to record the championship.
Stewart Friesen, a three-time North Region winner, placed second, followed by Anthony Perrego driving for Bob Hentschel, Mat Williamson driving the Behrent’s Performance Warehouse No. 3 and Jack Lehner, a first-year STSS regular in the BDR Speed No. 02.
Yankowski, Mike Mahaney, Michael Trautschold, Marc Johnson, Francois Bellemare, Tim Fuller and David Hebert completed the top 12.
Covington Township, Pa.’s Yankowski was heralded as the NJ Quality Drywall South Region Modified champion for the first time in his career.
Yankowski edged Perrego by 25 points for the $15,000 crown, driving for Delaware-based team owners Tim and Debbie Millman.
Despite failing to qualify for the Season Opener at Del.’s Georgetown Speedway in March, Yankowski recorded his first feature victory at Bridgeport (N.J.) Motorsports Park on a hot July night and outpointed all competitors.
Perrego and car owner Vinnie Salerno placed second, with Sheppard, Billy Pauch Jr., Ryan Godown, Danny Bouc, Mahaney, Friesen, Ryan Krachun, Ryan Watt, Brandon Grosso and Williamson completing the top 12.
Sheppard received $10,000 as the Ollie’s Overall championship, which combined the standings from the North and South Regions.
Sheppard bested Friesen, Perrego, Yankowski, Williamson, Mahaney, Lehner, Trautschold, Pauch Jr., Bouc, Johnson and Tanner Van Doren.
Payton Talbot of South New Berlin, N.Y., received the STSS Sportsman Madsen Overhead Doors North Region title with two victories and five top-10 finishes in as many events.
Talbot received $1,500 for his second consecutive Sportsman North Region crown.
Blaine Klinger placed second, 76 points back and Tyler Peet.
Logan Watt of Boyertown, Pa., was the STSS Sportsman Belmont’s Garage South Region title winner and will receive his championship hardware next weekend at Pa.’s Port Royal Speedway.
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Fonda and Utica-Rome speedways presented the F.X. Caprara Car Companies Thunder on the Thruway Series, with six events total (three at each venue).
Michael Maresca, now a resident of Baldwinsville, N.Y., topped the Thunder on the Thruway Modified championship, earning $4,000.
Talbot bested the Thunder on the Thruway Sportsman fight, earning $1,000, while Gates was the Pro Stock winner, also taking home $1,000.
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Fonda Speedway heralded Yankowski as the youngest Modified title winner in the history of the Track of Champions. Yankowski, who remains winless at the iconic facility, received $10,000 for his efforts.
Yankowski and another young gun – Jack Lehner – battled for the crown through Championship Night, with the margin just six points.
Yankowski’s head wrench – Kevin Bates – received the Crew Chief of the Year Award.
Lehner and the Bill and Erik Nelson team placed second, followed by Rocky Warner, Maresca and Bobby Hackel IV.
Talbot topped the Swagger Factory Apparel Sportsman championship fight, besting Chad Edwards by a margin of 30 points.
Veteran Gates, of West Winfield, N.Y., came out on top of the Leatherstocking Credit Union Pro Stock title fight over Ivan Joslin.
A.J. Greco put his name on the Fonda Speedway list of champions, topping the Montgomery County Office for Aging Inc. Limited Sportsman division. Greco bested Lance Hill by 71 points.
The Fonda Fair Four Cylinder division crowns went to Jay Ingersoll (Dual Cam) and Ken Hollenbeck (Single Cam). Ingersoll returned to Fonda competition after several years away, while Hollenbeck maintained his hold on Four Cylinder competition.
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Sheppard continued his dominance of Utica-Rome Speedway’s 3 Bastards Brewing Modified competition, earning his fourth consecutive championship at the Home of Heroes by a commanding 74 points over Yankowski.
Yankowski, Warner, Trautschold and Pat Ward completed the front five.
Sheppard received $6,000 for his efforts.
Talbot, for the first time in his career, was the Taylor’s Trailers Sportsman champion at Utica-Rome. Talbot outdistanced Allan Hodge by 108 points.
Clinton, N.Y. ‘s Bret Belden, driving for Travis and Ashley Welch, continued his dominance of the Next Generation GraphiX Pro Stock title fight with an advantage of 74 points.
Andrew MacFadden of Sharon Springs, N.Y., was the Fastline Performance Limited Sportsman champion in a down-to-the-wire battle. Eric Jensen placed just eight points behind in second spot.
Fonda Fair Four Cylinder champions were Rudy King Jr. (Dual Cam) and Wayne Russell Jr. (Single Cam).
The Slingshots again competed on the Utica-Rome inner oval. Brett Putnam captured his fourth career Allstar Slingshot title, while Addisyn Roger and Preston Trautschold tied for the Junior Slingshot crown.
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The special events schedule at Brookfield Speedway saw David Hackett Jr. of Baldwinsville, N.Y., earn the Scenic View Campground Sportsman championship, picking up a victory on the final night of racing in October.
Gates received the White’s Welding Pro Stock championship, with Sullivan Dickey (Abrams Press Allstar Slingshots), Addisyn Roger (Abrams Press Junior Slingshot), Kamrin Krause (Anderson Towing & Recovery Dual Cam Four Cylinder) and Hayleigh Gates (Anderson Towing & Recovery Single Cam Four Cylinder).
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Attention now turns toward the ’25 season and on-track competition. The Short Track Super Series gets the Northeast green flag on March 14-15 at Pa.’s Port Royal Speedway and March 22 at Bridgeport (N.J.) Motorsports Park.
Fonda Speedway kicks off ’25 on March 21-23 at ViaPort Rotterdam with the annual Race Car Show followed by Open Practice on April 12 and the Jumpin’ Jack Johnson Season Opener April 19.
Utica-Rome Speedway, for the first time, hosts a Race Car Show at Sangertown Square Mall March 28-30, followed by Open Practice April 11 and the ‘Honoring Alex Friesen’ opener on Sunday, April 13.
Brookfield Speedway kicks off the ’25 campaign on Sunday, May 25 with the ‘Fast Cars & Freedom’ special topped by the Short Track Super Series Sportsman.
Since 1953, the Track of Champions Fonda Speedway has hosted the best in stock car racing. The speedway operates weekly on Saturday nights from April through August plus several special events. Fonda Speedway is located on the Montgomery County Fairgrounds off New York State Thruway Exit No. 28 at 21 S. Bridge Street Fonda, NY 12068.
Fonda Speedway is on the web at www.thefondaspeedway.com. To learn more, call the office at 518.915.4395, like Fonda Speedway on Facebook or follow the speedway on Twitter (X):@thefondaspdwy or Instagram: @fondaspeedway.
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 (X) @UR_Speedway.
Brookfield Speedway is located at 1968 Fairground Road Brookfield, N.Y. 13314 and can be reached by phone at 315.941.6133, on the web at www.madisoncountyfairny.com, via e-mail at madisoncountyfair39@yahoo.com or check out ‘Brookfield Speedway’ 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 (X) or Instagram.
