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FONDA, NY – Seven for seven.
Matt Sheppard became the seventh Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series (STSS) Fueled By Sunoco Modified winner in as many races this season Thursday night at Fonda Speedway, topping the rescheduled ‘Firecracker 50’ event from July 1.
The $7,776 victory marked Sheppard’s series-leading 60th career triumph in Round No. 3 of the HYTORC of New York STSS Modified North Region.
“It’s always fun to win here at Fonda,” Sheppard said. “Everything went our way tonight. We had a good racecar, drew a good number, got out front there.
“The track was going through a weird transition there where it started to latch in places on the bottom, the top had a little bit of speed left in it. It was tough to tell where to run.”
The Savannah, N.Y., driver led 49 of the event’s 50 laps, but the victory did not come easily.
Sheppard fended off Fonda kingpin Stewart Friesen for the triumph.
Starting third on the grid, Sheppard rolled into the lead after one lap past Ronnie Johnson.
Behind the race-leading No. 9s, Sheppard’s rival Friesen – who started ninth – reached the top five by the fourth lap around the Track of Champions.
Friesen reached third on lap six and ultimately took over second on the 24th circuit.
As laps clicked off and slower traffic became a factor, Friesen’s Halmar International No. 44 and defending speedway champion Alex Yankowski closed the gap on Sheppard.
Friesen appeared in position to take over the lead, pulling to the inside of Sheppard on the backstretch. The move was negated, however, when Brian Calabrese slowed in turn three to draw the caution with 11 laps remaining.
“We got some fortunate cautions at the right time,” Sheppard added. “Kept the tires on it and got it to the end.”
Friesen couldn’t mount a challenge over the remainder of the distance and Sheppard drove on to victory.
Yankowski, of Covington Township, Pa., slipped past his mentor to earn the runner-up finish worth $3,000. Sprakers, N.Y.’s Friesen placed third, followed by Guilderland, N.Y.’s Marc Johnson and seventh-starter Robert Bublak of Ballston Spa, N.Y.
Finishing sixth through 10th, respectively, were Mat Williamson of Saint Catharines, Ont., up from 11th in the Behrent’s Performance Warehouse No. 3; Cody Clark of Little Falls, N.Y.; Tyler Dippel of Wallkill, N.Y., who started 14th; 19th-starter Chip Constantino of Perth, N.Y.; and Dylan Madsen of Spencertown, N.Y., up from 18th.
Marc Johnson was ATL Fuel Cells Hot Lap Hero with a circuit of 19.533 seconds.
Heat winners were Ronnie Johnson, Sheppard and Yankowski.
Through the support of Upstate Auto in Germantown, N.Y., the consolation was scrapped and all Modifieds started the 50-lap feature.
Brian Calabrese of Johnstown, N.Y., fought back the advances of Blaine Klinger to win the 30-lap STSS Sportsman Madsen Overhead Doors Inc. North Region event, worth $1,776.
Klinger rolled the outside lane throughout the event, pulling event with Calabrese on the 26th circuit in the third turn.
Calabrese blocked the attempt and drove on to victory. Bobby Hackel of East Greenbush, N.Y., emerged with the runner-up spot, followed by Klinger and Johnstown, N.Y., brothers Tanner Warner and Corky Warner.
Chad Edwards was the JLR Technologies Hot Lap Hero at 20.261 seconds.
Heat winners were Edwards, Calabrese, Tanner Warner and Tyler Peet. Harry Shaffer won the B-Main.
The STSS takes one week off before venturing to Quebec Tuesday-Wednesday July 28-29 at Autodrome Granby (Granby, Quebec) on Tuesday and Le RPM Speedway (Saint-Marcel-de-Richelieu, Quebec) Wednesday. Both the HYTORC of New York North Region Modifieds and Madsen Overhead Doors Inc. Sportsman North Region will be in competition.
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 (X) or Instagram.
The Short Track Super Series is presented by Bob Hilbert Sportswear, FloRacing, American Racer, Lias Tire, Sunoco Race Fuels, BDR Feed, NJ Quality Drywall, HYTORC of New York, 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, Flach Performance Products, Henry’s Headers & Exhaust Systems, JK Signworks, JLR Technologies, Dave Prime Jr. MAC Tools, MD3, PEM Engineering, Schultz Racing Fuel Cells, SRI Performance, Swift Springs, The Exotic Brand, Troyer Dirt Cars, TV 12 Racing Products, VAHLCO Wheels & Wilwood Disc Brakes.
‘FIRECRACKER 50’ RESULTS SUMMARY – FONDA SPEEDWAY JULY 16, 2026
Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series Fueled By Sunoco HYTORC of New York North Region Round No. 3 Feature Finish (50 laps): 1. 9S-Matt Sheppard[3]; 2. 84Y-Alex Yankowski[4]; 3. 44-Stewart Friesen[9]; 4. 9-Marc Johnson[6]; 5. 6B-Robert Bublak[7]; 6. 3-Mat Williamson[11]; 7. 4-Cody Clark[5]; 8. 1D-Tyler Dippel[14]; 9. 63-Chip Constantino[19]; 10. 89-Dylan Madsen[18]; 11. 43-Keith Flach[23]; 12. 4*-Anthony Perrego[10]; 13. 15M-Daniel Morgiewicz Jr[13]; 14. 06-Jackson Gill[8]; 15. 35B-Francois Bellemare[15]; 16. 21C-Brian Calabrese[20]; 17. 82S-Will Shields[12]; 18. 2RJ-Ronnie Johnson[1]; 19. 1-Rocky Warner[21]; 20. 85-Jack Lehner[2]; 21. 76-Jamike Sowle[28]; 22. 4A-Bobby Hackel IV[24]; 23. 27-Jason Reome[27]; 24. 71-Eric Mack[16]; 25. 93-Dave Constantino[26]; 26. 21P-Luciano (Pep) Corradi[22]; 27. 70A-Alex Payne[17].
Did Not Start: Michael Wagner Fitzgerald; Felix Roy
American Racer/Lias Tire Bonuses (FREE Tire Certificate): Cody Clark (seventh) & Daniel Morgiewicz (13th)
ATL Fuel Cell Hot Lap Hero ($100): Marc Johnson (19.533 seconds)
Beyea Custom Headers Redraw Bonus ($50): Will Shields (Redrew 12th)
Henry’s Exhaust Power Position ($50 Certificate): Keith Flach (11th)
MD3 Most Laps Led ($100 Certificate): Matt Sheppard(49 laps)
PEM Manufacturing Bonus: Stewart Friesen(third)
Penske Racing Shocks Bonuses: Matt Sheppard (first – $150 certificate); Alex Yankowski (second – $100 certificate); Stewart Friesen (third – $75 certificate)
Swift Springs Hard Luck Award (FREE Spring): Felix Roy
Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series Fueled By Sunoco Sportsman Madsen Overhead Doors Inc. North Region Round No. 3 Feature Finish (30 laps): 1. 21C-Brian Calabrese[1]; 2. 4AMY-Bobby Hackel IV[5]; 3. 9K-Blaine Klinger[3]; 4. 78-Tanner Warner[8]; 5. 797-Corky Warner[7]; 6. 349-Garrett Chillot[15]; 7. 9G-Tyler Peet[12]; 8. 9-Joe Toth[19]; 9. 10%-Chad Edwards[10]; 10. 98-Camron Hotaling[2]; 11. 26-Mason Gray[4]; 12. 25-Stephen Gray[9]; 13. 12AJ-AJ Greco[20]; 14. 314-Clayton Dumond[16]; 15. 13J-Jim Mallia[26]; 16. 55-Jonny Feagles[22]; 17. 00X-Josh Coonradt[6]; 18. 27-Michael Ballestero[17]; 19. 74-Matt Perry[14]; 20. 1H-Harry Shaffer[21]; 21. 1D-Kyle Dingman[23]; 22. 31J-John Dumond[11]; 23. 11-Josh Persse[18]; 24. 5C-Randy Cosselman[13]; 25. 621-Seth Martin[24]; 26. 618-Bobby Rhinehardt[25]
Did Not Qualify: Jimmy Beach; Zach McSpirit; Karl Barnes; Michael Block; Kirsten Swartz; Clyde Peek; Rocco Constantino
American Racer/Lias Tire Bonuses (FREE Tire Certificate): Tyler Peet (seventh)
Beyea Custom Headers Redraw Bonus ($25): Tyler Peet (Redrew 12th)
Henry’s Exhaust Power Position ($50 Certificate): Mason Gray(11th)
JLR Technologies Hot Lap Hero ($50): Chad Edwards (20.261 seconds)
Swift Springs Hard Luck Award (FREE Spring): John DuMond
