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HAGERSTOWN, MD – A dominant drive.
Matt Sheppard arrived at Hagerstown Speedway on Sunday morning for ‘Octoberfest’ and drove to a $7,000 payday in the Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series (STSS) Fueled By Sunoco Modified event, his second consecutive victory on the Maryland red clay.
Alex Yankowski, meanwhile, snagged the STSS Modified NJ Quality Drywall South Region title worth $15,000 by finishing eighth, while Michael Maresca was eliminated from contention with mechanical issues.
The championship for Yankowski was his second, joining a 2024 conquest.
Savannah, N.Y.’s Sheppard started from the outside pole following the Beyea Custom Headers Redraw and led all 50 laps.
With the event’s first 24 laps spinning off under green-flag conditions, Sheppard sliced through traffic with pole starter Alex Payne – driving Tim Gibson’s No. 19G – closing as the halfway mark approached.
A tangle in turn three drew the caution and reset the field with 26 laps remaining on the half-mile oval.
Sheppard caught the rear of the field with 15 laps left to run, allowing Payne and Louden Reimert to initiate a three-car lead battle with a pack of cars ahead.
Just as he received a challenge, the yellow flew at lap 37 for a slowing car and the track was cleared for Sheppard.
Sheppard set the pace until the next caution on lap 41 when Michael Maresca slowed, ending the championship bid for the Baldwinsville, N.Y., driver who led the standings entering Sunday’s finale.
Two cautions within the final five laps kept Sheppard on his toes, but he was up to the challenge for his 63rd career STSS Modified triumph.
“I didn’t mind being in open race track,” Sheppard surmised. “You hate (cautions) with a tire game when you run three-quarters of a lap, get a caution, run three-quarters of a lap, get another caution. You put a lot of extra laps on your tires, but we had plenty of tread left on the right-rear.”
Payne, of Canandaigua, N.Y., placed second, followed by Oley, Pa.’s Reimert driving the Doug Flurer-owned No. 16. Billy Pauch Jr. of Frenchtown, N.J., advanced from ninth to place fourth and Logan Watt of Boyertown, Pa., completed the front five after starting 16th.
Finishing sixth through 10th, respectively, were Saturday small-block winner Darren Smith of Binghamton, N.Y.; Ryan Krachun of Neshanic Station, N.J.; eventual South Region champion Alex Yankowski of Covington Township, Pa.; 17th-starter Jordan Watson of Milford, Del.; and Dillon Steuer of Bohemia, N.Y., who started 15th.
Delaware’s Austin Dean was the ATL Fuel Cells Hot Lap Hero with a lap of 20.607 seconds.
Heat winners were Krachun, Payne, Sheppard and Yankowski. The B-Main winner was Justin Grosso.
Joe Toth authored a perfect Sunday in STSS Sportsman competition. Toth, of Upper Makefield, Pa., not only won the 25-lap feature for a $2,000 payday; he also earned the Belmont’s Garage South Region championship.
Like Sheppard, Toth was the ‘Octoberfest’ winner for the second year in a row.
“It’s pretty cool to pick up the only two Sportsman races here,” Toth said. “And to get the South points with a win.”
Toth is now a five-time STSS Sportsman champion: four in South Region action and one in North.
Toth cleared Adrianna Delliponti on a sixth-lap restart and led the remainder of the distance.
Bryce Bashore of Bethel, Pa., climbed from 10th to finish second. Delliponti, of Norristown, Pa., finished third followed by Robbie Emory of Milton, Del., and Jesse Hirthler of Boyertown, Pa.
Matthew Laubach was the JLR Technologies Hot Lap Hero, circling the oval in 20.607 seconds.
Toth, Hirthler and Stephen Kemery won the heat races. Decker Swinehart won the B-Main.
The series continues Thursday (Oct. 22) at N.Y.’s Orange County Fair Speedway with the ‘Hard Clay Finale’ featuring the HYTORC of New York North Region championship round, a 50-lap, $5,000-to-win event.
Hagerstown Speedway, Maryland’s oldest operating dirt track, is located at 15112 National Pike Hagerstown, MD 21740. Learn more on the web at www.hagerstownspeedway.com.
To learn more about the Short Track Super Series Fueled By Sunoco, visit www.
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.
‘OCTOBERFEST’ RESULTS SUMMARY – HAGERSTOWN SPEEDWAY OCTOBER 18, 2026
Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series Fueled By Sunoco Modified NJ Quality Drywall South Region Championship Round Feature Finish (50 laps): 1. 9S-Matt Sheppard[2]; 2. 19G-Alex Payne[1]; 3. 16-Louden Reimert[3]; 4. 1P-Billy Pauch Jr[9]; 5. 14W-Logan Watt[16]; 6. 12-Darren Smith[8]; 7. 51-Ryan Krachun[7]; 8. 84Y-Alex Yankowski[4]; 9. 1J-Jordan Watson[17]; 10. 6D-Dillon Steuer[13]; 11. 32-Brandon Grosso[21]; 12. 26-Ryan Godown[10]; 13. J24-Justin Grosso[19]; 14. 7M-Paul Mancini[25]; 15. 323-Johnny Bangs[22]; 16. 23JR-John Michael Phillps[15]; 17. 91-Luke Bunting[26]; 18. 101-Ryan Graver[11]; 19. 9M-Cameron Miller[20]; 20. 36-Eric Kormann[24]; 21. 24M-Sammy Martz Jr[23]; 22. 7MM-Michael Maresca[6]; 23. 6S-Matt Stangle[12]; 24. 1-Austin Dean[5]; 25. 6-Danny Bouc[14]; 26. 20-Rick Laubach[18]
Did Not Qualify: 53-Mike Gular; 117-Kevin Hirthler; 74W-John Willman; 29J-Chris Ostrowsky; 58-Adam White; 2F-Mike Franz; 7-Jarod Millman; 34-Gordon Smith; 30-HJ Bunting; 127JR-Joseph Brown; 198M-Ken Eckert
American Racer/Lias Tire Bonuses (FREE Tire Certificate): Ryan Krachun (seventh) & Brandon Grosso (11th)
ATL Fuel Cell Hot Lap Hero ($100): Austin Dean (20.607 seconds)
Beyea Custom Headers Redraw Bonus ($50): Ryan Godown (10th)
Four Star Racing Products/Keizer Wheels Spec Small-Block Bonuses: Justin Grosso ($500); Johnny Bangs ($300); Ryan Graver ($200)
Henry’s Exhaust Power Position ($50 Certificate): Brandon Grosso (11th)
MD3 Most Laps Led ($100 Certificate): Matt Sheppard(50 laps)
PEM Manufacturing Bonus (Gear Set): Louden Reimert(third)
Penske Racing Shocks Bonuses: Matt Sheppard (first – $150 certificate); Alex Payne (second – $100 certificate); Louden Reimert (third – $75 certificate)
Swift Springs Hard Luck Award (FREE Spring): Michael Maresca
Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series Fueled By Sunoco Sportsman Belmont’s Garage South Region Championship Round Feature Finish (25 laps): 1. 9-Joe Toth[2]; 2. 14-Bryce Bashore[10]; 3. 22A-Adrianna Delliponti[5]; 4. 27-Robbie Emory[1]; 5. 117-Jesse Hirthler[3]; 6. 18R-Ryan Krushinski[7]; 7. 51-Matt Peck[17]; 8. 59C-Colin Cox[14]; 9. 2BJR-Christopher Buffalino[4]; 10. 59-Tom Moore Jr[24]; 11. 17-Matthew Laubach[6]; 12. 0-Rick Wegner Jr[12]; 13. 4H-Travis Hill[20]; 14. 4U-Johnny Bangs[15]; 15. 74-Stephen Kemery[11]; 16. 56-Doug Kline[19]; 17. 83-Decker Swinehart[21]; 18. 2-Chase Gular[9]; 19. 5K-Gavyn Krupp[16]; 20. 15-Michael White[18]; 21. 20M-Mark Mohr[13]; 22. S2-John Scarpati[22]; 23. R2-Mike Esposito[25]; 24. 34M-Josh Mitman[26]; 25. 715-Mark Behm[23]; 26. 62-Jaxon Hill[8]
Did Not Qualify: 45JR-Chris Grbac; 41-Jeff Tiley
American Racer/Lias Tire Bonus (FREE Tire Certificate): Tom Moore Jr. (10th)
Beyea Custom Headers Redraw Bonus ($25): Stephen Kemery (11th)
Henry’s Exhaust Power Position ($50 Certificate): Matthew Laubach (11th)
JLR Technologies Hot Lap Hero ($50): Matthew Laubach (22.161 seconds)
MD3 Most Laps Led ($100 Certificate): Joe Toth(19 laps)
Swift Springs Hard Luck Award (FREE Spring): Jaxon Hill
