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What a Race: Anthony Perrego Edges Matt Sheppard Sunday for Port Royal ‘Speed Showcase’ Short Track Super Series Triumph

Written by Chris Moore

PORT ROYAL, PA – What.
A. Race.

Two
of New York State’s finest battled down the stretch of the 40-lap Bob Hilbert
Sportswear Short Track Super Series (STSS) Fueled By Sunoco Modified main event
Sunday afternoon at Port Royal Speedway.

At
the drop of the Sunoco checkered flags, it was Middletown, N.Y.’s Anthony
Perrego taking a $5,000 victory in the ‘Speed Showcase’ driving for a
Delmarva-based team owned by Gary Simpson. Perrego edged ‘Super Matt’ Sheppard
in a back-and-forth battle before a large crowd.

Perrego
is in his first year driving for the Simpson team on the series in search of
the $10,000 STSS Velocita-USA South Region presented by Design for Vision and
Sunglass Central title. His first win came in Race No. 2 of the season.

“We
definitely have something to work with,� Perrego said of Simpson’s Pro Power/Teo-Pro
car combination. “It’s a good piece.�

Perrego
started 11th in the 27-car starting field at the ‘Speed Palace’
located on the Juniata County Fairgrounds. It veteran Jimmy Horton who launched
off the pole at the start, but all-time leading STSS Modified winner Stewart
Friesen – Horton’s teammate – advanced from his third starting position to the
lead on lap two.

Friesen’s
run, however, was derailed when he brought out the race’s only yellow flag on
lap five, the victim of a power steering line issue.

Danny
Bouc, with a back-up 360 cubic inch small-block engine under the hood of the
Pondish Racing No. 6, assumed the lead. Bouc paced the field through lap 10
when Sheppard swept past with the Hurlock Auto & Speed No. 9s.

Meanwhile,
all eyes were on Perrego, who had marched from his sixth-row starting spot to
the top-three.    

On
lap 13, Perrego slipped by Bouc for the runner-up position and the battle was
on. Sheppard and Perrego negotiated lapped traffic and used every inch of the
speedway’s red clay.

Perrego
first cleared Sheppard for the lead on lap 22. Sheppard got it back on the 24th
circuit.

Perrego
shot the gap to the inside of Sheppard on the 26th tour, but, once
again, his lead was short-lived. Sheppard was back on the point on the 27th
lap.

The
key moment of the race took place entering turn three with 10 laps remaining.

Perrego
got a run to the inside down the backstretch. Sheppard attempted to block the
low line entering turn three, but Perrego was there. The two slapped side
rails, battled wheel-to-wheel before Perrego emerged with a lead he would not
relinquish.

“I
had to move him (Sheppard) a little bit,� Perrego said. “I hated to do it, but
racing one of the best there is, I had to take that opportunity.�

Despite
his runner-up finish, Savannah, N.Y.’s Sheppard was all smiles afterward with
his $3,200 effort that included the $200 Precision Hydraulic & Oil Halfway
Leader bonus.

“This
is one of the raciest race tracks I’ve run on in a long time,� he said of his
Port Royal debut.

Mat
Williamson made the long haul south from Ontario, Canada and sliced through the
field from his 19th starting position. After just 12 laps, he was
fifth. Ultimately, he ended his ascent at third, nearly catching Sheppard in
the final laps.

The
effort was a morale builder for Williamson, who drove his own No. 6 big-block.

“After
Florida, I didn’t know if I could drive a race car anymore,� he said, noting
his struggles in the Sunshine State.

Williamson
picked up $250 from Pioneer Pole Buildings Inc. as the event’s Hard Charger.

Pipersville,
Pa.’s Bouc turned his early season around in fourth and Brett Hearn of Sussex,
N.J., made his Port Royal debut a memorable one, completing the front five.

Placing
sixth through 10th, respectively, were David Van Horn Jr. of
Ringoes, N.J., in the VAHLCO Wheels No. 323ov; Oley, Pa.’s Craig Von Dohren
driving the Dick Biever No. 14s; Mike Mahaney of King Ferry, N.Y., making his
debut in the Huttig Motorsports No. 35; Rick Laubach of Hellertown, Pa.,
driving for Ryan Kerr; and Danny Johnson of Rochester, N.Y., at the controls of
the Petruska family No. 66.

Friesen
was the Beyea Custom Headers Fast Timer with a 19.110 fast time award.

Hearn,
Ryan Watt, Van Horn and Mahaney won the heat races for the 34 assembled STSS
Modifieds. Richie Pratt Jr. took the 10-lap B-Main.

PORT POINTS: Speedway promoter Steve O’Neal was so
pleased with Sunday’s event that it was announced the Short Track Super Series
would return on the same weekend in March next year, etching a date on the 2020
Port Royal Speedway calendar….

The
win for Perrego was his sixth career STSS victory. He has now one on four
different tracks on the circuit….

Tough
luck for both Erick Rudolph and Billy Van Pelt, whose efforts were over early
in the afternoon with engine problems….

Defending
STSS South Region Ryan Watt had climbed into the top-three with the Ron Roberts
No. 14W before a drive shaft issue sent him to the infield late in the event….

The
top-three drivers received Oakley Sunglasses thanks to series sponsors Design
for Vision and Sunglass Central….

With
a pair of second-place finishes, Matt Sheppard assumes the STSS South Region
championship lead entering Delaware International Speedway on Tuesday, April 30….

Next
up for the STSS is the Halmar International North Region opener on Sunday,
April 7 at Orange County Fair Speedway in Middletown, N.Y. The Escape RV ‘Hard
Clay Open’ offers $11,919 to win and $700 to take the green flag for 50 laps at
the five-eighths-mile oval.

To learn more about the 2019 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 or Instagram.

The Short
Track Super Series is presented by American Racer/Lias Tire, Sunoco Race Fuel,
Insinger Performance, Bob Hilbert Sportswear, Halmar International,
Velocita-USA, Design for Vision/Sunglass Central, Rob Sherlock Roofing, ATL
Racing Fuel Cells, Behrent’s Performance Warehouse, Beyea Custom Headers,
Bicknell Racing Products, Dirt Track Digest, EIBACH Springs, Fast Axle, Fox
Racing Shocks, Henry’s Exhaust, Hig Fab, HyperCo, Kirkey Racing Fabrication,
Land Hoe Maintenance, K&N, MJK Home Maintenance, Precision Hydraulic &
Oil, QA1, Racing Optics, Superior Remodeling, Teo-Pro Car, VAHLCO, Velocita,
WELD Racing & Wilwood.

‘SPEED SHOWCASE’ RACE SUMMARY – PORT ROYAL SPEEDWAY MARCH
24, 2019

Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track
Super Series Fueled By Sunoco Velocita-USA South Region Event No. 2 Modified
Feature Finish (40 laps):  ANTHONY PERREGO,Matt Sheppard, Mat Williamson, Danny Bouc, Brett Hearn, David Van Horn
Jr., Craig Von Dohren, Mike Mahaney, Rick Laubach, Danny Johnson, Jimmy Horton,
Duane Howard, Jeff Strunk, Billy Pauch Jr., Mike Gular, Stewart Friesen,
Brandon Grosso, Roger Henion Jr., Rex King Jr., Alex Yankowski, Andy Bachetti,
Jordan Watson, Ryan Krachun, Richie Pratt Jr., Cale Ross, Ryan Watt, Matt
Stangle

Did Not Qualify: Brett Kressley, Chad Brachmann, Ryan
Anderson, Clay Tatman, Kyle Coffey, Billy Van Pelt, Erick Rudolph. 

American
Racer Lias Tire Bonuses (FREE Tire):  Mike Mahaney (eighth) & Jeff
Strunk (13th)
ATL Fuel Cell Bonus ($200 Certificate): Brett
Hearn (fifth)
Behrent’s Performance Warehouse Bonuses
($50 Gift Cards): Danny Bouc (fourth) & Rick Laubach (ninth)
Beyea Custom Headers Fast Time Award ($100):  Stewart Friesen (19.110)
Bill Brown & Company ‘Move of the
Race’ Award ($50): Anthony Perrego
Design for Vision/Sunglass Central
Oakley Giveaway (FREE Holbrook Sunglasses): Anthony Perrego, Matt Sheppard
& Mat Williamson
EIBACH Springs Bonus ($100 Certificate):
David Van Horn Jr. (sixth)
Henry’s Exhaust System Bonus ($50
Certificate): Jimmy Horton (11th)
Pioneer Pole Buildings Inc. Hard Charger
($250): Mat Williamson (19th to third)
Precision Hydraulic & Oil Halfway
Leader ($200): Matt Sheppard
Racing Optics Bonus (Tear-Off Sleeve):
Mat Williamson (third)
Sunoco Race Fuels/Insinger Performance
Bonus ($50 Certificate):  Matt
Sheppard (second), Duane Howard (12th) & Jordan Watson (22nd)
VAHLCO Wheels Hard Charger ($50
Certificate): Mat Williamson (19th to third)
WELD Wheels Hard Luck Award (FREE 5XL
Wheel): Billy Van Pelt

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