4/29/2019
Short Track Super Series
All-Star Field Ready for Delaware International Speedway Tuesday Night ‘Diamond State 50’ Event
DELMAR, DE – Delaware International Speedway will
kick off its 2019 Modified season Tuesday night (April 30) with an ‘all-star’
field.
The ‘Diamond
State 50’ presented by Hurlock Auto & Speed of Hurlock, Md., offers a pay
structure of more than $25,000 at the Cathell family’s facility including
$5,000 to win, $1,000 for 10th, $400 to take the green flag plus special
awards and bonuses.
A
talent-laden field is assembling for this anticipated 50-lap Bob Hilbert
Sportswear Short Track Super Series (STSS) Fueled By Sunoco event, Race No. 3
of the Velocita-USA South Region presented by Sunglass Central and Design for
Vision.
The two
hottest drivers of dirt Modified racing – Matt
Sheppard and Stewart Friesen –
crossed the line in a near photo finish Saturday night at N.Y.’s Fonda
Speedway. The pair will clash again Tuesday night on the clay in Delmar. Both
drivers are past winners of the ‘Diamond State 50’ event, with Friesen having
won in 2016 and Sheppard in 2018.
Friesen will
spend the week racing in Delaware. After competing at Delaware International,
he looks to hold the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series point lead Friday at
Dover International Speedway.
Anthony Perrego is the most recent STSS Velocita-USA
South Region victor in March at Port Royal (Pa.) Speedway. Perrego, driving for
Delmarva car owner Gary Simpson, looks to go for two-for-two in the region.
A fan
favorite in Delaware and the defending STSS Velocita-USA South Region champion Ryan Watt, who won the ’17 edition of
the Diamond State 50. Watt considers Delaware International among his favorite
tracks.
Making the
long haul from Sheffield, Mass., to compete at Delaware International is Andy Bachetti, a past three-time Halmar
International North Region champion.
The
Pennsylvania ‘Big Three’ of Craig Von
Dohren, Jeff Strunk and Duane Howard look to invade the First State
and leave with the $5,000 top prize.
Mike Gular now calls the five-eighths-mile
Orange County Fair Speedway in Middletown, N.Y., home on Saturday nights. With
more ‘big track’ experience under his belt, Gular and the Terry Fasnacht team
are ready to invade Delmar.
New Egypt
(N.J.) Speedway will be well represented at the ‘Diamond State 50’ with
Saturday night Twin 20 victor Ryan
Krachun leading a contingent that includes past event winner David Van Horn Jr., Billy Pauch Jr., Danny Bouc, Brandon Grosso
and Matt Stangle.
Bridgeport (N.J.)
Speedway will be well represented with recent winner Rick Laubach and Richie
Pratt Jr., now at the controls of the Daniel Sommeling-owned No. 51 and Roger Manning among those planning to
compete.
The only
driver from Delaware ever to win a STSS event is defending Delaware
International Speedway champion Jordan
Watson, who leads the First State contingent that includes his brother Joseph, H.J. Bunting, Shawn Ward,
Kevin Sockriter, Jordn Justice, Clay Tatman, Ryan Riddle and more.
Mid-Atlantic
Super Late Model favorite Amanda Whaley
plans a return to the Modifieds on Tuesday night in a family fielded No. 4 car.
Also on the
card: STSS Crate 602 Sportsman ($1,500 to win), Southern Delaware Vintage Stock
Cars and Delaware Super Trucks.
Complete race
information has been posted on the STSS website: https://shorttracksuperseries.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/DiamondStateGeneralInformationSheet2019.pdf
For the
‘Diamond State 50’ all gates open at 4 p.m. A drivers’ meeting is planned for 6
p.m. Hot laps hit the track at 6:30 p.m., with racing at 7:15 p.m.
Adult
grandstand admission is $25. Students (ages 7-13) pay $5. Kids 6 and under are
FREE.
Pit admission
is $35 (no license required). Students (ages 7-13) pay $10 for pit admittance
and Kids 6 and under are FREE.
In the event
of inclement weather, a rain date of May 1 is in place for this event.
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.
Delaware
International Speedway is located at 37854 Sussex Highway in Delmar, Delaware
19940. The speedway office phone is 302.846.3911 and the website is www.delawareracing.com.
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.
Past ‘Diamond State 50’ Winners
2018: Matt Sheppard (STSS
Modified)
2017: Ryan Watt (STSS Modified)
2016: Stewart Friesen (STSS Modified)
2015: David Van Horn Jr. (STSS Modified)
2005: Danny Johnson (Modified) & David Hill (Late Model)
2004: Ricky Elliott (Modified) &
Kenny Pettyjohn (Late Model)
2003: Weather
2002: Jimmy Horton (Modified) &
David Hill (Late Model)
2001: Jimmy Horton (Modified vs.
Late Model)
2000: Kenny Brightbill (Modified vs.
Late Model)
1999: Gary Stuhler (Modified vs.
Late Model)