9/27/2020
Short Track Super Series
Penn Can ‘King of the Can’ Concludes STSS North Region: Friesen Champ, $12,885 Point Fund Posted
SUSQUEHANNA,
PA – In an unexpected
ending to an unprecedented season, the Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super
Series (STSS) Fueled By Sunoco Halmar International Modified North Region concluded
its point battle Saturday night at Penn Can Speedway.
A scheduled
10-event Halmar International North Region was curtailed by COVID-19 regulations
that did not allow fans to attend auto racing events in New York State.
The North-South
combination ‘Anthracite Assault’ event at Pa.’s Big Diamond Speedway started
the North Region on June 16. A second event was run, with fans, on Independence
Day weekend at Fonda (N.Y.) Speedway July 5.
With New York
regulations tightening for speedway promoters, the STSS North Region was placed
on pause for the summer.
Enter Penn
Can Speedway. The Folk family, promoters of the rejuvenated facility on the
Keystone State side of the Pennsylvania-New York border, came to agreement with
STSS director Brett Deyo to sanction the ‘King of the Can’ as the series’
championship event.
A pro-rated (33-percent) point fund of $12,885 was pledged to the top-12 finishers in the North Region standings to reward drivers for their support of the three-race series.
After 55 laps
around the Penn Can oval, the title came down to a margin of just two points.
Stewart
Friesen’s pass of Andy Bachetti with a pair of laps remaining in the ‘King of
the Can’ main event pushed him to his second career STSS North Region championship.
The Sprakers, N.Y., driver edged Mike Gular, who entered the event as the point
leader, by a pair of markers (290-288).
Friesen will receive
$4,000 for the championship.
Boyertown,
Pa.’s Gular, a top-10 finisher in each of the three North Region races run, was
tallied in second and earns $2,300. By virtue of his runner-up finish at Penn
Can, three-time champion Andy Bachetti of Sheffield, Mass., placed third with
273 points ($1,325).
Tyler Dippel
of Wallkill, N.Y., a first-year STSS follower, was fourth with 265 points
($1,000) and Matt Sheppard of Savannah, N.Y., the ’19 champion, placed fifth with
251 points ($825).
Finishing sixth
through 12th, respectively, were Billy Pauch Jr. of Milford, N.J.
(250 points, $660); Larry Wight of Phoenix, N.Y. (232 points, $580); Craig
Hanson of Johnstown, N.Y. (222 points, $545); Danny Creeden of Wurtsboro, N.Y.
(220 points, $510); David Schilling of East Greenbush, N.Y. (176 points, $480)
and a tie between Billy Decker of Sidney, N.Y., and Nick Rochinski of Dickson
City, Pa. (165 points, $330 each).
The STSS
North Region averaged a very healthy 49.67 cars per event.
The complete STSS
Halmar International North Region standings can be found at the following link:
https://stss.racestatcentral.com/?IDseries=1&IDseason=2020
The Penn Can ‘King
of the Can’ brought the ’20 STSS Modified Halmar International Modified North Region
to its conclusion. Next up is the season’s most lucrative Modified race – the ‘Speed
Showcase 200’ at Pa.’s Port Royal Speedway headlined by a $53,000-to-win,
200-lap main event for the Velocita-USA South Region presented by Design for
Vision and Sunglass Central October 15-17. Visit www.shorttracksuperseries.com
under ‘Event Info’ for complete ‘Speed Showcase 200’ information.
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 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, Escape RV, 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.