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STSS Race Day at OCFS: Hard Clay Finale™ Storylines, Stars & Sleepers

Written by Chris Moore

MIDDLETOWN, NY - It™s Race Day at The House of Power!

Tonight, the Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series (STSS) Fueled By Sunoco returns to the Orange County Fair Speedway (OCFS) for the first time in two years.

The Modifieds of the STSS run in a non-points event to kick off Orange County™s historic 60th Eastern States Weekend.

The Modifieds will race for 50 laps around the five-eighths mile for a $5,000 top prize to kick off one of racing™s biggest weekends. An increased $500 will be paid to take the green flag plus bonuses.

The non-points event will fall under Hurlock Auto & Speed Supply North Region rules.

THE STORYLINES

The Hard Clay Finale™ brings the STSS Modifieds back to Orange County Fair Speedway for the 10th time, the third track to reach double digit visits for the STSS.

Newly Crowned Hurlock Auto & Speed Supply North Region champion Matt Sheppard will be in attendance. Sheppard enters the weekend having won multiple OCFS features in 2021, and four times with the STSS.

The STSS returns to Orange County Fairgrounds for the first time since 2019, after being omitted from the schedule in the 2020 season.

THE STARS

Sprakers, N.Y.™s Stewart Friesen enters the Hard Clay Finale™ having won four of the previous nine STSS visits to the House of Power.™ Friesen also enters on a recent hot streak, winning two $50,000-to-win races in just over a month on the STSS.

Middletown, N.Y.™s Anthony Perrego heads to his home track as the 2021 champion in both the big-block and small-block Modified champion at Orange County. The two-time winner on the STSS in 2021 will be a strong contender to pick up number three on his home turf.

Centennial race winner Mat Williamson returns to OCFS for the Hard Clay Finale™ at the controls of the Behrent™s Performance Warehouse No. 3. The Canadian is a past STSS winner and would like nothing more than to kick off Eastern States Weekend with a victory.

THE SLEEPERS

Phoenix, N.Y.™s Larry Wight heads to Orange County with not so fond memories of his last appearance with the STSS. Wight drove from the 24th starting position to cross the line second, only to come up light on the scales. Wight will be looking for one spot better and a few pounds heavier to avenge his 2019 disappointment.

Tyler Dippel has countless laps around the OCFS oval, having started his career in the region™s Sportsman division. Dippel will have spec power in the No. 1 for Friday™s event, but hopes to put his Teo-Pro car in Victory Lane.

Sheffield, Mass., driver Andy Bachetti has been successful with the STSS at the House of Power.™ The first-ever STSS race took place right here at Orange County, and it was the Wild Child™ claiming the historic victory. Bachetti and Friesen are the only multi-time STSS winners at OCFS.

ALSO IN ACTION

The Will Cagle Race of Champions will take place on Friday night with the STSS Modifieds. The 24-lap invitational race will feature some of the stars of past and present battling in a feature only event. The Sportsman of Eastern States Weekend™ will run their 50-lap, $5,000-to-win feature event as well.

GATES AND PRICES

For the October 22 event, 4:30 p.m. is the STSS load in time.™ Hot laps begin at 6:15 p.m. and racing follows at 7 p.m.

Grandstand Admission is $35 for Reserved seating (Top-Four Rows) and $30 for General Admission. Drive-In Admission is Only Available for Three-Day Passholders at $110.

Pit Admission is $50 (Friday Only, Includes Afternoon).

HOW TO WATCH

The Hard Clay Finale™ will be streamed LIVE on FloRacing (www.floracing.tv) as part of the annual subscription.

Orange County Fair Speedway is located at 239 Wisner Avenue in Middletown, NY 10940. To contact Orange County Fair Speedway, e-mail info@ocfsracing.com or call the speedway office at 845.342.2573.

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, FloRacing, Bob Hilbert Sportswear, Hurlock Auto & Speed, Velocita-USA, Design for Vision/Sunglass Central, Behrent™s Performance Warehouse, Beyea Custom Headers, Bicknell Racing Products, Dirt Track Digest, Penske Racing Shocks, Danny™s Pizza Pizzazz, Algonkin Motel, Henry™s Exhaust, Hig Fab, Kirkey Racing Fabrication, Precision Hydraulic & Oil, Belmont™s Garage, Superior Remodeling, Spyder High Performance Filters, Fastline Performance, Teo-Pro Car, VAHLCO, WELD Racing & Wilwood.

STSS ORANGE COUNTY HISTORY: PAST EVENT WINNERS

October 24, 2019  STEWART FRIESEN Anthony Perrego Andy Bachetti Matt Sheppard Billy Decker

April 7, 2019  MATT SHEPPARD Stewart Friesen Anthony Perrego Brett Hearn Mike Gular

October 18, 2018  MIKE GULAR Mat Williamson Anthony Perrego Tyler Dippel Mike Mahaney

May 8, 2018  STEWART FRIESEN Rick Laubach Jerry Higbie Brett Hearn Billy Decker

October 19, 2017  STEWART FRIESEN Andy Bachetti Rick Laubach Craig Mitchell Jeremy Smith

April 9, 2017  ANDY BACHETTI Stewart Friesen Brett Hearn Billy Decker Tommy Meier

April 2, 2016  TOMMY MEIER Danny Johnson Mike Ricci Andy Bachetti L.J. Lombardo

April 11, 2015  STEWART FRIESEN Jerry Higbie Jr. Danny Johnson Tommy Meier Brett Hearn

April 6, 2014  ANDY BACHETTI Tim Hindley Danny Tyler Danny Johnson Jeff Heotzler

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