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STSS Slate Valley Race Day: Devil’s Bowl Storylines, Stars & Sleepers

Written by Chris Moore

WEST HAVEN, VT – Slate Valley Race Day!

The Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series (STSS) Fueled By Sunoco goes green tonight at Devil’s Bowl Speedway in West Haven, Vt., for the ‘Slate Valley 50.’

For the third consecutive year, the STSS celebrates Father’s Day at Mike Bruno’s pristine facility in the Green Mountain State, the lone visit to Vermont for the series.

Tonight’s 50-lap affair pays a cool $10,000 to the winner of Round No. 3 of the River Valley Builders North Region.

THE STORYLINES

Along with Round No. 3 of the River Valley Builders North Region, tonight also serves as Round No. 7 of the Ollie’s Overall Championship chase in 2024.
Tonight’s affair is the only North Region race in the month of June, before a busy five-race month of July.

Sprakers, N.Y.’s Stewart Friesen – the defending ‘Slate Valley 50’ winner – leads the North Region standings by just five markers over St. Catherines, Ontario, Canada’s Mat Williamson.

Williamson tops the Ollie’s Overall Championship by 53 points over Savannah, N.Y.’s Matt Sheppard.

THE STARS

Sheppard heads into Devil’s Bowl looking to get back on track, having not won an STSS race since the ‘Speed Showcase’ at Port Royal (Pa.) Speedway back in March. Sheppard topped the inaugural ‘Slate Valley 50’ in ’22 and was on the charge last season before a flat tire sent him to the rear without enough time to recover.

Stewart Friesen has been on a torrid streak since the STSS returned to the Northeast after winning the finale at All-Tech Raceway in Lake City Fla., back in February. Friesen has won three of the seven events thus far on the Ollie’s Overall Championship tour. The Sprakers, N.Y. also just swept two features at his home track of Fonda (N.Y.) Speedway last night.

Queensbury, N.Y.’s Demetrios Drellos is already a multi-time winner at his home tracks in 2024. Drellos is a former sportsman champion at Devil’s Bowl and boasts a sixth (’23), and a third (’22) in the two previous ‘Slate Valley 50’s.’

THE SLEEPERS

Elmira, N.Y.’s Ajay Potrzebowski II was arguably the fastest car at Devil’s Bowl Speedway in ’23. After running as high as second, Potrzebowski II finished fifth after heading to the pits with a flat tire in the event.

Guilderland, N.Y.’s Marc Johnson has shown plenty of speed during the feature events in ’24 with the STSS. If Johnson can get rolling earlier in the night to match the late-night pace, the ‘White Knight’ will be a factor for his second career STSS triumph.

Napierville, Quebec, Canada’s Felix Roy has joined the STSS for the first time in ’24. After a rough start at Accord (N.Y.) Speedway, Roy charged to an eighth-place finish at Airborne Park Speedway in Plattsburgh, N.Y. Roy will look to continue to build on his way to a potential STSS victory.

ALSO IN ACTION

The Sportsman, Limited Sportsman, and Mini Stocks will join the action tonight under Devil’s Bowl Speedway rules and procedures. The Sportsman and Limited Sportsman will race ‘topless.’

ON THE HORIZON

The STSS fires right back to life just two days from now (Tues., June 18) at New Jersey’s New Egypt Speedway. The D-shaped venue hosts Round No. 5 of the NJ Quality Drywall South Region and Round No. 8 of the Ollie’s Overall Championship.

The STSS Modifieds go for 50-laps and a $6,000 top prize in the 10th running of the ‘Dirty Jersey.’

The STSS Crate 602 Sportsman are also on the docket for 25-laps and a $1,500 payday in Round No. 4 of the Belmont’s Garage South Region.

DIRT DRAFT

Don’t forget to set your Dirt Draft lineups before the night’s first heat race begins.

Visit www.dirtdraft.com or download the app to join Dirt Draft and compete against thousands of others for the entire 2024 STSS season. A subscription is just $5.99 a month with plenty of prizes up for grabs in the Dirt Draft Speed Shop.

Following along with the STSS on Dirt Draft throughout the ‘24 season will pay one lucky fan dividends at year-end.

The STSS Dirt Draft Champion receives two tickets to the STSS year-end banquet and will be honored with a custom trophy presented by Dirt Draft.

GATES AND PRICES

For the June 16 event, open hauler parking begins at 1 p.m. Pit gates open at 3 p.m. with grandstand gates unlocking at 4 p.m. Hot laps are slated for 5:00 p.m. with racing to follow at 6 p.m.

Grandstand admission is $30 for Adults and Children 12 and under are admitted FREE.

Infield Parking is $35.

Pit admission is $45.

HOW TO WATCH

The entire night of racing will be broadcast live on FloRacing (www.floracing.tv) via the annual subscription.

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, @ShortTrack_SS on Twitter or @ShortTrackSS on Instagram.

The Short Track Super Series is presented by Bob Hilbert Sportswear, FloRacing, American Racer, Lias Tire, Sunoco Race Fuels, BDR Speed, NJ Quality Drywall, River Valley Builders, 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, Fastline Performance, Flach Performance Products, Henry’s Headers & Exhaust Systems, JK Signworks, JLR Technologies, Dave Prime Jr. MAC Tools, Schultz Racing Fuel Cells, Superior Remodeling, TV 12 Racing Products, VAHLCO Wheels & Wilwood Disc Brakes.

PAST EVENT WINNERS: DEVIL’S BOWL SPEEDWAY

June 18, 2023 – STEWART FRIESEN – J.R. Hurlburt – Steve Bernier – Matt Sheppard – Ajay Potrzebowski II

June 19, 2022 – MATT SHEPPARD – Mat Williamson – Demetrios Drellos – Anthony Perrego – Erick Rudolph

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