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Shocking: Sheppard Survives Broken Shock Tower to Win Utica-Rome New Yorker

Written by Chris Moore

VERNON, NY – Shocking.

With a broken left-front shock tower, Matt Sheppard raced his way to another $10,000 in the ‘New Yorker’ presented by Wilcox Construction LLC and Saint Lawrence Radiology.

The impressive drive awarded Sheppard his 10th Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series (STSS) Fueled By Sunoco triumph of 2024 and the 48th of his career.

The Savannah, N.Y., driver used a restart with 10 laps to go to race around Alex Payne and claim what was his 12th win of the season at Utica-Rome Speedway.

Earlier in the race while battling for the lead, the pair made contact, breaking
Sheppard’s shock tower, forcing him to drive a wounded racecar for the final portion of the race.

“That was crazy,” Sheppard laughed in Bicknell Racing Products Victory Lane.

“I got caught underneath Alex’s back bumper there and when the shock tower was broken, I thought we were done.

“I got braver with every restart,” he continued. “Once I got around him, I thought maybe with clean air I got hold him off to this finish.”

Holding Payne off was exactly what he did.

Covington Township, Pa.’s Alex Yankowski led the opening 12 laps after starting fourth, before breaking a jackshaft, ending his night early.

Elizabethtown, N.Y.’s Mike Mahaney inherited the lead following the caution and Canandaigua, N.Y.’s Alex Payne pulled up alongside Mahaney.

Eyes were also on the hard charging duo of Sheppard, from ninth, and Sprakers, N.Y.’s Stewart Friesen, who came from 11th.

Sheppard moved to third and Friesen fourth on the restart, both getting by Binghamton, N.Y.’s Darren Smith to move closer to the top spot.

Meanwhile, Payne went to work to get around Mike Mahaney. Payne, using the outside groove, rolled past Mahaney at the completion of lap 18.

Another yellow flag flew on lap 18 as well allowing both Sheppard and Friesen to get by Mahaney and move into the final two podium positions.

From there, the lead trio put on a thriller in the ‘New Yorker’ battling for a $10,000 top prize.

Friesen and Sheppard waged war for the runner-up spot right behind Payne.

Friesen shook off the advances of Sheppard and began to apply pressure to Payne.

While the two battled, Sheppard rejoined the fray, making it a three-car fight for the top spot.

With Friesen trying to use the bottom groove to get underneath Payne,

Sheppard rolled the top side right behind Payne and took the runner-up spot away.

Sheppard then got a run off of turn four with Payne coming up the racetrack. Sheppard got on the brakes, but his left front clipped Payne’s right rear. The contact caused Sheppard’s left front shock tower to break, forcing him to race with an ill-handling racecar.

Sheppard suddenly was in conservation mode, as Payne began to pull away, and Friesen was trying everything he could to get by Sheppard’s wounded machine.

Multiple yellow flags between laps 35 and 40 – including one for Friesen who broke a left-rear shock – gave Sheppard multiple opportunities to get by Payne.

On the final one, that’s exactly what Sheppard did, rolling the outside groove to clear Payne and race his way into clean air.

One more caution flag flew on the Behrent’s Performance Warehouse ‘White Flag’ lap, but Sheppard was up to the call, hanging on for another STSS triumph.

Alex Payne settled for second, one shy of his first career STSS victory.

“The yellows killed me,” Payne stated. “I was getting a good launch, but he was learning my starts I think that got me.”

Walden, N.Y.’s Anthony Perrego rounded out the podium in the Bob Hentschel-owned No. 4.

“We were a little underpowered to start but once it slicked off this thing to came to life,” Perrego said. “I think this is our best Utica finish so all in all I’ll take it.”

Saratoga Springs, N.Y.’s Jack Lehner drove from the 13th starting position to finish fourth and Watertown, N.Y.’s Tim Fuller was the Upstate Auto $200 Hard Charger, coming from 23rd to round out the top five.

Finishing sixth through 10th, respectively, were Unadilla, N.Y.’s Billy Decker in the Jeremy Smith Racing No. 91; Guilderland, N.Y.’s Marc Johnson who came from 21st; Binghamton, N.Y.’s Darren Smith in the Jeremy Smith Racing No. 12; Fonda, N.Y.’s Danny Varin who was back behind the wheel of the Ed Monger owned No. 93; and Baldwinsville, N.Y.’s Michael Maresca in the Saint Lawrence Radiology No. 7mm.

Thirty-four STSS big-block/small-block Modifieds signed in for competition in the ‘New Yorker.’

Heat winners were Friesen, Perrego, Mat Williamson, and Mahaney. Marc Johnson won the consolation race.

Hayden Coons topped the 15-lap Fastline Performance Limited Sportsman feature for his second win of the season.

After Danny Allen broke, Coons inherited the lead, outdueling Andrew MacFadden and raced away with the victory, his second in the last three Limited Sportsman features at Utica-Rome Speedway.

MacFadden was the runner-up with Maddy Broedel, Kirsten Swartz, and Jim Mallia completing the top five.

C.J. LaVair won his first career Fonda Fair Four Cylinder feature event in his first ever appearance at Utica-Rome Speedway.

LaVair raced by Rudy King Jr. just passed the halfway point to take the lead and the win. Wayne Russell Jr. won the Single Cam portion of the event.

The STSS returns to action with the biggest one of them all at Fonda Speedway in Fonda, N.Y. The STSS Modifieds go for a $53,000 top prize in the annual ‘Fonda 200.’ The three-day weekend takes Thurs.-Sat., September 12-14 with a full weekend of racing set to take place.

Racing continues at Utica-Rome Speedway in two weeks – Sept. 20-21 – with the first ever ‘Empire State Showdown’ promoted by Reigel Promotions. The full weekend of racing features a $4,000-to-win main event for the Taylor’s Trailers LLC Crate 602 Sportsman and a $2,000-to-win main event for the IMCA Modifieds.

Utica-Rome Speedway is located at 5591 NY-5 (Seneca Turnpike) Vernon, NY 13476. The official website is www.uticaromespeedway.com and the speedway can be reached by phone at 315.953.4097. Like Utica-Rome Speedway on Facebook or follow us on Twitter @UR_Speedway.

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.

'NEW YORKER’ RESULTS SUMMARY – UTICA-ROME SPEEDWAY SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2024

Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series Fueled By Sunoco River Valley Builders North Region Round No. 10 Feature Finish (50 laps): 1. 9S-Matt Sheppard[9]; 2. 70A-Alex Payne[6]; 3. 4P-Anthony Perrego[7]; 4. 02-Jack Lehner[13]; 5. 19-Tim Fuller[23]; 6. 91-Billy Decker[3]; 7. 9J-Marc Johnson[21]; 8. 12S-Darren Smith[1]; 9. 93-Danny Varin[14]; 10. 7MM-Michael Maresca[5]; 11. 44-Stewart Friesen[11]; 12. 3W-Mat Williamson[10]; 13. 27-Tanner Van Doren[16]; 14. 35M-Mike Mahaney[2]; 15. 42-Pat Ward[18]; 16. 21C-Brian Calabrese[22]; 17. 19W-Justin Wright[20]; 18. JS98-Rocky Warner[15]; 19. 35B-Francois Bellemare[26]; 20. 34-Dave Constantino[24]; 21. 12B-Addison Bowman[27]; 22. 111-Demetrios Drellos[8]; 23. 23-Brandon Loucks[12]; 24. 22W-Brandon Walters[19]; 25. 28T-Michael Trautschold[17]; 26. 84Y-Alex Yankowski[4]; 27. 72-Ajay Potrzebowski II[25]

Did Not Qualify: Mike Nagel Jr.; Will Shields; Randy Shantel; Brent Cross; Tim Mayne; Adam Coots; Aaron Jacobs.

American Racer/Lias Tire Bonuses (FREE Tire Certificate): Danny Varin (ninth) & Tanner Van Doren (13th)
ATL Fuel Cell ‘Hot Lap Hero’ ($100): Matt Sheppard (17.915 seconds)
Behrent’s Performance Warehouse Bonuses ($50 Gift Cards): Jack Lehner (fourth) & Danny Varin (ninth)
Beyea Custom Headers Redraw Bonus ($50): Brandon Loucks (Redrew 12th)
Eibach Springs Bonus ($100 Certificate): Billy Decker (sixth)
Elite Welder Training & Testing Halfway Leader Bonus ($150):
Henry’s Exhaust Power Position ($50 Certificate): Stewart Friesen (11th)
PEM Engineering Bonus (Quick Change Gears): Anthony Perrego (third)
Penske Racing Shocks Bonuses: Matt Sheppard (first - $150 certificate); Alex Payne (second - $75 certificate); Anthony Perrego (third - $50 certificate); Jack Lehner (fourth - $25 certificate)
Schultz Racing Fuel Cells Bonus ($100 Certificate): Mat Williamson (10th)
Upstate Automotive Hard Charger ($200): Tim Fuller (23rd to fifth)
Wilwood Brakes ‘Lucky 7’ Bonus ($100 Certificate): Marc Johnson (seventh)

Fastline Performance Limited Sportsman Feature Finish (15 laps): 1. 12-Hayden Coons[4]; 2. 10-Andrew MacFadden[7]; 3. 26B-Maddy Broedel[3]; 4. 24-Kirsten Swartz[9]; 5. 13J-Jim Mallia[5]; 6. 43J-Jayden Wust[8]; 7. 52M-Matthew Backus[10]; 8. 5S-Keith Simpson[1]; 9. 5-Eymarah Bowman[6]; 10. 55-Andrew Eaton[11]; 11. 60-Brad Poppleton[13]; 12. 0-Kyle Coley[16]; 13. 10X-Ayden Goodier[15]; 14. 17A-Danny Allen[2]; 15. 5MJ-Matt Jordan[12]; 16. 82-Johnny Holmes[14]; 17. 25X-Josh Andrews[17]; 18. (DNS) 77N-Bobby Newman

Fonda Fair Four Cylinders Feature Finish (12 laps): 1. C4D-CJ LaVair[5]; 2. 666D-Rudy King Jr[4]; 3. 736D-David Denova[6]; 4. 36D-Matt Bukovan[2]; 5. 54S-Wayne Russell Jr[1]; 6. 31D-Jeff Connolly[3]; 7. 17RD-Joseph Bouck[8]; 8. 212S-TJ Marlitt[7]; 9. 14BS-Wayne Bouck[9]

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