(February 10, 2024) Lake City, FL – Stewart Friesen ended Matt Sheppard’s hopes of a clean sweep at the ‘Sunshine Swing’ presented by Capitol Custom Trailers & Coaches by winning the 50-lap main event at All-Tech Raceway. Friesen’s victory, his 42nd in the Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series (STSS) Fueled By Sunoco, earned him a $10,000 prize and returned him to the top of the STSS all-time win list.
A Hard-Fought Battle
Friesen and Sheppard both started deep in the field, from 11th and 10th positions respectively, after the Beyea Custom Headers Redraw. Danny Creeden and Larry Wight started on the front row, with Creeden taking an early lead. Friesen quickly moved through the field, reaching the top five by lap five and continuing his advance.
On lap 16, a restart allowed Friesen and Sheppard to further climb the ranks. Alex Payne, starting fourth, took the lead, but Friesen and Sheppard followed closely. Friesen eventually passed Creeden for second, setting his sights on Payne. A mechanical issue for Marc Johnson brought out a caution on lap 20, providing Friesen with an opportunity to challenge Payne on the restart. Friesen seized the lead when Payne’s car suffered a flat tire, causing another caution.
Friesen Secures the Victory
With 30 laps remaining, Friesen took control and maintained his lead despite a challenging and evolving track. Both Friesen and Sheppard navigated the bottom groove, while competitors like Mat Williamson and Zack Payne found success on the outside. Ultimately, Friesen held off Sheppard to claim the win.
“What a phenomenal week for our whole team,” Sheppard said. “We were every bit as fast as him (Friesen), we just didn’t win the race to the front.”
Notable Performances
Mat Williamson made an impressive run from 18th to finish third, recovering from a wreck the previous night. Matt Caprara started third and finished fourth, and Larry Wight, who had finished second in the first three races, rounded out the top five.
Upcoming Events
The STSS will resume on March 9 at Georgetown Speedway for the ‘Jake Marine Memorial.’ This event will kick off the NJ Quality Drywall South Region for the STSS Modifieds and the Belmont’s Garage South Region for the STSS Crate 602 Sportsman.
Feature Results (50 laps)
- Stewart Friesen [11]
- Matt Sheppard [10]
- Mat Williamson [18]
- Matt Caprara [3]
- Larry Wight [2]
- Zack Payne [25]
- Chris Curtis [21]
- Peter Britten [22]
- Alex Payne [4]
- Danny Varin [17]
- Erick Rudolph [16]
- Darren Smith [8]
- Daniel Morgiewicz Jr [24]
- Bobby Hackel IV [6]
- Michael Trautschold [20]
- Rusty Smith [5]
- Seth Zacharias [19]
- Julien Raymond [27]
- Tanner Van Doren [12]
- Tyler Siri [23]
- Jean Mathieu Raymond [26]
- Danny Bouc [13]
- Matt Stangle [9]
- Dan Creeden [1]
- Austin Hubbard [14]
- Marc Johnson [7]
- Rick Laubach [15]
Supporting Events
Payton Talbot continued his strong performance in the STSS Crate 602 Sportsman division, winning his third ‘Sunshine Swing’ race of the week. Talbot led all 30 laps and secured a $2,500 prize, bringing his career STSS win total to six.
Tanner Warner, Matt Janczuk, Dylan Madsen, and Cedric Gauvreau completed the top five. The STSS Crate 602 Sportsman division saw 38 competitors in the ‘Jake Marine Memorial.’
In the Feebs Distilling Delmarva Charger feature, Jay Lowman dominated by leading all 12 laps. Randy Galloway and Craig Kelly finished second and third, respectively. In the Delaware Super Truck race, Tony Guinta made a late pass to secure the win, with Cameron Benson and Robert Smith rounding out the podium.
