(May 8, 2024) Delmar, DE – Stewart Friesen continued his dominance in the Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series (STSS) Fueled By Sunoco by winning the ‘Diamond State 50’ at Delaware International Speedway. This victory marks Friesen’s fourth win in the last five years at this event and his fifth career ‘Diamond State 50’ triumph. Friesen led all 50 laps and withstood multiple restarts to secure the $5,000 top prize in Round No. 3 of the NJ Quality Drywall South Region and the Ollie’s Overall Championship.
Friesen, from Sprakers, NY, expressed his relief after the race. “The restarts had me nervous there for a little while,” he said. “Our car was good, but I was struggling with turns one and two.” Despite his struggles in the NASCAR Truck Series, Friesen is now two-for-two in STSS action in 2024, following his win at the ‘Jake Marine Memorial’ at Georgetown Speedway in March.
Race Highlights
Friesen started from the pole position, with Alex Yankowski from Covington Township, PA, alongside him. The early stages of the race were plagued by cautions, allowing Anthony Perrego from Walden, NY, to make his move toward the front. Perrego passed Jordan Watson for third and then Yankowski for second, quickly closing in on Friesen.
Matt Sheppard from Savannah, NY, also made significant progress, moving from 10th to fourth by lap six. The race saw its longest green flag run from lap six to 23, during which Perrego challenged Friesen in lapped traffic. However, a caution interrupted Perrego’s momentum.
On the ensuing restart, Perrego managed to outpace Friesen momentarily but could not maintain the lead. Friesen reclaimed his position and defended it through the remaining restarts. Sheppard’s race ended prematurely due to rear-end issues on lap 40, and Matt Stangle, who used a provisional start, had a water pump failure after reaching sixth place with just three laps to go.
Friesen held on to win the race, with Perrego finishing second and running out of gas after crossing the scales. Mike Mahaney from Elizabethtown, NY, secured a third-place finish by steadily advancing through the field.
Feature Results
- Stewart Friesen [1]
- Anthony Perrego [4]
- Mike Mahaney [7]
- Alex Yankowski [2]
- Mat Williamson [12]
- Danny Bouc [5]
- Billy Pauch Jr. [15]
- Ryan Krachun [13]
- Ryan Godown [14]
- Mike Gular [9]
- Louden Reimert [17]
- Ryan Watt [8]
- Jordan Watson [3]
- Brandon Grosso [21]
- Michael Trautschold [25]
- Rick Laubach [18]
- Brandon Watkins [16]
- Matt Stangle [26]
- Matt Sheppard [10]
- Cale Ross [24]
- Dillon Steuer [11]
- Tanner Van Doren [6]
- HJ Bunting [20]
- Greg Nailor [27]
- Chris Curtis [19]
- Joseph Watson [22]
- Carson Wright [23]
Looking Ahead
The STSS continues with the ‘Battle at the Bullring’ at Accord Speedway, featuring a 50-lap race with a $9,090.90 top prize. This event marks the opening round of the River Valley Builders North Region and Round No. 4 of the Ollie’s Overall Championship. The STSS Crate 602 Sportsman will also compete in a 25-lap race for a $1,500 top prize.
For more information and full race schedules, visit the STSS website. Fans can also catch all the action live on DIRTVision.
