(February 8, 2024) Lake City, FL – Matt Sheppard secured his second consecutive win at the ‘Sunshine Swing’ at All-Tech Raceway, claiming the $6,000 top prize in a thrilling 35-lap feature event. This victory brings Sheppard’s career win count in the Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series (STSS) Fueled By Sunoco to 40.
Intense Battle for the Lead
Sheppard started from the pole position following the Beyea Custom Headers Redraw, while Larry Wight began from 13th place. Despite starting deep in the field, Wight quickly moved up, reaching the second spot by the second lap’s restart. The race saw a fierce battle between Sheppard and Wight, with the lead changing hands multiple times.
Sheppard initially took the lead but faced constant pressure from Wight. By lap 16, Wight managed to pass Sheppard amid lapped traffic. However, navigating through slower cars caused Wight to lose momentum, allowing Sheppard to regain the lead. A late caution for Bubba McPhee’s incident in turn three set the stage for a final showdown.
Sheppard’s Final Push
In the closing laps, Sheppard reclaimed the lead from Wight, using the inside groove to his advantage. Despite a late-race yellow, Sheppard held his position, ultimately taking the victory. “My tires finally fired, and I was able to slip back by him,” Sheppard said. “From there I was able to hold on to the end.”
Wight finished second for the second consecutive night, while Bobby Hackel IV completed the podium, marking his second career STSS podium finish.
Upcoming Races
The ‘Sunshine Swing’ continues Friday night with a 40-lap, $8,000-to-win STSS Modified main event and the $2,500-to-win, 30-lap ‘Shirley Shootout’ for the Crate 602 Sportsman division.
Feature Results (35 laps)
- Matt Sheppard [1]
- Larry Wight [13]
- Bobby Hackel IV [4]
- Erick Rudolph [5]
- Darren Smith [10]
- Stewart Friesen [12]
- Marc Johnson [25]
- Alex Payne [6]
- Rick Laubach [17]
- Chris Curtis [20]
- Dan Creeden [3]
- Danny Bouc [8]
- Tanner Van Doren [21]
- Rusty Smith [24]
- Zach Payne [19]
- Francois Bellemare [11]
- Seth Zacharias [26]
- Austin Hubbard [9]
- Michael Trautschold [23]
- Peter Britten [16]
- Bubba McPhee [15]
- Matt Stangle [7]
- Mat Williamson [18]
- Matt Caprara [2]
- Danny Varin [22]
- Tyler Siri [14]
Supporting Events
In the STSS Crate 602 Sportsman race, James Friesen from St. Catherines, Ontario, secured his first career series win in the 25-lap event. Friesen took the lead early and held off multiple challenges from Payton Talbot to take the victory. Talbot finished second, followed by Dylan Madsen, Kenny Peoples Jr., and Brian Calabrese.
