What A Way To Start The Short Track Super Series’ ’22 Season; Matt Sheppard Emerges With Win

Story By: CODY MANMILLER / SHORT TRACK SUPER SERIES – LAKE CITY, FL – In thrilling fashion, Matt Sheppard outlasted challenges from Billy Pauch Jr. and Michael Maresca to capture a $4,000 check, the first dirt Modified victory of 2022 and the opening leg of the Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series Fueled By Sunoco ‘Sunshine Swing’ at All-Tech Raceway in Lake City, Fla.

The win is Sheppard’s 22nd in STSS competition – the second-most in series history – and All-Tech joins 15 other tracks that he’s conquered under the STSS umbrella.

“What a wild one,” Sheppard said in victory lane. “What a fun race track; smooth, wide and slick, just a heck of a place.”

On an incredible racing surface, Maresca launched out front to lead the opening lap ahead of Marc Johnson, Pauch Jr., Sheppard and Rick Laubach. Just two cautions interrupted the 30-lap feature, with the first coming only three circuits into the feature.

Sheppard, who capitalized on both yellow flags during the race, rocketed around the top from fourth to second on that lap-three restart, and began his hunt of Maresca. Shortly after, Pauch moved past Johnson for third.

On lap seven, with Sheppard stalking the leader’s every move, Maresca shifted lanes, shooting to the outside and blocking off Sheppard’s momentum. Meanwhile Stewart Friesen slipped around Tyler Siri for sixth and then Jeff Taylor for fifth.

On lap 10, a third of the way into the race, Maresca and Sheppard hit lapped cars, which initially favored the leader, aboard his family-owned No. 7mm. After Maresca put multiple cars between he and second-place Sheppard, he made contact with traffic, sliding up to the wall between turns three and four.

The door was open and Sheppard stepped through, leading lap 12. It wouldn’t come easy, though.

Maresca bunkered down and battled back, eventually snatching the lead away off the bottom of turn four on lap 16. The two swapped leads a few more times over the next handful of laps, but the battle of titans up front allowed Pauch and fourth-place running Johnson to close. With less than 10 to go, all four were running nose to tail and, coming to five to go, Pauch drove around Maresca for second.

With a head of steam down the backstretch, Pauch buried his No. 96 in on the bottom of turn three while Sheppard skated up the track in heavy lapped traffic. Just before they hit the line, though, the caution flag flew for Friesen in the wall, putting Sheppard out front on the single-file restart with five to go.

“Sometimes we end up on the bad end of a few cautions or lapped cars,” Sheppard said. “But tonight it went our way. Billy got by me but that caution saved me; I really wanted to see open race track.”

Sheppard fired off extremely well with five to go and immediately put distance between him and Pauch, driving to the first win of the 2022 season.

“I thought I had one tonight,” Pauch said on the homestretch. “My RF finally fired and we got really good, but on that final restart it took a bit to fire again.”

After Maresca pulled off before the restart with five to go, Johnson rounded out the podium in third.

“That was pretty fun,” he mentioned. “I was racing hard with Pauch and then we saw both of the leaders coming back to us, I thought we might’ve had something, but we’re happy with third.”

Erick Rudolph, who battled inside the top 10 all night, finished fourth with Larry Wight rounding out the top five; Wight went to the rear on that lap three caution, but came flying back through the field, advancing 18 positions over the final 27 laps with only one caution to bunch the field.

Finishing sixth through 10th, respectively, were: hard-charging Jordan Watson, who maneuvered from his 28th starting spot; the ‘Doctor’ Danny Johnson aboard his iconic No. 27J; Taylor, who captured a heat race victory; B-Main winner Peter Britten; and Billy Decker.

The Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series Fueled By Sunoco Sunshine Swing continues tomorrow through Saturday night at the All-Tech Raceway with both the Modifieds and 602 Crates in action.

‘SUNSHINE SWING’ NIGHT NO. 1 RESULTS SUMMARY – ALL-TECH RACEWAY PARK FEB. 9, 2022

Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series Fueled By Sunoco Modified Sunshine Swing Event No. 1 Feature Finish (30 laps): MATT SHEPPARD, Billy Pauch Jr., Marc Johnson, Erick Rudolph, Larry Wight, Jordan Watson, Danny Johnson, Jeff Taylor, Peter Britten, Billy Decker, Mike Mahaney, Tyler Siri, Danny Bouc, David Schilling, Tim Buckwalter, J.R. Heffner, Alex Yankowski, Tanner VanDoren, L.J. Lombardo, Bobby Flood, Darren Smith, Nicholas Mady Jr., Michael Maresca, Stewart Friesen, Rick Laubach, Matt Stangle, Demetrios Drellos, Danny Creeden.

Did Not Qualify: Addison Bowman, Jeff Strunk, Rusty Smith, Matt Smith, Francois Bellemare, Corbin Millar, Brian Pessolano, Tommy Rascoe, Jacob Dgien, Carson Wright, J.R. Hurlburt, Michael Trautschold, Doug Snyder, Ryan Conrad

American Racer/Lias Tire Bonuses (FREE Tire Certificates): Jeff Taylor (eighth) & Danny Bouc (13th)
Behrent’s Performance Warehouse Bonuses ($50 Gift Cards): Erick Rudolph (fourth) & Peter Britten (ninth)
Beyea Custom Headers Redraw Bucks ($50): David Schilling (redrew 12th)
EIBACH Springs Bonus ($100 Certificate): Jordan Watson (sixth)
FloRacing Heat Winners ($50): Matt Stangle, Michael Maresca, Jeff Taylor & Billy Pauch Jr.
Henry’s Exhaust Power Position ($50 Certificate): Mike Mahaney (11th)
McAuliffe Bros. Motorsports Hard Luck Award ($50): Michael Maresca
Penske Racing Shocks Bonuses: Matt Sheppard (winner – $150 certificate); Billy Pauch Jr. (second – $75 certificate); Marc Johnson (third – $50 certificate)
Russ King Racing Halfway Bonus ($250): Matt Sheppard
Schultz Racing Fuel Cells Bonus ($100 Certificate): Billy Decker(10th)
Spyder High Performance Filters Bonuses: Larry Wight (fifth – free certificate); Tim Buckwalter (15th – 50% off certificate)
Sunoco Race Fuels/Insinger Performance Bonuses ($50 Certificates): Billy Pauch Jr. (second), Tyler Siri (12th) & Nicholas Mady Jr. (22nd)
Wegner Automotive Hard Charger: Jordan Watson (28th to sixth)
Wilwood Brakes ‘Lucky 7’ Bonus ($75 Certificate): Danny Johnson (seventh)