News Director 
Column By: MARTY CZEKALA / RPW – CANANDAIGUA, NY – Matt Sheppard entered Wednesday night’s Super DIRTcar Series race having finished second in five of the last seven SDS races, all races without winning.
The seven race drought came to an end when he picked up the win at Land of Legends Raceway, scoring the title of 2023 SummerFAST champion.
“It feels good,” Sheppard said post-race. “Two races, a first and second, a cool trophy to put in the basement next to the other one, we’ll take it.”
Safe to say, it feels good to score that SDS win he’s been looking for since his last one at Orange County on July 5.
“Seconds are good runs in the Series,” Sheppard told RPW. “Certainly better than fourth. When you have as many seconds as we have, it feels good. We’ve been having a good season. Not complaining one bit. Really consistent on tour. Five seconds and three wins. A pretty darn good solid run.”
Sheppard drew the third position tonight after being quickest in hot laps and qualifying, then winning heat one. He would then make his way up to second on lap ten past Jack Lehner. Once the leaders entered lapped traffic on lap 15, it was a ten lap duel between him and Mike Mahaney for the top spot, eventually making the pass down low on lap 25 and not looking back.
“I could get stuck into the corner a little better than Mahaney could, but I almost felt like he had a little better forward better traction down the straightaways,” Sheppard explained. “I don’t know if when we got in traffic, my stick outweighed it. I got a lot of laps around this place, kind of know when to move around. Found the bottom first, he kind of was running the middle/top, not knowing where to go really. I had the luxury to search around and felt like I was gaining on him.”
Even though with weekly races ahead this weekend, Sheppard also has his eyes set on Tuesday’s Summer Nationals at Ransomville in SDS competition, which he last won in 2021.
“It’s not a place I feel real comfortable or a good track for us,” Sheppard commented. “We have been fortunate to have good runs the last few years. Need to qualify well and get that redraw to make the right calls, see what happens from there.”
