RPW Exclusive: Sheppard’s Rebound At Land Of Legends Was HUGE; Phelps Remains Rock Solid On Super DIRTcar Trail

Column By: BOBBY CHALMERS / RPW – CANANDAIGUA, NY – With how his night started Thursday at Land of Legends Raceway, finishing second may not have been an ‘actual’ victory for defending Super DIRTcar Series champion Matt Sheppard.  However, it may have felt like one.

For third place finisher Jimmy Phelps, Thursday was another solid performance…a performance that was that winners, and possible champions, produce.

Both drivers qualified for the Stars & Stripes Spectacular on July 4th at the famed Canandaigua, NY oval in the final redraw spot in their respective heats.  That was key for both to have solid nights, but for Sheppard, it was also a HUGE momentum shift in his evening.

Early on in the night, Sheppard and his team ran a car and engine combination that just didn’t have the power they felt they needed.  They timed fifth in their heat race group but felt that their backup car would be better so they made the change.

That put Sheppard at the rear of his heat race where he proceeded to not only get into a qualifying position (in the top six from last, which was tenth), but got into the redraw.

“Unfortunately, with no hot laps, we had to make the decision to switch or suffer with it until the end of the night,” Sheppard said.  “I think we made the right decision.”

Yes, he did.  He was able to start the feature in sixth which drastically changed the outlook of his night and then proceeded to drive to the runner-up spot in the main event.

“We had a really good car,” he said.  “From the time we unloaded this one, it was good.  The track was outstanding.  What a difference when Jamie Friesen is here (to do track prep).  This place was awesome.”

The track surface was smooth and fast, all night long, which played right into winner Mat Williamson’s wheelhouse on this night, but for Sheppard, it was a monster ending to his trip to Land of Legends.

“We had a lot of fun in the race,” he said.  “Mat’s been really good when it’s been super slick like this and I think I kind of killed myself in the middle of the race.”

Sheppard believed that because he may have used up his equipment at that time.

“I got up on top and got to Mat’s bumper and tried passing him,” he said.  “At the same time, I fried the right rear tire off this thing and I was pretty much a sitting duck for the rest of the race.  I was hoping I could get by him there maybe and then hold him off in clean air, but he’s just been so strong lately.”

This was yet another solid run on the Super DIRTcar Series trail for the ten-time and defending champion.  While he hasn’t visited victory lane in a points-paying race this season, he does four top five finishes in five starts, including the second on Thursday night.

That consistency is what’s keeping Sheppard right in the hunt for another crown.

“I feel like we’re getting closer, believe it or not,” he said.  “Mat was really good tonight.  We’re just a tick off but at least were inching closer.  We were second tonight and had a good runs at Albany and Big Diamond.  We’re knocking on the door but we just have to get a little bit better.”

Thursday night, though, showed just what type of team Sheppard has.  They could have all given up and just had a mediocre result, making the best of their engine issues.  However, they dug in, persevered and very nearly had the best 4th of July.

“I’m really proud of this team with the way we rebounded,” he said.  “From starting dead last in the last heat to coming out of here second, this was not a bad night.”

Jimmy Phelps’ third place run on Thursday showed yet another solid run for the Baldwinsville Bandit in Super DIRTcar Series competition this season.

Through those same five Series starts, Phelps’ worst finish on tour has been a tenth in the 2024 opener at New Egypt Speedway.  Since then, the veteran has reeled off three-straight seventh-place runs before making it to the podium on Thursday with a third place finish.

“We had a really good car tonight,” Phelps said.  “It was all thanks to my guys.  They worked hard to make this thing so good.  We’ve struggle here (at Land of Legends) a little bit the last few years and tonight, I at least felt like we were solidly in the ballgame.”

The HBR driver was solid indeed.  As stated, he qualified in his heat fourth to make it to the redraw and then secured the third starting spot for the 76-lap feature.   On this night, the furthest back in the field he was in the main was fourth before making a move around Tim Sears, Jr. on a restart for third, once again.

That’s where he would end up but Phelps knew he had two heavy hitters ahead of him in Williamson and Sheppard.

“We had some really good, fast cars ahead of us there with those two,” he said.  “We’ve got nothing to hang our heads about tonight.  This was a solid point night and not I feel like we’ve got some momentum moving in our direction so that’s a good thing.”

It was a solid point night for Phelps Thursday.  While he did lose one actual marker to the high point man, Mat Williamson, Jimmy still sits fifth in the Series’ standings as the top five are only separated by 39.

While he’s only made one start at Land of Legends in 2024 before Thursday (an eighth on May 4th), Phelps was able to make the right decisions for the racing condition as they changed through the course of the evening.

“This is still just a guessing game,” he said.  “There was a lot of grip in the track tonight.  It’s rare that we’ve seen this much grip this early but it was nice here.  The track was smooth and there was a little bit of character to this track here and there.  All-in-all, we could move around and that’s all you can ask for as a driver.”

Now the tour heads to the Thunder Mountain Speedway on Tuesday night for ‘The Natural 77,’ an event honoring the memory of legendary driver Dale Planck who recently passed away.