A New Era At Utica-Rome For Short Track SuperNationals In ’24; Will We See Winner #15?

Story By: BRETT DEYO / SHORT TRACK SUPER SERIES – VERNON, NY – Will we see No. 15?  In 14 prior editions of the Short Track SuperNationals, there have been 14 different “Working Man’s Race” Modified winners.

This weekend, a new era for the event begins at Utica-Rome Speedway. Can the event go 15 for 15?

50 laps around the Home of Heroes on Saturday night will tell the story.

The Inaugural

The inaugural event promotion by Brett Deyo at Afton Motorsports Park, then promoted by Pat and Janet Jordan, took place on October 7, 2006, with a 54-car field checking into the Afton Fairgrounds. Short-track ace Mike Ricci drove Jim Winchell’s No. 17 to the victory over Afton regular J.R. Hurlburt.

The Five Mile Point Years

Following two years off, the now-closed Five Mile Point Speedway in Kirkwood, N.Y., was the Short Track SuperNationals host for five consecutive years.

Pennsylvania’s Kevin Hirthler scored the sole New York State win of his career on October 10, 2009 in Short Track SuperNationals 2, besting previous winner Mike Ricci and fellow Keystone State driver Mike Gular.

Justin Holland, then moving up from the Sportsman ranks, put his name in the spotlight with a win on October 9, 2010 over Billy Pauch Jr. and Kevin Bates.

A veteran with an accomplished driving resume – Duane Howard – drove the Petruska family No. 66 into Victory Lane in 2011 with a new record 79 cars in the pit area on October 7, 2011. Billy Pauch Sr. and Danny Tyler placed second and third, respectively.

After back-to-back Short Track SuperNationals top-five finishes, Danny Tyler broke through on October 6, 2012, completing a late-race pass of Billy Pauch Jr. and holding off Bobby Varin and Brian Weaver.

Another 79-car Modified field jammed Five Mile Point on October 12, 2013 and Craig Hanson became the first ‘518’ driver to win the SuperNationals, holding off Anthony Perrego and Jackie Brown Jr.

Back Home

For 2014, the Short Track SuperNationals returned to the Afton Fairgrounds, then known as I-88 Speedway.

On October 11, 2014, speedway regular Shaun Walker etched his name on the “Working Man’s Race” win list over Mike Mahaney and Mitch Gibbs.

Danny Creeden was the 2015 Short Track SuperNationals victor on Oct. 10, holding off Mike Mahaney (his second straight runner-up finish) and Paul Jensen.

To date, only one Short Track SuperNationals Modified event was held on a Sunday rain date. That was Oct. 9, 2016 and Ryan Godown was the winner, 24 hours late, over Danny Creeden and Andy Bachetti.

Promoters Jamie and Denise Page – who had operated the speedway as I-88 for nearly a decade – stepped down following the ’16 SuperNationals and the facility reopened under the Afton Motorsports Park moniker and promoter Ron Ford in 2017.

On Oct. 7, 2017, asphalt Modified convert Rusty Smith was another popular upset winner over Andy Bachetti and Mike Gular.

Time to Climb

With Afton Motorsports Park experiencing surface issues, Thunder Mountain Speedway in Center Lisle, N.Y., became the third track to host the Short Track SuperNationals on October 7, 2018.

Andy Bachetti bested Mat Williamson on the final lap to earn the sole Thunder Mountain “Working Man’s Race” win. Williamson and Shaun Walker followed Bachetti across the line.

A Return to Afton

The most recent three Short Track SuperNationals events have been contested at Afton Motorsports Park.

Matt Sheppard surged past Bobby Varin and won the Oct. 12, 2019 event with Duane Howard completing the podium.

Driving Norm Hansell’s No. 357, Max McLaughlin drove Norm Hansell’s No. 357 to a SuperNationals win over Billy Pauch Jr. and Danny Bouc on Oct. 9, 2021.

The most recent event went to Demetrios Drellos on Oct. 8, 2022, besting Bobby Hackel and Craig Hanson in a thrilling event with several different leaders.

The ’23 program was canceled due to weekend-long rain in New York State.

New Era

This weekend, Utica-Rome Speedway becomes Short Track SuperNationals host facility No. 4 of the Short Track SuperNationals this weekend – Friday-Saturday Sept. 27-28 – headlined by a 50-lap Modified program paying $4,000 to win, $2,000 for 10th, $1,000 for 16th and $500 to take the green flag.

Short Track SuperNationals “Working Man’s Race” Event History

• October 8, 2022 (Afton Motorsports Park): DEMETRIOS DRELLOS – Bobby Hackel – Craig Hanson – Dillon Steuer – Danny Creeden
• October 9, 2021 (Afton Motorsports Park): MAX McLAUGHLIN – Billy Pauch Jr. – Danny Bouc – Matt Sheppard – Alan Barker
• October 12, 2019 (Afton Motorsports Park): MATT SHEPPARD – Bobby Varin – Duane Howard – Andy Bachetti – Mike Gular
• October 7, 2018 (Thunder Mountain Speedway): ANDY BACHETTI – Mat Williamson – Shaun Walker – Danny Bouc – Billy Decker
• October 7, 2017 (Afton Motorsports Park): RUSTY SMITH – Andy Bachetti – Mike Gular – Mike Ricci – Rich Ricci Jr.
• October 9, 2016 (I-88 Speedway): RYAN GODOWN – Danny Creeden – Andy Bachetti – Tommy Meier – Shaun Walker
• October 10, 2015 (I-88 Speedway): DANNY CREEDEN – Mike Mahaney – Paul Jensen – Jeff Heotzler – Mitch Gibbs
• October 11, 2014 (I-88 Speedway): SHAUN WALKER – Mike Mahaney – Mitch Gibbs – Tyler Dippel – Bobby Varin
• October 12, 2013 (Five Mile Point Speedway): CRAIG HANSON – Anthony Perrego – Jackie Brown Jr. – Pat Ward – Chad Phelps
• October 6, 2012 (Five Mile Point Speedway): DANNY TYLER – Bobby Varin – Brian Weaver – Billy Pauch Sr. – Mitch Gibbs
• October 7, 2011 (Five Mile Point Speedway): DUANE HOWARD – Danny Tyler – Billy Pauch Sr. – Jeff Strunk – Jeff Heotzler
• October 9, 2010 (Five Mile Point Speedway): JUSTIN HOLLAND – Billy Pauch Jr. – Kevin Bates – Brian Weaver – Danny Tyler
• October 10, 2009 (Five Mile Point Speedway): KEVIN HIRTHLER – Mike Ricci – Mike Gular – Sean Merkel – Joey Grammes
• October 7, 2006 (Afton Speedway): MIKE RICCI – J.R. Hurlburt – Brian Weaver – Joey Grammes – Davie Franek