SUPER MATT: Sheppard Fends Off Rick Laubach During Fierce Late-Race Battle To Win Pioneer Pole Buildings Inc. ‘Dirty Jersey 2’ Tuesday Night At New Egypt Speedway; Huge Crowd Watches 52 Super DIRTcar Series Big-Blocks In Action At Friesen-Deyo Promotions Event

By admin June 18, 2014 New Egypt, Super DIRTcar Series

NEW EGYPT, NJ – Fending off challenges until the very last lap, “Super Matt” Sheppard raced to victory Tuesday, June 17, at New Egypt Speedway’s Super DIRTcar Big-Block Modified Series Pioneer Pole Buildings Inc. ‘Dirty Jersey 60.’

“It was an unbelievable race,” the three-time Super DIRTcar Series Champion said after the action-packed 60-lapper. “Great race track, wide race track, start to finish. There are a few guys that I think could have won that race. Lucky enough, we were able to get to the front and hold on till the end.”

Sheppard, who made the haul from Waterloo, N.Y., started in fifth while Heinke-Baldwin Racing teammate Jimmy Phelps, of Baldwinsville, N.Y., took the initial lead over Tim McCreadie and eight-time series champion Brett Hearn.

However, Sheppard’s FX Caprara Car Co. / Troyer Race Cars No. 9h was quickly gaining momentum from the green. By lap 4, Sheppard was challenging for second against Phelps, who lost a position when McCreadie grabbed the lead in lap 2.

Sheppard claimed second as the No. 4* of leader McCreadie was pulling away from the rest of the field. As McCreadie started lapping cars in lap 8, Sheppard gained ground and tenaciously chased McCreadie through lapped traffic.

In lap 21, the No. 27J of Danny Johnson spun in front of the flagstand, coming to a stop in turn 1, to bring out the race’s first caution. Sheppard was strong on the restart, racing side-by-side with McCreadie before falling behind after a lap. Johnson returned to the pits on lap 24.

Hometown hero Billy Pauch, of Frenchtown, N.J., was also strong on the restart, charging past Phelps from fourth to third place. He passed Sheppard on the outside on lap 26 and claimed the lead from McCreadie three laps later.

Behind Pauch, the battle for second place was fierce, with Rick Laubach joining the fray in lap 34 for a three-wide challenge. Sheppard came out ahead, taking second from McCreadie and setting his sights on Pauch in first.

However, Pauch’s racecar was fast, seeming poised to stay in the lead through the checkered flag. Every fan in the crowded New Egypt Speedway grandstands simultaneously gasped with shock as Pauch’s No. 1 rolled to a stop on lap 46. A drive shaft issue took the No. 1 to the pits and left Sheppard’s No. 9h in the lead.

Laubach was fast on this restart, wheeling around McCreadie and charging toward the leader. Another yellow flag in lap 56 slowed the momentum with just four laps to go. Laubach charged into action in the final laps, nosing under the No. 9h in turn 2 of the last lap, but unable to make the pass before the checkered flag.

“I was leaving that bottom wide open and he was good enough to get there, but I could get a good run off the top of (turn) 2,” said Sheppard. “I could get a good run off the backstretch and clear him into (turn) 3, and that’s what we needed.”

Laubach, who took home the trophy from last year’s inaugural ‘Dirty Jersey 60,’ was pleased with a strong second-place finish after an exciting race.

“That was a good race. I would have liked to have been watching that one,” Laubach said after the race. “Everyone was running on all they had. It was just good track position, we could move around low, high. When Matt started to see me run the top and I realized he was going to block that from me, then I had to change and do something. I just figured out another groove and it was working, it just needed time. The yellow with four to go took away probably two laps. If I would have had that four in a row continuous, I think I would have had it then.”

After starting fourth and leading early in the race, McCreadie finished in third. Hearn started second and finished fourth. Billy Decker, of Sidney, N.Y., charged from his tenth place starting position to finish fifth. Rounding out the top ten were Larry Wight in sixth, Phelps in seventh, Billy Dunn in eighth, Anthony Perrego in ninth and event co-promoter Stewart Friesen in tenth.

Sheppard’s victory in Tuesday’s ‘Dirty Jersey 60’ marks his first points win of the 2014 season, launching him past defending champion Hearn in the point standings to the lead with 190.

PIONEER POLE BUILDINGS INC. ‘DIRTY JERSEY 2’ RACE SUMMARY – JUNE 17, 2014

Pioneer Pole Buildings Inc. Super DIRTcar Series Big-Block Modified Feature Finish (60 Laps): MATT SHEPPARD ($6,325), Rick Laubach, Tim McCreadie, Brett Hearn, Billy Decker, Larry Wight, Jimmy Phelps, Billy Dunn, Anthony Perrego, Stewart Friesen, Ryan Watt, Jimmy Blewett, Neal Williams, Gary Tomkins, Mat Williamson, Sammy Piazza, Peter Britten, Duane Howard, Justin Haers, Billy Van Inwegen, Matt Jester, Jimmy Horton, Dale Planck, Pat Ward, Erick Rudolph, David Van Horn Jr., Keith Flach, Rich Scagliotta, Rich Rutski, Billy Pauch, Rocco Infante, Danny Johnson.

Did Not Qualify: Kevin Albert Jr., Matt DeLorenzo, Kevin Vaclavicek, Tyler Siri, Michael Sabia, P.J. Oliver, Brian Gleason, Jeff Heotzler, Shawn Ward, Brian Kressley, Andrew Krause, David Hunt, Mike Mahaney, Mike Perrotte, Mark Forte Jr., Ryan Forte, John McClelland, Dom Buffalino, Frank Cozze, Eric Kormann.

Pioneer Pole Buildings Inc. ‘Dirty Jersey 2’ Super DIRTcar Series Big-Block Modified Awards Summary

Alex Friesen Remembered Bonuses ($68 each – last qualifier in each heat): Billy Dunn, Danny Johnson, Peter Britten, Ryan Watt & Duane Howard
ATL Fuel Cells Bonus ($100 certificate): Billy Decker
Avis “We Try Harder” Award ($300): Rick Laubach
BD Motorsports Media Loyalty Awards ($250 each): Mike Mahaney, Matt Jester, Jeff Heotzler & Ryan Watt
BFP Specialty Bonus ($100 credit): Brian Kressley
Bob Hilbert Sportswear Bonuses ($100 certificates): Rick Laubach (second), Jimmy Blewett (12th) & Billy Van Inwegen (20th)
Georgetown Speedway ‘Beach Blast’ Guaranteed Starting Spot: Matt Sheppard
Lineman Racing Bonuses ($50 Credits): Jimmy Blewett (12th), Neal Williams (13th) & David Van Horn Jr. (26th)
‘Lucky 7’ Lap Money Breakdown ($1,776 total): Matt Sheppard ($325), Jimmy Phelps ($308), Brett Hearn ($253), Tim McCreadie ($216), Rick Laubach ($214), Billy Pauch ($175), Billy Decker ($137 plus 25-week Area Auto Racing News subscription), Jimmy Blewett ($75) & Larry Wight ($73)
REAL Eyewear Bonus (sunglasses): Matt Sheppard
Shiley Fabrication Hard Luck Award (bumpers and rubrails): Billy Pauch
S&W Awards Custom Trophy: Matt Sheppard Teo-Pro Car Halfway Leader ($250 certificate): Billy Pauch
Thomas Racing Video Incentive (DVD): Matt Sheppard
Touch of Green Landscaping/WizFab Hard Charger Award ($268 cash plus bumpers and rubrails): Stewart Friesen (23rd to 10th)

Sources: Julia Foy/Super DIRTcar Series