Finally, Danny Bouc Wins STSS Main Event; Eckert Tops Super Late Models
GEORGETOWN, DE – Finally.
After years of trying, Danny Bouc can finally call himself a Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series (STSS) Fueled By Sunoco feature winner.
The Pipersville, Pa., native drove his Craig and Leslie Pondish, BDR Speed No. 6 to a $7,000 triumph in the ‘Mid-Atlantic Championship’ at Georgetown Speedway.
The race was the finale in the Rent Equip/Party Central South Region for the STSS Modifieds.
“I don’t know what it is about this weekend,” Bouc exclaimed. “We got a taste of one of these (an STSS win) last year and now to come back and get this one means so much to this team.”
Bouc was triumphant in the Camp Barnes Benefit Stock Car Race and the 358 Spec Small-Block feature in the 2022 ‘Mid-Atlantic Championship.’
This year, Bouc saved his best for the big prize.
“I knew Ryan (Godown) wasn’t going to give me an inch,” Bouc explained with his battles with his closest competitor. “We raced really hard and really clean… I appreciate him racing me that way.”
Bouc started from the third starting position following the Beyea Custom Headers Redraw but quickly moved into second and began chasing Johnstown, N.Y.’s Rocky Warner for the top spot.
Bouc rolled around the outside of Warner and nabbed the lead away at the completion of the fourth circuit.
Bouc paced the field with a healthy advantage into lap traffic as the opening 16 laps clicked off before the race’s first caution flag flew.
From there caution flags became a theme of the race, which allowed both Ryan Godown and Matt Sheppard to begin making their way to the front, each picking off multiple cars as the restarts commenced.
Godown moved into the runner-up spot on lap 21, giving Bouc his best effort to nab the lead away with every passing restart.
Bouc was up to every challenge Godown threw at him and raced away with his first-ever STSS victory.
Godown would settle for the runner-up position.
“He had a really good car… I knew my only chance was to get him on a restart,” Godown proclaimed. “It’s good to see him get a win like this though, them guys work hard, and everybody needs one of these wins sometime.”
Godown was also the runner-up at Georgetown in the STSS ‘Blast at the Beach’ back in August.
Matt Sheppard rounded out the podium, and with the finish was crowned the STSS South Region Champion for the second consecutive season.
“It was another steady solid year, and I couldn’t do it without my crew,” Sheppard said. “A lot of traveling up and down the road and I’ve been fortunate to have a really good team behind me.”
Rocky Warner settled for fourth in his first race since a nasty crash at Fonda (N.Y.) Speedway in September and Elizabethtown, N.Y.’s Mike Mahaney completed the top five in George Huttig-owned No. 35.
Finishing sixth through 10th, respectively, were Boyertown, Pa.’s Ryan Watt in the Ron Roberts Racing No. 14w; Boyertown, Pa.’s Mike Gular aboard the Terry Fasnacht owned No. 2A; Frenchtown, N.J.’s Billy Pauch Jr. piloting the Rick Holsten owned No. 96; Fonda, N.Y.’s Danny Varin driving the BDR Speed No. 16s; and Georgetown, Del.’s Carson Wright in his family-owned No. 91 machine.
Thirty-one STSS Modifieds signed in for competition for the ‘Mid-Atlantic Championship.’
Heat races were won by Godown, Sheppard, and Gular.
York, Pa.’s Rick Eckert capitalized on a front row starting position to take home the $7,000 Stockley Speed & Supply Super Late Model feature.
Eckert outgunned the likes of Shaun Jones and Ross and Amanda Robinson to claim the victory.
“We always enjoy coming down here,” Eckert smiled. “This was a good field of cars and winning this one sure makes the end of the year better.”
Ross Robinson settled for the runner-up position after a battle with his wife, Amanda.
“I might be sleeping on the couch tonight,” Ross joked. “It was a lot of fun to race with her like that and it’ll be nice to load up tonight and have a minute and a half drive home also.”
Shermansdale, Pa.’s Shaun Jones rounded out the podium finishers.
“Early on in the race I thought we were about to get lapped,” Jones explained. “Once I got into cleaner air with some faster cars, we were a lot better.”
Amanda Robinson fell to fourth in the late stage and Middleburg, Pa.’s Andrew Yoder rounded out the top five.
Boyertown, Pa.’s Logan Watt won the ‘Mid-Atlantic Championship’ for the STSS Crate 602 Sportsman for the second consecutive year, dominating the 25-lap, caution-free affair.
Watt raced from fourth to second in the opening lap and then drove by Jacob King on lap six to take home the victory.
King would settle for second with Dylan Madsen, Matt Ellery, and Nick Van Wickle rounding out the top five.
Newtown, Pa.’s Joe Toth raced from the 20th starting position to finish seventh. The finish was good enough to clinch his third consecutive Belmont’s Garage South Region Championship for the STSS Crate 602 Sportsman.
In First State Chevrolet Crate Late Model action, Queensbury, N.Y.’s Demetrios Drellos won a caution-plagued race that wound up in a thrilling four-car battle for the win.
Drellos outgunned Kyle Hardy, Matt Hill, and Trevor Collins for the exciting win. Nick Davis, who started on the pole, rounded out the top five.
Melvin Joseph Jr. won an outstanding race between himself and Jordan Herbert with the Little Lincolns. Joseph beat Herbert to the line after the two were side-by-side going through turns three and four.
David Smith topped the Delaware Super Truck feature for the second consecutive night while Jay Lowman took home the victory with the Delmarva Chargers.
Racing concludes for the Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series Fueled By Sunoco on Friday, November 10 at Middletown, N.Y.’s Orange County Fair Speedway. The rescheduled ‘Hard Clay Finale’ serves as the final race of the 2023 season for the STSS and will crown a champion in the River Valley Builders North Region. The STSS Modifieds go for 50-laps and a $10,000 top prize.
Georgetown Speedway concludes its season on Saturday, November 11 with the third try at the ‘Gary Simpson Memorial.’ The ‘$12K for the 12K’ sees the Millman’s NAPA Modifieds go for 32-laps and a $12,000 winners share at the historic Sussex County oval. The Blue Hen Dispose-All Crate 602 Sportsman, First State Chevrolet Crate Late Models, Southern Delaware Vintage Stock Cars, Little Lincolns, Delaware Super Trucks, and Delmarva Chargers conclude the program.
Georgetown Speedway, originally constructed by Melvin L. Joseph in 1949, is located at the intersection of Route 113 and Speedway Road in Georgetown, Del., just miles from the Delaware beaches and less than a 40-minute drive from Ocean City, Md.
A website is live for the speedway at www.thegeorgetownspeedway.com. Like Georgetown Speedway on Facebook, follow @thegtownspdwy on Twitter, e-mail georgetownspeedway@gmail.com or contact the speedway hotline at 302.563.GTWN (4896).
To learn more about the Short Track Super Series Fueled By Sunoco, visit www.shorttracksuperseries.com, e-mail bdmotorsportsmedia@gmail.com, check out ‘Short Track Super Series’ on Facebook or @ShortTrackSS on Twitter or Instagram.
The Short Track Super Series is presented by American Racer/Lias Tire, Sunoco Race Fuel, FloSports, Bob Hilbert Sportswear, Rent Equip/Party Central, BDR Speed, Bicknell Racing Products, Ollie’s, Penske Racing Shocks, Wegner Automotive, River Valley Builders, Behrent’s Performance Warehouse, DIG Race Products, Velocita-USA, Franklin Products, Design for Vision & Sunglass Central, Belmont’s Garage, Quality Drywall, Precision Hydraulic & Oil, Prime MAC Tools, F.X. Caprara Car Companies, Algonkin Motel, Beyea Custom Headers, Dirt Track Digest, EIBACH, Electric Neon Custom Signs, Fastline Performance, Flach Performance Products, Henry’s Exhaust, Hig Fab, Schultz Racing Fuel Cells, Spyder Filters, Superior Remodeling, Teo-Pro Car, VAHLCO & Wilwood.
MID-ATLANTIC CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS SUMMARY – GEORGETOWN SPEEDWAY SATURDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2023
Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series (STSS) Fueled By Sunoco Rent Equip/Party Central South Region Series Round No. 5 Feature Finish (40 laps): 1. 6B-DANNY BOUC[3]; 2. 26-Ryan Godown[7]; 3. 9S-Matt Sheppard[10]; 4. JS98-Rocky Warner[2]; 5. 35M-Mike Mahaney[5]; 6. 14W-Ryan Watt[8]; 7. 2A-Mike Gular[4]; 8. 1J-Billy Pauch Jr[9]; 9. 16S-Danny Varin[15]; 10. 91-Carson Wright[24]; 11. 29-Ryan Krachun[20]; 12. JB1-Johnny Bangs[26]; 13. 28-Thomas Solderich[27]; 14. 74W-John Willman[14]; 15. 43H-Jimmy Horton[17]; 16. 117-Kevin Hirthler[1]; 17. 32G-Brandon Grosso[13]; 18. 6S-Matt Stangle[18]; 19. 1K-Sean Weiss[21]; 20. 65-Austin Hubbard[6]; 21. 4P-Anthony Perrego[11]; 22. 44-Stewart Friesen[12]; 23. 71-James Hill[19]; 24. 10C-Ryan Charland[22]; 25. 410-Alex Yankowski[16]; 26. M2-Bubba McPhee[25]; 27. 8-Norman Short Jr[23]
Did Not Qualify: Jordan Watson, Dave Dissinger, Wade Hendrickson, H.J. Bunting
JD Shuckers Georgetown STSS “Gambler’s Challenge” Bonus ($2,000): Danny Bouc
Ad-Art Sign Company Spec Bonus ($250): Johnny Bangs
American Racer/Lias Tire Bonuses (FREE Tire Certificates): Carson Wright (10th) & John Willman (14th)
BDR Speed Hard Charger Bonus ($250): Carson Wright (24th to 10th)
Behrent’s Performance Warehouse Bonuses ($50 Gift Cards): Ryan Godown (fourth) & Danny Varin (ninth)
Beyea Custom Headers Redraw Bonus ($50): Stewart Friesen (Redrew 12th)
Big Fork Guns & Ammo Lap 20 & Lap 40 Leader Bonus ($100 Gift Certificate): Danny Bouc (Lap 20 & 40)
Bill Brown & Company Overall Heat-Race Hard Charger ($50): Stewart Friesen (ninth to second)
Danny’s Pizza Pizzazz Halfway Leader Bonus ($200): Danny Bouc
Design for Vision/Sunglass Central Bonus (Oakley Sunglasses): Danny Bouc (winner)
Eibach Springs Bonus ($100 Certificate): Ryan Watt (sixth)
Henry’s Exhaust System Power Position ($50 Certificate): Ryan Krachun (11th)
Penske Racing Shocks Bonuses: Danny Bouc (winner – $150 certificate); Ryan Godown (second – $75 certificate); Matt Sheppard (third – $50 certificate); Carson Wright (10th – $25 certificate)
Schultz Racing Fuel Cells Bonus ($100 Certificate): Carson Wright (10th)
Wilwood Brakes ‘Lucky 7’ Award ($75 Certificate): Mike Gular (seventh)
Rent Equip/Party Central South Region Champion: MATT SHEPPARD ($15,000)
Stockley Speed & Supply Super Late Model Feature Finish (40 laps): 1. 0E-RICK ECKERT[2]; 2. 7-Ross Robinson[5]; 3. 32J-Shaun Jones[13]; 4. 4R-Amanda Robinson[4]; 5. 0-Andrew Yoder[3]; 6. 00-Jim Yoder[9]; 7. 2D-Dan Stone[11]; 8. 6-Jamie Lathroum[16]; 9. 21-Chad Myers[15]; 10. 11-Trevor Collins[17]; 11. 63-Nathan Long[6]; 12. 21H-Joey Hoffer[10]; 13. 47-David Smith[12]; 14. 45-Kyle Hardy[7]; 15. 93-Cory Lawler[8]; 16. 55L-Donald Lingo Jr[1]; 17. 27-Michael Lake[18]; 18. 14AJ-AJ Miller[14]
Stockley Materials “Gambler’s Challenge” ($2,000): Rick Eckert
Kruger Trailer Hard Charger Award ($200): Shaun Jones (13th to third)
Top Stockley Speed & Supply Finisher ($250): Rick Eckert
Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series (STSS) Fueled By Sunoco Crate 602 Sportsman Belmont’s Garage South Region Round No. 5 Feature Finish (25 laps): 1. 4M-LOGAN WATT[4]; 2. 94K-Jacob King[1]; 3. 89-Dylan Madsen[8]; 4. 29-Matt Ellery[2]; 5. 41-Nick Van Wickle[5]; 6. 91-Luke Bunting[3]; 7. 917-Joe Toth[20]; 8. 43-Michael White[9]; 9. 74-Jax Yohn[10]; 10. 4W-Brandon Watkins[6]; 11. 02-Greg Humlhanz[17]; 12. 73H-Paulie Hartwig III[11]; 13. 117-Jesse Hirthler[12]; 14. 20-Ryan Simmons[15]; 15. 59K-Dakota Kohler[7]; 16. 15H-Scott Hitchens[26]; 17. 52-Jason Musser[14]; 18. 77-Kyle Smith[22]; 19. 7M-Paul Mancini[18]; 20. 23-Devin Dodson[16]; 21. 257-Thomas Sherby[23]; 22. 32C-David Miloszar[28]; 23. 83-Decker Swinehart[24]; 24. 1*-Zac Weller[30]; 25. 97-Matt Smith[13]; 26. 10-Adam White[25]; 27. 57-Mia Guy[21]; 28. 12-George Schweigart[27]; 29. 21W-Justin Zook[29]; 30. 39-Richie Walls Jr[19]
Did Not Qualify: Art Workman, Mike Toth, Johnny Burton, Chris Martinez, Ryan McKinney, Logan Starr, Greg Nailor, Troy Bollinger, Ashley Metz, Greg Reed, Jarod Millman, Thomas Prychka, Monte Pool, Frank Holmes, Bernard Joly III, Ed Collins, Tyler James
Accurate Collision Halfway Leader Bonus ($100): Logan Watt
American Racer/Lias Tire Bonus (FREE Tire Certificate): Brandon Watkins (10th)
Belmont’s Garage Hard Charger Bonus ($100): Joe Toth (20th to seventh)
Beyea Custom Headers Redraw Bonus ($25): Paulie Hartwig III (Redrew 11th)
Fastline Performance Bonuses ($100 Certificates): Jacob King (second) & Paulie Hartwig III (12th)
Belmont’s Garage South Region Champion: JOE TOTH ($1,500)
Sources: Chris Moore/BD Motorsports Media LLC