Strong Rebound: Sheppard Shakes Off Thursday Adversity, Tops Friday Utica Main
VERNON, NY – A strong rebound.
In a span of 24 hours, Savannah, N.Y.’s Matt Sheppard blew an engine, totaled a racecar, and claimed a $4,000 victory at Utica-Rome Speedway.
The latter of the three results came last night in Round No. 3 of the F.X. Caprara Car Companies Thunder on the Thruway Series for the 3 Bastards Brewing Modifieds.
After bringing two cars to the track for Thursday night’s ‘Bill Shea Memorial’ at the ‘Home of Heroes,’ Sheppard left the track without a car to run on Friday night.
Following a long day at the shop, Sheppard returned to Utica-Rome on a mission to get to Victory Lane. ‘Super Matt’ was utilizing an all-new Wegner Automotive 434 cubic inch engine.
“What a tale of 24 hours, we win about 10 more of these and we can pay for last night,” Sheppard joked. “I can’t thank all my crew guys enough; everybody busted their butts this morning.”
The win was the 64th of Sheppard’s career at Utica-Rome, bringing him right back to even with Stewart Friesen for the all-time leader the half-mile oval.
Zielinski Asphalt and Parks Companies presented the continued night of racing, after the show was postponed from last Friday due to rain.
Sheppard started from the third position while Unadilla, N.Y.’s Billy Decker and Johnstown, N.Y.’s Rocky Warner occupied the front row.
Warner settled into the lead in the early going, while Decker was left to try and fend off Matt Sheppard for the runner-up spot.
Sheppard drove around Decker on the outside groove as the field completed the fifth circuit.
The leaders caught slower traffic on lap 10, allowing Sheppard to grab the lead. The lapped cars committed to the outside groove, where Warner had been running for the first nine laps.
Sheppard seized the opportunity, racing underneath Warner and setting sail with the top spot. Decker also cleared Warner, shuffling the ‘Flying Squirrel’ back to third.
Decker offered Sheppard a challenge on a couple of short runs after caution flags at the midpoint of the race, but never anything serious enough to force Sheppard into a mistake.
Sheppard cruised to the finish with his fourth win of the season at Utica-Rome Speedway.
Decker settled for second in the Jeremy Smith Racing No. 91 and Sheffield, Mass., native Andy Bachetti grabbed the final podium spot in the Garrity Asphalt Reclaiming No. 4.
Vernon, N.Y.’s Willy Decker had his second strong outing in as many nights, taking fourth in the JSD Express No. 1x and Canandaigua, N.Y.’s Alex Payne also rebounded from Thursday night’s crash to finish fifth.
Finishing sixth through 10th, respectively, were Dolgeville, N.Y.’s Cody Clark in his second career Modified start at Utica-Rome; Genoa, N.Y.’s Pat Ward aboard the Beyea Custom Headers No. 42p; Middlesex, N.Y.’s Alan Johnson, who came back from an early tire change in the Mark Spoor Racing No. 14j; Rocky Warner piloting the Parks Companies No. 1; and East Greenbush, N.Y.’s Bobby Hackel IV rounded out the top-10.
South New Berlin, N.Y.’s Payton Talbot took home his third Worthington Industries Crate 602 Sportsman victory of the season, worth $1,500.
Talbot led from the drop of the green flag, while Durhamville, N.Y.’s Matt Janczuk started from ninth.
Talbot had extended an almost three second advantage by the time Janczuk got to second. Janczuk caught Talbot in the final five laps of the race but was unable to get by Talbot in lap traffic.
Talbot took the win over Janczuk, Allan Hodge, Mike Richmond, and Chip Constantino.
A.J. Walters got his first win of the season with the Next Generation Graphix Pro Stocks.
After coming up .057 seconds short of a win last night, Walters dominated from an early point in the race to the finish to take the win.
Bret Belden, Ivan Joslin, Nick Stone, and Josh Coonradt were the top five.
Waterville, N.Y.’s Nick Zielinski celebrated Zielinski Asphalt night at the speedway with his first ever Fastline Performance Limited Sportsman victory.
After starting fourth, Zielinski raced to the lead on the opening lap and led all 20 laps to take the victory over Tyler Bobar and Carson Rothwell, who started 19th.
Corey Valade (DOHC) and Hayleigh Gates (SOHC) were the Fonda Fair Four Cylinder winners, both getting their first wins of the season at Utica-Rome Speedway.
Racing returns next Friday night, July 7, as Mastrovito Hyundai presents First Responders at the ‘Home of Heroes.’ The 3 Bastards Brewing Modifieds, Worthington Industries Crate 602 Sportsman, Next Generation Graphix Pro Stocks, Fastline Performance Limited Sportsman, and Fonda Fair Four Cylinders will all be in action.
The Senior Services Inc. All-Star Slingshots and Junior Slingshots will also compete on the inner oval.
Utica-Rome Speedway is located at 5591 NY-5 (Seneca Turnpike) Vernon, NY 13476. The official website is www.uticaromespeedway.com and the speedway can be reached by phone at 315.953.4097. Like Utica-Rome Speedway on Facebook or follow us on Twitter @UR_Speedway.
‘PARKS COMPANIES & ZIELINSKI ASPHALT NIGHT’ RESULTS SUMMARY – UTICA-ROME SPEEDWAY FRIDAY, JUNE 30, 2023
3 Bastards Brewing Modified/F.X. Caprara Car Companies Thunder on the Thruway Series Feature Finish (30 laps): MATT SHEPPARD, Billy Decker, Andy Bachetti, Willy Decker, Alex Payne, Cody Clark, Pat Ward, Alan Johnson, Rocky Warner, Bobby Hackel IV, Jeremy Slosek, Justin Wright, Alex Yankowski, Michael Trautschold, J.R. Hurlburt, Alan Barker, Tim Mayne, Kurtis Hohensheldt, Dave Constantino, Aaron Jacobs, Aiden Grover, Tanner Van Doren, Addison Bowman, JaMike Sowle, Brad Poppleton, Brent Cross.
Worthington Industries Crate 602 Sportsman/F.X. Caprara Car Companies Thunder on the Thruway Series Feature Finish (25 laps): PAYTON TALBOT, Matt Janczuk, Allan Hodge, Mike Richmond, Chip Constantino, Tanner Warner, Blaine Klinger, Shawn Frost, Jeremy Slosek, Ed Lukas, Willy Decker Jr., Stephen Denton, Jim Rothwell, Alex Hughes, Matthew Richardson, David Hackett Jr., Seth Martin, Blake Sarpriacone, Harry Shaffer, Ed Downing, Brent Cross, Bobby Heintz, Behr Grover, David Manchester.
Next Generation Graphix Pro Stock/F.X. Caprara Car Companies Thunder on the Thruway Series Feature Finish (20 laps): A.J. Walters, Bret Belden, Ivan Joslin, Nick Stone, Josh Coonradt, Andy Graves, Kenny Gates, Tim Wood, Jim Normoyle, Johnny Holmes, Ken Griffin, Hunter Keith, George Cushman, Dalton Szewczyk, Ed Kotary, Beau Ballard, Mike Kazlauskas, Matt Rose.
Did Not Start: Jason Morrison, Don Collins
Fastline Performance Limited Sportsman Feature Finish (20 laps): NICK ZIELINSKI, Tyler Bobar, Carson Rothwell, Zack Welch, Corky Warner, Tavien Blowers, Andrew MacFadden, Brodie Davis, Aaron Page, Ernie Staelens, Alexis Jacobs, Kennedy Payne, Matt Bukovan, Eric Jensen, Eymarah Bowman, John Anderson, Maddy Broedel, Dylan Nichols, Bobby Newman, Hunter Tarbania.
Did Not Start: Zach Falciani
Fonda Fair Four Cylinder Feature Finish (12 laps): COREY VALADE (DOHC), David Denova, Sophia Denova, Rudy King Jr., Todd Morey, Hayleigh Gates, Jean Foster, Jacob Jipson, Hank Wedgren Jr., Kyle Coley, Bike Post, Wayne Russell Jr., Dan Valade, Jacob Kimball, Justin Pope, Hank Wedgren, T.J. Marlitt.
Algonkin Motel Hard Luck Award: Addison Bowman
Sources: Chris Moore/Utica-Rome Speedway PR