By Mark Kane
For Capital Region Independent Media
Making our way to the Utica Rome Speedway, it was a much different day than promoter Brett Deyo is used to as the sun was shining bright and not a cloud in the sky, or any rain in the forecast.
It was going to be a great day of racing and as hot as it was out, the racing was just as hot for the “New Yorker,” $12,000-to-win 50-lap Short Track Super Series (STSS) Modified event. The event was the second in the Ollie’s Elite Series and round No. 9 of the River Valley Builders North Division.
UTICA ROME SPEEDWAY
A strong field of 47 STSS Modifieds made their way to the pits with some very talented drivers ready to strap in and turn left in the four 15-lap heat races. Taking five out of each heat, with the top three going to the redraw, it was important to get to the front.
Wow, with such a strong field it was great racing after the drivers drew for heat race starting spots in the pits. Each heat was loaded with talent and it showed, with the great side-by-side-by-side racing using the entire speedway.
Working your way to the front of these heats was no easy chore — you pass a two-time champion, and the next car has won seven features, and here comes a rumble on the high side, and all you hear is metal grinding and you haven’t even made it into the top 5. That’s how tough it was.
Picking up heat race wins were Matt Sheppard, A.J. “Slideways” Alan Johnson, Billy Decker — who was dominating, and fresh off his big win Saturday at Lebanon Valley, Andy Bachetti. That was four heat races of good, hard, clean two- and three-wide racing that had drivers and the fans on the edge of their seats cheering on their drivers. This is dirt racing at its best!
After picking up the win in heat one, everyone knew “Super” Matt Sheppard’s 9S was a hot rod. When the green flag dropped on the STSS 50-lap New Yorker, it was clear how bad-ass that hot rod was. The 2023 racing season has Sheppard with 27 wins for the year after picking up win 11 at Utica Rome Speedway, as well as the seventh track title — his third in the row was the class of the field. In his last 10 races Sheppard has picked up six wins, three seconds and a third, and is well on his way to walking away with both the STSS and DIRTcar championships, along with the NASCAR Division 1.
Love him or hate him, there is one thing for sure — the man can turn left and is at the top of the Modified world in the Northeast. He has the records and bank account to back it up.
Hmm, does this remind you of Brett Hearn when he was winning as well? Remember, boos fuel the fire within. Not sure as a race FAN how you can boo someone or yell obscenities at a racer that just put their heart and soul on the line. I guess at that point you know you have made it to the big time.
After the four edge of your seat heats, two action-packed consi’s, the 31-car field assembled for the $12,000-to-win and the beautiful New Yorker trophy. The field was filled with stars, multi-time champions, feature winners, and a crop of young talent ready to set the Modified world on fire and they will.
What a sight — 31 STSS Modifieds four-wide around the “Home of Heroes” and dropping back into their starting positions for what was an outstanding race from the drop of the green. By luck of the draw it was the Jimmy Phelps 98H and the 28 Michael Trautschold bringing the 31-car sail paneled Modifieds to the green.
Going into turns 1 and 2 nerf bar to nerf bar it was Trautschold with the advantage, grabbing the lead down the back stretch and into 3 and 4 to lead lap one as Alex Payne dropped back to seventh.
Behind the leaders it did not take long for things to heat up with 31 cars looking for racing room. On the move was fourth-place starter Sheppard moving to second, Billy Decker was third, Phelps and former track champion Erick Rudolph held down the early top 5.
The first caution found veteran Pat Ward’s 42P between turns 3 and 4. Back to racing, Trautschold held his own against Sheppard down the back stretch on the top side before Sheppard used a great move in turn 3 to become the new leader, leaving Trautschold to battle with Decker, a battle Decker would win.
As good as the racing was in the top 3, Phelps and young gun Alex Payne were battling and behind them they were racing three-wide, with a great battle with Marc Johnson, Andy Bachetti and Max McLaughlin. It seemed Marc Johnson aboard the 9 car was around the top 7 all day after starting 11th and battling hard to keep his position.
Now 10 laps in and Alex Payne had worked his way to fourth, and two laps later was third, slamming the high side behind Sheppard and Decker. Setting a fast pace up front and green flag racing Sheppard was closing in on lap traffic, lap traffic that was racing for position.
Once into lap traffic, Decker started to close the gap. Behind the leaders, the tight racing continued as Rocky Warner had worked his way to the top 5, racing with Bachetti. As the lap counter clicked down so did the lead and it was clear Decker was coming after Sheppard and the veteran of many dirt wars was ready for another.
Working lap traffic with perfection, Decker was able to get alongside the leader with Sheppard again getting the advantage. Wherever you looked on the track, the great racing continued with two- and three-wide action as Sheppard turned up the wick and started to open the advantage.
Things got real interesting quick, and scary, as Bachetti, Payne and Warner were racing hard in tight quarters for position three, four and five, when contact was made between the rear corner of the Bachetti car and the front bumper of Payne’s ride, sending Bachetti facing the front stretch wall, driving out of it doing a 360 in the middle of the track, only losing two spots as Warner drove to third and the green remained out.
That could have gone way wrong and where it happened would not have been good at those speeds.
Wasting little time, Bachetti started to get right back in the thick of the battle and worked his way back to fourth.
Late race cautions and bringing the field back to the rear deck of the 9S gave Decker one last shot at the leader, but on this day Matt Sheppard would once again be victorious, picking up the NEW YORKER 50 STSS Ollie’s Elite Series win and the $12,000 payday.
Following Sheppard to the line were Billy Decker, Rocky Warner, Andy Bachetti, Jimmy Phelps and Marc Johnson holding on for sixth.
MORE RACING
In other action, Jim Normoyle had not won a race in the Utica Rome Pro Stock class in 7.5 years and goes back-to-back the last two events. The caution-filled event found some great racing between the yellow flags that found the top 5 cars in a tight battle throughout the event.
Following Normoyle to the line was Brett Belden, the 2023 track champion; all-time Fonda Pro Stock win leader Kenny Gates; Jason Morrison; and 2023 Fonda champion Ivan Joslin rounding out the top 5.
In the Limited Sportsman it was Jonny Feagles picking up his first win at the track.
At the “Valley of Speed” Lebanon Valley Speedway Andy Bachetti picked up his third Mr. DIRT Track USA win in a row after starting on the pole.
Rounding out the top 5 were Matt Sheppard, J.R. Heffner, Adam Pierson and Eddie Marshall, with the “Ravena Rocket” Keith Flach finishing sixth in the $15,000-to-win 100-lap event.
Up in Vermont at the Devil Bowl Speedway, Matt Janczuk picked up the Vermont 200 for 602 Crate Modifieds win with almost 80 in the pit area for the event. Following Janczuk to the line was Payton Talbot, Gary Edwards, Zach Sobotka and Cody McPherson rounding out the top 5.
Two big weekends are coming up with the Fonda Speedway 200 weekend on Sept. 14-16, with three days of action-packed racing that will conclude with the historic 200-lap Fonda 200. This event will bring in a solid field of invaders. The weekend includes Modifieds, Sprint Cars, Pro Stocks, Sportsman, Rookie Sportsman, Street Stocks and 4 Cyl.
Albany Saratoga will have their Malta Massive Weekend on Sept. 22 and 23, with the Super DIRTcar Series coming to town along with a very special day as the local race fans get to say goodbye to a TRUE veteran of the Northeast Modifieds, Kenny Tremont, who will be hanging up the helmet and fire suit after a great career. The 115 will be truly missed by fans as well as fellow drivers. Check the track’s websites for times and ticket information.
Please continue to support those who support the greatest show on dirt.
