Rob NiedermaierOn Tuesday June 18th, the Short Track Super Series visited the New Egypt Speedway for the Dirty Jersey 50. I was able to attend and here’s a recap on everything that happened that night.
The Night started out with “Superman” Matt Sheppard being the quickest in hot laps at the 7/16 mile oval. He put down a blazing fast 0.17.072 lap during his hot lap session to make him fastest overall for all of hot laps.
The First Modified heat race of the night was an uneventful affair led flag to flag by pole sitter Tanner Van Doren. Danny Bouc, NASCAR Truck series regular Stewart Friesen, Ryan Godown, and Mike Gular rounded out the transfers of Heat #1.
Modified Heat #2 was a more eventful heat race as they were led to the start by Anthony Tramontana. Tramontana stay in the lead didn’t last long as the 9Matt Sheppard went from 4th to 1st in 2 laps and passed the 13 of Anthony. Ryan Krachun retook the 2nd position and held it until the end of the heat race. Tramontana, Cale Ross, and Darren Smith rounded out the transfer spots for Heat #2.
The Third Heat Race went off without a hitch as Mike Mahaney started on the pole. This heat race was an absolutely stacked one with front runners like Mat Williamson, Billy Pauch Jr, the Grosso Brothers, Alex Yankowski, Anthony Perrego and Ryan Watt in the field for it. While Mahaney led wire to wire for the heat win. Yankowski went from p4 to p2 and Williamson went from p8 to p5. The other transfer spots went to Brandon Grosso and Ryan Watt.
Modified Consolation Race went the Green whole way with Dillon Steuer leading the Consi to green. Perennial threat Billy Pauch Jr after finishing p7 in his heat race started p3 here in the Consi and moved up one spot to p2. Pauch Jr was on Steuer tire tracks for most of the Consolation Race. While that battle was happening Justin Grosso moved his way from p6 to p3 and ended up staying there. Steuer led the Consi the whole way followed by Pauch Jr, J.Grosso, DJ Hunt, and Cole Stangle to round out the top 5. The 6th and final transfer spot was taken by the 323 of Johnny Bangs.
The Dirty Jersey 50 started with “The Electric Factory” Ryan Watt leading them to green with Friesen on the front row with him. At the drop of the Green Flag going into turn 1 Stewart Friesen took the lead from Watt. Stewart was just pulling from the field and had about a straightaway lead on the field until the first caution of the race came out on Lap 20. Before the first caution the 6B of Danny Bouc had worked his way from p4 to p2 and was making up time on Friesen in lap traffic after getting past Ryan Watt on lap 11. The Lap 20 caution was brought out by Justin Grosso who had a flat tire and slowed to a stop to bring it out. Friesen kept the lead on the restart but Danny Bouc was absolutely hounding him for the lead until the second caution on lap 23. On the restart Bouc took the lead from Friesen and pulled away from Stewart on lap 24. Bouc pulled out to about a 2 second lead but then the 26 of Ryan Godown and the 28 of Michael Stores brought out the 3rd caution of the race on lap 27. The ensuing restart seen the 6B of Bouc get a quick 2 car length lead into Turn 1 over Friesen. Alex Yankowski on this start was all over the rear of Stewart Friesen and almost passed him into 1 before Friesen held him off and kept p2. Around lap 30 most of the field started to follow leader Danny Bouc around the high side until caution #4 came out for the #112 of Cale Ross with a blown Right Rear tire. During this caution the at the time 4th place car of Matt Sheppard got a flat right front tire and was able to continue on. As was the 112 of Cale Ross after changing the flat tire on his car. This restart seen Bouc once again pull away from Friesen and Yankowski to continue leading the race. As that was happening the battle for 4th-6th raged on as Tanner Van Doren passed Sheppard for 4th and Perrego was all over Superman for 5th. Once again just as Bouc had about a 2 second lead another caution came out and as was for the 112 of Cale Ross again. This time Ross’ motor expired causing the caution on lap 45. Around this time Matt Sheppard’s car became stuck in high gear on the restarts. Danny Bouc continued to get great jumps on the restarts and led into turn 1. It wasn’t for long as Matt Sheppard’s car stalled to a stop and brought out the last caution on lap 48. Bouc once again aced the start and pulled away from Friesen. Danny Bouc wins the Dirty Jersey 50 with Stewart Friesen and Alex Yankowski rounding out the podium. TVD ended up in p4 and The Hard Charging Anthony Perrego finished p5.
Dirty Jersey Feature (50 Laps): 1. 6B-Danny Bouc[4]; 2. 44-Stewart Friesen[2]; 3. 84Y-Alex Yankowski[7]; 4. 27-Tanner Van Doren[10]; 5. 4P-Anthony Perrego[18]; 6. 32-Brandon Grosso[8]; 7. 14W-Ryan Watt[1]; 8. 1P-Billy Pauch Jr[20]; 9. 29-Ryan Krachun[9]; 10. 12S-Darren Smith[14]; 11. 3W-Mat Williamson[15]; 12. 35M-Mike Mahaney[12]; 13. 2A-Mike Gular[13]; 14. J24-Justin Grosso[21]; 15. 28T-Michael Trautschold[17]; 16. 6D-Dillon Steuer[19]; 17. 7M-Paul Mancini[27]; 18. 20C-Cole Stangle[23]; 19. 9S-Matt Sheppard[6]; 20. 13T-Anthony Tramontana[3]; 21. 112-Cale Ross[11]; 22. 11-Danny Hieber[26]; 23. 6S-Matt Stangle[25]; 24. 323-Johnny Bangs[24]; 25. 24-DJ Hunt[22]; 26. 26-Ryan Godown[5]; 27. 28-Michael Storms[16]
Bradon Kelliher-Lisson
