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SUPER MATT SWEEPS RoC ICEBREAKER 50 ON SATURDAY AT SELINSGROVE
BY JR KENNERUP
Selinsgrove, Pa… Currently Matt Sheppard of Waterloo, New York is the hottest driver in dirt track Modified racing and on Saturday evening at the Selinsgrove Speedway his performance just added more fuel to the fire.
The second generation driver swept the racing program for the Race of Champions Dart Dirt Modified Tour Insinger Performance Products RoC Icebreaker 50 on Saturday.
Sheppard who started third in the field of 29 exchanged the lead on several occasions during the early portions of the feature with Billy Pauch, Jr. and Ryan Godown. Finally on a lap 20 restart Sheppard took the lead for good from the pesky Godown and went mainly unchallenged over the remaining distance to secure his third win of the 2010 racing season. Sheppard by sweeping the racing program went home with over $5,000 in cash, contingencies, and prizes.
Duane Howard running a severely bent race car due to a Friday night hot lap incident came from ninth to finish second. Friday night winner Pat Ward came from seventh to end up third. Brett Hearn started 16th and wound up in fourth while Danny Johnson came from 20th to finish fifth.
“We’ve been on a good roll lately and it feels real good,” said the smiling race winner.” This car has been on rails all year right from Florida and it continued tonight.”
Matt spoke about the restarts on this evening. “I appreciate the officials for letting the jump go when Godown got me on the restart ( lap 17 ) and on the next restart ( lap 20 ) I jumped him and they let that go as that evened it up. I’ve been in those situations before where you get jumped and then when you jump them back they penalize you for the jump. I was glad to see it get to halfway because those double file restarts were tough here tonight.”
Early in the feature Matt chose the outside groove for the double file restarts. After losing the lead Matt was forced to the bottom groove and he got the lead back on that restart. The last two double file restarts saw Matt take the bottom groove and he was asked how he determined where to start during the feature as he changed lanes.
“I really wanted the top but he ( Godown ) was firing so early from the bottom that I moved down to the bottom so I could fire early,” recalled Matt. “The guy on the bottom always has the advantage from firing early even though I was the leader and was in the top groove. So when he took the top I took the bottom and we were able to get back by him.”
Besides having trouble on restarts Matt also faced another problem on his way to the feature win. “The tires would get hot in about two and laps and they would give up,” said Matt. “The tire wear wasn’t terrible or anything like that, it was that they just get so hot because we’re going so fast here. It was a tough deal as I was trying to go fast enough to keep the lead but slow enough to conserve the tires. Once he (Godown) showed me a nose I knew that I had to pick the pace back up again. I would try and run hard for a lap or two after a restart and then back it down. It was a fine line out there, Duane (Howard) said his tires would give up after a few laps, so everyone was in the same boat.”
Second place finisher Duane Howard was very happy just to get second after a hot lap incident the evening before almost ended his weekend for running his big block Modified. “I pulled a bonehead move last night as I got into the wall and bent the rear clip over in warm ups,” said Duane.
“We salvaged a top five tonight which we really didn’t expect and that is a great finish for this race team,” added Duane. “We had a fast racecar but Matt was quicker through the middle of the corner and had more drive where I was hanging it out in those spots.”
Duane had high praise for his car builder who worked all day on getting the car race ready after what happened the evening before. “ Thanks to Billy Colton at Troyer’s as he and his crew along with my crew really worked their tails off to get the car as competitive as it was tonight.”
Third place finisher and defending three times consecutive RoC Champion Pat Ward had a good weekend with a win and a third. “Maybe we shook the bad luck now as the cars were real strong all weekend long,” said Pat. “We started seventh and passed some good cars but right now Matt is in a league of his own. But we have some tinkering we can do to see if it makes us go faster and we can run with him.”
The Zemco Speed Equipment / Shiley Fabrication sponsored heat races for the 64 car field were won by Howard, Mark Forte, Sheppard, Mitch Gibbs, Kenny Brightbill, and Godown. While the Corky’s Tavern / SMI Racing sponsored consi’s were won by Richie Pratt, Jr., Billy Pauch, and Danny Johnson.
The Middleswarth Potato Chip sponsored Cash Dash worth $300 was won by Sheppard while the Middleswarth Potato Chip sponsored Non – Qualifiers Feature worth $175 was captured by Lance Willix.
ICEBREAKER SATURDAY NOTES: the standing room only crowd enjoyed an outstanding racing program that took place in nearly 80 degree weather. Dan Harpell co – announced the show with Selinsgrove announcer Steve Inch… Brian Weaver impressively qualified in his heat only to have motor problems with water in the oil being discovered just as the heat race ended… Brian took one lap in the Danny Tyler car come feature time… Billy Pauch was forced to the consi with a broken left front shock in the heat race while in a qualified spot… Pauchy didn’t disappoint his legion of fans with a rim riding consi performance... Kenny Brightbill had the grandstand rocking after a stirring victory in his heat race, motor woes were discovered after that and Kenny nursed the car until dropping out in the feature… Due to the warm temperatures and high winds extra track watering was done before the show causing a delayed start…The ultra tacky surface coupled with a lightning quick track made the last half of the feature a tough one with many cars dropping out due to problems…After the racing was over plans were already being made for the RoC Icebreaker Weekend IV in March of 2011...
The Insinger Performance Products RoC Icebreaker III Weekend at Selinsgrove is proudly sponsored by; Insinger Performance Products, Selinsgrove Speedway, Comfort Inn of Selinsgrove, JGK Motorsports, Middleburg IGA, Jim Collier Paving & Excavating, Lenny Krautheim Auto Sales, Dart Machinery, Utica – Rome Speedway, Zemco Speed Equipment, Penske Racing Shocks, Keith Sweigart Electric, Middleswarth Potato Chips, Troyer Race Cars & Parts, Short Track Super Nationals, BFP Specialties, Mike Kelly Motorsports, Shiley Fabrication, Bair Wheel Repair, The Selinsgrove Hotel, SMI Racing, and Corky’s Tavern.
RACE REPORT RACE OF CHAMPIONS DART DIRT MODIFIED TOUR RACE #2 INSINGER PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS 50 AT THE SELINSGROVE SPEEDWAY
FINISH: Matt Sheppard, Duane Howard, Pat Ward, Brett Hearn, Danny Johnson, Billy Decker, Rick Laubach, Jimmy Horton, Jr., Jerry Higbie, Jr., Willy Decker, Mitch Gibbs, Stewart Friesen, Bobby Varin, Doug Manmiller, Ted Lamb, Jr., Wade Hendrickson, Billy Pauch, Jr., Brett Ballard, Larry Wight, Ryan Godown, Michael Storms, Richie Pratt, Jr., Billy Pauch, Mike Colsten, Dan Vauter, Frank Cozze, Kenny Brightbill, Mark Forte, Brian Weaver.
LAP LEADERS; Pauch, Jr. ( 1 ), Sheppard ( 2 – 16 ) Godown ( 17 – 19 ), Sheppard ( 20 – 50 ).
RoC PROVISIONALS; Friesen, Higbie.
FIVE MILE POINT PROVISIONAL; M. Colsten.
UTICA – ROME PROVISIONAL; Lamb.
SELINSGROVE PROVISIONAL; Cozze.
PENSKE RACING SHOCKS AWARD; Manmiller, Pauch, Jr., Vauter.
UTICA – ROME SPEEDWAY MAY 9th - VICTORIA 200 SPOT; Sheppard.
DART MACHINERY SMALL BLOCK BONUS; Wight.
LENNY KRAUTHEIM AUTO SALES 3RD PLACE BONUS; Ward.
JGK MOTORSPORTS JACK BAGLEY MEMORIAL DEDICATION TO RACING; Strunk.
BFP SPECIALTIES HARD LUCK AWARD; Godown.
JIM COLLIER PAVING & EXCAVATING LONG HAUL AWARD; Willix 354 miles one way.
KEITH SWEIGART ELECTRIC LIGHTNING FAST LAP OF THE NIGHT; Pauch 20. 054.
MO’S GOLD AUTOMOTIVE POLISH & CLEANER BEST APPEARING CAR; Brightbill.
DNQ’S: Joey Colsten, Neal Williams, Neil Huber, Ray Swinehart, Billy Van Inwegen, Stan Frankenfield, John Stangle, Kirk Horton, Jason Rood, Jeff Brown, Ricky Yetter, Tommy Scheetz, Jr., David Van Horn, Jr., Jeff Strunk, Kevin Hirthler, Jeremy Markle, Jimmy Davis, Randy Chrysler, Casey Williams, Lance Willix, Ryan Forte, Jackie Brown, Jr., Jason Rivers, Brent Boyer, Paul Kinney, Sean Merkel, Bill Collingsworth, Danny Tyler, Ronnie Johnson, Ray Bliss, Jr., Bryan Terwilliger, Vic Coffey, Mike Barone, Brain Kressley, Rich Scagliotta.
Next Event: Sunday, May 9th - Utica Rome Speedway 200
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