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Stewart Friesen Needs All 50 Fonda Speedway Laps to Win STSS ‘Firecracker 50’ Wednesday Worth $10,700

Written by Chris Moore

FONDA, NY – For the first time in the history of
the Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series (STSS) Fueled By Sunoco, Fonda
Speedway joined the series schedule in 2019.

And
what a debut it was on Wednesday night.

After
a wild 50-lap roller-coaster of a race, it was Sprakers, N.Y.’s, Stewart
Friesen grabbing the win and the $10,700 in the inaugural Fuccillo Automotive
Group ‘Firecracker 50’ presented by Teo-Pro Car at the Track of Champions.

Friesen
needed every one of the race’s 50 laps to get the job done before the largest
crowd in Short Track Super Series history.

After
blowing a right-rear tire with 19 laps to go, Friesen roared back to beat Matt
Sheppard to the line on the final lap to grab the Sunoco checkered flag in
Event No. 5 of the Halmar International North Region.

At
the drop of the green it was a Friesen leading the way. However, it was Jessica Friesen who grabbed the lead
from her front-row starting position in the early going.

After
a yellow on lap five for Larry Wight, who made his STSS debut Wednesday night,
Jessica Friesen began to show the field, and the crowd, she was there to win.

Friesen
pulled away from Rocky Warner and Erick Rudolph before catching lap traffic.
Meanwhile, Stewart Friesen had climbed from his eighth starting position, and
got to second.

Stewart
would eventually make the move past his wife, Jessica, to take the lead on lap
23. However, on lap 31 the entire race flipped on its ear.

The
yellow flag came out with Jessica slowing due to engine issues off of turn two,
while nearly simultaneously, Stewart blew a right-rear tire in turns three and
four.

All
of a sudden, Waterloo, N.Y.’s, Matt Sheppard would inherit the lead after
stealthily climbing from his seventh starting position to third. However, on
the restart, Rudolph, of Ransomville, N.Y., jumped to the outside and drive
around Sheppard for the lead.

It
appeared his lead would be short lived with Sheppard applying the pressure,
going high and low, searching for a lane. Meanwhile, Friesen had quickly gone
from the back of the pack, to the sixth position after slicing through the
field.

After
a yellow on lap 37, Sheppard took advantage of the restart, taking the lead and
pulling away from Rudolph. After a couple of laps, it became apparent,
Sheppard’s biggest competition was a blue and black number 44 machine powered
by a 360 small-block engine.

Friesen
had gotten to the runner-up spot with eight laps to go, but it appeared he
would run out of time. That was until Sheppard caught the tail of the field
with three laps to go. Friesen closed fast and was on Sheppard’s bumper at the
white flag.

Setting
up a last lap for the ages, Sheppard left the top open in turns three and four,
and it was all Friesen needed. Side-by-side, door-to-door, sparks flying and a
roaring crowd, it was Friesen edging Sheppard for the win.

“I
thought we were gonna drive away when we got the lead, but Stew’s just so fast
here,� Sheppard said afterward.

“This is just awesome,� was the most Friesen could muster in Victory Lane following the win in front of a vocal crowd.

Rudolph
hung on for a podium finish in third. Middletown, N.Y.’s, Anthony Perrego would
drive the Graham Racing No. 18 machine to a fourth-place finish. Track regular
and four-time Fonda winner Rocky Warner of Gloversville, N.Y., rounded out the
top five.

Andy
Bachetti of Sheffield, Mass., recorded a sixth-place result.  Phoenix, N.Y.’s Larry Wight came back for
seventh after his lap-five flat tire. The “Corporate Jet� Brett Hearn of
Sussex, N.J., grabbed an eighth-place finish. Mat Williamson of St.
Catharine’s, Ont., finished ninth and Johnstown, N.Y.’s Craig Hanson got his
second consecutive STSS 10th-place finish.

$100
Rob Sherlock Roofing heat winners were Mike Gular, Rudolph, Perrego and Friesen
with 39 Modifieds in attendance. Larry Wight topped the consolation.

Tim
Hartman Jr. of Niskayuna, N.Y., took home $2,000 as the winner of the 25-lap
STSS Crate 602 Sportsman main event. Hartman, the current point leader at Fonda
and in the STSS Crate 602 Sportsman North Region, started third and took the
lead on lap seven from pole starter Adam McAuliffe.

Brian
Calabrese, Adam McAuliffe, Mark Mortensen and Chad Edwards put on the most entertaining
battle of the night, battling back-and-forth for the second and third
positions.

When
the checkered flew, it was Calabrese grabbing the runner-up spot and McAuliffe
would round out the podium finishers. Edwards and Mortensen completed the front
five.

Hartman
won for the second time this season with the STSS. He was a Memorial Day
weekend victor at Thunder Mountain Speedway in Center Lisle, N.Y., to kick off
the North Region.

FONDA FINDS: The stout 39-car STSS Modified field
was joined by 35 Crate 602 Sportsman on hand. The spacious grandstand area was
filled to near capacity with a huge crowd on hand….

John
Lakata designed a custom, unique trophy for the STSS winner that encompassed
the freedom theme and the historic Fonda covered grandstand….

Andy
Bachetti has earned top-10 finishes in all of the Halmar International North
Region events run this season….

The
family of late race fan Mike Cole were prominent during the evening and offered
the command of ‘Gentlemen, Start Your Engines’ before the main….

The
night’s program was filmed with multiple camera angles for national MAV-TV
broadcast in September….

Racing
resumes for the STSS on Tuesday, July 9 with the ‘Battle of the Bullring 7’ at
Accord (N.Y.) Speedway featuring the Halmar International North Region
Modifieds, Crate 602 Sportsman North Region and Four Cylinders.

To learn more about
the 2019 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.

he
Short Track Super Series is presented by American Racer/Lias Tire, Sunoco Race Fuel,
Insinger Performance, Bob Hilbert Sportswear, Halmar International,
Velocita-USA, Design for Vision/Sunglass Central, Rob Sherlock Roofing, ATL
Racing Fuel Cells, Behrent’s Performance Warehouse, Beyea Custom Headers,
Bicknell Racing Products, Dirt Track Digest, EIBACH Springs, Escape RV, Fast
Axle, Fox Racing Shocks, Henry’s Exhaust, Hig Fab, HyperCo, Kirkey Racing
Fabrication, Land Hoe Maintenance, K&N, MJK Home Maintenance, Precision
Hydraulic & Oil, QA1, Racing Optics, Superior Remodeling, Teo-Pro Car,
VAHLCO, Velocita, WELD Racing & Wilwood.

FUCCILLO AUTOMOTIVE GROUP ‘FIRECRACKER 50’ PRESENTED BY TEO-PRO CAR RACE SUMMARY – FONDA SPEEDWAY JULY 3, 2019

Bob
Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series Fueled By Sunoco Halmar
International North Region Event No. 5 Modified Feature Finish (50 laps): STEWART FRIESEN, Matt Sheppard, Erick
Rudolph, Anthony Perrego, Rocky Warner, Andy Bachetti, Larry Wight, Brett
Hearn, Mat Williamson, Craig Hanson, Michael Maresca, Billy Decker, Bobby
Varin, David Schilling, Mike Mahaney, Matt DeLorenzo, Allison Ricci, Billy Van Pelt,
Cody Bleau, Steve Akers, Danny Creeden, Mike Gular, Jessica Friesen, Jeremy
Smith, Corey Cormier, Billy Pauch Jr., J.R. Hurlburt, Alan Barker, Dave
Constantino. 

Did Not Qualify:
Tim Hartman Jr.,
Vinnie Sanganetti, Brian Gleason, Jimmy Horton, Josh Hohenforst, Scott Huber,
Roger Henion Jr., Danny Varin.

Lap Money
Breakdown ($5,005): Brett Hearn ($500); Matt Sheppard ($400); Stewart
Friesen ($300); Michael Maresca ($300); Alan Barker ($300); Anthony Perrego
($300); Matt DeLorenzo ($300); Craig Hanson ($200); Jessica Friesen ($200); Erick
Rudolph ($200); Jeremy Smith ($200); David Schilling ($200); Larry Wight
($200); Billy Decker ($200); Danny Creeden ($200); Dave Constantino ($200); Bobby
Varin ($200); Mat Williamson ($105); Allison Ricci ($100); Cody Bleau ($100);
Corey Cormier ($100); Mike Gular ($100)

American Racer/Lias Tire Bonuses (FREE Tire): Brett Hearn (eighth) & Bobby Varin (13th)ATL Fuel Cell Bonus ($200 Certificate): Rocky Warner (fifth)Behrent’s Performance Warehouse Bonuses ($50 Gift Cards): Anthony Perrego (fourth) & Mat Williamson (ninth)Fonda Fair Bonus ($100): Rocky Warner (fifth)Fuccillo Automotive Group ‘Move of the Race’ ($100): Stewart FriesenEIBACH Springs Bonus ($100 Certificate): Andy Bachetti (sixth)Henry’s Exhaust Bonus ($50 Certificate): Michael Maresca (11th)James Osterhoudt Heat No. 1 Award ($200): Larry WightJohn Grant Racing Engines Hard Charger ($100): David Schilling (29th to 14th)Long Haul Bonuses by Timco Transportation ($150): Jimmy Horton & Roger Henion Jr.MJK Home Maintenance Heat-Race Hard Charger ($125): Rocky Warner (eighth to second)One Spot Out Bonus by Timco Transportation ($100): Jimmy Horton and Danny VarinRacing Optics Bonus (Sleeve of Tear-Offs): Erick RudolphRob Sherlock Roofing Heat Winner Bonuses ($100 each): Mike Gular, Erick Rudolph, Anthony Perrego & Stewart FriesenSunoco Race Fuels/Insinger Performance Bonuses ($50 each): Matt Sheppard (second), Billy Decker (12th) & Mike Gular (22nd)Superior Remodeling Halfway Leader Bonus ($200): Stewart FriesenWELD Wheels Hard Luck Award (FREE Wheel): Roger Henion Jr.Wilwood ‘Lucky 7’ Bonus ($50 Certificate): Larry Wight (seventh)

Bob
Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series Fueled By Sunoco North Region Event
No. 3 Crate 602 Sportsman Feature Finish (25 laps): TIM HARTMAN JR., Brian Calabrese, Adam
McAuliffe, Chad Edwards, Mark Mortensen, Tim Dwyer, Jimmy Johnson, JaMike
Sowle, Aaron Burton, Kurtis Hohensheldt, Dan Santabarbara, Cody Clark, Travis
Green, Blaine Klinger, Harry Shaffer, Jim Housworth, Joe Orlando, Dustin
Jordan, Brendan Gibbons, Jonathan Swift, Brett Mortensen, Joe Williams, Andrew
Buff, Bobby Flood, Nick Scavia, Brian Borst, Jeremy Tuttle, Matt Shultz, Tommy
Collins.

Did Not Qualify: Tom Princiotta, Jeff Holt, Griffen Mansmith, Jonathan Swift, Daniel Morgiewicz, Dustin Jordan, Will Eastman, Tony Farone.

ACR Performance Hard Charger ($100): Joe Orlando (29th to 17th)

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