Sheppard Victorious For 20th Time At Weedsport; Wins Modified Feature Sunday Night

Information By: DAN KAPUSCINSKI / WEEDSPORT SPEEDWAY – WEEDSPORT, NY – A total of 23 Big Block Modifieds signed into Weedsport on Sunday for the Modified feature event with Tyler Trump and Larry Wight drawing the front row for the 40-lap, $2,500 to win special.

Trump, piloting a 358-Modified, darted out front at the drop of the green, but soon after Wight took command in his No. 99L drawing Trump with him in a two-car run away early on.

As Wight and Trump set sail in the lead, all eyes were on Sheppard starting from the inside of row four. By lap-4, Sheppard had gone by Ron Davis III for fourth and the crowd knew it was only matter of time before ‘Super’ Matt drew in on the podium positions.

Just three laps later Sheppard rolled by Ward for the third position, with Sheppard being the only car on the speedway rolling the middle of the track with any success at the front.

At the quarter point of the show, Sheppard closed in on Trump for second just as Trump attempted to lap the slower Tim Murphy into turn one. Trump tried to dig even lower but clipped the inside jersey barrier nearly losing control with Sheppard on his back bumper. Fortunately, all three drivers were able to continue on as Wight contined to lead the fray.

Shortly thereafter Sheppard again found the middle portion of the race track to his liking, rolling by Trump for second into turn one on lap-12.

At this point Wight had mounted a 2-second lead on Sheppard with Trump, Ward, Davis III, Brett Hearn, Chris Hile, Alan Johnson, Jimmy Phelps and Danny Varin trailing in the top ten positions.

However, in a matter of just seven laps, Sheppard cut the lead to only .6-seconds at the halfway point of the event and was now looking for the lead in the No. 9S.

On lap-23 Sheppard officially took command with an outside move into turn three and was never again challenged at the point.

Sheppard would go on to win the green-to-checkered 40-lap event, scoring his second Weedsport win of the season, his 20th career victory at The Port, and his 15th overall win of the 2018 season.

Wight, Ward, Trump and Davis III finished the top five with Hearn, Phelps, Hile, Johnson, and Max McLaughlin filling the top ten.

Sheppard, Wight and Hile won Modified heat races.

The next Big Block Modified event at Weedsport Speedway will be the Super DIRTcar Series Hall of Fame 100 on Saturday, July 28 as a part of Hall of Fame Weekend.

The next event at Weedsport Speedway will feature the USAC National Sprint Cars with Thunder on the Erie on Tuesday, June 19. The USAC National Sprint’s first ever visit to The Port will see a three-division program along with the Spano Container Sportsman Shootout Series and the NY6A Micro Sprints.

DIRTcar Big Block Modifieds

Feature (40-laps): 1. 9S – MATT SHEPPARD, 2. 99L – Larry Wight, 3. 42P – Pat Ward, 4. 9X – Tyler Trump, 5. 32 – Ron Davis III, 6. 20 – Brett Hearn, 7. 98H – Jimmy Phelps, 8. 5H – Chris Hile, 9. 14J – Alan Johnson, 10. 6H – Max McLaughlin, 11. 25 – Erick Rudolph, 12. 93 – Danny Varin, 13. 88 – Mike Mahaney, 14. 16 – Mike Bowman, 15. 19 – Tim Fuller, 16. 3 – Billy Dunn, 17. 19W – Justin Wright, 18. 84 – Gary Tomkins, 19. 07 – Tim Kerr, 20. 23 – Kyle Coffey, 21. 48 – Dave Rauscher, 22. M1 – Tim Murphy, 23. 02 – Roy Bresnahan

Heat #1: 1. 9S – Matt Sheppard, 2. 93 – Danny Varin, 3. 20 – Brett Hearn, 4. 88 – Mike Mahaney, 5. 25 – Erick Rudolph, 6. 07 – Tim Kerr, 7. 6H – Max McLaughlin, 8. M1 – Tim Murphy

Heat #2: 1. 99L – Larry Wight, 2. 42P – Pat Ward, 3. 16 – Mike Bowman, 4. 14J – Alan Johnson, 5. 19 – Tim Fuller, 6. 19W – Justin Wright, 7. 48 – Dave Rauscher, 8. 23 – Kyle Coffey

Heat #3: 1. 5H – Chris Hile, 2. 9X – Tyler Trump, 3. 32D – Ron Davis III, 4. 98H – Jimmy Phelps, 5. 3 – Billy Dunn, 6. 84 – Gary Tomkins, 7. 02 – Roy Bresnahan