RPW Column: Matt Sheppard Scores Second-Straight Checkered Flag At Orange County
RPW Column By: MIKE TRAVERSE / RPW – MIDDLETOWN, NY – Saturday got off to a bad start for the management of the Orange County Fair Speedway, but it ended up just perfectly for new speedway regular Matt Sheppard who nailed down his second-straight Big Block Modified win.
Early in the morning, OCFS was informed that by order of the governor of New York, the drive in viewing section would not be allowed to be open for spectators. But the speedway pressed of with the show and for the fans that tuned into the speedway’s pay-per-view, they were treated to some very exciting racing that saw two first time winners.
It took until the 6th Modified feature of 2020 for Matt Sheppard to put it into the OCFS Victory Lane. But he is now the hottest big block driver at the track after he posted a dominating win in Saturday’s United Rentals DIRTcar feature.
Three heats were run off for the 30 cars that signed in for competition with Sam Martz, Bob Hentschel and Tyler Jashembowski grabbing the victories.
For the feature, Chris Shultz and Richie Eurich led the field to the green. Shultz grabbed the lead for the first 3 laps until caution waved. Matt Hitchcock went into the infield with a flat and damage while Jerry Higbie and Danny Creeden exited to the pit area. Under the caution, Shultz slowed on the track and got a push off. This put Eurich into the lead over Jashembowski.
Jashembowski took the lead on the restart with Martz and Eurich trailing. Sheppard was flying through the pack from his 16th starting position, already up to 6th place by lap 4. He moved to 2nd by passing Martz on the 11th lap. Sheppard took the lead from Jashembowski on lap 12. Dippel and Perrego were on the move, both racing into the top 5 when caution flew on lap 13.
Perrego moved up to 2nd on lap 15 and was making the high grove work. At halfway, it was Sheppard leading Perrego, Jashembowski, Dippel and Tyler Boniface. As the laps clicked off, Perrego made up some ground on Sheppard for a bit, but eventually Sheppard pulled out to a comfortable lead. Dippel passed Jashembowski for 3rd on lap 18. As the laps wound down, there was no further change in the top 5. At the finish, it was Sheppard over Perrego, Dippel, Jashembowski and Boniface. Tommy Meier placed 6th with Bob McGannon 7th, Martz 8th, Jack Lehner 9th and Hentschel 10th.
In the H.O. Penn 358 Small Block division, Zach Vavrica scored his first ever SBM win, a wire to wire non-stop race. Vavricka held off a hard charging Tommy Meier for the victory.
Four heats were run for the 34 entrants with Pat Reiser, Joey Bruning, Mike Mahaney and Gary Edwards Jr taking the wins.
Vavricka and Roddy Watts made up the front row for the feature with Vavricka taking the lead after the drop of the green. Vavricka was able to stretch out his lead over Watts as Meier was making up ground from his 9th starting spot. At halfway, it was Vavricka over Watts, Dillon Steuer, Meier and Craig Mitchell. Meier, running very fast laps in the high groove, passed Steuer for 3rd on lap 12 and moved in on Watts, taking 2nd on lap 18. Meier quickly moved in to challenge Vavricka, but Zach, in the low groove, never faltered and took the checkered flag over Meier, Watts, Michael Storms and Perrego. Steuer, Dippel, Edwards Jr., Boniface and Mitchell filled out the top 10.
In the Sportsman action, Cody Higbie made a late race pass of Mel Schrufer and held off Grant Hilfiger to take his first ever OCFS win.
Forty two Sportsman competed in the heat races which were won by Troy Arnold, Dylan Smith, Matt Shultz, Jake Bedell and Higbie taking the wins.
Schrufer and Smith comprised the front row at the drop of the green and it was Schrufer jumping out to the lead. The front 4 ran virtually unchanged the first part of the feature. Caution on lap 8 involved points leader Dom Roselli Jr., Jared Miller and Jordan Lawrence. Cautions plagued laps 8-10 with a number of restarts needed. On one of the restarts, Higbie made the move for 2nd while Hilfiger moved into 4th from 17th spot. One of the many cautions on lap 11 involved Kenny Ryder, who took a slow rollover. He was uninjured.
When racing resumed on lap 11, Hilfiger moved into 3rd. As the race neared completion, Higbie really started putting the pressure on Schrufer, getting great runs on the high side in turn 3. Coming to the 2 to go signal, Cody was able to complete the pass of Schrufer and take the win with Hilfiger taking 2nd on a late pass. Schrufer placed 3rd with Shultz 4th and Smith 5th. Bedell, Daniel Morgiewicz Jr., Brad Szulewski, Tanner VanDoren and Bobby Flood completed the top 10.
Jim Hajkowski turned around a rough start to his season by taking Saturday’s victory in the Street Stock division. Hajkowski jumped out to the lead at the start and pulled away to take the win over Charlie Donald, Nick Giardini, Rob Taylor and Bob Sleight Jr. Wayne Taylor, Emerson Cargain Jr., Jack Beaumont, John Aumick and Danny Hedges completed the top 10.
The next race event that appears on the schedule at the “House Of Power” is on July 25th which will feature Big Blocks, Small Blocks and Street Stocks. Perhaps with some good negotiations, the drive in section will be allowed to be open. All of us who enjoy our time at the Orange County Fair Speedway can only remain hopeful until that occurs.
