RPW Column: Stewart Friesen/Matt Sheppard Take OCFS 50’s, Steve Drevicki Wins USAC Wingless Sprints

RPW Column By: MIKE TRAVERSE / RPW – MIDDLETOWN, NY – With the level of competition that signed in for Modified racing Thursday night, it was going to take a great effort and maybe some luck to take the $5,000 bonus that would be paid to any single driver that could take both of the United Rentals DIRTcar Twin 50 lap Modified features.

After Stewart Friesen won the first 50, the 5G’s was there for his taking. But the bonus money would go unclaimed on this warm July evening at the “House Of Power” as Matt Sheppard was victorious in the nightcap 50 lapper.

Four Modified heats were required for the 40 car field that signed in with Billy Dunn, Mike Mahaney, Tyler Dippel and Dillon Steuer taking the heat wins.

With the top 3 from the heats going to the redraw, it was Tyler Dippel and Billy Decker making up the front row for the first 50 followed by Stewart Friesen and Anthony Perrego in row 2. Decker grabbed the lead at the start with Friesen jumping into 2nd. Caution waved on lap 3 for Bob McGannon and Mike Gular, both with flats. Decker led on the restart, but Friesen was really putting on the pressure. On lap 10, Friesen made the move on Decker for the lead. Sheppard moved into 3rd from his 9th starting spot.
The yellow flag flew on lap 11 for LJ Lombardo with a flat and the field bunched up again.

Friesen led on the restart and gradually put some distance between him and Decker. With Friesen getting into lapped traffic, Decker was able to stay fairly close as Sheppard was pressing for 2nd. As the race approached halfway, Sheppard moved past Decker and was right there battling Friesen. Right at the crossed flags, Sheppard was able to move past Friesen on the inside and started pulling away. Caution on lap 31 for a flat on Billy Dunn’s #49 put the two heavyweights in the 9S and 44 side by side for the restart. Sheppard maintained the lead on the restart until caution again on lap 33 for Ryan Krachun and Tyler Boniface.

On the restart, Friesen moved back into the lead over Sheppard as these two drivers were having a great battle. Dippel, who had faded back to 6th after starting on the pole, was coming back to the front with a pass of Decker to take 3rd just before the final caution flew on lap 37.

Friesen led on the restart and put a cushion between him and Sheppard. As the laps wound down, Sheppard would close in on Friesen in turn 4, but Stewart would get a good run off of turn 2 and maintain a safe lead. Dippel was really pressuring Sheppard, but at the checkerd flag, it was Friesen, with his 2nd OCFS feature win of 2020 over Sheppard and Dippel with Decker 4th and Perrego 5th. Mahaney, Michael Storms, Rick Laubach, Jimmy Horton and Craig Mitchell completed the top 10 running order.

By a random draw, 13 cars were inverted for the 2nd 50 which created an all female starting row of Allison Ricci and Jessica Friesen. Jessica took the lead at the start over Ricci, Boniface and Mitchell. Perrego brought the caution and exited to the infield on lap 3. Jessica again pulled out to a big lead, a straightaway ahead at one point over Ricci. Sheppard was moving up quickly from his 12th starting spot, taking 3rd on lap 18. Sheppard ran down Ricci and took 2nd on lap 22. Yellow waved on lap 25 as Dippel slowed and pulled off.

Sheppard took the lead on the restart and pulled away. Decker, with a strong run, moved into 3rd on lap 32, dropping Mitchell to 4th. Ricci brought out the final caution on lap 37 as she slowed and pulled off. Stewart Friesen, quiet in this feature, moved into the top 5, passing Mitchell for 4th. Sheppard again moved out to a comfortable lead as the race for 2nd heated up between Jessica and Decker. As Sheppard finished off the final laps, Decker was just able to get by Jessica coming to the checkers with Stewart 4th and Mitchell 5th. 6-10 were Storms, Mahaney, Peter Britten, Danny Creeden and Laubach. Sheppard’s first win at OCFS in 2020 continued his streak of finishing in the top 5 in all 5 OCFS features thus far in 2020.

In the first ever appearance at OCFS of the Rapid Tire USAC East Coast Wingless Sprint Series, 2019 Champion Steve Drevicki led wire to wire in a non-stop feature to take the win. A 24 car field made the trip to OCFS with Tim Buckwalter, Joey Biasi and Danny Varin taking the heat races. Alex Yankowski was the ‘B’ main winner.

Drevicki and Eric Jennings led the field to green with Drevicki getting the jump. Drevicki pulled away as both Davie Franek and OCFS favorite Billy VanInwegen moved up. As Drevicki stretched his lead, the attention turned into the race for 2nd as Franek and Billy V. really had a great race for the spot with VanInwegen finally able to take 2nd on lap 16. As the laps clicked off, Drevicki easily moved through the lapped traffic and VanInwegen was only able to gain slight ground. At the finish, it was Drevicki, nearly a straightaway ahead of Billy V. with Franek 3rd, Jennings 4th and Varin 5th. Buckwalter, Chris Allen, Biasi, Jonathan Swanson and Bill Unglert rounding out the top 10.

Racing returns to OCFS on Saturday, July 11th.