Race Day For The Short Track Super Series At Thunder Mountain: Storylines, Stars & Sleepers

Story By: CHRIS MOORE / SHORT TRACK SUPER SERIES – CENTER LISLE, NY – It’s Race Day on the Mountain! The Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series (STSS) Fueled By Sunoco heads to Thunder Mountain Speedway for the 10th time in series history.

The three-eighths-mile speedway hosts Round No. 8 of the Hurlock Auto & Speed Supply North Region championship chase.

The STSS big-block/small-block Modifieds go for 50-laps for $5,000 to win, $1,000 for 10th and $400 to take the green in the sixth running of the ‘Lightning on the Mountain.’

THE STORYLINES

Thunder Mountain will become the third track to host at least 10 STSS events, joining Afton (N.Y.) Motorsports Park and Georgetown (Del.) Speedway as the most visited tracks by the STSS.

Thunder Mountain hosted at least one event every year from 2014 to 2019 before losing 2020’s appearance to COVID-19 restrictions.

Unadilla, N.Y.’s Billy Decker claimed his only STSS triumph when the STSS last visited Thunder Mountain two years ago.

Savannah, N.Y.’s Matt Sheppard leads the North Region points, holding a small but steady 19-point advantage over Middletown, N.Y.’s Anthony Perrego.

THE STARS

Anthony Perrego has been the most consistent driver on the STSS (North & South), with the smaller tracks being his bread and butter. Perrego has claimed two STSS wins in 2021, coming at Accord (N.Y.) Speedway and New Egypt (N.J.) Speedway. The 2017 ‘Lightning on the Mountain’ winner will be right at home as the STSS heads to another small track.

Another short track ace, Sheffield, Mass., driver Andy Bachetti is an STSS winner at Thunder Mountain. The ‘Wild Child’ won the ‘Short Track SuperNationals’ in 2018 at the three-eighths mile. Bachetti sits third, a distant 89-points behind Sheppard in the North Region standings.

Billy Decker enters Thunder Mountain as the defending winner of the ‘Lightning on the Mountain.’ Decker comes off a hard charger performance at Woodhull (N.Y.) Raceway the last time the North Region was contested. Decker came from 25th to finish sixth in the ‘Hustlin’ the High Banks 55.’

THE SLEEPERS

Masonville, N.Y.’s Shaun Walker is the current point leader at Thunder Mountain Speedway. Walker came home with a third-place finish in the 2018 ‘Short Track SuperNationals’ at Thunder Mountain and will look to improve upon that in the 2021 STSS visit.

Mike Gular is a frequent name to see on the ‘sleepers’ list. The Boyertown, Pa. resident has finished second and fifth in the last two ‘Lightning on the Mountain’ races in 2018 and 2019. Gular, a winner on the STSS this season at Bubba (Fla.) Raceway Park, heads to Thunder Mountain looking to climb up the STSS North Region standings.

King Ferry, N.Y. native Mike Mahaney wants to right the ship on the STSS North Region. Mahaney, who was once the point leader, has now fallen to fifth in the standings, looking to get back on track. Thunder Mountain has been the site of some of Mahaney’s best STSS performances in the past. Now Mahaney heads to the Center Lisle, N.Y., looking for his first STSS triumph.

ALSO IN ACTION

The Crate 602 Sportsman join the STSS Modifieds in Round No. 6 of the Precision Hydraulic & Oil North Region for a 25-lap, $1,500-to-win feature event.

Niskayuna, N.Y.’s Tim Hartman Jr. leads the North Region standings by 30 markers over South New Berlin, N.Y.’s Payton Talbot.

GATES AND PRICES

For the August 31 event, all gates open at 4 p.m. Hot laps begin at 6 p.m. with racing following at 7 p.m.

Adult grandstand admission is $25. Seniors (ages 65 and over), Students (ages 10-17) and Veterans admission is $20. Kids 9 and under are admitted FREE.

Pit Admission is $40 (no license required).

STSS THUNDER MOUNTAIN HISTORY: PAST EVENT WINNERS

• May 26, 2019 – BILLY DECKER – Stewart Friesen – Mat Williamson – Ryan Jordan – Mike Gular
• October 7, 2018 – ANDY BACHETTI – Mat Williamson – Shaun Walker – Danny Bouc – Billy Decker
• September 23, 2018 – DANNY CREEDEN – Mike Gular – Matt Sheppard – Anthony Perrego – Billy Decker
• May 28, 2017 – ANTHONY PERREGO – Stewart Friesen – Andy Bachetti – Jeremy Smith – Ryan Jordan
• September 23, 2016 – DANNY CREEDEN – Andy Bachetti – Alan Barker – Mike Mahaney – Craig Hanson
• May 29, 2016 – CHAD COOK – Mike Mahaney – Anthony Perrego – Jerry Higbie Jr. – Colton Wilson
• September 27, 2015 – STEWART FRIESEN – Chad Cook – Anthony Perrego – Andy Bachetti – Erick Rudolph
• June 29, 2015 – BRIAN MALCOLM – Stewart Friesen – Danny Johnson – Anthony Perrego – Jeff Strunk
• May 20, 2014 –MATT SHEPPARD – Chad Cook – Vic Coffey – Stewart Friesen – Danny Johnson