Written by Chris Moore

VERNON, NY – Five down, five to go.

The Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series (STSS) Fueled By Sunoco Hurlock Auto & Speed North Region has reached the halfway point.

Next up for the STSS, the Hurlock Auto & Speed North Region continues with the ‘Richie Evans Remembered 61’ at Utica-Rome Speedway on Thursday, July 22.

The STSS big-block/small-block Modifieds will run 61-laps for a healthy $6,100-to-win and $610 just to take the green.

Heading to the first-ever appearance for the STSS at the ‘Home of Heroes,’ Middletown, N.Y.’s Anthony Perrego sits atop the North Region standings.

Perrego’s North Region was kick-started with a victory in the ‘Battle at the Bullring’ at Accord (N.Y.) Speedway in the opening event. Perrego has finished in the top-10 in every STSS North Region event, with his worst finish being a seventh-place run at Pa.’s Penn Can Speedway.

Despite his strong start, Perrego holds just a 10-point advantage over Savannah, N.Y.’s Matt Sheppard.

Sheppard has also run inside the top-10 in every STSS North Region event thus far. His worst finish was an eighth-place run at Accord, in which he jumped in another competitor’s car and started last.

‘Super’ Matt thrust himself into contention for the North Region title following his win in the ‘Clash at the Can’ at Penn Can Speedway.

King Ferry, N.Y., native Mike Mahaney has been strong throughout the STSS North Region chase. His only hiccup came on a night with a broken shock in the ‘Firecracker 50’ at Fonda (N.Y.) Speedway. Mahaney sits 42 markers behind Perrego.

Sheffield, Mass., driver Andy Bachetti, who is a winner on the South Region, sits fourth, 67 points out of first. Five points behind Bachetti is the ‘Firecracker 50’ winner, Sprakers, N.Y.’s Stewart Friesen who rounds out the top-five.

The STSS Crate 602 Sportsman will also be on hand, racing in Round No. 4 of the Precision Hydraulic & Oil North Region of the eight-race schedule.

The 2019 champion, Niskayuna, N.Y.’s Tim Hartman Jr. sets the pace with a slim, nine-point advantage over second place, South New Berlin, N.Y.’s Payton Talbot.

Joey Bruning, of Pine Bush, N.Y., sits in third, just 12 points behind Hartman Jr. Bruning, like Perrego, won the Region opener at Accord Speedway.

Complete Modified North Region Point Standings can be found at: https://stss.racestatcentral.com/standings.php?IDseries=1&IDseason=2021

Complete Crate 602 Sportsman North Region Standings can be found at: https://stss.racestatcentral.com/?IDseries=3&IDseason=2021

A complete information sheet has been posted for the ‘Richie Evans Remembered 61’ on the STSS website: http://shorttracksuperseries.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/RichieEvans61GeneralInfoSheet.pdf

To learn more about the 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.

The Short Track Super Series is presented by American Racer/Lias Tire, Sunoco Race Fuel, Insinger Performance, FloRacing, Bob Hilbert Sportswear, Hurlock Auto & Speed, Velocita-USA, Design for Vision/Sunglass Central, Behrent’s Performance Warehouse, Beyea Custom Headers, Bicknell Racing Products, Dirt Track Digest, Penske Racing Shocks, Danny’s Pizza Pizzazz, Algonkin Motel, Henry’s Exhaust, Hig Fab, Kirkey Racing Fabrication, Precision Hydraulic & Oil, Belmont’s Garage, Superior Remodeling, Spyder High Performance Filters, Fastline Performance, Teo-Pro Car, VAHLCO, WELD Racing & Wilwood.