Written by Chris Moore

VERNON, NY – In what was perhaps his most dramatic victory of the season, Matt Sheppard topped the 3 Bastards Brewing Modified feature on Friday night for the fifth time this season on Mastrovito Hyundai First Responders Night.

Sheppard, a Savannah, N.Y., resident, outdueled Unadilla, N.Y.’s Billy Decker in a three-lap dash to the finish to take home the win.

“I put two of the best corners together of the entire race,” Sheppard explained of his pass for the win. “Just got lucky I was able to squeeze back by Billy (Decker) and get the win.”

The win for Sheppard was the 65^th win of his Utica-Rome Speedway career, again breaking the tie and putting him atop the all-time win list at the ‘Home of Heroes.’

York, N.Y.’s Justin Wright and Vernon, N.Y.’s Willy Decker occupied the front row when the race began, while Sheppard fired off from the 11^th starting position.

Wright would race out to the lead early, leaving behind an epic five-car battle for the runner-up spot.

Willy Decker, Alan Barker, Alex Yankowski, Billy Decker, and Sheppard went at it for the first half of the race, knifing through traffic as well, for the runner-up spot.

Sheppard, who settled in sixth for several laps, went to work on the 10^th circuit of the race. Sheppard used the outside to go around both Billy Decker and Yankowski to take fourth.

Two laps later, Sheppard had taken third away from Willy Decker, all the meanwhile, Billy Decker hung right with Sheppard as they navigated to the front of the feel.

At the halfway mark, Sheppard had raced around Alan Barker and began to chip away at Wright’s three second advantage over the rest of the field.

Wright’s lead was all but gone with eight laps to go, as he began to struggle with heavier lap traffic and Sheppard and Decker quickly made up the deficit.

Sheppard and Decker would both get by Wright before a yellow came out with six laps to go.

When racing resumed, Decker rolled around the outside groove and snatched the lead away from Sheppard.

“I made a good corner in one and two and he just drove around me,” Sheppard said. “He really surprised me.”

Decker led, but another yellow would fly with three laps to go, giving Sheppard the only reset he would need.

Sheppard hooked the bottom in the first two corners and held off Decker from there for the win.

Decker would settle for his second straight runner-up finish in the Jeremy Smith Racing No. 91 and Justin Wright rounded out the podium with his best finish of the year.

Despite a flat left front tire, Covington Township, Pa.’s Alex Yankowski finished fourth and Norwich, N.Y.’s Alan Barker completed the top five.

Finishing sixth through 10th, respectively, were Genoa, N.Y.’s Pat Ward in the Beyea Custom Headers No. 42p; Willy Decker who faded to seventh after running second early in the JSD Express No. 1x; Sheffield, Mass. native Andy Bachetti in the Garrity Asphalt Reclaiming No. 4; Roscoe, N.Y.’s Michael Trautschold in his QFM No. 28 and Middlesex, N.Y.’s Alan Johnson completed the top five in the Mark Spoor Racing No. 14J.

Durhamville, N.Y.’s Matt Janczuk claimed his fourth Worthington Industries Crate 602 Sportsman victory of the season.

After starting in 12^th, Janczuk quickly raced to the front and led the final 16 laps to take the win.

Payton Talbot, Matt Richardson, Josh Amodio, and Blaine Klinger rounded out the top five.

Fort Johnson, N.Y.’s. Josh Coonradt topped what was the race of the night in the Next Generation Graphix Pro Stocks division.

Coonradt emerged from a five-car fight for the lead and held off Bret Belden to take his second win of the season.

Belden, A.J. Walters, Jim Normoyle, and Ken Griffin were the top five.

New Berlin, N.Y.’s Zack Welch rolled the inside groove to perfection for his third triumph of the season with the Fastline Performance Limited Sportsman.

Welch rolled by Dalton Doyle and Tyler Bobar on the inside groove to take the win in the late stages.

Doyle, Carson Rothwell, Bobar, and Jonathan Feagles were the top five.

Kyle Coley (DOHC) and Bruce Liddle (SOHC) were victorious with the Fonda Fair Four Cylinders, both getting their first win of the season.

A.J. Albreada and Chase Spoor were both first time winners this season with the Senior Services Inc. All-Star Slingshots (Albreada) and Junior Slingshots (Spoor) on the inner oval.

Racing returns next Friday night, July 14, as Westmoreland Golf Club and Pozzie’s Auto Refinishing presents the night of racing. The CRSA Sprint Cars return to the ‘Home of Heroes’ along with the 3 Bastards Brewing Modifieds, Worthington Industries Crate 602 Sportsman, Next Generation Graphix Pro Stocks, Fastline Performance Limited Sportsman, and Fonda Fair Four Cylinders will all be in action.

Utica-Rome Speedway is located at 5591 NY-5 (Seneca Turnpike) Vernon, NY 13476. The official website is www.uticaromespeedway.com and the speedway can be reached by phone at 315.953.4097.  Like Utica-Rome Speedway on Facebook or follow us on Twitter @UR_Speedway.

‘MASTROVITO HYUNDAI FIRST RESPONDERS NIGHT’ RESULTS SUMMARY – UTICA-ROME SPEEDWAY FRIDAY, JULY 7, 2023

3 Bastards Brewing Modified Feature Finish (30 laps): MATT SHEPPARD, Billy Decker, Justin Wright, Alex Yankowski, Alan Barker, Pat Ward, Willy Decker, Andy Bachetti, Michael Trautschold, Alan Johnson, Alex Payne, Ron Holmes, Jeremy Slosek, Brian Calabrese, Kurtis Hohensheldt, Tim Mayne, Jim Walsh, Rocky Warner, Brad Poppleton, JaMike Sowle, Bobby Hackel IV, Addison Bowman, Aaron Jacobs.

Worthington Industries Crate 602 Sportsman Feature Finish (25 laps): MATT JANCZUK, Payton Talbot, Matthew Richardson, Josh Amodio, Blaine Klinger, David Dickey, David Hackett Jr., Willy Decker Jr., Stephen Denton, Ed Lukas, Shawn Frost, Blake Sarpriacone, Allan Hodge, Mike Richmond, Alex Hughes, Jim Rothwell, Joey Buonagurio, Ed Downing, Seth Martin, Bobby Heintz, Jeremy Slosek.

Next Generation Graphix Pro Stock Feature Finish (20 laps): JOSH COONRADT, Bret Belden, A.J. Walters, Jim Normoyle, Ken Griffin, Mike Kazlauskas, Ed Kotary, Tom Denton, Andy Graves, Johnny Holmes, Jason Morrison, George Cushman, Hunter Keith, Gus Gould, Dalton Szewczyk.

Did Not Start: Tim Wood

Fastline Performance Limited Sportsman (20 laps): ZACK WELCH, Dalton Doyle, Carson Rothwell, Tyler Bobar, Johnny Feagles, Nick Zielinski, Eric Jensen, Ernie Staelens, Dylan Piersall, Andrew MacFadden, Aaron Page, Bobby Newman, Matthew Backus, Matt Bukovan, Kennedy Payne, Maddy Broedel, Brodie Davis, Eymarah Bowman, Alexis Jacobs.

Fonda Fair Four Cylinder Feature Finish (12 laps): KYLE COLEY (DOHC), Rudy King Jr., Bruce Liddle (SOHC), Jacob Kimball, Nick Galusha, Sophia Denova, David Denova, Hayleigh Gates, Hank Wedgren Jr., Wayne Russell Jr., Jacob Jipson, Jean Foster.

Did Not Start: Keith Chorba

Senior Services Inc. All-Star Slingshot Feature Finish (20 laps): A.J. ALBREADA, Brett Putnam, Justin House, Mason Pittenger, James Benz, Chris Darrow, Andrew Turpin, Lucas Pittenger, Garrett Chillot, Corky Warner, Jason Dufel, Charlene Benz, Jim Pollard, Tadd Granger, Scott Sprague, Jaden Pierce, Paul Holic, Kevin Loveless, Nicholas Jenkins, Tucker Jones.

Did Not Start: Corbyn White

Junior Slingshot Feature Finish (15 laps): CHASE SPOOR, Trevor Houghton, Bodie Marks, E.J. Hatch, Jayden Wust, Brody Janczuk, Preston Trautschold, Blake Banek, Ayna Sarpriacone, Jakoby Thompson, Ayden Goodier, James Hatch, Reese Farrell, Sullivan Dickey, Addisyn Roger.  

Algonkin Motel Hard Luck Award: Tim Wood