Written by Chris Moore

VERNON, NY – Three-peat.

For the third consecutive year, Matt Sheppard topped the 3 Bastards Brewing Modified field in the ‘Alex Friesen Remembered’ Season Opener at Utica-Rome Speedway.

Sheppard raced from the fifth starting position on his way to the $6,800 top prize, paying homage to Alex Friesen’s No. 68 from his racing days.

“If I’m not mistaken, we’ve won all three (Alex Friesen Remembered events)” Sheppard proclaimed with a smile. “This race has definitely been good to us.”

It just took Sheppard just a pair of laps to race into the runner-up spot before really going after pole sitter Elizabethtown, N.Y.’s Mike Mahaney for the top spot.

“I was just biding my time a little bit waiting to get into a rhythm,” Sheppard explained. “The car felt really good early.”

The Savannah, N.Y., resident moved to the outside groove and took the top spot away from Mahaney at the completion of the 11^th circuit.

Five laps later, the race’s first caution flag fell, forcing a restart that would shake up the contending cars going after Sheppard’s No. 9S.

Mahaney spun the tires on the outside row, sending him back to fifth, with Mat Williamson, Alex Yankowski, and Rocky Warner all skating by to chase Sheppard.

A pair of yellow flags occurred just one lap later, including one extended delay for two cars locked together, appeared to give runner-up Williamson an opportunity he needed.

Sheppard once again raced to the lead, but Williamson – aboard the Behrent’s Performance Warehouse No. 3 – was able to keep pace with Sheppard at the front of the field.

Rocky Warner meanwhile wasn’t done charging to the front of the field. The Johnstown, N.Y. native started in 10^th after drawing the worst number in the redraw.

Warner raced around Yankowski on lap 22 to claim the final podium spot.

A pair of late race yellows gave both Williamson and Warner last cracks at Sheppard, but the three-time defending Utica-Rome Speedway champion was unphased.

Sheppard held on for his third consecutive ‘Alex Friesen Remembered’ Season Opening victory.

“I didn’t feel very good at the end, it was like my tires were going away,” Sheppard smiled. “I guess they were a little bit but it all worked out for us.”

St. Catherines, Ontario, Canada’s Mat Williamson settled for the runner-up position and Rocky Warner, piloting the Jason Simmons Racing No. 98, rounded out the podium cars.

Covington Township, Pa.’s Alex Yankowski steered his family-owned No. 84y to a fourth-place finish and Potsdam, N.Y.’s Michael Maresca charged from 19^th to round out the top five.

Finishing sixth through 10th, respectively, were Mike Mahaney in the George Huttig-owned No. 35; Genoa, N.Y.’s Pat Ward aboard the Joe Beyea owned No. 42p; Saratoga Springs, N.Y.’s Jack Lehner from 20^th in his self-owned No. 2; East Greenbush, N.Y.’s Bobby Hackel IV in the Godgart Motorsports No. 97; and Central Square, N.Y.’s Tim Sears Jr. rounded out the top 10 in his first career BD Motorsports Media LLC appearance.

Forty-four big-block/small-block Modifieds signed in for competition in the ‘Alex Friesen Remembered’ Season Opener.

Heat winners were Michael Trautschold, Zach Payne, Ward, Williamson, and Sheppard. Consolations were captured by Cody Clark and Billy Decker.

Climax, N.Y.’s Butchie Irwin was first time Taylor’s Trailers Crate 602 Sportsman winner at Utica-Rome Speedway on Sunday evening.

After a yellow flag before the first lap was completed, the 25-lap feature clicked off caution free from there and Irwin led every lap for the win, grabbing the $1,000 top prize.

Matt Janczuk came from 15^th to finish second, with Tyler Corcoran, Seth Martin, and Connor Prokop rounding out the top five among the 45 cars that entered.

Gloversville, N.Y.’s Luke Horning held on despite a late race mistake for the Next Generation Graphix Pro Stocks victory.

Horning slipped over the embankment in turns three and four, allowing his closest competitor Bret Belden to alongside him at the white flag.

Horning regathered himself however and held on for the victory.

Belden settled for second, with A.J. Walters, Devon Camenga, and Shane Playford rounding out the top five.

Fort Johnson, N.Y.’s Josh Coonradt dominated the 15-lap Fastline Performance Limited Sportsman feature event, going wire-to-wire for the season opening victory.

Eric Jensen charged from 11^th finish second, with Carson Rothwell, Andrew MacFadden, and Bobby Newman completing the top five.

Corey Valade outdueled his twin Dan Valade for the Fonda Fair Four Cylinders victory. Wayne Russell Jr. beat Bruce Liddle to the line by a nose for the Single Cam win.

Racing continues at Utica-Rome Speedway this Friday, April 26 with all five weekly divisions in action, plus the Slingshots on the inner-oval open their season. The 3 Bastards Brewing Modifieds, Taylor’s Trailers Crate 602 Sportsman, Next Generation Graphix Pro Stocks, Fastline Performance Limited Sportsman, and Fonda Fair Four Cylinders all return for another week of action. The Senior Services Inc. All-Star Slingshots and Junior Slingshots kick off their 2024 season on the inner oval.

The event will be broadcast live on FloRacing (www.floracing.tv).

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.

‘ALEX FRIESEN REMEMBERED’ RESULTS SUMMARY – UTICA-ROME SPEEDWAY SUNDAY, APRIL 21, 2024

‘Honoring Alex’ 3 Bastards Brewing Modified Feature Finish (30 laps): 1. 9S-MATT SHEPPARD[5]; 2. 3W-Mat Williamson[6]; 3. 98-Rocky Warner[10]; 4. 84Y-Alex Yankowski[2]; 5. 7MM-Michael Maresca[19]; 6. 35-Mike Mahaney[1]; 7. 42P-Pat Ward[8]; 8. 2L-Jack Lehner[20]; 9. 97-Bobby Hackel IV[18]; 10. 83X-Tim Sears Jr[17]; 11. 28T-Michael Trautschold[9]; 12. 91-Billy Decker[22]; 13. 19W-Justin Wright[25]; 14. 23-Brandon Loucks[26]; 15. 2RJ-Ronnie Johnson[23]; 16. 93-Ryan Odasz[16]; 17. 12B-Addison Bowman[11]; 18. 77-Alan Barker[27]; 19. 4-Cody Clark[21]; 20. 68-Stewart Friesen[15]; 21. 98H-Jimmy Phelps[14]; 22. 16S-Jeremy Slosek[3]; 23. 111-Demetrios Drellos[13]; 24. 70A-Alex Payne[12]; 25. 19-Tim Fuller[7]; 26. 4A-Josh Allen[24]; 27. 7Z-Zachary Payne[4]

Did Not Qualify: 1X-Willy Decker; 35C-Chris Curtis; 11-Matt Caprara; 3RS-Dalton Slack; 76-Jamike Sowle; 97S-Randy Shantel; 369-Jim Walsh; 1J-Danny Creeden; 10C-Tanner Van Doren; 21C-Brian Calabrese; 1Z-Jessica Friesen; 22W-Brandon Walters; 15M-Daniel Morgiewicz Jr; 27-Jason Reome; 96-Andy Graves; 28G-Jim Gould; 8M-Tim Mayne

Taylor’s Trailers Crate 602 Sportsman Feature Finish (25 laps): 1. 40D-BUTCHIE IRWIN[2]; 2. 33X-Matt Janczuk[15]; 3. 64-Tyler Corcoran[3]; 4. 621-Seth Martin[4]; 5. 12P-Connor Prokop[1]; 6. B24-Brendan Gibbons[5]; 7. 38-Zach Sobotka[10]; 8. 22X-Mike Richmond[7]; 9. 14T-Payton Talbot[21]; 10. 9K-Blaine Klinger[9]; 11. 410-Mike Fowler[11]; 12. 44R-David Rogers[13]; 13. 63-Chip Constantino[8]; 14. 82H-David Hackett[20]; 15. 11Z-Nick Zielinski[16]; 16. 30R-Nicholas Root[12]; 17. 314-Clayton Dumond[23]; 18. 7H-Allan Hodge[22]; 19. 15-Shawn Frost[19]; 20. 23-David Dickey[18]; 21. 38S-Jared LaBagh[26]; 22. 55-Jonny Feagles[14]; 23. 77L-Ed Lukas[27]; 24. 9G-Mike Nagel Jr[25]; 25. 44CD-Stephen Denton[6]; 26. 16X-Savannah Laflair[24]; 27. 78-Tanner Warner[17]

Did Not Qualify: 10A-AJ Digsby; 318-Dave Richer; 12B-Tyler Bobar; 88-Michael Wagner Fitzgerald; 67W-Zack Welch; 5EJ-EJ Gallup; 01-Dylan Nichols; 6M-Pat Mann; 2K-Anthony Kimbel; 69-Blake Sarpriacone; 262-Matthew Richardson; 74-Matt Perry; 3-Ryan Behrent; 31J-John Dumond; 66-Don Bellen; 22-Nick Plumstead; 44C-Ed Downing; 4-Jim Rothwell

Next Generation Graphix Pro Stock Feature Finish (20 laps): 1. 2H-LUKE HORNING[4]; 2. 81-Bret Belden[6]; 3. 22W-AJ Walters[1]; 4. 110-Devon Camenga[8]; 5. 6-Shane Playford[2]; 6. 28H-Johnny Holmes[3]; 7. 74N-Jim Normoyle[5]; 8. 22-Tim Wood[9]; 9. 15K-Mike Kazluaskas[11]; 10. 25-Steve Cosselman[12]; 11. 101-Ed Kotary[15]; 12. 14H-Hunter Keith[16]; 13. 14K-Mike Keith[14]; 14. 28G-Gus Gould[13]; 15. 715-Jason Morrison[7]; 16. 4C-Toby Cooper[17]; 17. 13-George Cushman[10]

Fastline Performance Limited Sportsman (15 laps): 1. 00X-JOSH COONRADT[1]; 2. 57-Eric Jensen[12]; 3. 4-Carson Rothwell[11]; 4. 10-Andrew MacFadden[4]; 5. 77N-Bobby Newman[5]; 6. 26-Maddy Broedel[3]; 7. 36-Matt Bukovan[2]; 8. 797-Corky Warner[6]; 9. 43J-Jayden Wust[15]; 10. 17S-Ernie Staelens[10]; 11. 12C-Hayden Coons[9]; 12. 60-Brad Poppleton[14]; 13. 92C-Lance Hill[8]; 14. 24-Kirsten Swartz[7]; 15. 44K-Kadyn Depasquale[13]

Fonda Fair Four Cylinder Feature Finish (12 laps): 1. 21VD-COREY VALADE[2]; 2. 21D-Dan Valade[3]; 3. 666D-Rudy King Jr[1]; 4. 3D-John Napoli[5]; 5. 54S-WAYNE RUSSELL, JR.[8]; 6. 47S-Bruce Liddle[7]; 7. 0D-Kyle Coley[11]; 8. 212S-TJ Marlitt[9]; 9. H35S-Hank Wedgren Jr[13]; 10. 27D-Justin Pope[16]; 11. 68D-Mike Matthews[6]; 12. 31D-Jeff Connolly[10]

Did Not Start: 78D-Jacob Kimball; 35S-Hank Wedgren; XXXD-Gary Wendall; 16D-Chris Bonoffski