Written by Chris Moore

VERNON, NY – Summer stretch.

Utica-Rome Speedway heads into the summer stretch of the 2024 season with plenty still up for grabs.

The ’24 season is just to the two-month mark on the season and the point standings are beginning to take shape.

Three-time defending champion Matt Sheppard leads the 3 Bastards Brewing Modifieds by a slim 24 points over Covington Township Pa.’s Alex Yankowski.

Sheppard has notched four wins in 2024, while Yankowski is fresh off his first in two years on May 31.

Johnstown, N.Y.’s Rocky Warner – who won a Saturday night non-points event this season – sits 61 markers behind Sheppard.

York, N.Y.’s Justin Wright (-86) sits fourth in the standings and Roscoe, N.Y.’s Michael Trautschold (-90) rounds out the top five.

South New Berlin, N.Y.’s Payton Talbot continues to chase his first career Utica-Rome Speedway championship with the Taylor’s Trailers LLC Crate 602 Sportsman.

Talbot holds a 60-point advantage over Walton, N.Y.’s Blaine Klinger. Vernon, N.Y.’s Mike Richmond (-62) – who was the May 31 winner – Lysander, N.Y.’s David Hackett Jr. (-74), and Climax, N.Y.’s Butchie Irwin (-76) round out the top five.

Newport, N.Y.’s A.J. Walters heads the Next Generation Graphix Pro Stocks point standings on the back of four wins in the six events thus far.

Defending champion Bret Belden trails Walters by 24 markers while still chasing his first win of the season. Little Falls, N.Y.’s Jim Normoyle (-50), Oneida, N.Y.’s Johnny Holmes (-76), and Waterville, N.Y.’s George Cushman (-78) round out the top five.

In Fastline Performance Limited Sportsman competition, Fort Johnson, N.Y.’s Josh Coonradt leads Edmeston, N.Y.’s Eric Jensen by 18 points.

Carson Rothwell (-40), Andrew MacFadden (-54), and Jayden Wust (-70) complete the top five.

Wayne Russell Jr. (Single Cam) and Rudy King Jr. (Dual Cam) top the Fonda Fair Four Cylinder standings heading into June.

Brett Putnam and Justin House are tied atop the All-Star Slingshots championship chase while Addisyn Roger leads the Junior Slingshots standings.

To view the complete season standings, visit the following link on the Utica-Rome Speedway website: https://www.myracepass.com/tracks/2781/points

Racing continues this Friday, June 14 for Tom Cole’s Lexi LLC & Parker Excavating Night at the ‘Home of Heroes.’

All seven divisions will be in action this Friday.

For the June 14 event, all gates open at 5 p.m. Hot laps are slated for 6:45 p.m. and racing will follow at 7:30 p.m.

Grandstand admission is $15 for Adults, $13 for Seniors (ages 65 & up) and Kids 11 and under get in FREE.

Pit admission is $40 for Non-Members, $35 for Members, $10 for Kids (ages 6-12), and $2 and for Children 5 and under.

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.