VERNON, NY- The Utica-Rome Speedway is now its last full month of racing and the championship picture for the rich $13,000 Stampede Steakhouse Modified title is starting to clear up. This Sunday, August 9, Dick Waterman and Gate-Cole Insurance present another night of exciting NASCAR Whelen All-American Series racing that Modified point leader Matt Sheppard hopes will be another step towards his second overall title, his first since 2002. A full show of Stampede Steakhouse Modifieds, 602 Sportsman, Open Sportsman, and Pro Street Stocks is planned.

Coming into this Sunday, Matt Sheppard will carry a healthy 39 point edge into the night’s action but second place point driver Larry Wight looks to cut into that margin after a dominating performance last Sunday. Pat Ward, currently in the third spot, looks to get back into the hunt after some recent subpar finishes. Mike Mahaney and Vic Coffey round out the top five while Stewart Friesen, Mike Bowman, Matt Hulsizer, Chris Mackey, and Tim Mayne fill out the top ten spots. Sheppard leads the way in wins with six total while Wight, Mahaney, and Friesen have two each with Ward, Tim Fuller, and Billy Decker having one victory apiece. Sheppard is second in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series New York State standings with Ward (5^th), Wight (6^th), and Mahaney (8^th) also holding spots in the top 20. Nationally, Sheppard is 35^th out of the top 500 ranked.

602 Sportsman point leader put on another driving clinic this past weekend as he roared to his sixth win of the season and adding to his point lead. Despite only having one win, second place point man Matt Janczuk is just 23 points back in the highly competitive division. Recent winner Cody Clark, two time winner AJ Filbeck, and one time winner Alan Fink trail the top running duo in the standings. In the national NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national Division II standings, Janczuk leads all Utica-Rome regulars as he is up to 15^th overall, followed closely by Warner in 19^th. Clark (33^rd) and Filbeck (38^th) also are ranked in the top 50.

Steve Way has a narrow 12 point margin over Claude Hutchings Jr. in the Open Sportsman rankings with defending champion Jeremy Vunk in the third spot. Heath Carney and veteran Jack Miller sit in fourth and fifth spot. Hutchings is the current win leader with four over Vunk with three victories, Way and Carney with two each, and Randy Shantel with one win.

A 17 point edge is what Pro Street Stock point leader and three time victor Mike Welch brings into this weekend over five time winner Glenn Forward. Two time winner Mark Effner is third in the standings while one time winner Chris Carr sits in fourth and AJ Digsby rounds out the top five. Ed Ostrander also has a victory this season, which came this past Sunday. National NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Division IV standings show Welch in the 10^th spot with Forward (16^th), Effner (18^th), Carr (43^rd), and Digsby (47^th) also showing in the top 50.

Gates for this Sunday’s show open at 3:30 p.m. with racing starting at 6 p.m. Adult admission is just $13 for the high speed action packed show with kids 16 and under free to the grandstand area.

Utica-Rome Speedway is located on Route 5 in the village of Vernon and is just minutes from the New York State Thruway. For more information including schedule info, full point standings, and more please log on to www.uticaromespeedway.com or call the speedway office at (315)829-4557.