MATT SHEPPARD WINS FIRST EVER TURNING STONE SERIES FEATURE
by Gary Spaid
HULL, PQ...Matt Sheppard, from Waterloo, NY, picked up his first Turning Stone Casino Resorts 358-Modified Super DIRT Series feature win last Tuesday at Autodrome Edelweiss before a capacity crowd. Sheppard, a former Sportsman star moved into fourth position in series points with his victory and earned $3,000 for the win.
The start of the 100-lap grid saw a full field of 30 cars take the green. Laurent Ladouceur, the pole sitter, quickly took the lead over Dan Jalbert, Chad Brachmann, Sheppard and Kayle Robidoux. The race was only two laps old when the yellow flag flew as Martin Roy looped his number 90 in the first turn.
The restart saw Brachmann move to the outside of Ladouceur and take the lead. Sheppard, sitting third, then passed Ladouceur on the outside down the back stretch. Sheppard then started to put the pressure on Brachmann for the lead. On lap 10, he moved by Brachmann to gain the lead. Two laps later the yellow flew when Alex Hoag and Tom Jock Jr. came together in the third turn. During this yellow Perry Francis moved pitside with a broken shock.
Sheppard maintained his advantage on the restart as Brachmann had his hands full with Tim Fuller, who was using the outside lane to pass his way to the front. As soon as Fuller moved into the second Dale Planck began to pressure Brachmann for third. Planck was able to complete his pas on lap 17 and took off to pressure Fuller for second. Planck attempted a number of low side passes as Fuller was glued to the top of the speedway. But each one failed until lap 30 when his move to the low side of the first turn stood up and he took second.
On lap 42 the yellow flew when Jock Jr. coasted to a stop in the second turn. Planck then tried to pass Sheppard for the lead but failed to complete the move. On lap 53 Fuller retook the runner up spot from Planck. Planck then regained second from Fuller on lap 61 in a side-by-side battle.
The long green flag period from lap 43 to lap 74 saw numerous cars lose laps to the leaders. Then on lap 74, Laurent Ladouceur spun down the front straight to force a yellow flag. Unfortunately a number of laps were burned off trying to re-align the field for the restart. When the race resumed Sheppard was still the leader with Planck, Alan Johnson, Fuller and Todd Burley rounding out the top five runners.
With just six laps remaining the yellow flew as Kyle Jacobs spun to the top of the first turn. Officials were able to restart the race to complete the 100 laps without going beyond that number of circuits.
At the finish it was Sheppard with the victory followed just .246 seconds back by Fuller in second. Planck moved back to finish third followed by Johnson and local favorite Pierre Dagenais. Sheppard earned the guaranteed Syracuse spot for the 358-Modified feature run during Super DIRT Week in Syracuse in October.
Heat wins went to Fuller, Brachmann, Sheppard, and Stewart Friesen, who has teamed with Mike Maroney, Alan Johnson’s former car owner. Friesen has taken the move to 358-Modified very favorably and has plans to challenge front runner Randy Chrysler for the Rookie of the Year honors. The consolation race was won by Hoag.
Johnson maintained a 90 point lead over Planck in series points following the race.
The next event on the Turning Stone Casino Resorts 358-Modified Super DIRT Series is Wednesday, August 13 at Frogtown Speedway in Hogansburg, NY.
TURNING STONE CASINO 358-MODIFIED SUPER DIRT SERIES NIGHT SUMMARY
TIME TRIALS: Alan Johnson 14.186 (63.443 mph), Pierre Dagenais 14.223, Dale Planck 14.226, Chad Brachmann 14.304, Matt Sheppard 14.398, Dave Heaslip 14.413, Tim Fuller 14.442, Alex Hoag 14.448, Laurent Ladouceur 14.468, Stewart Friesen 14.468, Todd Burley 14.511, Kyle Jacobs 14.567, Brain McDonald 14.601, Jeff Marshall 14.607, Randy Chrysler 14.630, Yan Bussieres 14.634, Kayle Robidoux 14.653, Martin Roy 14.705, Stephane Nault 14.714, Lee Ladouceur 14.765, Perry Francis 14.767, Eric Gauvreau 14.873, Al Jacobs 14.883, Dan Jalbert 14.900, Tom Jock Jr. 15.055, Billy Cook 15.329, Yvon Morin 15.528, Mike Schultz 15.670, Todd Loeb 16.366, Sean Boxman 21.358, Cory Brachmann NT, Charles Galipeau NT, Ron White NT.
HEAT 1: T. Fuller, D. Planck, T. Burley, R. Chrysler, A. Jacobs.
HEAT 2: C. Brachmann, K. Jacobs, D. Jalbert, Le. Ladouceur, Y. Bussieres.
HEAT 3: M. Sheppard, L. Ladouceur, K. Robidoux, B. McDonald, P. Francis.
HEAT 4: S. Friesen, D. Heaslip, E. Gauvreau, B. Cook, M. Roy.
CONSI: A. Hoag, J. Marshall, T. Jock Jr., Y. Morin, R. White, M. Schultz, T. Loeb, C. Galipeau.
FEATURE (100-laps): MATT SHEPPARD, Tim Fuller, Dale Planck, Alan Johnson, Pierre Dagenais, Todd Burley, Chad Brachmann, Lee Ladouceur, Stewart Friesen, Randy Chrysler, Yan Bussieres, Kayle Robidoux, Brian McDonald, Dan Jalbert, Martin Roy, Jeff Marshall, Al Jacobs, Ron White, Alex Hoag, Laurent Ladouceur, Billy Cook, Charles Galipeau, Kyle Jacobs, Tom Jock Jr., Dave Heaslip, Yvon Morin, Eric Gauvreau, Perry Francis, Mike Schultz, Todd Loeb.