RANSOMVILLE, NY – The running of the 36th annual Summer Nationals at Ransomville Speedway featured a star-studded, international podium. Seven-time Super DIRTcar Series champion “Super” Matt Sheppard, from Waterloo, NY, triumphed after 100 laps of hard-fought Big Block Modified racing in front of a packed house at “The Big R”.
Pride of Australia, Peter Britten started eighth and passed his way up to challenge Sheppard for the win but settled for second. Stewart Friesen, who has deep family roots in the Niagara County clay and grew up across the border in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, finished third.
Feature (100 Laps)
1. 9S-Matt Sheppard [2][$7,500]; 2. 21A-Peter Britten [8][$4,000]; 3. 44F-Stewart Friesen [6][$2,500]; 4. 35M-Mike Mahaney [7][$1,800]; 5. 25R-Erick Rudolph [14][$1,600]; 6. 3H-Justin Haers [11][$1,400]; 7. 38RS-Ryan Susice [20][$1,300]; 8. 7F-Matt Farnham [4][$1,200]; 9. 99L-Larry Wight [3][$1,100]; 10. 98H-Jimmy Phelps [9][$1,000]; 11. 91D-Billy Decker [12][$800]; 12. 32CC-Max Mclaughlin [24][$700]; 13. 22W-Brandon Walters [23][$600]; 14. 26M-Derrick McGrew [21][$575]; 15. 111D-Demetrios Drellos [15][$550]; 16. 2L-Jack Lehner [19][$525]; 17. 88W-Mat Williamson [1][$500]; 18. 165-Rex King [10][$500]; 19. 34R-Kevin Root [26][$500]; 20. 83X-Tim Sears [22][$500]; 21. 5H-Chris Hile [16][$500]; 22. 215p-Adam Pierson [18][$500]; 23. 11J-James Sweeting [17][$500]; 24. 28M-Jordan McCreadie [25][$500]; 25. 3B-Chad Brachmann [13][$500]; 26. 56K-Garrson Krentz [5][$500]
Hard Charger Award: 38RS-Ryan Susice[+13]
Qualifying Flight-A
1. 91D-Billy Decker, 17.501; 2. 3B-Chad Brachmann, 17.706; 3. 165-Rex King, 17.86; 4. 88Jr-Olden Dywer, 17.97; 5. 11J-James Sweeting, 18.03; 6. 7F-Matt Farnham, 18.165; 7. 9R-Jonathan Reid, 18.183; 8. 26M-Derrick McGrew, 18.419; 9. 11S-Steve Lewis, 18.455
Qualifying Flight-B
1. 9S-Matt Sheppard, 17.281; 2. 21A-Peter Britten, 17.628; 3. 99L-Larry Wight, 17.644; 4. 215p-Adam Pierson, 17.669; 5. 25R-Erick Rudolph, 17.698; 6. 23C-Kyle Coffey, 17.885; 7. 48T-Gary Tomkins, 17.96; 8. 28M-Jordan McCreadie, 17.988; 9. 22W-Brandon Walters, 18.359; 10. 678-John Smith, 18.45
Qualifying Flight-C
1. 44F-Stewart Friesen, 17.343; 2. 3H-Justin Haers, 17.797; 3. 98H-Jimmy Phelps, 17.891; 4. 111D-Demetrios Drellos, 17.954; 5. 2L-Jack Lehner, 18.131; 6. 15R-Todd Root, 18.281; 7. 33J-Robbie Johnston, 18.281; 8. 4M-Greg Martin, 18.299; 9. 18G-Eric Gabany, 18.58; 10. 17D-Marcus Dinkins, 18.626
Qualifying Flight-D
1. 38RS-Ryan Susice, 17.804; 2. 35M-Mike Mahaney, 17.877; 3. 83X-Tim Sears, 17.88; 4. 5H-Chris Hile, 17.92; 5. 56K-Garrson Krentz, 17.931; 6. 88W-Mat Williamson, 17.944; 7. 32CC-Max Mclaughlin, 17.951; 8. 33D-Dave Dipietro, 18.079; 9. 34R-Kevin Root, 18.187; 10. 14M-C.G. Morey, 18.359; 11. 26R-Rick Richner, 18.363
Heat #1 – Flight (A) (8 Laps) – Top 5 Transfer
1. 91D-Billy Decker [1]; 2. 165-Rex King [3]; 3. 7F-Matt Farnham [6]; 4. 3B-Chad Brachmann [2]; 5. 11J-James Sweeting [5]; 6. 26M-Derrick McGrew [8]; 7. 9R-Jonathan Reid [7]; 8. 11S-Steve Lewis [9]; 9. 88Jr-Olden Dywer [4]
Heat #2 – Flight (B) (8 Laps) – Top 5 Transfer
1. 9S-Matt Sheppard [1]; 2. 21A-Peter Britten [2]; 3. 99L-Larry Wight [3]; 4. 25R-Erick Rudolph [5]; 5. 215p-Adam Pierson [4]; 6. 48T-Gary Tomkins [7]; 7. 23C-Kyle Coffey [6]; 8. 22W-Brandon Walters [9]; 9. 678-John Smith [10]; 10. 28M-Jordan McCreadie [8]
Heat #3 – Flight (C) (8 Laps) – Top 5 Transfer
1. 44F-Stewart Friesen [1]; 2. 3H-Justin Haers [2]; 3. 98H-Jimmy Phelps [3]; 4. 111D-Demetrios Drellos [4]; 5. 2L-Jack Lehner [5]; 6. 33J-Robbie Johnston [7]; 7. 15R-Todd Root [6]; 8. 18G-Eric Gabany [9]; 9. 4M-Greg Martin [8]; 10. 17D-Marcus Dinkins [10]
Heat #4 – Flight (D) (8 Laps) – Top 5 Transfer
1. 35M-Mike Mahaney [2]; 2. 88W-Mat Williamson [6]; 3. 56K-Garrson Krentz [5]; 4. 5H-Chris Hile [4]; 5. 38RS-Ryan Susice [1]; 6. 83X-Tim Sears [3]; 7. 34R-Kevin Root [9]; 8. 32CC-Max Mclaughlin [7]; 9. 14M-C.G. Morey [10]; 10. 33D-Dave Dipietro [8]; 11. 26R-Rick Richner [11]
Last Chance Showdown 1 (10 Laps) – Top 2 Transfer
1. 26M-Derrick McGrew [1][-]; 2. 22W-Brandon Walters [6][-]; 3. 48T-Gary Tomkins [2][-]; 4. 9R-Jonathan Reid [3][-]; 5. 23C-Kyle Coffey [4][$100]; 6. 11S-Steve Lewis [5][$100]; 7. 678-John Smith [8][$100]; 8. 88Jr-Olden Dywer [7][$100]; 9. 28M-Jordan McCreadie [9][$100]
Last Chance Showdown 2 ( Laps)
1. 83X-Tim Sears [2][-]; 2. 32CC-Max Mclaughlin [6][-]; 3. 33J-Robbie Johnston [1][-]; 4. 15R-Todd Root [3][-]; 5. 34R-Kevin Root [4][$100]; 6. 14M-C.G. Morey [8][$100]; 7. 33D-Dave Dipietro [10][$100]; 8. 26R-Rick Richner [11][$100]; 9. 4M-Greg Martin [7][$100]; 10. 18G-Eric Gabany [5][$100]; 11. 17D-Marcus Dinkins [9][$100]
