Sheppard passes Evans on wins list

Matt Sheppard continues to make history at the Utica-Rome Speedway.

The defending Gates-Cole Auto Insurance DIRT car Modified champion earned career win No. 34 on Sunday, moving him past track legend Riche Evans on the all-time win list. Mike Welch captured the win in the DIRT car Pro Stock feature and Alan Fink took home DIRT car Sportsman honors. Danny Varin passed Jason Barney to win the Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprint A-Main.

Jack Miller attacked the lead at the drop of the green flag of the modified feature after starting on the outside of the front row. Miller paced the field for the first handful of laps as Pat Ward moved in line behind him after starting sixth. Ward stayed there until lap five when he went to the high-side of turns three and four to take the lead.

Ward was challenged immediately as he felt pressure from Marc Johnson, who looked low several times as Ward worked the outside of the speedway. Ward kept Johnson at bay with a cau---

tion slowing their battle whenMike Maresca slowed in turns three and four with mechanical issues.

At the green, Ward resumed his lead with Sheppard challenging Johnson for the second spot. Eventually Sheppard wrestled the second spot away fromJohnson on lap 18. Ward was in traffic as Sheppard got right to his back bumper. Ward got boxed in and Sheppard went to the lead in turns one and two on lap 19.

Now the leader, Sheppard checked out in traffic as Ward searched for a groove that would allow him to possible challenge for the top spot again. It was all for naught as Sheppard went on to take home the victory.

The Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprints made their first of three appearances on Sunday night with Modified regular Varin earning the victory. Dylan Westbrook had the early lead before relinquishing it to Barney on lap two. Barney, coming off a win the night before, was strong in the early portions of the night. Varin was quickly into second after starting fourth. Barney’s lead began to shrink once he hit traffic on lap eight. That was Varin’s chance as he closed in. Barney got bottled up in traffic on lap 11 and Varin took advantage to grab the top position in turns one and two. Before another lap could be completed the caution came out for a spinning Matt Billings.

Varin was superb at the green, keeping Barney at bay in second. They raced side-by-side for three laps before Varin finally pulled away by a couple of car lengths. Like Barney early in the race, Varin found traffic on lap 19 but made the necessary moves to work through it and earn the victory.

In the 20-lap DIRTcar Pro Stock main, Jim Normoyle started on the point and took the lead at the green. He raced in front early as the eighth starting Welch began marching forward. Welch moved into the top five by the halfway point. Normoyle continued to hold the top but Welch was coming closer. He took second on lap 13 before challenging Normoyle. They raced to the line side-by-side on lap 14 before Welch got the lead with a slide job in turns three and four. Welch was gone at that point, taking career win No. 7.

Thirty cars took the green in the Broedel Energy DIRTcar Sportsman 20-lap feature. Dave Moyer utilized his front row starting spot to lead the first lap of the feature. Fink wrestled the lead away from him on the second circuit as they exited the second corner. Fink led but Moyer stayed strong as he hung right with him. Moyer retook the lead brief ly before the red flag came out as Charlie Tibbitts got over in turns one and two but wasn’t injured. The red flag negated Moyer’s pass for the top spot. Fink wouldn’t make a mistake again as checked out on the field once the green flag was displayed, leading the final 10 laps to take his first career Utica-Rome Speedway win.

Next Sunday, June 4, the 2017 season rolls on with another show of Gates-Cole Auto Insurance Modifieds, Broedel Energy DIRTcar Sportsman, DIRTcar Pro Stocks, Rookie Sportsman and Go Nuclear Late Models. Gates will open at 3:30 p.m. with racing set to go at 6 p.m.