Matt Sheppard celebrates in victory lane after winning Thursday night’s Super DIRTcar Series Big-Block Modified portion of the DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park. Photo: Alex & Helen Bruce
After 29 laps of hold-your-breath racing on Thursday night at Florida’s Volusia Speedway Park, five-time Super DIRTcar Series Big-Block Modifieds champion Matt Sheppard needed a swift move off the final corner splitting two lapped cars to edge NASCAR Truck Series standout Stewart Friesen at the checkered flag for his first DIRTcar Nationals victory of 2019.
Right from the green flag the intensity was high. Peter Britten, Jessey Mueller and Sheppard went three-wide for the lead down the backstretch before the legendary Danny Johnson slid sideways behind them and barrel-rolled into turn three. The second start was just as wild as the first. First it was Britten on point, then Mueller, then Friesen, then Sheppard.
In heavy traffic Sheppard went high, Friesen went to the bottom. With 10 to go it was Sheppard by half-a-car-length over Friesen, who kept peeking out behind Sheppard off the corners. Finally, coming to the checkers, Sheppard dove to the middle, split the lapped cars and kept Friesen behind him to win.
“I really don’t like to have to run a race car that hard, but I knew Stewie was right there,” said Sheppard, the 2016 DIRTcar Nationals champion. “I got rolling pretty good on the bottom and got up through, but I just didn’t know where to be, so I put it up on the top and just drove the heck out of it and prayed I could hold him off to the end.
“When all the lapped cars were on the bottom, I was rolling the top. I didn’t mind it so much because I kind of thought it would make it tough on Stewie to get a run on me. Then we kind of got in open track and he poked his nose under me and we caught those last two lapped cars. They were on the top right where I was, and I was thinking disaster coming off of four there, but luckily I was able to cut across and get a good enough run to bring it home to victory lane. … I think the fans have been getting their money’s worth.”
The Australian Britten held off Anthony Perrego for third with Wednesday night winner Billy Decker rounding out the top five.
After seeing Matt Sheppard win a thriller just ahead of him, Brandon Sheppard (no relation) became the first World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series’ repeat winner this season.
Sheppard swept to the lead on lap 12 and then held off Scott Bloomquist after a late-race caution set up a six-lap shootout to the checkered flag.
Don O’Neal was on the podium for the second consecutive night after finishing third, with rookie Ricky Weiss fourth and Tim McCreadie in fifth.
DIRTcar Nationals
Volusia Speedway Park – Barberville, FL
Super DIRTcar Series Big-Block Modifieds – February 14, 2019
1. Matt Sheppard
2. Stewart Friesen
3. Peter Britten
4. Anthony Perrego
5. Billy Decker
6. Jessey Mueller
7. Erick Rudolph
8. Billy Pauch
9. Larry Wight
10. Brett Hearn
11. Justin Haers
12. Pat Ward
13. Tim Fuller
14. Mat Williamson
15. Demetrio Drellos
16. Jim Britt
17. Ryan Godown
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World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series
1. Brandon Sheppard
2. Scott Bloomquist
3. Don O’Neal
4. Ricky Weiss
5. Tim McCreadie
6. Chris Madden
7. Chase Junghans
8. Darrell Lanigan
9. Shane Clanton
10. Dale McDowell
11. Josh Richards
12. Jimmy Owens
13. Jonathan Davenport
14. Brian Shirley
15. Devin Moran
16. Chris Ferguson
17. Ivedent Lloyd, Jr.
18. Dennis Erb, Jr.
19. Brent Larson
20. Tyler Erb
21. Kyle Hardy
22. Scott James
23. Brandon Overton
24. Tyler Bruening
25. Hudson O’Neal
26. Kent Robinson
27. Blake Spencer
28. Colton Flinner
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