Sunday night’s Firecracker 50 holiday special at the Fonda Speedway turned into a heavyweight battle between the two top runners on the Short Track Super Series modified tour.
Stewart Friesen and Matt Sheppard locked horns in the second half of the 50-lap main event, and Friesen prevailed for a $10,000 victory on the half-mile Fonda oval. It was Friesen’s fifth Firecracker 50 win and 82nd career feature win at Fonda.
After Matt Williamson led the first 12 laps, Friesen moved from seventh to the top spot on the 13th circuit. Starting 10th, Sheppard followed him through the field, and by mid-race, it was a Friesen-Sheppard showdown.
As the leader began lapping the backmarkers, Sheppard closed in and made several attempts at the lead. But Friesen began catching caution periods, and his Halmar modified pulled away in open track conditions.
The victory for the Sprakers driver was his third of the year at Fonda. A disappointed Sheppard had to settle for second, with Williamson, Danny Creeden, Rocky Warner, Chris Curtis, Tim Fuller, Bobby Varin, Nick Heywood and Anthony Perrego completing the top 10 finishers.
A strong field of 45 STSS modifieds was on hand, and five heats and two consolation races were required to trim the field to the 31 Firecracker 50 starters.
Warner, a modified regular, jumped into a sportsman and picked up a $2,000 check for winning his 26th career Fonda sportsman victory.
THUNDER MOUNTAIN: Cory Costa won Sunday night’s modified special at the Thunder Mountain Speedway in Center Lisle. Rusty Smith was second, followed Alan Barker, Darren Smith and Danny Johnson.
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