LAKE CITY, Fla. — Stewart Friesen continued his dominance of the Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series (STSS) Fueled By Sunoco on Saturday at All-Tech Raceway, winning both the $7,500-to-win finale and the championship for the Modifieds.
Fifth-starter Friesen emerged victorious from the 50-lap main event after surpassing Larry Wight on lap 21.
Once in front, Friesen sliced through traffic to earn his 51st career STSS triumph.
Friesen also topped the Wegner Automotive weeklong Sunshine Swing Modified championship for $1,500. Friesen finished 41 points ahead of Tanner Van Doren.
“Challenging race track, one of the hardest ones we race on,” Friesen said. “Larry (Wight) got rolling there pretty good at the beginning. We got to traffic and I kind of found a good lane in the middle and kept the tires under me.
“We had a great car, could roll the middle and get good drive.”
After a trying week that included engine and transmission failures, Anthony Perrego and the Vinnie Salerno team rebounded in the finale. Perrego drove from 12th in the Beyea Custom Headers Redraw to finish second.
Erick Rudolph drove to a third-place result after starting sixth, followed by Danny Bouc and Jack Lehner.
Friesen was the ATL Hot Lap Hero at 18.230 seconds.
STSS Sportsman
A last-lap pass was the deciding factor in the 30-lap STSS Sportsman main.
New Jersey’s Paulie Hartwig III outgunned Brian Calabrese to earn his second win of the week, worth $2,000. Hartwig ducked below Calabrese on the last lap as sparks flew under the white flag. He took over the lead in turn two for his second victory of the series.
Calabrese finished second, with Logan Watt, Chris Jakubiak and Connor Crane completing the front five.
Race leader Donovan Lussier appeared headed to STSS victory before sliding in water from another car into the wall on lap 25, ending his bid.
Watt took the Wegner Automotive ‘Sunshine Swing’ title by 21 points over Hartwig worth $1,000.
Hartwig was the Fastline Performance Hot Lap Hero at 20.317 seconds.
Heat winners were Michael Ballestero, Watt and Payton Talbot.
Feature Finish (50 Laps)
1. 44-Stewart Friesen[5]; 2. 4P-Anthony Perrego[12]; 3. 25R-Erick Rudolph[6]; 4. 6B-Danny Bouc[7]; 5. 02-Jack Lehner[3]; 6. 99L-Larry Wight[2]; 7. 27V-Tanner Van Doren[17]; 8. 70A-Alex Payne[15]; 9. 9S-Matt Sheppard[10]; 10. 12S-Darren Smith[23]; 11. 97-Bobby Hackel IV[4]; 12. 3RS-Dalton Slack[13]; 13. 35B-Francois Bellemare[20]; 14. 35C-Chris Curtis[19]; 15. 21A-Peter Britten[11]; 16. 5J-Stacy Jackson[8]; 17. 16X-Danny Creeden[21]; 18. 11-Matt Caprara[26]; 19. 28-Matt Smith[18]; 20. 34-Rusty Smith[25]; 21. 7P-Patrik Daniel[24]; 22. 66M-Corbin Millar[22]; 23. 20-Rick Laubach[9]; 24. 55-Mario Clair[16]; 25. 5*-Tyler Siri[1]; 26. 19-Tim Fuller[14]
