PORT ROYAL, Pa. – The field for Saturday’s Speed Showcase 200 sanctioned by the Short Track Super Series at Port Royal Speedway is nearly set.
Andy Bachetti, Matt Sheppard, Ryan Godown and Billy Pauch Jr. won Friday’s 20-lap qualifying races at the half-mile clay oval in the Juniata River Valley, which garnered 49 entrants.
Matt Stangle, Peter Britten, Ronnie Johnson, Erick Rudolph, Ryan Watt, Alex Yankowski, Mike Mahaney and Rocky Warner finished on the podiums to comprise Saturday’s 12-driver redraw.
Reigning event winner Mat Williamson is projected to start 13th in the 200-lap, $50,000-to-win feature.
Williamson elected to lean on the past champion’s provisional when he retired his big block modified 15 laps into qualifier four to save his equipment.
The nation’s winningest big block modified driver at 31 victories, Stewart Friesen, scrambled from the 10th-starting position to salvage fourth.
Post-qualifier with @StewartFriesen.
— Kyle McFadden (@ByKyleMcFadden) October 16, 2021
Friesen had to make some moves late just to qualify for tomorrow’s #SpeedShowcase200.
Started 10th, was stuck in seventh for a bit, then managed to finish P4.
Should grid him 15th in the big event. He obviously wants more but could be worse pic.twitter.com/cwvxyDo6Zg
Barring any unforeseen changes, positions 14 through 25 are projected to line up as follows: Mike Gular (14th), Friesen (15th), Michael Maresca (16th), Tim Fuller (17th), Brett Haas (18th), Joseph Watson (19th), Larry Wight (20th), Ryan Susice (21st), Kyle Coffey (22nd), Alan Johnson (23rd), Jeff Strunk (24th) and Dominick Buffalino (25th).
The following drivers, listed alphabetically by last name, will need to transfer through Saturday’s split 15-lap B mains:
Addison Bowman, Jim Britt, Frank Cozze, Billy Decker, Jacob Dgien, Jessica Friesen, Brandon Grosso, Aiden Grover, J.R. Heffner, Danny Hieber, Scott Hitchens, Jimmy Horton, Joe Judge, Rick Laubach, Sammy Martz, Anthony Perrego, Ryan Riddle, David Schilling, Matt Smith, Dillon Steuer, Jared Umbenhauser, John Willman.
Jessica Friesen, a two-time winner this year, dropped out of qualifier four with eight laps to go because of mechanical issues.
Max McLaughlin scratched for the weekend after losing an engine in Thursday’s preliminary feature.
Official lineups will be released Saturday midday by the Short Track Super Series.
Qualifier 1
Veteran Andy Bachetti jumped to the lead on the start and rolled to a 1.807-second win over Matt Stangle in qualifier one.
Ryan Watt, Mike Gular, Brett Haas and Kyle Coffey were the transfer cars.
J.R. Heffner, Jimmy Horton, Rick Laubach, Frank Cozze, Jacob Judge and Matt Smith finished in positions seventh through 13th.
Qualifier 2
Matt Sheppard, a 25-time winner this year, came from the ninth-starting spot to win qualifier two by 2.273 seconds over Peter Britten.
Alex Yankowski, Stewart Friesen, Joseph Watson and Alan Johnson were the transfer cars.
Brandon Grosso, Sammy Martz, Danny Hieber, Scott Hitchens, David Schilling and Aiden Glover finished in positions seventh through 12th.
Qualifier 3
Ryan Godown, this year’s Bridgeport Motorsports Park champion in New Jersey, won qualifier three by eight seconds.
Ronnie Johnson, Mike Mahaney, Michael Maresca, Ryan Susice and Dominick Buffalino were the transfer cars.
Billy Decker, Dillon Steuer, Jim Britt, John Willman, Rusty Smith, Addison Bowman finished in positions seventh through 12th.
Qualifier 4
Billy Pauch Jr. stormed from the eighth-starting position and won qualifier four by 2.165 seconds over Erick Rudolph.
Post-qualifier with @billpauch!
— Kyle McFadden (@ByKyleMcFadden) October 16, 2021
The Kid’s Kid was one of the fastest at @PortRoyalSpdway this evening, powering to the @ShortTrackSS qualifier four win from eighth.
“We have the car to win. We have the team to win.”
Lots of confidence & Corona, the brew, at the moment. pic.twitter.com/2IfnsJkqpN
Rocky Warner, Tim Fuller, Larry Wight and Jeff Strunk were the transfer cars.
Jack Lehner, Ryan Riddle, Mat Williamson, Jessica Friesen, Jared Umbenhauer and Anthony Perrego finished in positions seventh through 12th.