PORT ROYAL, Pa. – Stewart Friesen may lead the nation in wins and Matt Sheppard may end up with the most championships within the discipline this year, but Mat Williamson is currently on top of the modified game.
In seven races this month, the 31-year-old has five wins and a pair of runner-up finishes.
The confidence is so high Williamson retired early from his Speed Showcase 200 qualifier on Friday, electing to start 13th and use a past champion’s provisional for tonight’s 200-lap, $50,000-to-win feature.
“We were trying some things, using it as a test session,” Williamson said. “We have to learn every time we’re out here. … Tomorrow we have a consi as a test session. It’s not a bad night.
“We’ve been turning it up,” Williamson said. “We’re going to keep the momentum going into the 200 on Saturday.”
Williamson has grown accustomed to elevating his talents in big money events. His most recent victory is the Billy Whittaker Cars 200 last weekend at Oswego (N.Y.) Speedway, the $50,000 prize part of Super DIRTweek.
In last year’s inaugural Speed Showcase 200, he saved his best when it mattered, springing to the lead with 16 laps to go for one of the biggest wins of his career.
After what he considered a sporadic summer, Williamson returns to the half-mile clay oval instituting itself as one of his favorites.
Williamson hasn’t finished outside the top four the past five trips to Port Royal. No other driver correlates.
On Thursday, Williamson toughed out a runner-up finish when he reignited his rivalry with Ryan Godown.
Williamson threaded the needle on a restart with 12 laps to go, muscling underneath Godown to keep his streak of top two finishes alive.
“Did I certainly fill a hole that I knew was going to close up? Yeah, probably,” Williamson said. “But you race people the way they race you and he would’ve done it 100 times out of a 100. In my mind, hard racing, to throw a hissy fit after it happened to him, try to take me out three laps in a row, then try to take me out after the race, is just ridiculous.”
Williamson drew some ire from the crowd, perhaps Northeastern natives defending Godown, the New Jersey racer.
Majority of fans, however, seemed to side with Williamson.
No matter how it’s sliced, Williamson isn’t suppressing his zeal, the same energy that’s powered him to 23 victories and his winningest season yet.
“We’re ready with whatever they throw at us,” Williamson said.
“The weather is going to be the biggest thing,” Williamson added, alluding to the afternoon storm that saturated the speedway. “The Port Royal staff is one of the best at dealing with the weather. I think we’ll be OK. We’re going to go with what we know works.”