LAKE CITY, Fla. — Stewart Friesen kicked off the season with a dominating victory on Wednesday night at All-Tech Raceway in the opener for the Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series Fueled By Sunoco.
The Sprakers, N.Y., resident pocketed $4,000 for his efforts in the 30-lap STSS Modified event.
After drawing the pole for the 30-lap main, Friesen relinquished the lead at the outset to a rim-riding Alex Payne.
“A little bit of excitement the first couple laps,” Friesen said. “I didn’t get a good enough jump on the original start and let Alex (Payne) get in front of me. I did get a good jump on the second one (on lap three) and threw a little bit too hot of a slider in (turns) one and two. That bent up the front end a little bit.”
Friesen regained the lead on lap four and checked out on the field, lapping up to 15th-place in the final stretch of green-flag racing.
“The race car was really, really good,” Friesen said, adding “even bent up a little.”
The win for Friesen was his sixth in Florida competition with the series.
Payne settled for second place as he continues his quest for a first STSS-sanctioned victory.
“I don’t know how many times I can finish second and third on this tour and not win one,” Payne said. “It just shows the consistency and normally I feel we are pretty good (with the STSS).”
Eighth starter Tanner Van Doren finished third, followed by Alex Yankowski and Chris Curtis.
Matt Sheppard romped from 21st on the grid to finish seventh.
Richard Murtaugh won the companion sportsman feature leading Brian Calabrese to the checkered flag.
The finish:
Feature (30 laps): 1. 44-Stewart Friesen[1]; 2. 70A-Alex Payne[2]; 3. 27-Tanner Van Doren[8]; 4. 84Y-Alex Yankowski[5]; 5. 35-Chris Curtis[11]; 6. 97-Bobby Hackel IV[9]; 7. 9S-Matt Sheppard[21]; 8. 6B-Danny Bouc[10]; 9. 5*-Tyler Siri[4]; 10. 12S-Darren Smith[18]; 11. 25R-Erick Rudolph[15]; 12. 20-Rick Laubach[6]; 13. 4P-Anthony Perrego[22]; 14. 02-Jack Lehner[12]; 15. 38-Kevin Stevens[23]; 16. 99L-Larry Wight[3]; 17. 21A-Peter Britten[20]; 18. 11M-Matt Caprara[16]; 19. 3RS-Dalton Slack[17]; 20. 34-Rusty Smith[7]; 21. 15M-Daniel Morgiewicz Jr[19]; 22. 47-Simon Perreault[24]; 23. 55J-Mario Clair[26]; 24. 19-Tim Fuller[13]; 25. 11T-Jeff Taylor[25]; 26. 16-Danny Creeden[14]
