SAINT-MARCEL-DE-RICHELIEU, Quebec — The ‘Short Track Spectaculaire’ of Le RPM Speedway served as the battleground for Night No. 2 of the Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series Fueled By Sunoco ‘Lumberjack Swing’ on Tuesday night.
Following a 60-lap STSS Modified feature full of twists and turns, Stewart Friesen stood in Bicknell Racing Products Victory Lane celebrating a $10,000 victory.
The Sprakers, N.Y., driver led the race’s final 28 laps on the lightning-fast quarter-mile oval to register his 56th career STSS Modified victory and first since March at N.J.’s Bridgeport Motorsports Park.
The event served as Round No. 6 of the STSS Modified HYTORC of New York North Region.
“I love it,” Friesen said of the racy RPM oval. “That’s fun! Bullring racing up on the wall!”
Friesen was engaged in a scintillating battle through lapped traffic with Mat Williamson when the race’s complexion changed dramatically on the 33rd lap.
Williamson’s Behrent’s Performance Warehouse No. 3 entered turn three on the cushion, bounced momentarily and began a series of barrel rolls sending the car over the wall into the pit area. Williamson, thankfully, walked away uninjured.
Friesen, who had traded the top spot with ‘Money Mat’ during the race’s first half, inherited the lead after starting sixth following the Beyea Custom Headers Redraw.
“Right place at the right time,” Friesen said of Williamson’s effort. “I think we were a little too free at the end – the track changed a lot over 60 laps.”
Friesen paced the remainder of the distance but didn’t simply drive away.
Ontario’s Chris Raabe – who started eighth – kept Friesen within striking distance, closing the advantage during the final 10 laps. Raabe ultimately settled for a second consecutive $5,000 runner-up finish, bringing his earnings to $10,000 for the two days of racing in Quebec.
After pitting following an opening lap tangle, Napierville, Quebec’s Felix Roy – who started 20th – barnstormed through the field to complete the podium.
Jacob Nadeau was the 30-lap STSS Sportsman victor, earning $1,500.
The finish:
Feature(60 laps): 1. 44F-Stewart Friesen[6]; 2. 01-Chris Raabe[8]; 3. 91-Felix Roy[20]; 4. 4-Anthony Perrego[7]; 5. 25P-Michael Parent[14]; 6. 70A-Alex Payne[1]; 7. 1M-Mathieu Desjardins[5]; 8. 54R-William Racine[11]; 9. 41-Samuel Charland[22]; 10. 61L-Donovan Lussier[24]; 11. 44G-Sebastien Gougeon[4]; 12. 3P-Martin Pelletier[13]; 13. 17-Antoine Parent[28]; 14. 60-Jackson Gill[15]; 15. 95-Christopher Cormier[23]; 16. 82S-Will Shields[21]; 17. 2-Patrick Beaumier[19]; 18. 35-Francois Bellemare[27]; 19. 6B-Robert Bublak[17]; 20. 13-Kevin Hamel[9]; 21. 84Y-Alex Yankowski[3]; 22. 9S-Matt Sheppard[16]; 23. 3-Mat Williamson[2]; 24. 15M-Daniel Morgiewicz Jr[26]; 25. 99-Mikael Labreche[25]; 26. 81-Eric Landry[12]; 27. 39A-Alan Therrien[10]; 28. 97-Josianne Plante[18],
