LAKE CITY, FL – David Schilling thoroughly singed the competition at All-Tech Raceway on Thursday night, leaving just seven cars on the lead lap during the second night of the ‘Sunshine Swing,’ presented by the Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series (STSS) Fueled by Sunoco sanction.
Now as the 38th winner in STSS history, Schilling earned $5,000 for the 35-lap triumph and his third career Modified win, aboard the BDR Speed-sponsored, Wegner Automotive-powered No. 20.
“It’s great to win against these guys,” Schilling said in Victory Lane. “We’ve been close before, but we really made sure to dot our I’s and cross our T’s this winter. I couldn’t be happier with this car.”
Schilling drew the pole and took off with Mike Gular, Corey Cormier, Darren Smith and Peter Britten in tow. Tyler Siri started on the outside of row four, but shot the middle down the homestretch and gained wholesale positions. By lap two, Siri completed a pass of Cormier for the third spot, with Cormier and Smith rounding out the top five.
Matt Sheppard, Wednesday night’s runner up, dropped from fourth to about eighth in the early going, but jumped back into the top five on lap six.
With Schilling driving away, Siri took second from Gular as Britten and Sheppard moved into fourth and fifth. Those three – Gular, Britten and Sheppard – fought hard for the final podium spot as Schilling entered lapped traffic just shy of a-third-of-the-way through the 35 lapper.
Britten and Sheppard made their way by Gular on lap 13, while Billy Pauch Jr. took seventh from his 15th starting position, inching by cars on the bottom of the speedway.
With plenty of jostling for position across all lanes of the race track, by the halfway point of the race, Schilling had built a lead of more than nine seconds and was battling with drivers running in the top 10.
“It got hairy in lapped traffic a few times,” Schilling said. “I just kept telling myself to be patient, and I didn’t really know where to be in turns one and two until TVD (Tanner Van Doren) showed me the line over there.
“I knew I was passing a lot of cars,” he noted of his massive lead. “But, I didn’t really feel comfortable in the middle in three and four, so I made sure to keep it right around the tires and force someone to drive around me.”
Despite a caution with three laps left, just after Sheppard had passed Siri for second, Schilling was on another level, cruising to his first career STSS victory. Sheppard settled for another runner-up finish, his second in two nights.
“I’m not even close right now,” Sheppard said on the home stretch. “I had a really good race car tonight, and we really got rolling there, but it didn’t really matter.”
Siri rounded out the podium in third.
“The car was really good tonight,” Siri said. “I had a lot of fun racing with Matt; the car works really well, but I’m out of shape.”
Britten and Larry Wight, who fell a lap down while racing in seventh but received a lucky dog on the caution with three laps to go, rounded out the top five.
Finishing sixth through 10th, respectively, were: Pauch, a major bounce-back performance in the Holsten No. 96; Gular, who improved from his 13th-place finish on Wednesday; Van Doren, coming from the 12th starting spot; Danny Bouc, who once again turned a bad draw – and a 19th starting spot – to open the night into a top 10 finish; and Cormier with his second top-10 finish of the week.
In the 25-lap Crate 602 Sportsman feature, Brian Calabrese drove through the field and under Joe Toth to take the lead and the win for the $1,500 payday. Toth settled for second, ahead of Michael Ballestero, Yan Bussiere and Aydan Cipriano.
Still two nights remain in the fourth edition of the ‘Sunshine Swing,” including a $6,000-to-win feature on Friday and $8,000 is up for grabs on Saturday night.
All-Tech Raceway is located off Interstate 75 at 1024 SW Howell Rd. Lake City, FL 32024. Learn more at www.alltechraceway.com, call 386.754.RACE (7223) or like All-Tech Raceway on Facebook.
To learn more about the Short Track Super Series Fueled By Sunoco, visit www.shorttracksuperseries.com, e-mail bdmotorsportsmedia@gmail.com, check out ‘Short Track Super Series’ on Facebook or @ShortTrackSS on Twitter or Instagram.
The Short Track Super Series is presented by American Racer/Lias Tire, Sunoco Race Fuel, FloSports, Bob Hilbert Sportswear, Rent Equip/Party Central, BDR Speed, Bicknell Racing Products, Ollie’s, Penske Racing Shocks, Wegner Automotive, River Valley Builders, Behrent’s Performance Warehouse, DIG Race Products, Velocita-USA, Franklin Products, Design for Vision & Sunglass Central, Belmont’s Garage, Quality Drywall, Precision Hydraulic & Oil, Prime MAC Tools, F.X. Caprara Car Companies, Algonkin Motel, Beyea Custom Headers, Dirt Track Digest, EIBACH, Electric Neon Custom Signs, Fastline Performance, Flach Performance Products, Henry’s Exhaust, Hig Fab, Schultz Racing Fuel Cells, Spyder Filters, Superior Remodeling, Teo-Pro Car, VAHLCO & Wilwood.
‘SUNSHINE SWING’ NIGHT NO. 2 RESULTS SUMMARY – ALL-TECH RACEWAY THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2023
‘Sunshine Swing’ Night No. 2 Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series Fueled By Sunoco Modified Feature Finish (35 laps): DAVID SCHILLING, Matt Sheppard, Tyler Siri, Peter Britten, Larry Wight, Billy Pauch, Jr., Mike Gular, Tanner Van Doren, Danny Bouc, Corey Cormier, Alex Yankowski, Erick Rudolph, Marc Johnson, Darren Smith, Rick Laubach, Stewart Friesen, Danny Creeden, Rusty Smith, Alex Payne, Chris Curtis, Jimmy Zacharias, Bobby Watkins, Francois Bellemare, Danny Johnson, Matt Stangle, Jordan Watson
Did Not Qualify: Jeff Taylor, Corbin Millar, Tim Millman, Austin Hubbard, Anthony Tramontana, Robert Bublak, Steve Davis, Mario Clair
American Racer/Lias Tire Bonuses (FREE Tire Certificate): Tanner Van Doren (eighth) & Marc Johnson (13th)
BDR Speed Bonus ($50 Gift Card): Chris Curtis (20th)
Behrent’s Performance Warehouse Bonuses ($50 Gift Cards): Peter Britten (fourth) & Danny Bouc (ninth)
Beyea Custom Headers Redraw Bonus ($50): Darren Smith (Redrew 12th)
Danny’s Pizza Pizzazz Halfway Leader Award ($200): David Schilling
ERK Steering Bonus ($50 Certificate): Stewart Friesen (16th)
Henry’s Exhaust Power Position ($50 Certificate): Alex Yankowski (11th)
Penske Racing Shocks Bonuses: David Schilling (first – $150 certificate); Matt Sheppard (second – $75 certificate); Tyler Siri (third – $50 certificate); Corey Cormier (10th – $25 certificate)
Wilwood Brakes ‘Lucky 7’ Bonus ($100 Certificate): Mike Gular (seventh)
‘Sunshine Swing’ Night No. 2 Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series Fueled By Sunoco Crate 602 Sportsman Feature Finish (25 laps): BRIAN CALABRESE, Joe Toth, Michael Ballestero, Yan Bussiere, Ayden Cipriano, Dylan Madsen, Brian Krummel, Nelson Mason, Alex Bell, Kreg Crooker, Craig Whitmoyer, David Miloszar, Shawn McPhee, Tom Moore, Jr., James Friesen, Derrick McGrew, Jr., Johnny Bruno, Bubba McPhee, Roger Hummer, Paulie Hartwig III, Brandon Watkins, Alex Layn, Kevin Stevens, Blaine Klinger, Taylor Vanderzanden, Mike Fisher
Did Not Qualify: Gordon Smith, Kevin Vaclavicek, Matt Smith, Jason Quenneville, Jean- Francois Tessier, Kenny Peoples, Jr., Tanner Siemons, Josh Allen, John Santolin, Bryan Rhoads, James O’Hara, Ricky Thompson, Chris Jakubiak, Scott Hitchens, Greg Crooker, Phil Vigneri III
Accurate Collision of Pompano Halfway Leader ($100): Joe Toth
American Racer/Lias Tire Bonus (FREE Tire Certificate): Kreg Crooker (tenth)
BDR Speed Bonus ($50 Gift Card): Paulie Hartwig III (20th)
Belmont’s Garage Hard Charger Award ($100): Brian Calabrese (17th to first)
Beyea Custom Headers Redraw Bonus ($25): Tom Moore, Jr. (Redrew 12th)
Brookfield Speedway Last-Place Bonus ($100): Mike Fisher (26th)
ERK Steering Bonus ($50 Certificate): Derrick McGrew, Jr. (16th)
Fastline Performance Bonuses ($100 Certificates): Joe Toth (second) & David Miloszar (12th)
Henry’s Exhaust Power Position ($50 Certificate): Craig Whitmoyer (11th)
Reigel Promotions Bonus ($25): Bubba McPhee (18th)