MILLSBORO, DE – After a summer of racing across four states, the 2018 American Racer Cup presented by Sunoco Race Fuels has been decided.
Matt Sheppard of Waterloo, N.Y., is officially the American Racer Cup Modified champion representing Outlaw Speedway in Dundee, N.Y. Sheppard has taken top honors with his Sweeteners Plus No. 92s team for the second consecutive year.
Teenager Alex Yankowski of Throop, Pa., meanwhile, has clinched the American Racer Cup Sportsman overall championship utilizing Big Diamond Speedway in Minersville, Pa., as his home base.
A total of 241 drivers registered for the program, which pits drivers at all 14 American Racer Cup tracks in the Modified and Sportsman divisions against each other for the $51,450 point fund and thousands more in tire giveaways sponsored by American Racer, Lias Tire of Indiana, Pa., Sunoco Race Fuels and Insinger Performance of Dushore, Pa.
Sheppard racked up seven victories among his best 10 Outlaw Speedway finishes utilized to determine the overall standings. He will earn $11,000 for his efforts: $10,000 as the Modified champ plus another $1,000 as the Insinger Performance North Region titlist, comprised of participating speedways in the North Region.
Sheppard’s point total – 640 – was just five better than runner-up Ryan Godown of Ringoes, N.J., representing Big Diamond Speedway. Godown, with 635 points, will receive $6,000: $5,000 for second-place overall and $1,000 from Insinger Performance as the South Region champion.
Sheppard now has the opportunity to chase the $57,500 Sunoco Race Fuels ‘Grand Championship’ should he sweep the American Racer Cup and North and South Regions of the Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series (STSS) Fueled By Sunoco. He currently leads the STSS Velocita-USA South Region and sits third in the Halmar International North Region.
With $10,000 minimum to win the American Racer Cup, $10,000 to the South Region champ and $12,500 to the North Region title winner, a $25,000 bonus has been posted by Sunoco to win all three; should Sheppard win just one of the STSS Regions, a $10,000 Sunoco bonus is in waiting.
Alan Barker of Norwich, N.Y., was third representing Thunder Mountain Speedway in Center Lisle, N.Y., with 631 points ($4,000) followed by Billy Van Pelt of Westfield, Pa., from Woodhull (N.Y.) Raceway ($3,500) with 630 points and Craig Von Dohren of Oley, Pa., with 628 points from Big Diamond Speedway, receiving $2,500.
Drivers finishing sixth through 15th, respectively, were: Duane Howard of Oley, Pa., from Big Diamond Speedway ($2,000) with 621 points; Jeff Strunk of Boyertown, Pa., from Grandview Speedway in Bechtelsville, Pa., with 617 points ($1,750); Craig Von Dohren representing Grandview with 614 points ($1,500); Jeremy Smith of Triangle, NY., earning 612 points from Thunder Mountain ($1,250); Mike Gular of Boyertown, Pa., with 611 points from Grandview ($1,000); David Van Horn of Harmony, N.J., representing New Egypt (N.J.) Speedway with 604 points ($900); Alan Johnson of Middlesex, N.Y., from Outlaw Speedway with 603 points ($800); Accord (N.Y.) Speedway’s Anthony Perrego of Middletown, N.Y., with 603 points (fewer wins than Johnson had – $700); Howard for Grandview with 598 points ($600); and Billy Pauch Jr. of Milford, N.J., representing New Egypt with 596 points ($500).
The Insinger Performance North Region standings are: Sheppard ($1,000), Smith ($750), Perrego ($500), Van Pelt ($350) and Barker ($250).
The Insinger Performance South Region went to Godown ($1,000) over Von Dohren for Big Diamond ($750), Howard for Big Diamond ($500), Von Dohren for Grandview ($350) and Strunk ($250).
Six of Yankowski’s 10 best finishes at Big Diamond led him to the overall championship, worth $2,000: $1,500 from the point fund plus $500 as the Insinger Performance South Region champ.
Yankowski accrued 648 points, besting Kyle Rohner of Bushkill Falls, Pa., who takes home $1,000 with 635 markers accrued at Accord Speedway. Skyline Raceway Park of Blodgett Mills, N.Y., Crate 602 Sportsman regular Dale Welty of Montour Falls, N.Y., placed third with 630 points ($750).
Three drivers – Doug Hendricks, Jim Rothwell and Mike Schane – tied with 625 points.
Wins, second- and third-place finishes were used to break the tie with Rothwell of Plymouth, N.Y., in the Skyline Open division fourth ($600) followed by Schane of Penn Can Speedway in Susquehanna, Pa., ($500) and Hendricks of Big Diamond ($450).
Outlaw Speedway’s Tom Collins of Lansing, N.Y., was seventh with 614 points ($400), followed by Accord Speedway’s Corey Cormier of Otisville, N.Y., ($350) with 609 points; Jacob Dgien of Avoca, N.Y., from Woodhull Raceway with 605 points ($300); Collins with 600 points representing Five Mile Point Speedway in Kirkwood, N.Y. ($250); Jimmy Zacharias of Candor, N.Y., from Thunder Mountain’s Crate 602 division with 599 points ($200); Kenny Hammond of Berkshire, N.Y., with 592 points ($150) from Thunder Mountain Crate; Big Diamond’s Craig Whitmoyer of Hamburg, Pa., with 591 points ($100); Gary Smith of Harpursville, N.Y., representing Afton (N.Y.) Motorsports Park’s Crate ranks with 576 points ($100); and Delaware International Speedway (Delmar, Del.) regular Greg Humlhanz of Chalfont, Pa. ($100) with 575 points.
Insinger Performance North Region points stacked up with Welty ($500) winning over Rohner ($400), Cormier ($300), Collins (Outlaw – $200) and Rothwell ($100).
In the Insinger Performance South Region, Yankowski ($500) won over Schane ($400), Hendricks ($300), Whitmoyer ($200) and Humlhanz ($100).
The top-five Modified and top-three Sportsman at each participating track will receive tire certificates for their performances.
Tire certificates will be available for pick-up at the American Racer Cup Short Track SuperNationals Weekend October 5-6 at Thunder Mountain Speedway in Center Lisle, N.Y., where Champion’s Match Races will take place for both the Modifieds (Saturday) and Sportsman (Friday).
Cash will be paid out to competitors in mid-December.
American Racer Cup Modified Standings (listed alphabetically by track)
Accord Speedway
1. Anthony Perrego (five tires)
2. Jerry Higbie (four tires)
3. Danny Creeden (three tires)
4. Jimmy Wells (two tires)
5. Mike Ricci (one tire)
Afton Motorsports Park
1. Brett Tonkin (five tires)
2. Mitch Gibbs (four tires)
3. Rusty Smith (three tires)
4. Nick Nye (two tires)
5. Jeremy Smith (one tire)
Big Diamond Speedway
1. Ryan Godown (five tires)
2. Craig Von Dohren (four tires)
3. Duane Howard (three tires)
4. Ryan Krachun (two tires)
5. Kevin Beach Jr. (one tire)
Bridgeport Speedway
1. Ryan Watt (five tires)
2. Billy Pauch (four tires)
3. Jim Britt (three tires)
4. Neal Williams (two tires)
5. Richie Pratt Jr. (one tire)
Delaware International Speedway
1. Jordan Watson (five tires)
2. Joseph Watson (four tires)
3. H.J. Bunting (three tires)
4. Brad Trice (two tires)
5. Matt Hawkins (one tire)
Five Mile Point Speedway
1. Nick Rochinski (five tires)
2. Brian Malcolm (four tires)
3. Rusty Smith (three tires)
4. Travis Smith (two tires)
5. Tyler Siri (one tire)
Freedom Motorsports Park
1. Billy Van Pelt (five tires)
2. Phil Vigneri III (four tires)
3. Dillon Groover (three tires)
4. Adam Hilton (two tires)
5. Mat Williamson (one tire)
Grandview Speedway
1. Jeff Strunk (five tires)
2. Craig Von Dohren (four tires)
3. Mike Gular (three tires)
4. Duane Howard (two tires)
5. Brett Kressley (one tire)
New Egypt Speedway
1. David Van Horn (five tires)
2. Billy Pauch Jr. (four tires)
3. Danny Bouc (three tires)
4. John McClelland (two tires)
5. Matt Stangle (one tire)
Outlaw Speedway
1. Matt Sheppard (five tires)
2. Alan Johnson (four tires)
3. Cory Costa (three tires)
4. Tyler Siri (two tires)
5. Brady Fultz (one tire)
Penn Can Speedway
1. Nick Petrilak (five tires)
2. Alan Rudalavage (four tires)
3. Kevin Hartnett (three tires)
4. Dan Pompey (two tires)
5. Mike Loney (one tire)
Thunder Mountain Speedway
1. Alan Barker (five tires)
2. Jeremy Smith (four tires)
3. Nick Nye (three tires)
4. Colton Wilson (two tires)
5. Brent Wilcox (one tire)
Woodhull Raceway
1. Billy Van Pelt (five tires)
2. Dillon Groover (four tires)
3. Cory Costa (three tires)
4. Donnie Lawson (two tires)
5. Dayton Brewer (one tire)
American Racer Cup Sportsman Standings (listed alphabetically by track)
Accord Speedway
1. Kyle Rohner (two tires)
2. Leo Fotopoulos (one tire)
3. Daniel Morgiewicz ($85 off certificate)
Afton Motorsports Park Crate
1. Corey Cormier (two tires)
2. Gary Smith (one tire)
3. Michael Grover ($85 off certificate)
Afton Motorsports Park Open
1. Dave Rosa (two tires)
2. Claude Hutchings Jr. (one tire)
3. Dennis Clapperton ($85 off certificate)
Big Diamond Speedway
1. Alex Yankowski (two tires)
2. Doug Hendricks (one tire)
3. Craig Whitmoyer ($85 off certificate)
Bridgeport Speedway
1. Eric Kormann (two tires)
2. David Crossman (one tire)
3. Tom Moore Jr. ($85 off certificate)
Delaware International Speedway
1. Greg Humlhanz (two tires)
2. Adam White (one tire)
3. Jason Rush ($85 off certificate)
Five Mile Point Speedway
1. Tom Collins (two tires)
2. Matt Cole (one tire)
3. Randy Fox ($85 off certificate)
Grandview Speedway
1. Craig Whitmoyer (two tires)
2. Mike Lisowski (one tire)
3. Louden Reimert ($85 off certificate)
New Egypt Speedway Crate
1. Joe Toth (two tires)
2. Dan Fleming (one tire)
3. John Criscione ($85 off certificate)
New Egypt Speedway Open
1. Pat Wall (two tires)
2. David Burns (one tire)
3. Billy Osmun III ($85 off certificate)
Outlaw Speedway
1. Tom Collins (two tires)
2. Brian Fish (one tire)
3. Jimmy Zacharias ($85 off certificate)
Penn Can Speedway
1. Mike Schane (two tires)
2. Ray Leonard (one tire)
3. Moose Gulley ($85 off certificate)
Skyline Raceway Park Crate
1. Dale Welty (two tires)
2. Kirk Reynolds (one tire)
Skyline Raceway Park Open
1. Jim Rothwell (two tires)
Thunder Mountain Speedway Crate
1. Jimmy Zacharias (two tires)
2. Kenny Hammond (one tire)
3. Chance Spoonhower ($85 off certificate)
Thunder Mountain Speedway Open
1. Brian Mady (two tires)
2. Nick Mady (one tire)
Woodhull Raceway
1. Jacob Dgien (two tires)
2. Tim Guild (one tire)
3. Blake Lawson ($85 off certificate)
