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Step Back in Time: 14 Different Short Track SuperNationals Modified Winners

AFTON, NY – Since its inception in 2006, there have been 14 different Modified winners of the “Working Man’s Race” in 15 editions.

Who will it be in 2025? Find out Friday-Saturday Oct. 10-11.

Afton Motorsports Park – the birthplace of the Short Track SuperNationals – serves as the backdrop for Event No. 16 on Columbus Day weekend, a non-points-paying event for the Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series (STSS) Fueled By Sunoco.

Only Matt Sheppard – last year’s winner – has won the event twice. Sheppard will not be in attendance next weekend searching for a third.

Take a Short Track SuperNationals step back in time:

The Inaugural

The inaugural event organized by Brett Deyo at Afton Motorsports Park, then promoted by Pat and Janet Jordan, took place on October 7, 2006, with a 54-car field checking into the Afton Fairgrounds. Short-track ace Mike Ricci drove Jim Winchell’s No. 17 to the victory over Afton regular J.R. Hurlburt.

The Five Mile Point Years

Following two years off, the now-closed Five Mile Point Speedway in Kirkwood, N.Y., was the Short Track SuperNationals host for five consecutive years.

Pennsylvania’s Kevin Hirthler scored the sole New York State win of his career on October 10, 2009 in Short Track SuperNationals 2, besting previous winner Mike Ricci and fellow Keystone State driver Mike Gular.

Justin Holland, then moving up from the Sportsman ranks, put his name in the spotlight with a win on October 9, 2010 over Billy Pauch Jr. and Kevin Bates.

A veteran with an accomplished driving resume – Duane Howard – drove the Petruska family No. 66 into Victory Lane in 2011 with a new record 79 cars in the pit area on October 7, 2011. Billy Pauch Sr. and Danny Tyler placed second and third, respectively.

After back-to-back Short Track SuperNationals top-five finishes, Danny Tyler broke through on October 6, 2012, completing a late-race pass of Billy Pauch Jr. and holding off Bobby Varin and Brian Weaver.

Another 79-car Modified field jammed Five Mile Point on October 12, 2013 and Craig Hanson became the first ‘518’ driver to win the SuperNationals, holding off Anthony Perrego and Jackie Brown Jr.

Back Home

For 2014, the Short Track SuperNationals returned to the Afton Fairgrounds, then known as I-88 Speedway.

On October 11, 2014, speedway regular Shaun Walker etched his name on the “Working Man’s Race” win list over Mike Mahaney and Mitch Gibbs.

Danny Creeden was the 2015 Short Track SuperNationals victor on Oct. 10, holding off Mike Mahaney (his second straight runner-up finish) and Paul Jensen.

To date, only one Short Track SuperNationals Modified event was held on a Sunday rain date. That was Oct. 9, 2016 and Ryan Godown was the winner, 24 hours late, over Danny Creeden and Andy Bachetti.

Promoters Jamie and Denise Page – who had operated the speedway as I-88 for nearly a decade – stepped down following the ’16 SuperNationals and the facility reopened under the Afton Motorsports Park moniker and promoter Ron Ford in 2017.

On Oct. 7, 2017, asphalt Modified convert Rusty Smith was another popular upset winner over Andy Bachetti and Mike Gular.

Time to Climb

With Afton Motorsports Park experiencing surface issues, Thunder Mountain Speedway in Center Lisle, N.Y., became the third track to host the Short Track SuperNationals on October 7, 2018.

Andy Bachetti bested Mat Williamson on the final lap to earn the sole Thunder Mountain “Working Man’s Race” win. Williamson and Shaun Walker followed Bachetti across the line.

A Return to Afton

For ’19, the event was back on the Afton Fairgrounds.

Matt Sheppard surged past Bobby Varin and won the Oct. 12, 2019 event with Duane Howard completing the podium.

COVID-19 stopped the ’20 SuperNationals edition.

Driving Norm Hansell’s No. 357, Max McLaughlin drove Norm Hansell’s No. 357 to a SuperNationals win over Billy Pauch Jr. and Danny Bouc on Oct. 9, 2021.

The most recent event went to Demetrios Drellos on Oct. 8, 2022, besting Bobby Hackel and Craig Hanson in a thrilling event with several different leaders.

The ’23 program was canceled due to weekend-long rain in New York State.

One-Year Experiment

In 2024, the Short Track SuperNationals was run on the last weekend in September, strategically placed against a Super DIRTcar Series event in Ohio at Utica-Rome Speedway in Vernon, N.Y., the fourth venue to host the event.

When rain in Ohio nixed that event, Matt Sheppard switched plans and became the first repeat Short Track SuperNationals Modified winner.

Welcome Back

For ’25, the Short Track SuperNationals returns to its traditional Columbus Day weekend date opposite Super DIRT Week and its birthplace at Afton Motorsports Park. Another “Working Man’s Race” chapter will be written off I-88 Exit 7.

Saturday’s (Oct. 11) program is headlined by the Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series (STSS) Fueled By Sunoco Modifieds in a non-points-paying 50-lap, $4,000-to-win event joined by Limited Sportsman, the “Shirley Shootout” for Factory Stocks and Mohawk Valley Vintage Dirt Modified Racing Series.

STSS Modifieds compete for a purse structure of more than $22,000: $4,000 to the winner, $750 for 10th and $400 to take the green flag.

Kicking off the action on Friday are the STSS Sportsman in a non-points-paying Madsen Overhead Doors Inc. North Region 25-lap, $1,500-to-win program plus the John Maynard Memorial for FWD Four Cylinders, 600cc Modifieds and STSS Modified practice rounds with two drivers transferring to the Saturday redraw based on time.

Complete weekend times and pricing have been posted on the Short Track Super Series website: https://www.shorttracksuperseries.com/downloads/get.aspx?i=1143905

STSS rules and procedures are also posted: https://www.shorttracksuperseries.com/downloads/get.aspx?i=1146359

STSS Sportsman and Modified registration is open via the My Race Pass app:

Modified: https://www.myracepass.com/series/1996/registrations/12508

Sportsman: https://www.myracepass.com/series/1996/registrations/12507

Weekend camping is available: water and electric ($100), electric only ($75) and dry camping (free). E-mail tylercoughlin393@yahoo.com to reserve a spot.

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 (X) or Instagram.

The Short Track Super Series is presented by Bob Hilbert Sportswear, FloRacing, American Racer, Lias Tire, Sunoco Race Fuels, BDR Speed, NJ Quality Drywall, HYTORC of New York, Ollie’s, Penske Racing Shocks, Saint Lawrence Radiology, Capitol Custom Trailers & Coaches, Bicknell Racing Products, Behrent’s Performance Warehouse, Madsen Overhead Doors, Belmont’s Garage, Wegner Automotive, DIG Race Products, ATL, Dirt Draft, Swagger Factory Apparel, F.X. Caprara Car Companies, Algonkin Motel LLC, Beyea Custom Headers, Design for Vision, Sunglass Central, Dirt Track Digest TV, DKM Fabrication, EIBACH, Flach Performance Products, Henry’s Headers & Exhaust Systems, JK Signworks, JLR Technologies, Dave Prime Jr. MAC Tools, MD3, PEM Engineering, Schultz Racing Fuel Cells, SRI Performance, Superior Remodeling, Swift Springs, The Exotic Brand, Troyer Dirt Cars, TV 12 Racing Products, VAHLCO Wheels & Wilwood Disc Brakes.

Short Track SuperNationals “Working Man’s Race” Event History

September 28, 2024 (Utica-Rome Speedway): MATT SHEPPARD – Stewart Friesen – Tim Fuller – Marc Johnson – Mike Mahaney

October 8, 2022 (Afton Motorsports Park): DEMETRIOS DRELLOS – Bobby Hackel – Craig Hanson – Dillon Steuer – Danny Creeden

October 9, 2021 (Afton Motorsports Park): MAX McLAUGHLIN – Billy Pauch Jr. – Danny Bouc – Matt Sheppard – Alan Barker

October 12, 2019 (Afton Motorsports Park): MATT SHEPPARD – Bobby Varin – Duane Howard – Andy Bachetti – Mike Gular

October 7, 2018 (Thunder Mountain Speedway): ANDY BACHETTI – Mat Williamson – Shaun Walker – Danny Bouc – Billy Decker

October 7, 2017 (Afton Motorsports Park): RUSTY SMITH – Andy Bachetti – Mike Gular – Mike Ricci – Rich Ricci Jr.

October 9, 2016 (I-88 Speedway): RYAN GODOWN – Danny Creeden – Andy Bachetti – Tommy Meier – Shaun Walker

October 10, 2015 (I-88 Speedway): DANNY CREEDEN – Mike Mahaney – Paul Jensen – Jeff Heotzler – Mitch Gibbs

October 11, 2014 (I-88 Speedway): SHAUN WALKER – Mike Mahaney – Mitch Gibbs – Tyler Dippel – Bobby Varin

October 12, 2013 (Five Mile Point Speedway): CRAIG HANSON – Anthony Perrego – Jackie Brown Jr. – Pat Ward – Chad Phelps

October 6, 2012 (Five Mile Point Speedway): DANNY TYLER – Bobby Varin – Brian Weaver – Billy Pauch Sr. – Mitch Gibbs

October 7, 2011 (Five Mile Point Speedway): DUANE HOWARD – Danny Tyler – Billy Pauch Sr. – Jeff Strunk – Jeff Heotzler

October 9, 2010 (Five Mile Point Speedway): JUSTIN HOLLAND – Billy Pauch Jr. – Kevin Bates – Brian Weaver – Danny Tyler

October 10, 2009 (Five Mile Point Speedway): KEVIN HIRTHLER – Mike Ricci – Mike Gular – Sean Merkel – Joey Grammes

October 7, 2006 (Afton Speedway): MIKE RICCI – J.R. Hurlburt – Brian Weaver – Joey Grammes – Davie Franek

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