Young Driver, Just 30, of Waterloo, N. Y., First Ever to Win Three Consecutive Series Titles

CONCORD, N. C. – Nov. 5, 2012 – Two-time consecutive Super DIRTcar Series Champion Matt Sheppard made it to the top again this year, becoming the first Big-Block Modified driver to score three series championship titles in a row.

“It put my name in the record books for a little while. It means a lot to me,” said the 30-year-old Sheppard of Waterloo, N. Y. “The first one was great, you always remember that; the second one was remarkable, it was just as good as the first one; but to win the third in a row, just the face that nobody’s ever done it before, that’s something really special.”

Sheppard and the team traveled with the series to The Dirt Track at Charlotte still in a heated points race going into PEAK Motor Oil World of Outlaws World Finals presented by NAPA Auto Parts. Jimmy Phelps and Brett Hearn were both within reach of the points lead, with two 40-lap, 150-point races left to determine the 2012 champion.

In the first feature race of the weekend Friday, Nov. 2, Sheppard finished 12th and Hearn took 3rd, putting “the Jet” within 60 points of the lead and further intensifying the championship battle going into Saturday’s finale. Britten took the initial lead in Saturday’s 40-lapper, but Hearn was right behind him, and a win for Hearn would mean that Sheppard a 14th or better finish to clinch the title. As a result, Sheppard found himself taking fewer risks.

“When you’re down here just trying to win the race, you take more chances and you try to run a little harder,” Sheppard said. “I wanted to win the race, I wanted to run up front, but on the other hand, you’ve got to finish the thing. That’s the most important thing.

“When you’re in a points battle and you’re chasing, you run as hard as you possibly can,” Sheppard continued. “When you’re leading, you run hard, but you have to be a little conservative too, so it changes the whole aspect.”

Nonetheless, in lap 31, it looked like Sheppard might have a chance to steer his JB Motorsports 9s FX Caprara Car Co./Xtreme Lubricants/Bicknell entry to its first-ever win at Charlotte, as he raced three-wide through the turns beside Britten and Hearn. Hearn raced ahead along the front straightaway and kept the lead, leaving Britten to finish second and Sheppard fourth after he was passed late in the race by Jimmy Phelps.

“I actually thought we were going to sneak up there and win that thing,” said Sheppard. “It seems the whole season long it takes us 60, 70, 80 laps to get up front. We’re more of a long run, long race type of race team. We got in that one long run there and I started running those guys down, and then got up to them. And then we got that caution at the end and it kind of hurt me a little bit. I wasn’t going to force the issue too much”

Sheppard said consistency, in addition to speed, is key to winning the series championship. Consistency helped him with the track championship at Canandaigua Motorsports Park, adding 1000 bonus points to his total, and consistently strong finishes in series races helped earn him 1,439 series points.

Of Sheppard’s 13 starts in the series, the only timee he was unable to break the top ten was Friday’s feature during PEAK World Finals presented by NAPA. “Super” Matt earned eight top-five finishes in the series this season and three total wins, two at Rolling Wheels Raceway Park in Elbridge, N. Y., and one at Autodrome Drummond in Drummondville, Quebec.

“Not many people have been able to put together that good of a consistent season three years in a row,” Sheppard said. “That’s what it takes. You’ve got to be consistent, but you also have to be fast. You can’t just have one or the other. You’ve got to have them both.”

In addition to his wins, one of the biggest highlights of the 2012 season for Sheppard was a second-place finish – for the VP Small Engine Fuels 200 during NAPA Auto Parts Super DIRT Week XLI at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse.

“Running second at Syracuse, even though it’s second, it’s still a season highlight,” Sheppard said.

Going forward, Sheppard hopes to see a win at The Dirt Track at Charlotte. He may have celebrated three championship titles at the premier venue in North Carolina, but he has yet to reach victory in one of the series races there.

“I sure would like to win one of these things down here,” Sheppard said. “I’ve been second a bunch of times, I’ve been up front, but I haven’t won one yet.”

After three great seasons in a row in the Super DIRTcar Series, Sheppard and his team are looking forward to another great one in 2013, starting with UNOH DIRTcar Nationals presented by Summit Racing Equipment Tuesday, Feb. 12, through Saturday, Feb. 23, at Volusia Speedway Park in De Leon Springs, Fla.

2012 Super DIRTcar Series Point Standings, final

  No. Driver Total Series Bonus Diff Home Track Wins Top 5 Top 10 Starts
1 9s Matt Sheppard 2,439

1,439

 1000 0 Canandaigua 3 8 12 13
2 20 Brett Hearn 2,394

1,394

 1000 -45 Albany/LVS 4 10 11 12
3 98H Jimmy Phelps 2,372

1,397

 975 -67 Canandaigua 1 10 13 14
4 3 Justin Haers 2,193

1,218

 975 -246 Canandaigua 0 4 11 14
5 27J Danny Johnson 2,117

1,132

 985 -322 Canandaigua 2 3 8 12
6 49 Billy Dunn 2,072

1,117

 955 -367 Canandaigua 0 4 7 14
7 21a Pete Britten 1,977

1,047

 930 -462 Canandaigua 0 1 5 14
8 8 Rich Scagliotta 1,898

974

 924 -541 Canandaigua 0 0 2 14
9 8R Rob Bellinger 1,826

898

 928 -613 Canandaigua 0 1 6 14
10 84 Gary Tomkins 1,818

878

 940 -621 Canandaigua 0 3 3 10
11 48T Dave Rauscher 1,699

777

 922 -740 Canandaigua 0 0 0 13
12 56 Vince Vitale 1,675

743

 932 -764 Canandaigua 0 1 2 11
13 5* Tyler Siri ® 1,624

710

 914 -815 Canandaigua 0 0 0 12
14 10 Tim Currier 1,590 672 918 -849 Canandaigua 0 0 1 12
15 115 Kenny Tremont Jr. 1,495 510 985 -944 Albany Saratoga 0 0 3 6
16 34b Andy Bachetti 1,248 283 965 -1,191 Lebanon Valley 0 1 2 3
17 57 Donnie Corellis 1,230 245 985 -1,209 Lebanon Valley 0 1 1 3
18 23 Billy VanInwegen 1,203 275 928 -1,236 Orange County 0 0 0 4
19 7x Steve Paine 1,203 268 935 -1,236 Canandaigua 0 0 2 4
20 10J Alan Johnson 1,194 249 945 -1,245 Canandaigua 0 0 2 2
21 21m Bob McGannon 1,169 239 930 -1,270 Orange County 0 0 0 4
22 97 Jerry Higbie 1,162 162 1000 -1,277 Orange County 0 0 1 2
23 2RJ Ronnie Johnson 1,157 192 965 -1,282 Albany Saratoga 0 0 0 3
24 3d Matt DeLorenzo 1,152 177 975 -1,287 Albany Saratoga 0 0 0 3
25 43 Keith Flach 1,148 216 932 -1,291 Lebanon Valley 0 0 0 3
26 98 Eddie Marshall 1,141 166 975 -1,298 Lebanon Valley 0 0 1 2
27 1h Tim Hindley 1,133 158 975 -1,306 Orange County 0 0 0 2
28 17 Elmo Reckner 1,067 135 932 -1,372 Albany Saratoga 0 0 0 2
29 19w Justin Wright ® 1,063 143 920 -1,376 Canandaigua 0 0 0 2
30 88 Dave Allen 1,059 149 910 -1,380 Canandaigua 0 0 0 2
31 21 Derrick Podsiadlo 1,055 139 916 -1,384 Canandaigua 0 0 0 3
32 33 1/3 Tommy Meier 1,041 56 985 -1,398 Orange County 0 0 0 1
33 42P Matt Pupello ® 1,036 108 928 -1,403 Lebanon Valley 0 0 0 2
34 24 Chris Shultz 1,032 77 955 -1,407 Orange County 0 0 0 1
35 6x Jackie Brown 1,027 62 965 -1,412 Orange County 0 0 0 1
36 91 Chad Homan 1,016 90 926 -1,423 Canandaigua 0 0 0 2
37 3J Marc Johnson 1,014 74 940 -1,425 Albany Saratoga 0 0 0 1
38 96 Mike Turner 1,008 80 928 -1,431 Lernerville 0 0 0 1
39 98s Kolby Schroder ® 1,005 60 945 -1,434 Lebanon Valley 0 0 0 1
40 3 Mark Kislowski 1,003 68 935 -1,436 Albany Saratoga 0 0 0 1
41 60 Brian Berger 1,000 45 955 -1,439 Lebanon Valley 0 0 0 1
42 83 Brian Swartzlander 1000 0 1000 -1439 Lernerville 0 0 0 0
43 61 Dave Murdick 1000 0 1000 -1439 Sharon 0 0 0 0
44 35 Mike Perrotte 986 60 926 -1453 Albany Saratoga 0 0 0 1
45 37md Jeramiah Shingledecker 985 0 985 -1454 Lernerville 0 0 0 0
46 65 Rex King 985 0 985 -1454 Sharon 0 0 0 0
47 11a Kyle Armstrong 983 43 940 -1456 Lebanon Valley 0 0 0 1
48 165 Rex King Jr. 975 0 975 -1464 Sharon 0 0 0 0
49 17 Rob Pitcher 970 40 930 -1469 Lebanon Valley 0 0 0 1
50 55k Mike King 967 45 922 -1472 Lebanon Valley 0 0 0 1
51 16 Kyle Hoffman 966 40 926 -1473 Lebanon Valley 0 0 0 1
52 45 Steve Feder 965 0 965 -1474 Lernerville 0 0 0 0
53 8J Dean Pearson 965 0 965 -1474 Sharon 0 0 0 0
54 8 Jimmy Cottrell II ® 961 41 920 -1478 Albany Saratoga 0 0 0 1
55 93x Craig Mitchell 960 20 940 -1479 Orange County 0 0 0 0
56 14 C.G. Morey 956 50 906 -1483 Albany Saratoga 0 0 0 1
57 25 Mike Kolka 955 20 935 -1484 Orange County 0 0 0 0
58 21J Jeff Trombley 955 0 955 -1484 Albany Saratoga 0 0 0 0
59 7 Don Ronca 945 0 945 -1494 Albany Saratoga 0 0 0 0
60 777 Kevin Bolland 945 0 945 -1494 Lernerville 0 0 0 0
61 33 John Lieto 945 0 945 -1494 Orange County 0 0 0 0
62 6 Carl Murdick 945 0 945 -1494 Sharon 0 0 0 0
63 3e Eric Gabany 940 0 940 -1499 Lernerville 0 0 0 0
64 31 Jim Weller Jr. 940 0 940 -1499 Sharon 0 0 0 0
65 03 Mark Frankhouser 935 0 935 -1504 Lernerville 0 0 0 0
66 96b Bob Warren ® 935 0 935 -1504 Sharon 0 0 0 0
67 10 Rich Eurich 932 0 932 -1507 Orange County 0 0 0 0
68 69 Tom Mattocks 930 0 930 -1509 Sharon 0 0 0 0
69 88 Shawn Fleeger 926 0 926 -1513 Lernerville 0 0 0 0
70 667 Matt Depew 924 0 924 -1515 Albany Saratoga 0 0 0 0
71 77J J.C. Flach 924 0 924 -1515 Lebanon Valley 0 0 0 0
72 91 Billy Decker 923 923 0 -1516   0 4 6 9
73 4 Daryl Hilkert 922 10 912 -1517 Canandaigua 0 0 0 0
74 27R Dave Reges 922 0 922 -1517 Lernerville 0 0 0 0
75 101 Jimmy Burns ® 920 0 920 -1519 Lebanon Valley 0 0 0 0
76 87 Hector Stratton 918 0 918 -1521 Albany Saratoga 0 0 0 0
77 18 Neil Stratton 914 0 914 -1525 Albany Saratoga 0 0 0 0
78 39 Dustin Delaney 912 0 912 -1527 Albany Saratoga 0 0 0 0
79 41 Chris Busta 910 0 910 -1529 Albany Saratoga 0 0 0 0
80 37 Justin Barber 908 0 908 -1531 Albany Saratoga 0 0 0 0
81 4* Tim McCreadie 714 714 0 -1725   0 3 5 6
82 74F Tim Fuller 546 546 0 -1893   1 1 2 6
83 1Jr. Stewart Friesen 530 530 0 -1909   0 1 3 7
84 66x Carey Terrance 384 384 0 -2055   0 2 4 4
85 97 Michel Chicoine 348 348 0 -2091   0 0 0 5
86 747 Ryan Godown 336 336 0 -2103   0 1 1 3
87 77x Dale Planck 328 328 0 -2111   0 3 3 5
88 62s Tom Sears Jr. 323 323 0 -2116   0 0 1 4
89 21K Randy Chrysler 272 272 0 -2167   0 0 0 4
90 72 Tommy Flannigan 259 259 0 -2180   0 0 0 6
91 99L Larry Wight 256 256 0 -2183   0 0 1 4
92 22c Mario Clair 240 240 0 -2199   0 1 1 3
93 71 Mike Bowman 234 234 0 -2205   1 1 1 3
94 97 Bobby Varin 201 201 0 -2238   1 1 1 3
95 1 David Hebert 183 183 0 -2256   0 0 1 3
96 42P Pat Ward 180 180 0 -2259   0 1 1 2
97 16 Lance Willix II 176 176 0 -2263   0 0 0 2
98 83x Tim Sears Jr. 164 164 0 -2275   0 0 0 2
99 3b Chad Brachmann 164 164 0 -2275   0 0 1 2
100 54 Steve Bernard 161 161 0 -2278   0 1 1 3
101 6m Mat Williamson 156 156 0 -2283   0 1 2 2
102 6n Kevin Bates 155 155 0 -2284   0 0 0 2
103 01 Chris Raabe 146 146 0 -2293   1 1 1 2
104 23 Laurent Ladouceur 126 126 0 -2313   0 1 2 2
105 22J Jeremy Wilder 119 119 0 -2320   0 0 0 2
106 07 Tim Kerr 115 115 0 -2324   0 0 0 2
107 77F Mark Flach Jr. 106 106 0 -2333   0 0 0 2
108 88 Tim O’Brien 106 106 0 -2333   0 0 0 2
109 5 Jimmy Horton 100 100 0 -2339   0 0 0 2
110 38 Luke Whitteker 99 99 0 -2340   0 0 0 2
111 188 David Papineau ® 95 95 0 -2344   0 0 0 0
112 32c Vic Coffey 88 88 0 -2351   0 0 0 1
113 17d Danny O’Brien 85 85 0 -2354   0 0 1 2
114 99 Bruno Lepage 85 85 0 -2354   0 0 0 1
115 151 Brian McDonald 85 85 0 -2354   0 0 0 1
116 7 Rick Laubach 84 84 0 -2355   0 0 0 1
117 73 Alain Boisvert 80 80 0 -2359   0 0 0 2
118 42 Pete Bicknell 80 80 0 -2359   0 0 1 1
119 6 Pat O’Brien 75 75 0 -2364   0 0 1 1
120 oo7 Roy Tarbell 75 75 0 -2364   0 0 0 1
121 74 Matt Billings 75 75 0 -2364   0 0 0 1
122 71 Delbert LeGrow 75 75 0 -2364   0 0 0 0
123 17 Marcus Dinkins 74 74 0 -2365   0 0 0 1
124 45J Wayne Jelley 74 74 0 -2365   0 0 0 1
125 49 François Bernier 69 69 0 -2370   0 0 1 1
126 44 Sébastien Gougeon 62 62 0 -2377   0 0 1 1
127 39 Clément Therrien 61 61 0 -2378   0 0 0 1
128 T21 Roger Chrysler 60 60 0 -2379   0 0 0 0
129 63 Dominic Dufault 60 60 0 -2379   0 0 0 1
130 21 Yan Bussiere 59 59 0 -2380   0 0 0 1
131 23b Danny Bilodeau 56 56 0 -2383   0 0 0 1
132 26 Rick Richner 55 55 0 -2384   0 0 0 1
133 66 Billy Pauch Jr. 51 51 0 -2388   0 0 0 1
134 14e Rich Eurich 50 50 0 -2389   0 0 0 1
135 14a Brian Swartout 50 50 0 -2389   0 0 0 1
136 28P Eldon Payne Jr. 50 50 0 -2389   0 0 0 0
137 89b Todd Burley 46 46 0 -2393   0 0 0 1
138 76 Travis Braun 45 45 0 -2394   0 0 1 1
139 46 Kayle Robidoux 42 42 0 -2397   0 0 0 1
140 108 Bill Bleich 40 40 0 -2399   0 0 0 1
141 14x Don Scraborough 40 40 0 -2399   0 0 0 1
142 96 Fred Carlton 40 40 0 -2399   0 0 0 1
143 22 Gil Tegg Jr. 40 40 0 -2399   0 0 0 1
144 22j Gino Clair 40 40 0 -2399   0 0 0 1
145 85 Jim Davis 40 40 0 -2399   0 0 0 1
146 37s Kenny Cosgrove 40 40 0 -2399   0 0 0 1
147 22 Larry Lampman Jr. 40 40 0 -2399   0 0 0 1
148 37 Paul St-Sauveur 40 40 0 -2399   0 0 0 1
149 40 Joel Doiron 38 38 0 -2401   0 0 1 1
150 0 Dan Humes 30 30 0 -2409   0 0 0 0
151 12 Chad Chevalier 30 30 0 -2409   0 0 0 1
152 10s Dylan Scribner ® 30 30 0 -2409   0 0 0 0
153 115 Stephane LaFrance 22 22 0 -2417   0 0 0 1
154 25 Bobby Herrington 21 21 0 -2418   0 0 0 1
155 1 Darwin Greene 20 20 0 -2419   0 0 0 0
156 1ny Greg Atkins 20 20 0 -2419   0 0 0 0
157 4k Jasmin Leveillee 20 20 0 -2419   0 0 0 0
158 1Jr. Jason Herrington 20 20 0 -2419   0 0 0 0
159 816 Jeff Rockefeller 20 20 0 -2419   0 0 0 0
160 3a Kevin Albert 20 20 0 -2419   0 0 0 0
161 323 Neal Williams 20 20 0 -2419   0 0 0 0
162 24 Patrick Dupree 20 20 0 -2419   0 0 0 0
163 10 Patrick McGrail 20 20 0 -2419   0 0 0 0
164 13s Tony Steiner 20 20 0 -2419   0 0 0 0
165 29 Chris Ostrowsky 20 20 0 -2419   0 0 0 0
166 17c Chris Steele 20 20 0 -2419   0 0 0 1
167 3M Henry Maier 20 20 0 -2419   0 0 0 0
168 28 Todd Gordon 17 17 0 -2422   0 0 0 1
169 15J Tim Jones 15 15 0 -2424   0 0 0 1
170 67 Dave Small 10 10 0 -2429   0 0 0 0
171 172 Andre Gauthier 10 10 0 -2429   0 0 0 0
172 06 Brandon Easey 10 10 0 -2429   0 0 0 0
173 57 Colton Chappius 10 10 0 -2429   0 0 0 0
174 55 Dexter Stacey 10 10 0 -2429   0 0 0 0
175 16 Gage Morin 10 10 0 -2429   0 0 0 0
176 66 Kyle Dingwall 10 10 0 -2429   0 0 0 1
177 17 Marc Therrien 10 10 0 -2429   0 0 0 0
178 73Jr. Mathieu Boisvert 10 10 0 -2429   0 0 0 0
179 20Q Matt Quinn 10 10 0 -2429   0 0 0 0
180 4J Shane Pecore ® 10 10 0 -2429   0 0 0 0
181 88 Shayne Pierce 10 10 0 -2429   0 0 0 0
182 66w Wallace Stacey 10 10 0 -2429   0 0 0 0
183 24dc Devin Caron 0 0 0 -2439   0 0 0 0
184 38 Scott Wood 0 0 0 -2439   0 0 0 1