Sheppard Takes Second Win of the Week at East Bay

(TAMPA, FL - February 6, 2020)- Brandon Sheppard charged from his 12th starting spot to take the lead on lap 14 and never looked back in claiming his second Wrisco Industries Winternationals victory of the week on Thursday Night at East Bay Raceway Park in the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series-sanctioned event.

Sheppard was the fourth and final different leader of the race after Brandon Overton, Tim McCreadie and Boom Briggs each took a turn at leading the race in the first 14 circuits. Sheppard held a 1.7 second advantage over Richards at the finish line. Richards was originally slated to start 20th, but started in the tail after a rules violation before the race. Richards then charged to the front in the Clint Bowyer Racing IRacing Rocket to finish second.

Billy Moyer Jr, in his Nutrien Ag Solutions Capital Race Car Chassis equaled his best career Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series finish with a third place after starting in sixth. Jimmy Owens came home in fourth with Devin Moran, the opening night winner at East Bay Raceway Park, completing the top five drivers.

Overton earned the PFC Brakes Pole Award by winning the first heat and was looking to break in the winner's circle for the first time in the Georgia-Florida Speedweeks after coming up with three- second place finishes in the first four races. The 40-lap feature started off good for Overton and points leader Tim McCreadie, as the pair raced side-by-side in the early stages of the race.

Overton led the first lap before McCreadie took over the race lead for two laps, but by lap four Overton was back in front of the battle of the pair of Longhorn Chassis drivers. By lap six however, McCreadie was back in front as Boom Briggs started to show his strength working his way to second place. Briggs then made a power move on McCreadie on lap ten, to take over the point.

Briggs held the lead until 12th place starter, Sheppard zipped by for the lead. Sheppard held off a trio of drivers in the last half of the race to record his 17th career Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series win, and his fifth at East Bay Raceway Park. Richards moved past Moyer Jr. on lap 33 but ran out of time in his efforts to catch Sheppard.

"It's all thanks to my guys for not giving up on me. Our qualifying efforts weren't what they needed to be tonight. Mark Richards and Steve Baker (of Rocket Chassis), Dan, Austin, and Joel all stuck behind me the whole time. They were confident I could get up through there," said the Illinois native, Sheppard.

The winner went on to say, "I'll tell you what, I think I'm going to have gray hair by the time we leave here, you just don't know where to go. I knew at some point the cushion (high-side) was going to be the place to be, but the bottom was working for me at the beginning of the race, you don't really know when to move. I just stuck with it and stuck with it and then I see the 14 (Richards) on the board and I knew I had to get my elbows up."

Richards will have to wait another night for his eighth career win at East Bay Raceway Park. "We'll certainly take it. Brandon's been good and I just can't thank those guys enough for the help, my dad and everybody. We've had a great car in the feature, we just haven't been able to show it. We've just gotta get a little bit better and start closer to the front and I think we'll be there."

After a solid start to the week Moyer Jr. bounced back from a rough Wednesday Night finish. "First thing, congrats to the 1 and 14, they were on it. I didn't have anything for Sheppard. I think on that one caution, my right-front (tire) completely went away and I couldn't run that bottom like earlier in the race. Then you just gotta go up there and run like an idiot around that top and steer with the back tires. This Capital Race Car is awesome. I'm just tickled to death to drive it. My daughter, wife, and family were all watching, my brother's probably yelling at the TV, so it's nice to finally get on the screen."

The winner's Mark Richards Racing Rocket 1 House Car is powered by a Durham Racing Engine and sponsored by Valvoline, Seubert Calf Ranches, Gunters Honey, Ace Metal Works, Integra, Sunoco, Keyser Manufacturing and Rocket Pre-Owned Motors.

Completing the top ten were Boom Briggs, Brandon Overton, Brian Shirley, Billy Moyer and Tyler Erb.