3/30/2026
Short Track Super Series
Never Forget The First Time: Danny Creeden Wins Wild STSS Bedford Debut
BEDFORD, PA – They say you never forget the first time.
In the case of Bedford Speedway’s first Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series (STSS) Fueled By Sunoco Modified event on Sunday, the adage proved true.
Danny Creeden emerged victorious after a wild final lap to pick up the $5,000 payday in an emotionally charged ending to the 40-lap STSS Modified portion of the historic speedway’s 90th Season Opener.
The win for Middletown, N.Y.’s Creeden was his sixth with the series and first since Sept. 23, 2018 at Thunder Mountain Speedway in Center Lisle, N.Y.
“It’s been a long time coming,” Creeden said. “After the Florida deal (a serious crash at Fla.’s Volusia Speedway Park on February), we all needed this.
“You do that stuff and Bridgeport (N.J.) had me questioning if I was ready or not.”
The event – Round No. 2 of the NJ Quality Drywall South Region – was controlled by Bohemia, N.Y.’s Dillon Steuer, who led 39 circuits around the spacious half-mile oval until disaster struck for the event’s pole starter.
Moments after passing under the Behrent’s Performance Warehouse white flag, Steuer – who had been challenged heavily by Creeden and Danny Bouc – suffered a blown left-rear tire, leaving his family funded No. 6D stopped against the outside wall in turn two.
“I knew we were kind of slip-sliding,” Creeden said. “I just tried to keep it straight and let Dillon take off.”
Steuer’s misfortune set up a single-file restart and wild sequence of events.
Creeden inherited the lead over Bouc with a lap to go and fired off with the top spot through the backstretch.
Entering turn three, Bouc shot to Creeden’s inside and slid in front momentarily. Creeden drove back to Bouc’s inside off turn four and the pair made contact, with Bouc’s car impacting the outside wall.
Creeden won the drag race to the Sunoco checkered flags.
“I was ready for a slider,” Creeden said. “Now I’m standing here and I’m choked up – just so happy.”
Canandaigua, N.Y.'s Alex Payne, who picked the worst available number – 12 – in the Beyea Custom Headers Redraw, slipped past Bouc and secured the runner-up position at the line, worth $3,000.
Pipersville, Pa.’s Bouc – angered by the outcome – crossed the line third following an eventful Bedford debut that saw ignition issues sidelined the No. 6 from time trials. Bouc recovered by powering from 10th in his heat race to make the redraw.
Driving the Petruska family No. 66, Matt Sheppard of Savannah, N.Y., climbed from 17th to finish fourth and Michael Maresca of Baldwinsville, N.Y., completed the front five after starting eighth.
Finishing sixth through 10th, respectively, were Matt Stangle of Neshanic Station, N.J., after spending much of the race inside the top five; seventh-starter Stewart Friesen, up from 10th; 13th-starter Alex Yankowski of Covington Township, Pa.; Logan Watt of Boyertown, Pa.; and Tyler Dippel of Wallkill, N.Y., who recovered from a lap-18 flat tire.
The race was slowed by a red flag on the 21st lap when Cole Stangle flipped wildly in turn three after losing brakes. He walked away uninjured.
A field of 30 STSS Modifieds made the trip to Bedford.
Friesen was the ATL Fuel Cells Hot Lap Hero with a lap of 20.237 seconds.
Heat winners were Matt Stangle, Payne and Dippel. Cole Stangle won the consolation.
Friesen leaves Bedford with a two-point lead over Maresca in the NJ Quality Drywall South Region, which goes silent until May 26 with the ‘Berks County Brawl’ at Action Track USA in Kutztown, Pa.
Next up for the STSS is another first-time venue: Lebanon Valley Speedway in West Lebanon, N.Y., on Thursday, May 21. The King of Spring features Round No. 1 of the STSS Modified HYTORC of New York North Region and the first event of the STSS Sportsman Madsen Overhead Doors Inc. North Region.
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 Feed, 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, Swift Springs, The Exotic Brand, Troyer Dirt Cars, TV 12 Racing Products, VAHLCO Wheels & Wilwood Disc Brakes.
90TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON OPENER RESULTS SUMMARY – BEDFORD SPEEDWAY MARCH 29, 2026
Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series Fueled By Sunoco Modified NJ Quality Drywall South Region Round No. 2 Feature Finish (40 laps): 1. 16X-Danny Creeden[2]; 2. 70A-Alex Payne[12]; 3. 6B-Danny Bouc[4]; 4. 66-Matt Sheppard[17]; 5. 7MM-Michael Maresca[8]; 6. 6S-Matt Stangle[3]; 7. 44-Stewart Friesen[10]; 8. 84Y-Alex Yankowski[13]; 9. 4M-Logan Watt[5]; 10. 1D-Tyler Dippel[11]; 11. 60-Jackson Gill[15]; 12. 2L-Jack Lehner[18]; 13. 4P-Anthony Perrego[21]; 14. 1P-Billy Pauch[6]; 15. 29-Ryan Krachun[7]; 16. 165-Rex King Jr[9]; 17. 112-Cale Ross[23]; 18. 13-Rick Regalski Jr[14]; 19. 6D-Dillon Steuer[1]; 20. 26-Ryan Godown[22]; 21. 32-Brandon Grosso[24]; 22. 27-Tanner Van Doren[20]; 23. 16-Louden Reimert[16]; 24. 20C-Cole Stangle[19]; 25. R2-Rusty Smith[27]; 26. 1-Austin Dean[25]; 27. 7M-Paul Mancini[26]; 28. 13T-Anthony Tramontana[28]
Did Not Qualify: 74W-John Willman; 9M-Cameron Miller
American Racer/Lias Tire Bonuses (FREE Tire Certificate): Tyler Dippel (10th) & Ryan Krachun (15th)
ATL Fuel Cell Hot Lap Hero ($100): Stewart Friesen (20.237 seconds)
Beyea Custom Headers Redraw Bonus ($50): Alex Payne (Redrew 12th)
Henry’s Exhaust Power Position ($50 Certificate): Jackson Gill (11th)
MD3 Most Laps Led ($100 Certificate):
Penske Racing Shocks Bonuses: Danny Creeden (first - $150 certificate); Alex Payne (second - $100 certificate); Danny Bouc (third - $75 certificate)
Swift Springs Hard Luck Award (FREE Spring): Dillon Steuer (39 laps)
Submitted By: Brett Deyo