GEORGETOWN, DE – Down to the wire.

After starting 19th, Stewart Friesen drove to the front in Saturday night’s Mid-Atlantic Championship Weekend Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series (STSS) Fueled By Sunoco Modified headliner at Georgetown Speedway.

The Sprakers, N.Y., resident won in dramatic fashion, nipping Anthony Perrego at the line off the outside of turn four.

Friesen missed Friday night’s qualifying due to his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series commitments in Martinsville, Va., but made it to Delaware Saturday in time to drive from last to first in the consolation.

Friesen then completed the 19th-to-first drive in the 40-lap main event.

“We had a great race car from hot laps, the consi, right on through tonight,” Friesen said following the $7,000 payday.

Via his third-place finish, Alex Yankowski of Covington Township, Pa., secured the $15,000 NJ Quality Drywall STSS Modified South Region title, while Matt Sheppard of Savannah, N.Y., clinched the Ollie’s Overall Championship for the STSS Modifieds by finishing fourth.

Perrego, driving the Vinnie Salerno No. 4*, cleared Ryan Watt for the lead on the eighth lap of the event. Watt had been at the front of the field since he swept by Billy Pauch Jr. on lap one.

As Perrego took command, Friesen had already climbed from 19th to third in just nine trips around the Sussex County oval.

“When I got to third, Anthony was really fast, probably as even as we were,” Friesen said.

Friesen took second at the halfway mark and set his sights on Perrego, who had built more than a straightaway lead.

In the final five laps, the race for the top spot intensified.

Friesen closed to within five car-lengths at lap 37, rolling the extreme outside lane.

The key move occurred at the exit of turn two with the white flag in the air. Friesen built momentum on the topside of turns one and two, pulling even with Perrego entering turn three.

The pair raced side-by-side through the final pair of corners, with Friesen besting Perrego by a nose at the line.

“I didn’t know if we had enough to get him (Perrego), he was getting good runs off the bottom of (turns) two and four,” Friesen said. “Luckily, the lapped cars there dirtied up the air and we were able to get a run.”

Walden, N.Y.’s Perrego settled for second, with Covington Township, Pa.’s Yankowski placing third.

Yankowski started the event 16th, pitted for a flat tire on the opening lap, and roared through the field to fill out the podium. The third-place finish allowed Yankowski to clinch the South Region championship, his first with the series.

Sheppard drove from 12th to finish fourth as the Ollie’s Overall champion and early leader Watt, of Boyertown, Pa., completed the front five.

Finishing sixth through 10th, respectively, were Ryan Godown of Ringoes, N.J., who clinched the Georgetown Millman’s NAPA Auto Parts Modified championship after starting 20th and pitting twice; Jordan Watson of Milford, Del., up from 13th; Ryan Riddle of Millsboro, Del., after a steady performance; Billy Pauch Jr. of Frenchtown, N.J., who made two trips to the pits; and Carson Wright of Georgetown, Del., recovering from a broken shock early in the race.

Pauch, Watt and Paul Mancini were Friday night heat-race winners for the 27 assembled Modifieds. Sheppard took the ATL Hot Lap Hero Award with a lap of 18.557 seconds. Friesen was the Saturday consolation winner.

Jesse Hirthler of Boyertown, Pa., drove a flawless race to win his first career STSS Crate 602 Sportsman event in the accompanying 25-lap, $2,000-to-win feature.

Hirthler – the final driver to pick in the Beyea Custom Headers Redraw – started from the pole and led every lap, fending off the advances of both Logan Watt and Dylan Madsen.

Watt, also of Boyertown, Pa., finished second and clinched the Belmont’s Garage STSS Crate 602 Sportsman title.

Spencertown, N.Y.’s Madsen, despite a flat left-front tire, placed third, ahead of Michael White of Laurel, Del., and Colin Cox of Perkasie, Pa.

A field of 36 STSS Crate 602 Sportsman signed in for competition.

Saturday’s event concluded the ’24 STSS season. Next up is the ‘Sunshine Swing’ at All-Tech Raceway in Lake City, Fla., Feb. 4-8 for both the STSS Modifieds and STSS Crate 602 Sportsman.

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 Twitter or Instagram.

Short Track Super Series Results From Georgetown Speedway

1. 44-Stewart Friesen[19]; 2. 4P-Anthony Perrego[5]; 3. 84Y-Alex Yankowski[16]; 4. 9S-Matt Sheppard[12]; 5. 14W-Ryan Watt[2]; 6. 26-Ryan Godown[20]; 7. 1J-Jordan Watson[13]; 8. 31-Ryan Riddle[11]; 9. 1P-Billy Pauch Jr[1]; 10. 91-Carson Wright[15]; 11. 32-Brandon Grosso[3]; 12. 51-Ryan Krachun[18]; 13. 4M-Logan Watt[21]; 14. 7M-Paul Mancini[8]; 15. 35M-Mike Mahaney[4]; 16. 20C-Cole Stangle[14]; 17. 28-Tom Solderich[25]; 18. 51P-Matt Peck[9]; 19. 30W-HJ Bunting[6]; 20. 24W-Sean Weiss[17]; 21. 8MOD-Norman Short Jr[24]; 22. 4W-Brandon Watkins[22]; 23. 117-Kevin Hirthler[23]; 24. 6B-Danny Bouc[7]; 25. 74W-John Willman[10]

Did Not Qualify: 187-Steve Young; 4-Bobby Watkins; 117x-Jesse Hirthler