8/6/2022
Brandon Sheppard
BShep bags Top-5 finish in USA Nationals at Cedar Lake
Rocket1 Racing pilot, Sheppard raced to a Top-5 finish in Saturday night’s USA Nationals finale at Cedar Lake Speedway with the team’s Valvoline / Seubert Calf Ranches No. 1 Ace Metal Works / XR1 Rocket Chassis / Durham Racing Engine Super Late Model.
Earlier in the weekend he also recorded a fourth-place finish at the Wisconsin oval in World of Outlaws CASE Late Model Series competition.
“We hard-charged on Thursday to finish fourth, and then on Friday we were pretty solid in the heat races. We had a pretty good car in the feature on Saturday, but just struggled to move forward past our starting spot,” Sheppard said. “We’ll take a pair of Top-5 finishes and get ready for the next one. We’re looking forward to getting back to Florence (Speedway) this weekend to go after our first North-South 100 title.”
For the second-straight weekend Rocket1 Racing went into battle with the World of Outlaws CASE Late Model Series. Action opened on Thursday as the tour headed north to Cedar Lake Speedway (New Richmond, Wis.) for the 35th annual USA Nationals weekend.
Following a third-place finish in his heat race, Brandon Sheppard charged from the 11th-starting position in the $6,000-to-win, 30-lap prelim to finish fourth. He trailed Mike Marlar, Brent Larson, and Tanner English to the checkers with Dennis Erb Jr. fifth.
Friday afternoon’s action included double heat races, and Sheppard recorded a pair of second-place finishes, including a seventh-to-second performance in the first round.
Locked into the eighth-starting position for Saturday’s pole dash, Brandon recorded a fifth-place finish.
Starting the $50,000-to-win USA Nationals main event in fifth, Sheppard carried a steady pace in the 100-lap affair, crossing the line in fifth. He followed Jonathan Davenport, Chris Madden, Tyler Erb, and Ricky Weiss across the line.
Full results from the weekend are available at www.WoOLMS.com.
Next on tap for Rocket1 Racing is a trip to the King family’s Florence Speedway (Union, Ky.) this weekend – August 11-13 – for the 40th annual Sunoco Race Fuels North-South 100 presented by Lucas Oil. The weekend opens with twin $5,000-to-win programs on Thursday and Friday. Driver’s cumulative performances from the first two days will determine heat race line-ups for Saturday night with the weekend being capped by an event record $75,000 top prize.
The crown jewel event is sanctioned by the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series. Brandon continues to sit second in the latest series’ standings.
For more information on the event, please visit www.LucasDirt.com.
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