PORT ROYAL – The 2025 racing season kicked off Friday night at Port

Royal Speedway.

It was qualifying night for the “Speed Showcase” featuring the Short

Track Super Series modifieds, along with sportsman modifieds and pro

stocks.

The pit area was filled with over 100 racecars, including 53 sportsman

modifieds, 42 STSS modifieds, and 15 pro stocks.

Michael Maresca earned $100 for setting quick time in STSS modified

hot laps at 18.578. Timed hot laps were used to set the line-ups for

three, 15-lap qualifying races. Each race paid $500 to win. The top

six finishers in each race were locked into today’s feature.

Louden Reimert led Anthony Perrego early in the first qualifier as

three drivers raced hard for third. A caution slowed the field with

seven laps to go.

Perrego passed Reimert for the lead on the restart. Perrego blew a

motor on the final lap handing the lead back to Reimert. He got the

win over Peter Britton, Alex Yankowski, Alex Payne, and Danny Bouc.

“The track is hammer-down right now, but it won’t be like that on lap

60 tomorrow,” Reimert said. “This is something to build on. I’m glad

we could get it done.”

In qualifier number two, it was Matt Stangle grabbing the lead over

Matt Sheppard. Sheppard challenged Stangle for the top spot with seven

laps to go. Sheppard got alongside Stangle, but couldn’t make the

pass.

Sheppard used a first turn pass to take the lead with two laps to go.

Stangle, Brandon Grosso, Dillon Steuer and Logan Watt completed the

top five.

“The track is so fast right now,” Sheppard said. “Our car got a little

better the longer we ran.”

Billy Pauch Jr. led the field to green in the final qualifier, Pauch

controlled the race as others scrambled for position behind him. Pauch

went unchallenged to the win. Mike Mahaney passed Ryan Watt on the

final lap for second. Paul Mancini and Ryan Godown completed the top

five. Maresca broke on the final lap while running fourth.

In hot laps for the sportsman modifieds, it was James Hill with the

fastest lap of 20.955. He earned $50. Timed hot laps set the line-ups

for the four, 12-lap qualifying races, paying $250 to win.

Paulie Hartwig III, and Travis Hill won the opening two qualifiers

for the sportsman modifieds.

Andy Graves and Luke Horning won the eight-lap pro stock heat races.

Consolation races and the feature events for the three divisions will

be held Saturday afternoon. The STSS modifieds will go 60 laps for

$12,000 to win. Gates open at noon with racing at 3.

Port Royal’s regular season kicks off next Saturday with the sprint

cars and late models.

Williams Grove Speedway is set to open its season on Sunday afternoon

at 2 featuring the sprint cars.