NEW EGYPT, N.J. — Recently crowned track champion Matt Sheppard and weekly rival Keith Hoffman made the best of home turf Saturday night at New Egypt Speedway, making a triumphant return to the Garden State as they split Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series Guitar Jammin’ Twin 50s.
New York traveler Sheppard and Hoffman from Pennsylvania took advantage of pole position starts to lead all 50 laps in their respective events. Sheppard posted his first Advance Auto Parts Series victory of the season, while it was the first series victory of Hoffman’s career.
“Between the lapped traffic and the track being so rough I almost had a heart attack out there,” said Sheppard. “I was really on the edge of my seat trying to get through traffic while trying to avoid the holes. We were just fortunate the car held together, we got a good starting spot and were able to hold on.”
Sheppard held off Billy Decker in the opener, with Billy Pauch, Gary Tomkins and Sam Martz filling the top five.
“We started on the front row but we put ourselves in position to start there after the first race,” said Hoffman, after becoming the 66th different driver to claim an Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series win since the NorthEast’s premier Big-Block Modified tour originated in 1980. “We weren’t real good finishing seventh in the first one yet we stayed in contention.”
Sheppard finished second in the nightcap, with Rick Laubach, Tomkins and Fuller following.
The finishes:
First Feature: Matt Sheppard, Billy Decker, Billy Pauch, Gary Tomkins, Sam Martz,  Rick Laubach, Keith Hoffman, Ryan Godown, Tim Fuller, Dale Planck, Brett Hearn,   Jimmy Phelps, Frank Cozze, Bob Drayton, Steve Paine, Ron John Koczon, Tad Cox,  Vic Coffey, Ryan Phelps, Brian Godown, Billy Dunn, Rich Scagliotta, Rich Rutski,  Kenny Stafford, Gene Stravinsky, John Keller, Mark Forte, Jr., Jimmy Horton, Ryan Odasz, Chuck Bower.
Second feature: Hoffman, Sheppard, Laubach, Tomkins, Fuller, Decker, J. Phelps, hearn, Drayton,Koczon, Paine, R. Phelps, Scagliotta, Dunn, Forte, Bower, Keller, Horton, Rutski, Pauch, Martz, Stravinsky, Odasz, Planck, Godown, Cozze, Coffey, Cox, Stafford.