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SUPER DIRT WEEK

WILD NIGHT AT THE PALACE: Darren Smith Captures Billy Whittaker Cars 200 Win With Thrilling Last Lap Pass
Alex Yankowski leaves Oswego Speedway with 96-point Series lead with five races remaining

Brent Smith

OSWEGO, NY (October 10, 2026) – After 200 grueling laps around Oswego Speedway during Super DIRT Week 54 presented by StubHub, Darren Smith will never forget the final 100 feet.

With a fresh right-rear tire bolted on, the Binghamton, NY driver went from 16th to first in five laps, beating Mat Williamson to the checkered flag on the final lap to win Saturday’s Billy Whittaker Cars 200.

The epic finish, worth $54,000, is his first Super DIRTcar Series triumph on the Northeast’s biggest stage. 

“This is one way to win your first Series race at the biggest race of the year,” Smith said. “We were digging and digging all week. We didn’t have the best car here tonight, but we didn’t give up. It’s a whole team effort. This is awesome.

“I can’t believe I’m standing here after the halfway break. If this is the only race I win, I’m happy with it. Thanks to all you race fans, I hope you enjoyed that.”

Larry Wight and Jimmy Phelps led the field to the green in the 200-lap Feature, with Wight gaining the early advantage. The Phoenix, NY driver set a fast pace at the front of the field throughout the first 100 laps, only being challenged by Alex Payne on a couple of occasions. 

Wight maneuvered lap traffic with ease until the race’s competition caution flew on Lap 93, giving teams the chances to take fuel, change tires, and adjust.

When the race resumed on Lap 94, Wight took control at the front of the field again, but Williamson charged past Alex Payne on the outside lane in Turn 2 to take second on Lap 105. Then, the four-time Billy Whittaker Cars 200 winner kept his momentum wound up on the outside, driving around Wight in Turns 3 and 4 to take the lead on Lap 107.


Williamson controlled the race for the next 70 laps. But behind him, 10-time Series champion Matt Sheppard picked off cars, getting by Alex Yankowski for third, before taking over second after Alex Payne clipped the boiler plate in Turn 1 with 43 laps remaining.

Sheppard tried closing in on the Buzz Chew Chevrolet No. 88, but with 10 laps to go, the Savannah, NY driver got a flat right-rear tire, forcing him to the pits. 

However, that was the break “Super Matt” needed. Restarting 13th with a fresh right-rear tire, he immediately went to the outside, thundering around nine cars to reach fourth before another caution flew on Lap 195.

That Oswego County Federal Credit Union Caution flag proved pivotal, as several teams, including Smith, mimicked Sheppard by putting on a new tire.

When the green came back out, Sheppard went right back to the top of the racetrack, storming past Alex Payne for third, and Alex Yankowski for second before another yellow flag came out on Lap 196.

Then Sheppard finished the job, getting to the front with a similar pass to the outside of Mat Williamson, taking the lead with a fourth Billy Whittaker Cars 200 win in his clutches. But when the caution came out again for Justin Stone one lap later, heartbreak struck Sheppard as he ran out of gas on the frontstretch. He never came back out, finishing 24th.

That gave the lead back to Williamson, who needed to hold on for three more laps to join Stewart Friesen and Brett Hearn as the only drivers to win the race five times. Behind him though, several challengers were waiting for a chance at Super DIRT Week glory. 

When the green came back out with three laps to go, Williamson pulled ahead of the field. But behind him, a three-wide battle for second emerged with Smith, Phelps, and Yankowski all trying to gain an advantage. 

However, with a fresher right-rear tire, Smith pulled ahead of Phelps and Yankowski, splitting them both down the middle on the back straightaway and taking over second as he chased Williamson to the white flag.

 

\Williamson maintained his advantage over Smith through Turns 1 and 2, trying to finish off a lap he’s led four times before at Oswego. But as they raced down the backstretch, Smith’s momentum allowed him to close as they entered Turn 3.

With two corners remaining, Smith swung to the outside and pulled even with the No. 88 as they reached the apex of the corner. Smith had the momentum, but as they exited Turn 4, Williamson slid in front of the No. 12, trying to keep Smith from getting by.

But that didn’t deter the Brewerton Speedway and Thunder Mountain Speedway track champion. Smith crossed back over to the inside lane and thundered past Williamson, leading the final 100 feet to capture his first career Billy Whittaker Cars 200 victory.

“When Sheppard stopped on the frontstretch, I said, ' Oh boy, I’m the only one with fresh rubber here,” Smith said. “Coming to the white flag, I didn’t get a good (Turn) 1 and 2. But then I got a run on the backstretch on Williamson, and then he moved up, and I went underneath him and holy s**t this is awesome.”

 

Williamson settled for second, falling a hundred feet short of his eighth Super DIRT Week win at Oswego. The St. Catharines, ON driver said he was holding on at the end of the race, running out of fuel on the cool-down lap.

“I knew I was a third-place car at best when those guys took tires,” Williamson said. “Hats off to the whole Jeremy Smith racing team. Darren has been knocking on the door to these big races for a long time, so I wasn’t surprised it was him passing me there. 

“Just tried to keep the tires underneath it and hoped for a podium at the end. When Sheppard went by me, I knew we were going slower because he just took off. I think out of the rubber the car was as good as I could ask it to be.”

Yankowski rounded out the podium, earning his 17th straight top 10 finish. The Covington Township, PA, driver, who won the Salute to the Troops 150 on Saturday, said he took too long to get by cars in lap traffic.

“There was a couple of key parts to the race,” Yankowski said. “I was battling it out with Alex Payne, and I got caught behind Ryan Krachun for probably 50 laps, and I didn’t do a good job getting in front of him. And then the first restart after the halfway break, he just came up on us, and I jacked the brakes to try and not wreck us, and I think that ultimately cost us second. It’s good hard racing, and that’s what it’s all about.”

Phelps crossed the line fourth, and Felix Roy finished fifth.

Darren Smith was credited with the Swagger Factory Move of the Race with his last lap pass, while Sheppard was given the Bart Contracting Hard Luck Award.

UP NEXT: The Super DIRTcar Series returns to action with its final trip to Canada of 2026, visiting Brockville Ontario Speedway on Friday, Oct. 16, for the Fall Nationals. They’ll be joined by the DIRTcar Sportsman Series, which will conclude its 2026 season.

Where can you buy tickets to Fall Nationals at Brockville? You can buy tickets at the gate.

How can you watch every lap of Super DIRT Week 54 if you can’t be at Oswego Speedway? Live on DIRTVision.

Billy Whittaker Cars 200 (200 Laps): 1. 12-Darren Smith[7]; 2. 88-Mat Williamson[8]; 3. 84Y-Alex Yankowski[6]; 4. 98H-Jimmy Phelps[2]; 5. 91-Felix Roy[21]; 6. 83X-Tim Sears Jr[12]; 7. 44-Stewart Friesen[32]; 8. 25-Erick Rudolph[31]; 9. 2-Jack Lehner[9]; 10. 26-Ryan Godown[17]; 11. 37S-Gary Lindberg[11]; 12. 21A-Peter Britten[14]; 13. 70A-Alex Payne[3]; 14. 28-Michael Trautschold[23]; 15. 99L-Larry Wight[1]; 16. 19-Tim Fuller[4]; 17. 3-Justin Haers[10]; 18. 9-Marc Johnson[24]; 19. 21C-Brian Calabrese[28]; 20. 35-Mike Mahaney[16]; 21. 27-Tanner Van Doren[29]; 22. 15X-Justin Stone[22]; 23. (DNF) 9S-Matt Sheppard[15]; 24. (DNF) 49-Billy Dunn[5]; 25. (DNF) 4-Anthony Perrego[36]; 26. (DNF) 30-Nicholas Root[18]; 27. (DNF) 29K-Ryan Krachun[40]; 28. (DNF) 11-Matt Caprara[27]; 29. (DNF) 32R-Ronnie Davis III[34]; 30. (DNF) 9M-Tim McCreadie[19]; 31. (DNF) 3RS-Dalton Slack[33]; 32. (DNF) 1-Tyler Dippel[26]; 33. (DNF) 7M-Paul Mancini[39]; 34. (DNF) 17-Marcus Dinkins[38]; 35. (DNF) 29-Garrett Krummert[13]; 36. (DNF) 35C-Chris Curtis[25]; 37. (DNF) 92-Andrew Buff[30]; 38. (DNF) 25P-Michael Parent[35]; 39. (DNF) 6-Matt Stangle[37]; 40. (DQ) 7MM-Michael Maresca[20]

ARTICLE: https://superdirtcarseries.com/recap/wild-night-at-the-palace-darren-smith-captures-billy-whittaker-cars-200-win-with-thrilling-last-lap-pass/

FAN 101: https://about.dirtcar.com/

Tristan Ladouceur Caps Strong Season with First Career Super DIRT Week Win in Great Lakes 75

 

 

Brent Smith

OSWEGO, NY (Oct. 10, 2026) — 2026 has been a breakout year for Tristan Ladouceur. A record number of Feature wins, a dominant track championship, and now, a win at Super DIRT Week 54 presented by StubHub.

 

The 20-year-old from Alexandria, ON, led the final 60 laps of the DIRTcar Sportsman Series main event at Oswego Speedway Saturday afternoon to capture his first win in the Great Lakes 75, taking the lead from polesitter Tyler Peet on Lap 15 and never looking back enroute to the $5,000 grand prize.

 

“I honestly think I’m still dreaming,” Ladouceur told DIRTVision’s Rich Vleck in Victory Lane. “We’ve had such a great year. To be able to cap it off here with a win is just an unbelievable feeling.”

 

The win served as the cherry atop the proverbial sundae of success he’s enjoyed in 2026. Thirteen times he went to Victory Lane in DIRTcar-sanctioned competition — a personal record — including 12 consecutively at his home track of Mohawk International Raceway, where he won the track championship in undefeated fashion.

 

And now, with his 14th win of the season on Saturday, Ladouceur has mathematically clinched the 2026 DIRTcar Sportsman Series championship, which he will officially be crowned with next Friday, Oct. 16, as part of Brockville Ontario Speedway’s Fall Nationals.

 

“We were really consistent everywhere we went; I think we only had one race outside the top five,” Ladouceur said. “I’m so happy. I’m just so happy.”

 

From the outside pole at Oswego, Ladouceur took the green flag and fell in line behind Peet as Jessica Power trailed them. Several caution periods over the first 10 circuits around the 5/8-mile confines of Oswego hindered the leaders’ abilities to build momentum, but that proved not to deter Ladouceur in his pursuit of the top spot.

 

On a Lap 15 restart, Ladouceur got a strong run down the backstretch and drove hard into Turn 3, and with momentum sailed around the outside of Peet to take the lead at the exit of Turn 4.

 

“I was able to get to the top with [Peet] there, and for the rest of the race I was worried that someone would do the same to me,” Ladouceur said. “Those yellows were messing with my nerves a lot, but I knew we had such a great racecar, it would be pretty hard to pass us.”

 

For the next 60 laps, Ladouceur endured numerous caution periods and two red-flag periods, forcing him to be strong on every restart. And each time, he was, keeping Peet and Power behind him, never once letting them get close enough to make a serious bid for the lead.

 

After crossing underneath the checkered flag and pulling into Victory Lane, Ladouceur couldn’t help but smile with a strong sense of family pride on his mind. His father, Joey Ladouceur, competed at Super DIRT Week in a Pro Stock every year from 2002–2013, and nearly had a win of his own at the New York State Fairgrounds after finishing second in 2012.

 

Though the event has transitioned to its new home at Oswego, the Ladouceur family name is now forever etched into Super DIRT Week history.

 

“I’m just glad I can represent my family this way,” Ladouceur said. “To finally get one at Super DIRT Week is pretty awesome.”

 

Power was able to make the move past Peet into second place on Lap 37 and hold on for a runner-up finish, breaking her own record for the highest finish by a woman in Super DIRT Week history.

 

“I felt like if we had a longer green-flag run at the end, I might’ve had something for Tristan,” Power said. “I hope I kept him honest. He’s had a hell of a year; congratulations to him and his entire team. We really hoped we were gonna get it today, but there’s no shame in second. We had an awesome run and a great car.”

 

Peet crossed the finish line in third for his best career finish at Super DIRT Week.

 

“I think restarts and short runs were probably the worst thing for me; I really needed that to go green for awhile and get racing,” Peet said. “We had a really good car, just needed more green flag laps and to be able to race a little bit.”

 

Great Lakes 75 (75 Laps): 1. 92T-Tristan Ladouceur[2]; 2. 52-Jessica Power[3]; 3. 9G-Tyler Peet[1]; 4. 64-Tyler Corcoran[28]; 5. 711-Chris Crane Jr[21]; 6. 714-Chris Darling[6]; 7. 18-Gavin Eisele[8]; 8. 29H-Nick Heywood[29]; 9. 01-Zachary Buff[9]; 10. 10-Karl Comfort[7]; 11. 0-Tony Finch II[11]; 12. 19-Owen Lewis[15]; 13. 6S-Josh Sokolic[10]; 14. 22AJ-AJ Albreada[23]; 15. 33-Richard Murtaugh[26]; 16. 32-Joe Trichilo[13]; 17. 33M-Bodie Marks[20]; 18. 78JR-Nigel Pendykoski[35]; 19. 00X-Josh Coonradt[14]; 20. 6-Cody Manitta[32]; 21. 31J-John Dumond[19]; 22. 26-Derrick McGrew[34]; 23. 72-Hunter Hollenbeck[33]; 24. 711X-Connor Crane[36]; 25. 83-Brett Sears[30]; 26. (DNF) 11A-Anthony Alger[31]; 27. (DNF) 88-Michael Wagner Fitzgerald[25]; 28. (DNF) 07W-Taylor Wason[16]; 29. (DNF) 10G-Austin Germinio[22]; 30. (DNF) 916-Nick Brundige[37]; 31. (DNF) 56-Trevor Catalano[18]; 32. (DNF) 12G-Matt Guererri[27]; 33. (DNF) 82-David Hackett[17]; 34. (DNF) 98-Camron Hotaling[24]; 35. (DNF) 410-Mike Fowler[4]; 36. (DQ) FOX28-Tyler Stevenson[12]; 37. (DQ) 78-Tanner Warner[5]

 

SPECIAL AWARD WINNERS:

• SRI Performance / Stock Car Steel Pole Award — Tyler Peet
• Fratto Curbing Outside Pole Award — Tristan Ladouceur
• Behrent's Performance Warehouse 3rd–6th Starters — Jessica Power, Mike Fowler, Tanner Warner, Chris Darling
• Kirkey/Behrent’s Last Chance Showdown Winner Award — Michael Wagner-Fitzgerald, Richard Murtaugh, Matt Guererri
• Winters Last Chance Showdown Transfer Bonus Award — Tyler Corcoran, Nick Heywood, Brett Sears
• Bart Contracting Hard Luck Award — Mike Fowler
• Velocita USA Last Car / Finisher Award — Brett Sears
• DIG Race Products Halfway Leader Award — Tristan Ladouceur
• Integra Racing Shocks Last Lead Lap Car Award — Brett Sears
• Fastline Performance Lap 20 Leader Award — Tristan Ladouceur
• Penske Racing Shocks Hard Charger Award — Tyler Corcoran
• Swagger Factory Move of the Race — Tyler Corcoran
• First Non-Qualifier Award — Karl Letendre

ARTICLE: https://superdirtweek.com/news/tristan-ladouceur-caps-strong-season-with-first-career-super-dirt-week-win-in-great-lakes-75/

EVENT INFO: https://superdirtweek.com/
 

FAN 101: https://about.dirtcar.com/

 

TOP GUN: Alex Yankowski Wins First DIRTcar 358 Modified Salute to the Troops 150

 Brent Smith

OSWEGO, NY (Oct. 9, 2026) – A fuse has been lit for “Kid Rocket” this year, and he's soared to new heights ever since. The latest altitude climb came during Super DIRT Week 54 presented by StubHub on Friday night.

After starting 17th, Alex Yankowski, of Covington Township, PA – the current Super DIRTcar Series championship points leader – methodically climbed lap after lap in the 150-lap, $20,000-to-win, DIRTcar 358 Modified Salute to the Troops 150 presented by Air National Guard to reach Victory Lane.

“It’s awesome. It’s unbelievable,” Yankowski said about winning during Super DIRT Week. “To be in the conversation, and to be competitive… it’s so, so, hard, and tough. Everything has got to be perfect.”

With a tacky track presented to the 42-car field of Small Block Modifieds, SRI Performance / Stock Car Steel Polesitter Mat Williamson and Fratto Curbing Outside Polesitter led them into Turn 1 when the green flag was presented.

Williamson, who’d won the last three ‘150’ events, darted ahead and set a pace that continued to make his No. 6 machine look like the favorite again. However, Smith wasn’t buying it. After an early caution on Lap 3, Smith kept Williamson within sight and took advantage of Williamson’s struggle in traffic to pass him for the lead on Lap 17.

As the race progressed, Williamson faded, and Billy Dunn stepped in as the new contender, moving into second on Lap 27. With the help of a caution on Lap 35, Dunn lined up to the outside of Smith’s car and used it to his advantage on the restart. With Smith set on the bottom, Dunn threw his No. 49 Modified into Turn 1 and launched around the outside of Smith to take the lead off Turn 2.

Dunn distanced himself from the field once he found clean air, but a few seconds behind them, a cluster of cars dueled to be in the top four. Leading that charge were the current top Alexes in Modified racing – Alex Yankowski and Alex Payne. After being stuck in 14th for the first 20 laps, Yankowski began picking up one or two positions every 10 laps. Payne was on a similar trajectory from his ninth starting position. He worked his way into second just in time for the competition pit stop on Lap 80.

Most every team changed tires and added fuel during the stop, except for three drivers. Mike Mahaney, Andrew Buff, and Marc Johnson stayed out. That gave Mahaney the lead and pushed the initial leaders back a row on the restart.

Mahaney flipped the script of the race and took command of the ‘150’ once it resumed. Buff faded quickly, and Johnson held on to second for a while, but the Alexes were even stronger after the pit stop.

Yankowski restarted sixth and continued his trend of picking up another position about every 10 laps. That put him in second with 28 laps to go and plenty of time to track down Mahaney. However, to Mahaney’s disadvantage, lap traffic hindered his speed and allowed Yankowski to close even quicker.

Once Yankowski caught the yellow No. 35, Mahaney had two obstacles to navigate. He was forced to move around to try to get around traffic and to block Yankowski’s runs. His efforts prevailed for a couple of laps, but on Lap 125, when Mahaney slid up to the outside wall off Turn 4, Yankowski used his run around the top lane to cross underneath him and slide ahead entering Turn 1.

“With the track being so tacky in the beginning, I thought tire wear wouldn’t be bad, but fuel mileage was a little bit lower because we’re on the gas so much,” said Mahaney, who ended up finishing fifth. “I did have to conserve a little bit, but I did think we’d make it based on all of the other laps we made this week.

“In a long race like that, [your tires] get kind of dull and don’t have the side stick and the forward drive that you did at the beginning. But that’s OK, it’s something I expected to happen. I tried my best to hang on to it. I’m proud of it.”

Behind them, Payne was on his own march, getting to third on Lap 133, and then passed Mahaney for second the next lap. He clipped away at Yankowski’s two-second lead lap after lap, bringing it down to almost half a second with seven laps to go while Yankowski fought traffic. But when Yankowski saw a clear track again, “Kid Rocket” hit the afterburners.

“Our stuff is really good, just kind of lost it there after the pit cycle,” Payne said. “When I got to clean air, I felt like I was kind of catching [Yankowski]. Then we got to lap traffic and just got jingled up. Just proud of the guys. A really solid race car here.”

They weren’t the biggest show on track with 10 laps to go, though. Eyes shifted to the red and yellow No. 9s of Matt Sheppard, who was picking up and laying down cars every lap. With 25 laps to go, he was on a march that might have seen him be the winner of the race if it were 20 laps longer. But in the 150-lap scheduled distance, he made his way to third after initially starting the Feature in 23rd.

“Just couldn’t really get going,” Sheppard said about the start of the Feature. “We made a couple of small adjustments, nothing crazy. I don’t know, the track just got weird. It changed. I found some good lines, and picked off a few cars, started making my way up through. We cracked the top 10 with 18 to go and drove up to third. I think we had the fastest car by the end by far, but that’s just too far to come in that short of time.”

Yankowski credited a small shock adjustment during the Lap 80 pit stop as a factor in helping him score the win.

“It wasn’t anything crazy like night and day; it was just a little bit, and in Small Block racing, a little bit goes a long way,” he said.

In Yankowski’s two previous starts in the Salute to the Troops 150, he hadn’t finished better than 33rd. The fuse has been lit, and there’s no telling how high the 22-year-old will climb.

“You never know if you’re going to be able to win a race like this in your career… I’ve been racing my whole life to win races like this,” Yankowski said in Victory Lane.

RESULTS: Salute to the Troops 150 (150 Laps): 1. 84Y-Alex Yankowski[17]; 2. 70A-Alex Payne[9]; 3. 9S-Matt Sheppard[23]; 4. 6-Mat Williamson[1]; 5. 35-Mike Mahaney[15]; 6. 98H-Jimmy Phelps[3]; 7. 3J-Marc Johnson[21]; 8. 49-Billy Dunn[5]; 9. 99L-Larry Wight[4]; 10. 8B-Peter Britten[6]; 11. 25-Erick Rudolph[31]; 12. 91R-Felix Roy[12]; 13. 32C-Justin Haers[18]; 14. 7MM-Michael Maresca[20]; 15. 25P-Michael Parent[32]; 16. 3RS-Tim Fuller[11]; 17. 31-Lance Willix[25]; 18. 4-Anthony Perrego[13]; 19. 37S-Gary Lindberg[10]; 20. 27-Tanner Van Doren[28]; 21. 14T-Payton Talbot[34]; 22. 35C-Chris Curtis[26]; 23. 11-Matt Caprara[8]; 24. 01-Chris Raabe[24]; 25. 12T-Tyler Peet[36]; 26. 34-Rusty Smith[37]; 27. 12-Darren Smith[2]; 28. 30-Nicholas Root[35]; 29. 22C-Cedric Gauvreau[27]; 30. 115-Ryan Godown[22]; 31. 24Y-Jax Yohn[30]; 32. 28F-Alan Fink[33]; 33. 5-Jack Butler[40]; 34. 18R-Brad Rouse[39]; 35. 11S-Steve Lewis Jr[42]; 36. (DNF) 92-Andrew Buff[7]; 37. (DNF) 21C-Brian Calabrese[14]; 38. (DNF) 28-Jordan McCreadie[29]; 39. (DNF) 14-CG Morey[41]; 40. (DNF) 60-Jackson Gill[16]; 41. (DNF) B24-Brendan Gibbons[38]; 42. (DNF) 32R-Ronnie Davis III[19]

UP NEXT: Super DIRT Week 54 presented by StubHub continues on Saturday, Oct. 10, with the DIRTcar Sportsman Great Lakes 75, and the 200-lap, $54,000-to-win, Super DIRTcar Series Billy Whittaker Cars 200. How can you get tickets? Visit SuperDIRTWeek.com or StubHub.com.

If you can’t make it to the track, how can you watch every lap from Oswego Speedway? Live on DIRTVision.

SPECIAL AWARD WINNERS:
SRI Performance / Stock Car Steel and Aluminum Pole Award: Mat Williamson
Fratto Curbing Outside Pole Award: Darren Smith
Behrent's Performance Warehouse 3rd through 6th Starters: Jimmy Phelps, Larry Wight, Billy Dunn, and Peter Britten
Kirkey / Behrent's Last Chance Showdown Award #1: Jordan McCreadie
Kirkey / Behrent's Last Chance Showdown Award #2: Jax Yohn
Kirkey / Behrent's Last Chance Showdown Award #3: Erick Rudolph
Winters Performance Last Chance Showdown Transfer Bonus #1: Michael Parent
Winters Performance Last Chance Showdown Transfer Bonus #2: Alan Fink
Winters Performance Last Chance Showdown Transfer Bonus #3: Payton Talbot
Bart Contracting Hard Luck Award: Andrew Buff
Velocita USA Last Car / Finisher Award: Steve Lewis Jr.
Dig Race Products Halfway Feature Leader Award: Billy Dunn
Integra Racing Shocks Last Car on Lead Lap Award: Darren Smith
Fastline Performance Lap 20 Leader Award: Darren Smith
Penske Racing Shocks Hard Charger Award: Matt Sheppard (+20)
Swagger Factory Move of the Race Award: Mike Mahaney
Swift Springs First Non-Qualifier Award: Zach Welch

ARTICLE: https://superdirtweek.com/news/top-gun-alex-yankowski-wins-first-dirtcar-358-modified-salute-to-the-troops-150/
TRACK INFO: SuperDIRTWeek.com
FAN 101: https://about.dirtcar.com/

Stone Wins Second I Love NY 50 in Thrilling Finish at Super DIRT Week 54

 

Brent Smith

OSWEGO, NY (October 9, 2026) – Nick Stone only led two laps on Friday afternoon, but he led the right ones.

After taking the lead coming to the white flag, the Patterson, NY native crossed under the first checkered flag of Super DIRT Week 54 presented by StubHub, winning the I Love NY 50 for the second time in his career.

For the vast majority of the Feature, it was all Luke Horning in command of the division’s biggest race. But as the laps started to wind down and a rash of cautions kept the field bunched together, the threat behind him mounted. By the two-to-go signal, the top three runners of Horning, Stone and 2025 winner Devon Camenga were under a blanket.

In Turns 3 and 4, Camenga made his bid for victory and went to Horning’s inside, making contact with Horning’s left-rear exiting Turn 4. Meanwhile, Stone had moved off the bottom and took a chance at running the cushion, and Horning’s loss of momentum down low opened the door for Stone to pull ahead down the frontstretch.

Horning didn’t have enough time to regain speed and fight back, leaving Stone alone on the high side as he crossed the line to become the sixth multi-time Pro Stock winner at Super DIRT Week.

“I started getting it up there, and I lost my rhythm the first time I started doing it,” Stone said. “That caution, I said, ‘Alright, let me regroup, I know that top’s going to work. Don’t lose your rhythm this time.’ I think they were being a little cautious, too. This track is really slick right now. The only lane open was that lane, and if we were going to even have a fighting chance, that’s what we went for.”

A frustrated Horning crossed the line second ahead of Camenga, while Shane Playford and Chucky Dumblewski rounded out the top five.

Bastien Caron may not have been in serious contention for the win in his Super DIRT Week debut, but the Inverness, QC driver clinched his first DIRTcar Pro Stock Series championship by taking the green flag and capped off his season in sixth.

UP NEXT: Super DIRT Week 54 presented by StubHub concludes on Saturday, Oct. 10, with the Billy Whitaker Cars 200 for the Super DIRTcar Series and the Great Lakes 75 for the DIRTcar Sportsman Series. Get your tickets in advance by clicking here.

Want to watch Super DIRT Week? Stream every lap live on DIRTVision.

RACE NOTES:

Zach Sorrentino and Brandon Emigh won the Kirkey/Behrent’s Performance Warehouse Last Chance Showdown Winner Awards.

Slater Baker, Chuck Mcspirit, Jason Casey and Philip DeFiglio won the Winters Last Chance Showdown Transfer Awards.

Denis Gauvreau won the Velocita USA Last Finisher Award.

Luke Horning won the Fastline Performance Lap 20 Leader Award.

Luke Horning won the Dig Race Products Halfway Feature Leader Award.

Denis Gauvreau won the Integra Racing Shocks Last Car on Lead Lap Award.

Jocelyn Roy won the Penske Racing Shocks Hard Charger Award.

Shawn Perez Sr. won the Swift Springs First Non-Qualifier Award.

I LOVE NY 50 (50 Laps): 1. 8N-Dominic Stone[13]; 2. 2H-Luke Horning[2]; 3. 110-Devon Camenga[9]; 4. 6-Shane Playford[4]; 5. 07-Chucky Dumblewski[10]; 6. 73-Bastien Caron[5]; 7. 14-Kim Duell[20]; 8. 7-Rob Yetman[1]; 9. 14R-Sid Harmer Jr[8]; 10. 12S-Dakota Sharp[7]; 11. 55-David Stickles[3]; 12. 7C-Caden Dumblewski[11]; 13. 48-Jocelyn Roy[28]; 14. X15-Tyler Bushey[16]; 15. 324-Jason Casey[25]; 16. 2S-Pete Stefanski[18]; 17. 9B-Slater Baker[24]; 18. 711-Rich Crane[21]; 19. 777-Tommy Lizotte[19]; 20. 76-Kyle Hoard[14]; 21. 9S-Ken Schrader[15]; 22. 32-Jonathan Levesque[30]; 23. 28-Philip DeFiglio[27]; 24. 2Z-Hugh Page[29]; 25. 72G-Denis Gauvreau[6]; 26. 9-Eric Jean Louis[31]; 27. (DNF) 57-Charles Mcspirit[26]; 28. (DNF) 2-Brandon Emigh[23]; 29. (DNF) 8ND-Andrew Graves[17]; 30. (DNF) 54S-Zachary Sorrentino[22]; 31. (DNF) 4-JJ Courcy[12]

 

ARTICLE: https://dirtcar.com/dirtcar-ne/stone-wins-second-i-love-ny-50-in-thrilling-finish-at-super-dirt-week-54/

EVENT INFO: https://superdirtweek.com/
TRACK INFO: https://www.oswegospeedway.com/

FAN 101: https://about.dirtcar.com/

 

Tyler Peet Sweeps DIRTcar Sportsman Great Lakes 75 Pole, Heat Win at Super DIRT Week 54

 

 

 Brent Smith

OSWEGO, NY (Oct. 8, 2026) — The DIRTcar Sportsman Modified Great Lakes 75 will be led to the green flag by a new face in 2026.

 

Twenty-three-year-old Tyler Peet clinched the SRI Performance / Stock Car Steel Pole Award Thursday afternoon at Oswego Speedway in his third appearance at Super DIRT Week presented by StubHub, and later backed it up with a Heat Race win. The Pennsylvania native has only two previous showings at “The Clay Palace,” but looked right at home racing the dirt-covered 5/8-mile oval with a clear display of speed and skill behind the wheel of the Woodframe Structures No. 9G.

 

Like Peet, 23 other drivers have also been locked into the main event via Qualifying and Heat Races, all of whom are vying for the $5,000 grand prize on Saturday afternoon.

 

Super Six (Eight) Qualifying

 

With a grand total of 90 entries in the field, Qualifying was split into four groups instead of its originally scheduled six, taking the fastest two from each group and re-qualifying them for their starting spots in Saturday’s main event.

 

Peet was among the final two cars to hit the track in the re-qualifying session and outpaced all seven other drivers with his lap time of 23.081. Second-fastest was Cody McPherson at 23.271, who was disqualified in post-Qualifying technical inspection for a carburetor infraction. This gave third-fastest Tristan Ladouceur the Fratto Curbing Outside Pole Award with his time of 23.291. Ladouceur was followed by Jessica Power (23.334), Mike Fowler (23.511), Tanner Warner (23.575), Chris Darling (23.635), and Karl Comfort (23.665).

 

Gavin Eisele was moved up one spot in the Group 3 Qualifying results due to McPherson’s disqualification and was awarded the corresponding guaranteed starting spot inside the top four rows for Saturday’s main event.

 

Heat Race #1

 

Tristan Ladouceur has had a standout 2026 campaign thus far with 14 Feature wins in DIRTcar Sportsman Modified competition and a spot atop the Sportsman Series points standings with only two races remaining. One of which is the Great Lakes 75, which would forever stand as one of the biggest wins in his young career should he taste victory Saturday evening.

 

The Ontario native got a jumpstart on that feat with a flag-to-flag win in the first Heat Race Thursday night, leading all 15 laps unchallenged to clinch victory over Jessica Power, Zachary Buff, Joe Trichilo, David Hackett, and Chris Crane Jr. — all of whom transfer into Saturday’s main event.

 

“It’s pretty cool (racing around Oswego Speedway),” Ladouceur said. “We always dream of being here. To be a Qualifier winner is pretty awesome.”

 

Heat 1 (15 Laps): 1. 92T-Tristan Ladouceur[1]; 2. 52-Jessica Power[2]; 3. 01-Zachary Buff[4]; 4. 32-Joe Trichilo[3]; 5. 82-David Hackett[8]; 6. 711-Chris Crane Jr[12]; 7. 33-Richard Murtaugh[11]; 8. 23-Chad Gregory[16]; 9. 26-Derrick McGrew[9]; 10. 711X-Connor Crane[5]; 11. 72-Hunter Hollenbeck[7]; 12. 28-Brian Harber[10]; 13. 10H-Trevor Houghton[6]; 14. 22-Parker Fowler[22]; 15. 21J-Justin Liechti[18]; 16. 55-Jonathan Feagles[17]; 17. 41S-Chase Spoor[20]; 18. 20T-Preston Trautschold[14]; 19. 44M-Mason Rogers[13]; 20. 1I-Daniel Odell[21]; 21. (DNF) R1-Riley Rogala[19]; 22. (DNF) 59K-Dakota Kohler[15]; 23. (DNS) 16-Matt Barbour

 

Heat Race #2

 

Veteran DIRTcar Sportsman Modified talent Mike Fowler has long been an entrant at Oswego in October, but never has he experienced the thrill of a win at Super DIRT Week. This year, the Fulton, NY-resident has a big opportunity to cash-in for that first triumph during Racing’s Biggest Party, starting with his flag-to-flag win in Heat Race #2 Thursday night.

 

For 15 laps, Fowler ruled the 5/8-mile oval, driving to the checkered flag unchallenged for the win over Josh Sokolic, Josh Coonradt, Trevor Catalano, and Austin Germinio — all of whom qualified for Saturday’s Feature.

 

“The car has not been the same every time we’ve hit the track,” Fowler said. “We’ve made adjustments to it, and every time we hit the track, it’s a little bit better. There’s room for improvement, but overall, I’m happy with it. We had a pretty good piece.”

 

Heat 2 (15 Laps): 1. 410-Mike Fowler[1]; 2. 6S-Josh Sokolic[4]; 3. 00X-Josh Coonradt[5]; 4. 56-Trevor Catalano[7]; 5. 10G-Austin Germinio[3]; 6. 11A-Anthony Alger[8]; 7. 12G-Matt Guererri[12]; 8. 8KL-Karl Letendre[6]; 9. 29H-Nick Heywood[13]; 10. 185-Tyler Puchalski[11]; 11. 4W-Rob Wirth[14]; 12. 45-Michael Lupold[10]; 13. 63-Dylan Woodworth[22]; 14. 113JR-Frank Guererri[20]; 15. 10K-Kolyn Schane[15]; 16. 12-Owen Bird[17]; 17. 9-Logan Brown[16]; 18. 20-Brayden Bullock[18]; 19. 18JR-Madyson Rouse[19]; 20. 61-Alexander Palmer Sawyer[21]; 21. 78-Tanner Warner[2]; 22. 54C-Tommy Catalano[9]

 

Heat Race #3

 

After Gavin Eisele received word that he’d been awarded a guaranteed starting spot in Saturday’s Feature after the McPherson disqualification, some pressure came off him, but that did not dampen his efforts in Heat Race #3.

 

The LaFargeville, NY-native dominated, leading all 15 laps unchallenged to score the win and further solidify his top-eight starting spot for the Great Lakes 75 over fellow main event transfers Chris Darling, Tony Finch II, Owen Lewis, John Drumond, and AJ Albreada.

 

“We were supposed to start third but ended up starting second, and now we’re locked into the top eight, which is great,” Eisele said. “Had a really good car. Looking forward to the Feature on Saturday.”

 

Heat 3 (15 Laps): 1. 18-Gavin Eisele[2]; 2. 714-Chris Darling[1]; 3. 0-Tony Finch II[3]; 4. 19-Owen Lewis[4]; 5. 31J-John Dumond[7]; 6. 22AJ-AJ Albreada[11]; 7. 88-Michael Wagner Fitzgerald[10]; 8. 6-Cody Manitta[12]; 9. 12P-Connor Prokop[5]; 10. 92-Frank Sibley[6]; 11. 916-Nick Brundige[21]; 12. 51-Bryan Preville[14]; 13. 78JR-Nigel Pendykoski[8]; 14. 7-Cody McPherson[23]; 15. 10X-Cory Castell[9]; 16. 31G-Cayden Graham[15]; 17. 2-Greg Henry[18]; 18. 1F-AJ Lloyd[19]; 19. 3-Stephen Bushey[20]; 20. 4-Kobe Hernandez[17]; 21. 16-Matt Barbour; 22. 111-Henry Desmoreau[22]; 23. 50-William August[16]; 24. 3N-Noah Mamo[13]

 

Heat Race #4

 

After capturing the pole award during the day and a Heat Race win under the lights, Tyler Peet has shown he’ll be a worthy contender in the chase for the $5,000 grand prize and DIRTcar Northeast immortality on Saturday.

 

The Pennsylvanian reigned supreme for all 15 laps, never once letting his competition challenge him for the top spot. He collected the checkered flag and the $500 check for his efforts over Karl Comfort, Tyler Stevenson, Taylor Wason, Bodie Marks and Camron Hotaling — all transfers into Saturday’s Feature.

 

“We threw some wholesale changes at it to try, and I think we got a little better,” Peet said. “The track is in great shape right now, so I hope it is something like what we get Saturday. We’ll keep fighting and see what happens.”

 

Heat 4 (15 Laps): 1. 9G-Tyler Peet[1]; 2. 10-Karl Comfort[2]; 3. FOX28-Tyler Stevenson[8]; 4. 07W-Taylor Wason[4]; 5. 33M-Bodie Marks[10]; 6. 98-Camron Hotaling[3]; 7. 3H-Cole Hentschel[9]; 8. 83-Brett Sears[7]; 9. 64-Tyler Corcoran[21]; 10. 44-David Rogers[12]; 11. 15X-Kyle DeMetro[5]; 12. 29-Matt Ellery[11]; 13. 13-Steve Davis[16]; 14. 0W-Broden Weiler[22]; 15. 4S-Stephen Stasko[19]; 16. BK2-Kelly Smith[18]; 17. 28L-Lea Jeanne Lauziere[17]; 18. 27R-John Redner[15]; 19. 77-Garrett Biagiarelli[20]; 20. B17-Randy Brokaw[13]; 21. 54-Sullivan Dickey[14]; 22. (DNS) 35T-Cameron Tuttle

 

UP NEXT

 

Super DIRT Week 54 presented by StubHub at Oswego Speedway continues for the DIRTcar Sportsman Modifieds on Saturday, Oct. 10, with the running of the Great Lakes 75.

 

Tickets and event information are available at SuperDIRTWeek.com. If you can’t be there in person, stream every lap live on DIRTVision.

 

ARTICLE: https://superdirtweek.com/dirtcar-ne/sportsman-modifieds/tyler-peet-sweeps-dirtcar-sportsman-great-lakes-75-pole-heat-win-at-super-dirt-week-54/

EVENT INFO: https://superdirtweek.com/
TRACK INFO: https://superdirtweek.com/

FAN 101: https://about.dirtcar.com/

 

LIGHTNING ON THE LAKE: Larry Wight Earns Pole For Billy Whittaker Cars 200, Wins Thursday Qualifier
Alex Yankowski and Alex Payne also earned Qualifier wins at Oswego Speedway

Brent Smith

 

OSWEGO, NY(October 9, 2026) – After taking a provisional in last year’s Billy Whittaker Cars 200, Larry Wight has a much shorter drive to the front at Super DIRT Week 54 presented by StubHub.

The Phoenix, NY driver earned the SRI Performance and Stock Car Steep Pole Award in “Super Six” Qualifying on Thursday and backed it up with a win in his Heat Race, taking home $4,000.

“Lightning Larry,” along with 29 other drivers, have locked in to Saturday’s $54,000-to-win Billy Whittaker Cars 200.

THE SUPER SIX

On Thursday afternoon, 76 drivers entered Big Block Modified racing’s crown jewel, with the top two cars in each of the three Qualifying groups earning a spot in the “Super Six.” 

After both rounds of Qualifying, Wight earned the SRI Performance and Stock Car Steel Pole Award with a 21.719 second lap.

Joining Wight in this year’s “Super Six” were Fratto Curbing Outside Pole Award winner Jimmy Phelps, Alex Payne, Tim Fuller, Billy Dunn, and Alex Yankowski.

HEAT #1 

Yankowski, the Super DIRTcar Series points leader, continued his consistency in 2026 by leading all 25 laps of Thursday’s first Heat Race. The Covington Township, PA driver chose the outside lane on the initial restart and never looked back, using it to win by more than three seconds.

Behind “Kid Rocket,” defending Billy Whittaker Cars 200 winner Mat Williamson charged forward, moving up four spots to finish third behind Darren Smith. 

Dunn faded to fourth in the final circuits after starting second, while Garrett Krummert qualified for his first 200 with a fifth-place finish.

The transfer cars from the race were Smith, Williamson, Garrett Krummert, Mike Mahaney, Tim McCreadie, Justin Stone, Chris Curtis, and Brian Calabrese.

“The engine is really, really smooth,” Yankowski said. “It’s allowing us to move around, into the black, getting into the grip and off the grip. As the race plays out, though, I think we’re going to see some comers and goers. I hope when it's dead black, and there’s no grip to be had, that we’re just as fast.”

 

Heat 1 (25 Laps): 1. 84Y-Alex Yankowski[1]; 2. 12-Darren Smith[3]; 3. 88-Mat Williamson[7]; 4. 49-Billy Dunn[2]; 5. 29-Garrett Krummert[6]; 6. 35-Mike Mahaney[10]; 7. 9M-Tim McCreadie[5]; 8. 15X-Justin Stone[8]; 9. 35C-Chris Curtis[4]; 10. 21C-Brian Calabrese[9]; 11. 25-Erick Rudolph[14]; 12. 29K-Ryan Krachun[13]; 13. 27Z-Dylan Zacharias[17]; 14. 3M-Chris Mackey[12]; 15. 3CC-James Meehan[16]; 16. 76-Chip Constantino[15]; 17. 17-Marcus Dinkins[18]; 18. 14S-Brian Swarthout[23]; 19. 22E-Mike Engwer[24]; 20. 0-Glenn Styres[20]; 21. 8M-Macey Adamik[21]; 22. 44S-Kyle Sheldon[19]; 23. 88D-Dave Allen[25]; 24. 84-Gary Tomkins[11]; 25. 82-Wally Wade[22]; 26. 35B-Francois Bellemare[26]

HEAT #2

The second Super DIRTcar Series Heat Race felt similar to the first, with an Alex at the front. This time, Alex Payne drove away from Jimmy Phelps to take the lead on the opening lap, going unchallenged to earn a Heat Race win for the second straight season.

 

While Payne won the second Heat Race comfortably, all eyes were on six-time Billy Whittaker Cars 200 winner Stewart Friesen, who had trouble while running in the top five. 

As Friesen battled in the top five with Gary Lindberg, the Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON driver’s left front wheel went onto the inside jersey barrier in Turn 3, leaving his Halmar International No. 44 with a flat tire and bent front axle. 

Friesen went to the pits to try and drive back into the transfer spot but fell short when he crossed the line in 13th.

Rounding out the podium behind Payne were Jimmy Phelps and new dad Jack Lehner.

The transfer cars in Heat Race 2 were Lehner, Lindberg, Peter Britten, Ryan Godown, Mike Maresca, Mike Trautschold, Tyler Dippel, and Tanner Van Doren, who out dueled Ronnie Davis III for the final spot.

“You take that time to work on a racetrack similar to what I think the 200 is going to be on Saturday,” Payne said. “We felt pretty comfortable. We know what to look for. We know what we need to work on and have a pretty good starting spot and a little extra money. The week’s going good, so far.”

 

Heat 2 (25 Laps): 1. 70A-Alex Payne[1]; 2. 98H-Jimmy Phelps[2]; 3. 2-Jack Lehner[5]; 4. 37S-Gary Lindberg[3]; 5. 21A-Peter Britten[4]; 6. 26-Ryan Godown[6]; 7. 7MM-Michael Maresca[7]; 8. 28-Michael Trautschold[9]; 9. 1-Tyler Dippel[13]; 10. 27-Tanner Van Doren[16]; 11. 32R-Ronnie Davis III[10]; 12. 25P-Michael Parent[12]; 13. 44-Stewart Friesen[11]; 14. 98-Rocky Warner[14]; 15. 22C-Cedric Gauvreau[15]; 16. 6-Matt Stangle[8]; 17. 7M-Paul Mancini[20]; 18. 9X-Tyler Trump[18]; 19. 14-CG Morey[24]; 20. 21M-Bob Mcgannon[22]; 21. 48T-Dave Rauscher[19]; 22. 10-Karl Comfort[21]; 23. 444-Russell Morseman IV[23]; 24. 16-Aaron Jacobs[25]; 25. 28M-Jordan McCreadie[17]

 

Heat #3

With the pole already locked up, Wight aimed to sweep the day with a Heat Race Victory. However, a Northeast Dirt Modified Hall of Famer wasn’t going to make that easy.

After a Lap 6 caution, drivers faced a long green-flag run toward the end of the third Heat Race, which almost played into the hands of Fuller. As Wight clicked laps off, Fuller’s No. 19 closed in on the No. 99L and caught him once they reached the tail of the field. 

Fuller tried finding the right lane to sneak by and take the lead, but Wight was better in traffic. Wight dove underneath Jeremy Pitts, a lap car, in Turns 1 and 2 and slid up in front of the No. 27 to separate himself from Fuller, which was all he needed to earn the $4,000 victory.

Behind the top two, 10-time Series champion Matt Sheppard charged forward from eleventh, using the top of the track to storm past Marc Johnson, Felix Roy, and Nick Root to earn a top five finish.

The transfer cars in Heat Race 3 were Justin Haers, Tim Sears Jr., Sheppard, Root, Roy, Johnson, Matt Caprara, and Andrew Buff.

“The car was phenomenal,” Wight said. “The engine ran awesome. You can’t ask for much more than that. 

“Clean air is so big here. I felt like I was glued to the track and then I’d get into lap traffic and get into that dirty air and start losing the nose and losing the rear deck a little bit. I just had to go where they weren’t to keep my nose in clean air.”

Heat 3 (25 Laps): 1. 99L-Larry Wight[1]; 2. 19-Tim Fuller[2]; 3. 3-Justin Haers[4]; 4. 83X-Tim Sears Jr[6]; 5. 9S-Matt Sheppard[11]; 6. 30-Nicholas Root[3]; 7. 91-Felix Roy[9]; 8. 9-Marc Johnson[5]; 9. 11-Matt Caprara[7]; 10. 92-Andrew Buff[8]; 11. 60-Jackson Gill[12]; 12. 4-Anthony Perrego[14]; 13. 3RS-Dalton Slack[10]; 14. 7Z-Zachary Payne[19]; 15. 15-Todd Root[20]; 16. 44H-Chris Hulsizer[18]; 17. 4K-Elliot Gamache[13]; 18. 44R-Rusty Smith[17]; 19. 27P-Jeremy Pitts[23]; 20. 99-Kolby Schroder[16]; 21. 176-Billy Pauch Jr[21]; 22. 22-Brandon Walters[15]; 23. 8-Rich Scagliotta[24]; 24. 81-Heath Metzger[25]; 25. 11T-Jeff Taylor[22]

 

UP NEXT: The Super DIRTcar Series returns to Super DIRT Week 54 presented by Stubhub on Saturday, Oct. 10, for the $54,000-to-win Billy Whittaker Cars 200.

How can you watch every lap of Super DIRT Week 54 if you can’t be at Oswego Speedway? Live on DIRTVision.

 

ARTICLE: https://superdirtweek.com/recap/lightning-on-the-lake-larry-wight-earns-pole-for-billy-whittaker-cars-200-wins-thursday-qualifier/

FAN 101: https://about.dirtcar.com/

 

  

WEDNESDAY MONEY: Mat Williamson Leads DIRTcar 358 Modified Pack With Pole/Heat Sweep

 

 Brent Smith

OSWEGO, NY (Oct. 7, 2026) – Over 100 drivers entered to compete in the DIRTcar 358 Modified division for Super DIRT Week 54 presented by StubHub, but one has already emerged as the top contender.

Again.

Mat Williamson, who has won the last three Salute to the Troops 150 presented by Air National Guard events at Oswego Speedway, is another step closer to a potential fourth straight title after claiming the SRI Performance/Stock Car Steel & Aluminum Pole Award and winning Qualifying Heat #3 by over four seconds.

He, along with 27 other drivers, locked themselves into Friday’s $20,000-to-win, 150-lap, DIRTcar 358 Modified Salute to the Troops 150 presented by Air National Guard.

“Super… Eight”

Due to there being 103 entries, the field was split into four Qualifying groups, expanding the number of cars re-qualifying to eight – taking the top two qualifiers from each group.

Williamson topped them all with a 22.339-second lap around the 5/8-mile dirt track. He was followed by Fratto Curbing Outside Polesitter Darren Smith, Jimmy Phelps, Larry Wight, Billy Dunn, Peter Britten, Andrew Buff and Matt Caprara.

Heat #1

While Caprara missed out on the “Super Six” photo and awards, he made up for it by dominating the first of four 20-lap Qualifying Heats. He launched ahead of the field at the sight of Dave Farney waving the green flag and never looked back.

Behind him, though, were numerous battles to secure a transfer spot. With five laps to go, Lance Willix dove under Tim Sears Jr., who was holding onto the final transfer spot, going into Turn 1. They entered with Willix as close as he could be to the inside wall and Sears just as close as he could be to the right side of the No. 31 car. That resulted in Willix bouncing off the inside and into Sears, causing him to dart right into the wall.

In the final circuits of the Heat, while Caprara enjoyed a comfortable lead, Alex Payne worked his way into second from his fourth-place starting position with four laps to go, putting Anthony Perrego back to third.

The transfer cars included Caprara, Payne, Perrego, Mike Mahaney, Andrew Buff, Marc Johnson, and Willix.

"I just can't thank all of my guys enough. We've busted our tails for so many years, not making these races," Caprara said. "To come here, lock in, and now win our Heat Race, start the Feature on Friday, it's a dream come true. I can't thank my parents (enough) back home. They put some much time and effort into this."

RESULTS: Heat 1 (20 Laps): 1. 11-Matt Caprara[1]; 2. 70A-Alex Payne[4]; 3. 4-Anthony Perrego[3]; 4. 35-Mike Mahaney[7]; 5. 92-Andrew Buff[2]; 6. 3J-Marc Johnson[6]; 7. 31-Lance Willix[11]; 8. 28-Jordan McCreadie[13]; 9. 28F-Alan Fink[17]; 10. 34-Rusty Smith[10]; 11. 67W-Zack Welch[16]; 12. 8-Rich Scagliotta[14]; 13. 18R-Brad Rouse[18]; 14. 427-Carter Gibbons[23]; 15. B24-Brendan Gibbons[21]; 16. 17G-Garrett Poland[24]; 17. 33X-Matt Janczuk[12]; 18. 95C-Christopher Cormier[22]; 19. 88H-Chris Hulsizer[8]; 20. 01B-Zachary Buff[19]; 21. 19L-Owen Lewis[15]; 22. 35B-Francois Bellemare[25]; 23. 23B-Cameron Black[20]; 24. (DNF) 83X-Tim Sears Jr[5]; 25. (DNF) 17-Tyler Meeks[9]; 26. (DNS) 399-Nick Giardini

Heat #2

Peter Britten tried to capture the same result as Caprara in Qualifying Heat #2, but Larry Wight used his favorite line around the “Clay Palace” to his advantage again.

Last year, Wight worked the top lane to go from 41st to the top five in the Billy Whittaker Cars 200 last year. On Wednesday night, he used it to power around Britten for the lead on Lap 8 and then drive away with the Heat win.

With five laps to go, the battle for the final transfer spot became a three-car battle between Chris Curtis, Jax Yohn, and Bobby Hackel IV. Yohn had been holding the spot for most of the race, but Curtis used a restart on Lap 15 to his advantage, sneaking around the No. 24Y for seven. Hackel tried to enter the battle for a couple of laps, but faded. Yohn stayed within striking distance of Curtis, but could never put together a run to get back by him.

The transfer cars included Wight, Lindberg, Britten, Gill, Haers, Godown, and Curtis.

"Just missed it a little bit in time trials and made up for it in the [Super Six re-qualifying]," Wight said. "The car was really good. Just made a few small tweaks to it and let the car come to us. We got that restart at halfway and really started meshing."

RESULTS: Heat 2 (20 Laps): 1. 99L-Larry Wight[2]; 2. 37S-Gary Lindberg[3]; 3. 8B-Peter Britten[1]; 4. 60-Jackson Gill[4]; 5. 32C-Justin Haers[7]; 6. 115-Ryan Godown[6]; 7. 35C-Chris Curtis[12]; 8. 24Y-Jax Yohn[9]; 9. 14T-Payton Talbot[8]; 10. 15-Todd Root[11]; 11. 97-Bobby Hackel IV[14]; 12. 22-Brandon Walters[5]; 13. 38-Kevin Stevens[15]; 14. 52-Jessica Power[13]; 15. 1Z-Jessica Friesen[17]; 16. 39X-Alex Therrien[19]; 17. 21R-RJ Tresidder[18]; 18. 11S-Steve Lewis Jr[16]; 19. 32JM-James Meehan[20]; 20. 7-Brady Cordova[21]; 21. 28L-Ted Starr[24]; 22. 88D-Dave Allen[26]; 23. 12G-Matt Guererri[25]; 24. 53-Richard Smith[22]; 25. 15X-Justin Stone[10]; 26. 16-Aaron Jacobs[23]

Heat #3

Qualifying Heat #3 was the Williamson show with his No. 6 car in a different league than the rest of the field. However, another driver had a quiet but impressive run.

Two-time Super DIRT Week Small Block champion Tim Fuller patiently picked his way through the field from his sixth-place starting position, driving the Slack family’s No. 3RS car. On the final lap, he worked his way past Phelps to score the runner-up finish.

Cedric Gauvreau and Erick Rudolph also had a battle worth watching in the final stages of the Heat. After Gauvreau fell to seven on from fourth on Lap 4, he had to try to fend off Rudolph for the remaining 16 laps. But while Rudolph was able to keep the pressure on him, the No. 22C hit its marks, awarding Gauvreau the final transfer spot.

The transferring drivers included Williamson, Fuller, Phelps, Alex Yankowski, Ronnie Davis III, Matt Sheppard, and Gauvreau.

"[The car] feels really good, but I think we still have some work to do," Williamson said. "If I could get the right rear to stop sliding into (Turn) three I'd feel really good. We have some really smart people on my team; tomorrow we'll go to work on it and try to make it a little better than it was tonight."

RESULTS: Heat 3 (20 Laps): 1. 6-Mat Williamson[1]; 2. 3RS-Tim Fuller[6]; 3. 98H-Jimmy Phelps[2]; 4. 84Y-Alex Yankowski[10]; 5. 32R-Ronnie Davis III[3]; 6. 9S-Matt Sheppard[5]; 7. 22C-Cedric Gauvreau[4]; 8. 25-Erick Rudolph[8]; 9. 25P-Michael Parent[11]; 10. 72-Ajay Potrzebowski II[9]; 11. 6S-Matt Stangle[13]; 12. 58M-Marshall Hurd[7]; 13. 51-Ryan Krachun[12]; 14. 35M-Nelson Mason[16]; 15. 11T-Jeff Taylor[22]; 16. 31B-Ryan Dolbear[26]; 17. 7B-Mitchell Bard[21]; 18. 29H-Nick Heywood[15]; 19. 4K-Elliot Gamache[18]; 20. 39A-Alan Therrien[20]; 21. 28S-Matt Smith[17]; 22. 7M-Paul Mancini[19]; 23. 514-James Hanson[23]; 24. 26-Michael Mandigo[25]; 25. (DNF) 117J-CJ Castelletti[24]; 26. (DNS) 29-Garrett Krummert

Heat #4

Qualifying Heat #4 had a similar look to Heat #3, with the leader leaving the field and a driver methodically working their way up through the field.

Fratto Curbing Outside Polesitter Darren Smith went unchallenged for all 20 laps, winning by over two seconds at the finish.

Behind him, Felix Roy was on the move, working his way up through the sixth-starting position. He reached the runner-up spot by Lap 12 and began cutting tenths out of Smith’s lead. But not quickly enough, having to settle for second at the end.

The transfer cars included Smith, Roy, Brian Calabrese, Billy Dunn, Michael Maresca, Chris Raabe, and Tanner Van Doren.

"Starting up front and locking yourself in like that is huge," Smith said. "It takes all the pressure off this Heat racing out here. We tried a little something. I don't know if it's good or not, but we'll see how it is [Friday].

"We're on a little bit of a different package for here than we have been all year, just because this place is so weird. Even in this Heat Race there, I didn't feel good in (Turns) three and four at all. I was kind of pushing getting in and skating through the middle. But we're having fun. We'll try to have a fun week."

RESULTS: Heat 4 (20 Laps): 1. 12-Darren Smith[1]; 2. 91R-Felix Roy[6]; 3. 21C-Brian Calabrese[8]; 4. 49-Billy Dunn[2]; 5. 7MM-Michael Maresca[3]; 6. 01-Chris Raabe[5]; 7. 27-Tanner Van Doren[4]; 8. 30-Nicholas Root[9]; 9. 12T-Tyler Peet[10]; 10. 97W-Rocky Warner[11]; 11. 3-Cole Hentschel[7]; 12. M1-David Marcuccilli[16]; 13. 57H-Remington Hamm[13]; 14. 79-Brandon Loucks[15]; 15. 91-Josh Reome[20]; 16. 74-Dave Flannigan Jr[12]; 17. 22X-Mike Richmond[14]; 18. 5-Jack Butler[17]; 19. 14S-Brian Swarthout[25]; 20. 36-Brian Whittemore[23]; 21. 11Z-Nicholas Zielinski[19]; 22. 0-Glenn Styres[24]; 23. (DNF) 14-CG Morey[21]; 24. (DNF) 4P-Chase Moran[18]; 25. (DNF) 284-Jamie Kamrowski[22]

UP NEXT: The DIRTcar 358 Modified Series returns on Friday, Oct. 9, with Last Chance Showdown for the remaining 74 drivers not yet locked in, and the $20,000-to-win, 150-lap, Salute to the Troops 150 presented by Air National Guard.

How can you watch every lap of Super DIRT Week 54 if you can’t be at Oswego Speedway? Live on DIRTVision.

ARTICLE: https://dirtcar.com/dirtcar-ne/wednesday-money-mat-williamson-leads-dirtcar-358-modified-pack-with-pole-heat-sweep/

EVENT INFO: SuperDIRTWeek.com
 

FAN 101: https://about.dirtcar.com/

Yetman Wins Pole for I Love NY 50, 21 DIRTcar Pro Stocks Claim Feature Spots at Super DIRT Week 54

 Brent Smith

OSWEGO, NY (October 7, 2026) – The first half of the DIRTcar Pro Stock program at Super DIRT Week 54 presented by StubHub is complete, and 21 drivers have locked in their spots for Friday’s I Love NY 50.

Super Six Qualifying

Leading them to green will be Pro Stock veteran Rob Yetman, who topped the Super Six Qualifying session with a 25.779-second lap around Oswego Speedway to pick up the SRI Performance/Stock Car Steel Pole Award. The Castleton, NY native is the winningest Pro Stock driver in Super DIRT Week history with five-straight triumphs from 2013 to 2017, but will be going for his first victory in nearly a decade on Friday afternoon.

“I got a little choked up, because I’ve been out of this seat a little bit here and there,” Yetman said. “Steve’s been working real hard, the car’s a missile. You never think you’re going to get another one when you’ve been out for a while, but this is pretty cool. The faster [the track] is, the better I think we are.”

Trailing Yetman in the Super Six were Luke Horning, David Stickles, Shane Playford, Bastien Caron and Denis Gauvreau, who will start in spots two through six, respectively.

Heat 1

Gauvreau and Horning shared the front row, but after a Lap 1 pileup, third-starting Dakota Sharp got around Horning and emerged to challenge Gauvreau for the lead. .

The No. 12S got a run off the bottom of Turn 2 on Lap 2 and set sail from there. With Gauvreau and last year’s I Love NY 50 winner Devon Camenga racing hard for second behind him, it was all Sharp out front the rest of the way. The Colton, NY driver will make his third Feature start at Oswego on Friday with the goal of improving on his career best of 11th from 2024.

“Third year coming to it, making the show three years in a row is good,” Sharp said. “Starting third was a good spot. We time trialed really well, had the car on point right out of the trailer. Just hit my marks around the bottom, and I figured if I could keep it around the inside, make everybody go the long way around and hold them in their spots.”

Camenga, Kyle Hoard, Andrew Graves and Kim Duell also punched their tickets to Friday’s Feature.

Heat 1 (10 Laps): 1. 12S-Dakota Sharp[3]; 2. 110-Devon Camenga[7]; 3. 72G-Denis Gauvreau[1]; 4. 76-Kyle Hoard[5]; 5. 8ND-Andrew Graves[6]; 6. 14-Kim Duell[11]; 7. 324-Jason Casey[4]; 8. 2-Brandon Emigh[8]; 9. 7N-AJ Walters[14]; 10. 322-Jay Casey[9]; 11. 57-Charles Mcspirit[10]; 12. 28-Philip DeFiglio[12]; 13. 56-Jaxson Ryan[13]; 14. 09-Shawn Perez Sr[15]; 15. (DNF) 2H-Luke Horning[2]

Heat 2

Caron had already secured the fifth starting spot in Friday’s Feature in Qualifying, and only needs to start the race to clinch his first DIRTcar Pro Stock Series championship, but he saw that as no reason to take it easy in his Heat Race.

The Inverness, QC resident led JJ Courcy and Playford after Lap 1, but Courcy made his bid for the lead by sending it to Caron’s inside in Turns 1 and 2. While those two were racing side-by-side, the stopped car of Joe Wilson brought out the caution to slow the field and hand the lead back to Caron.

Following another yellow flag for a tangle off on the backstretch, Caron put the pedal down and took the win by three seconds over Chucky Dumblewski to keep the momentum up in his Super DIRT Week debut.

“With the pole position for the start in my Heat, it’s not easy, but I took the bottom line because you have more moisture in that lane,” Caron said. “I kept them [behind] for all of the Heat, it was good for me.”

With Caron already in, the five transfer spots went to Dumblewski, Courcy, Ken Schrader, Pete Stefanski and Rich Crane.

Heat 2 (10 Laps): 1. 73-Bastien Caron[1]; 2. 07-Chucky Dumblewski[4]; 3. 4-JJ Courcy[3]; 4. 9S-Ken Schrader[5]; 5. 2S-Pete Stefanski[6]; 6. 711-Rich Crane[8]; 7. 6-Shane Playford[2]; 8. 2M-Johnathan Miller[12]; 9. 32-Jonathan Levesque[11]; 10. 49-Ivan Joslin[14]; 11. (DNF) 33-Bruno Cyr[7]; 12. (DNF) 2Z-Hugh Page[10]; 13. (DNF) 14X-Scott Duell[9]; 14. (DNF) 157-Joe Wilson[13]

Heat 3

The front row of Sid Harmer Jr. and Caden Dumblewski remained side-by-side all the way around on Lap 1, with Dumblewski edging in front to lead the first circuit.

Harmer wasn’t ready to back down though, and he found enough speed on the bottom to nose ahead the next time around. The entertaining battle out front came to an end in Turn 1, as Harmer finally cleared Dumblewski, survived a Lap 5 restart and drove home to the checkered flag. The Gouverneur, NY pilot is competing at Super DIRT Week for the first time since 2019, when he finished a career-best second to Josh Coonradt.

“We ain’t been here since 2019, and it drives a whole lot different than these cars do,” Harmer said. “Back then, I was on leaf springs and it’s totally different. This is a new Manimal chassis, so I’ve really got to thank Nick Stone for just helping me out with this new car and getting me going in the right direction. We’ve won quite a few races this year, luckily, and it’s all because of my team and this car.”

Dumblewski, Dominic Stone, Tyler Bushey and Tommy Lizotte also raced their way into the main event.

Heat 3 (10 Laps): 1. 14R-Sid Harmer Jr[3]; 2. 7C-Caden Dumblewski[4]; 3. 8N-Dominic Stone[5]; 4. X15-Tyler Bushey[6]; 5. 777-Tommy Lizotte[7]; 6. 9B-Slater Baker[8]; 7. 54S-Zachary Sorrentino[14]; 8. 48-Jocelyn Roy[9]; 9. 9-Eric Jean Louis[11]; 10. 6C-Brian Carter[12]; 11. 09J-Shawn Perez Jr[10]; 12. 55-David Stickles[1]; 13. 0-Broden Weiler[13]; 14. (DNS) 7-Rob Yetman

UP NEXT: The DIRTcar Pro Stock portion of Super DIRT Week 54 presented by StubHub concludes on Friday, Oct. 9, with a pair of Last Chance Showdowns ahead of the I Love NY 50. Get your tickets in advance by clicking here.

Want to watch Super DIRT Week? Stream every lap live on DIRTVision.

DIRTcar Pro Stock I Love NY 50 Starting Lineup (spots 22-30 to be determined by Last Chance Showdowns and provisionals):

  1. Rob Yetman
  2. Luke Horning
  3. David Stickles
  4. Shane Playford
  5. Bastien Caron
  6. Denis Gauvreau
  7. Dakota Sharp
  8. Sid Harmer Jr.
  9. Devon Camenga
  10. Chucky Demblewski
  11. Caden Demblewski
  12. JJ Courcy
  13. Dominic Stone
  14. Kyle Hoard
  15. Ken Schrader
  16. Tyler Bushey
  17. Andrew Graves
  18. Pete Stefanski
  19. Tommy Lizotte
  20. Kim Duell
  21. Rich Crane

ARTICLE: https://dirtcar.com/dirtcar-ump/yetman-wins-pole-for-i-love-ny-50-21-dirtcar-pro-stocks-claim-feature-spots-at-super-dirt-week-54/

EVENT INFO: https://superdirtweek.com/
TRACK INFO: https://www.oswegospeedway.com/

FAN 101: https://about.dirtcar.com/

 
RETURN OF THE NINE: Tim McCreadie Returns to Super DIRT Week 54 in Search of Elusive Billy Whittaker Cars 200 Victory
The Watertown, NY driver will pilot a No. 9 Big Block Modified in tribute to his dad Bob

Emily Schwanke

The Watertown, NY driver will pilot a No. 9 Big Block Modified in tribute to his dad Bob

OSWEGO, NY (October 2, 2026) – Bob McCreadie’s No. 9 Big Block Modified was a legendary part of Super DIRT Week. 

And now, Tim McCreadie will bring that iconic paint scheme to Oswego Speedway.

The Watertown, NY driver has officially entered Super DIRT Week 54 presented by StubHub and is chasing an item missing from his racing resume: a Billy Whittaker Cars 200 win.

McCreadie said he never expected the opportunity until he got a call from a former Big Block driver in the winter.

 “I hadn’t driven these things in quite a while,” McCreadie said. “It worked out that Vinny Vitale called me during the offseason and asked if I was interested in driving a bit. And we just put something together. 

“The fact that we were fairly competitive was the best part, and maybe we have a shot at doing well.”

The World of Outlaws Late Models presented DIRTVision star will enter his first Super DIRTcar Series event since the Hall of Fame 100 at Weedsport Speedway in August. However, that wasn’t the last time he’s been in a Modified.

He drove a Tyler Siri-owned Big Block at Outlaw Speedway last month, before competing in the Gerald Haers Memorial with the No. 9 car at Land of Legends Raceway. Unfortunately for “T-Mac,” things didn’t go as well as he’d hoped, bringing his confidence down before “Racing’s Biggest Party.”

“We had to get a new frame, so I’m less confident than I was,” McCreadie said. “But I know Vinny and the guys went to work. I’m hoping maybe we can get a test session in before it starts to sort that car out. It wasn’t as happy as the car I wrecked, but they’ll work on it. 

“Two weeks ago, I was very confident; today, not so much. But it’s part of racing.”

Despite only making a few starts in a Modified this season, McCreadie isn’t worried about the lack of recent experience behind the wheel. He ran coil-over cars when he began racing, like his Late Model.

However, he said it still comes down to one thing: comfort.

“We used to run coils years ago when I first started,” McCreadie said. “Coil-overs aren’t a new thing, but the way they do it is a little different. The outright feel of the car is different. But it’s just like anything when you get it comfortable. When I was comfortable the few nights I ran this car and when I ran at Outlaw (Speedway), I was just as comfortable, and we ran right up front. It’s just a matter of getting whoever drives your car comfortable.”

If McCreadie transfers into this year’s Billy Whittaker Cars 200, it’ll be the Northeast Dirt Modified Hall of Famer’s 20th start, where he’s earned two top fives and five top 10s. 

He returns to an event that means a lot to him and his family’s history, which brings back memories of the New York State Fairgrounds.

“(I remember) going there all these years to Syracuse and sleeping in the campground in tents, and going with my dad and then racing,” McCreadie said. “There were two or three times I thought we had the best car, and it wasn’t meant to be. One year at Oswego I thought we were really good, too, and to be able to win would mean the world.”

McCreadie will join the Super DIRTcar Series at Super DIRT Week 54 presented by StubHub on Oct. 5-10, attempting to win his first Billy Whittaker Cars 200.

Where can you find event information and tickets for Super DIRT Week 54 presented by StubHub? By visiting SuperDIRTWeek.com.

Where can you watch the Super DIRT Week? Watch every lap live on DIRTVision. 

ARTICLE: https://superdirtweek.com/dirtcar-ne/big-block-modifieds/super-dirt-car-series/return-of-the-nine-tim-mccreadie-returns-to-super-dirt-week-54-in-search-of-elusive-billy-whittaker-cars-200-victory/

EVENT INFO: https://superdirtweek.com
 

FAN 101: https://about.dirtcar.com/

 

Super DIRT Week Block Party Brings Racing Excitement to Downtown Oswego

OSWEGO, NY (Oct. 2, 2026) – Super DIRT Week, in partnership with The Greater Oswego-Fulton Chamber of Commerce (GOFCC) and the City of Oswego, will welcome race fans and community members to downtown Oswego for Racing's Biggest Block Party on Tuesday, Oct. 6, from 4–8 p.m. along West First Street.

The free community event will bring the excitement of Super DIRT Week 54 presented by StubHub into the heart of downtown Oswego, giving residents and visitors an opportunity to connect with drivers, see race cars up close and enjoy an evening of live entertainment, local food, shopping and family-friendly activities.

Super DIRT Week drivers and race cars will be featured throughout the event, with opportunities for fans to meet drivers and get autographs. The evening will also feature live music, roaming entertainment from Jeff the Magic Man, kids activities, local vendors, food trucks and more.

“Super DIRT Week brings thousands of visitors to our community, and the Block Party is an opportunity to welcome them downtown and showcase everything Oswego has to offer,” said Sara Broadwell, executive director of the Greater Oswego-Fulton Chamber of Commerce. “It’s also a great opportunity to support our downtown businesses, restaurants and local vendors while creating an experience that both visitors and our community can enjoy.”

Local businesses throughout downtown Oswego are encouraged to join in the celebration, and attendees are invited to explore downtown shops, restaurants and businesses throughout the evening.

The Super DIRT Week Block Party is part of the community-wide celebration surrounding one of Oswego’s largest annual events and is free and open to the public.

“Super DIRT Week has become one of Oswego’s signature annual traditions, and bringing that excitement into our downtown is a great way to showcase the spirit of this community. The Block Party gives our residents and visitors a chance to come together, support local businesses, and celebrate an event that brings national attention to our city. We’re proud to partner with GOFCC and Super DIRT Week to make this a memorable evening for everyone” said Oswego Mayor Rob Corradino.

“We look for new ways to bring Super DIRT Week to the Oswego community every year, and as the event celebrates its 10th year at Oswego Speedway in 2026, we couldn’t be more excited to partner with The Greater Oswego-Fulton Chamber of Commerce and the City of Oswego to create a free event in the heart of the city for everyone to enjoy,” said Jeff Hachmann, Super DIRT Week executive director of events. “Whether you’re a lifelong Super DIRT Week fan or brand new to the sport, Racing’s Biggest Block Party will be a fun time for the whole family." 

EVENT INFO: SuperDIRTWeek.com
 

FAN 101: https://about.dirtcar.com/

 

A SHOT AT REDEMPTION: Justin Haers Ready For Another Shot at Billy Whittaker Cars 200 Victory
The Phelps, NY driver finished second at Super DIRT Week 53

Quentin Young

OSWEGO, NY (October 2, 2026) – Justin Haers will never forget Super DIRT Week 53.

The Phelps, NY driver narrowly missed out on his first Billy Whittaker Cars 200 victory at Oswego Speedway, going side-by-side multiple times with eventual winner Mat Williamson before ultimately finishing second. 

Next week, “T-Bone” returns to Super DIRT Week 54 presented by StubHub, Oct. 5-10, aiming for redemption after a moment he called bittersweet.

 

“We thought we were going to be able to make a charge there toward the end, but it didn’t come out that way,” Haers said. “I thought the cautions kind of hurt me, but that’s beside the point. If you would’ve told me I was going to run second at Super DIRT Week last year, I would’ve definitely been happy. 

“I always look forward to Super DIRT Week. I love the big stages, the people, the crowds. And to be able to run second, really means a lot.”

Haers had his best chance to get by Williamson on a Lap 135 restart, when he pulled even with the No. 88 coming off Turn 4, nosing ahead to lead a lap. But that was short-lived, as Williamson’s momentum carried him back in the lead on the bottom in Turn 2.

Unfortunately for Haers, the race never got back into heavy lap traffic, where he said he thought his Phelps Cement Products No. 3 would be positioned to reclaim the lead.

“That’s where I thought I was a bit better than him, and a bit more maneuverable than he was,” Haers said. “I was just trying to get him pinned behind a lap car in (Turns) 3 and 4, because that’s where I was the best. Not so much in (Turns) 1 and 2.

“As you’re racing, you’re trying to strategically play out how this is going to work. In a perfect world, you’re saying I’m going to pin him behind this lap car going into (Turn) 3, roll him on the outside, and hopefully that’s how it’s going to work, and we can race. But it didn’t work out that way; a lot of things happen in these races, and you just have to roll with the punches.”

Williamson wasn’t the only challenge Haers faced during the 200-lap battle. Another was keeping his car balanced for the duration of the event. With 2026 being only the third year the race has been contested under the lights at Oswego, he said it’s still a guessing game how the track will react at the start. Which means it’s also a guessing game on how to set up your car.

“You really hope at the beginning of the race that you’re really close,” Haers said. “You’re hoping at that 100-lap stop you have enough notes or enough feeling that you can give your crew an idea of what you want to change.

“That’s hard as a driver. You’re out there just driving, being as smooth as you can, and just doing your job out there. But in the back of your mind, you’re thinking of where I need to be better, and how can I make it better. You can come into your pit, and if you don’t have an experienced crew chief to say I need to be better off the corner, and have them throw some ideas at you, you’re the one doing the ideas in your head. That’s really challenging, but it’s also really fun at the same time.”

One thing different about Haers’ return to Super DIRT Week in 2026, is that he’ll be pulling double duty for the first time since 2021. He’ll be driving the Vic Coffey-owned 358 Modified in the Salute to the Troops 150 presented by Air National Guard. 

A reason he’s getting behind the wheel of a Small Block this season is simple: more track time.

“You don’t really get a lot of it,” Haers said. “This year I had an opportunity to get a real stout engine from Morrison Performance, and we kind of put a deal together with Vic (Coffey) to run Vic’s car with the No. 32C, which has obviously won a couple of Super DIRT Weeks.  

“Just getting track time, making sure your tires have enough heat cycles and you’re not on new tires all the time is important. You don’t know what the weather is going to throw at you at Oswego.”

All the track time during the Salute to the Troops 150 is just an added piece of the puzzle for Haers to try and accomplish what more than 70 drivers aim to do at Super DIRT Week: grab a Billy Whittaker Cars 200 victory.

In 2026, Haers returns to Oswego with more confidence, knowing the opportunities to etch his name in the record books are dwindling.

“I would be just totally blown away,” Haers said. “I’ve always said you have to lose one before you win one. And I’m not saying I lost one, but that was as close as I got to winning one, so I’d say that’s as close as I got to losing one. My years are numbered doing this, so I cherish every race I’m close to winning. The older you get, you usually start kind of like falling off and not running as well. And I don’t think I’ve done that yet.

“I’ve got some fight in me, and some speed. We’ll see what happens. I’m excited. We’re not quite where we want to be as far as racing for here, but we’ve been really working hard to get ready.”

Haers joins the Super DIRTcar Series and DIRTcar 358 Modified Series during Super DIRT Week 54 at Oswego Speedway in Oswego, NY, Oct. 5-10, culminating with the Billy Whittaker Cars 200.

Where can you find event information and tickets for Super DIRT Week 54 presented by StubHub? By visiting SuperDIRTWeek.com.

Where can you watch the Super DIRT Week? Watch every lap live on DIRTVision.

 

ARTICLE: https://superdirtweek.com/dirtcar-ne/big-block-modifieds/super-dirt-car-series/a-shot-at-redemption-justin-haers-ready-for-another-shot-at-a-billy-whittaker-cars-200-victory/

EVENT INFO: https://superdirtweek.com
 

FAN 101: https://about.dirtcar.com/

 

Big Names, Big Parties Set Stage For Super DIRT Week 54

 

 

harry meeks

OSSWEGO, NY (Oct. 5, 2026) – Super DIRT Week 54 presented by StubHub brings Racing’s Biggest Party to Oswego Speedway for the 10th time, and a celebration filled with gears and guitars is set to rock “The Port City.”

More than 30,000 fans will take advantage of the free entertainment and action-packed racing throughout the week, Oct. 5-10, featuring the Super DIRTcar Series, DIRTcar 358 Modified Series, DIRTcar Sportsman Series, and DIRTcar Pro Stock Series.

Music and parties will kick off the week before the racing action takes over, culminating with the DIRTcar 358 Modified Salute to the Troops 150 presented by Air National Guard and DIRTcar Pro Stock I Love NY 50 on Friday, and the DIRTcar Sportsman Great Lakes 75 and $54,000-to-win, 200-lap, Billy Whittaker Cars 200 on Saturday.

How can you get tickets to Super DIRT Week 54? By going to SuperDIRTWeek.com or by visiting StubHub.com, where fans can find more special offers.

BIG NAMES RETURN: Over 300 entries are expected for Super DIRT Week 54, and a few nationally known names are back on the list.

NASCAR legend Ken Schrader will make his second start in the DIRTcar Pro Stock Series at Oswego Speedway, piloting the Federated Auto Parts No. 9s car. The four-time Cup Series winner made his Super DIRT Week debut in 2022. Before getting involved in a late race accident, Schrader was on a charge from his 24th-place starting position, targeting a top-10 finish.

Bob McCreadie’s iconic No. 9 is returning to Super DIRT Week with his son, Tim McCreadie, behind the wheel. The 2006 World of Outlaws Late Model Series champion returns to Super DIRT Week for the first time since 2023, set to pilot a Big Block wrapped like his father’s famous Kinney Drugs car and fielded by Vinny Vitale. McCreadie made his debut in the car during the Hall of Fame 100 at Weedsport Speedway and then added a couple more starts after to get acclimated to the car.

After having to sit out last year due to an injury, Stewart Friesen is back to try to chase his seventh Super DIRTcar Series Billy Whittaker Cars 200 title. He’s already the winningest driver on the Super DIRTcar Series tour this year with seven victories. His return will only be behind the wheel of a Big Block this year, as his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series duties take priority on Friday. His wife, Jessica Friesen, will again step behind the wheel of the Halmar Friesen Racing No. 1Z DIRTcar 358 Modified for the Salute to the Troops 150 presented by Air National Guard.

GOING FOR HISTORY: Adding your name to the list of Super DIRT Week winners is a historic milestone for any driver, but some are looking to achieve a milestone yet to be achieved.

If Stewart Friesen can score his seventh Billy Whittaker Cars 200 title, he’ll become the winningest Big Block Modified driver in Super DIRT Week history, topping Brett Hearn.

Mat Williamson is currently the winningest driver at Oswego Speedway with four Billy Whittaker Cars 200 titles and three Salute to the Troops 150 wins. A fifth ‘200’ win would put him on the short list of five-time winners with Friesen and Hearn. A fourth ‘150’ win this year would be his fourth straight title, making him the first driver to claim four straight since Billy Decker (2008-2011).

IMPORTANT POINTS: The Super DIRTcar Series Billy Whittaker Cars 200, DIRTcar 358 Modified Salute to the Troops 150 presented by Air National Guard, DIRTcar Sportsman Great Lakes 75, DIRTcar Pro Stock I Love NY 50, play an important role in each series’ championship battle.

Twenty-two-year-old Alex Yankowski is on track to claim his first Super DIRTcar Series championship, entering Super DIRT Week with a 98-point lead over reigning Series champion Mat Williamson. However, Yankowski may need a strong performance to keep Williamson, also the defending Billy Whittaker Cars 200 winner, behind him and avoid losing points with only six races left this season.

Williamson is in the hunt for two titles again this year, as he leads the championship battle in the DIRTcar 358 Modified Series. He currently holds a 92-point lead over Mike Mahaney. With only two races remaining for the Series, a strong run at Super DIRT Week could help him lock up the title before the final race of the season at Brockville Ontario Speedway.

Canadian Tristan Ladouceur is looking for his first DIRTcar Sportsman Series title in only his second full tour with the Series. He enters Super DIRT Week with an 86-point lead over defending Great Lakes 75 champion Richard Murtaugh. Like the 358 Modifieds, the Sportsman division also has only two races remaining.

A DIRTcar Pro Stock Series champion will be crowned at Super DIRT Week as the I Love NY 50 serves as their season finale. After earning his second Series win of the season at Fulton Speedway on Friday, Bastien Caron will only need to start the I Love NY 50 to clinch his first Series championship.

HITTING A DECADE: For the 10th time in Super DIRT Week history, the event will be hosted at Oswego Speedway. In that time frame, the event found a new identity in its new home, creating a new party atmosphere for the city of Oswego and a new kind of racing for the crown jewel event.

Since the first year at Oswego Speedway in 2016, the event has seen several changes, including moving the Billy Whittaker Cars 200 to Saturday night and new pit stop rules, creating new strategies with a competition caution near the hallway point.

The 5/8-mile banked dirt track has helped enhance the racing, allowing for more side-by-side battles and exciting finishes, such as when Matt Sheppard made a last-lap pass on Peter Britten to win in 2017.

2022 saw the event hit its historic 50th year, bringing the former champions together for a special race and presentation.

The 50th year introduced a one-off special trophy. But last year saw the introduction of the Emil Lloyd “Buzzie” Reutimann perpetual trophy. The iconic piece honors “Buzzie,” the inaugural Super DIRT Week champion, with a replica of his car on top of it, along with the name of every Super DIRT Week Big Block Modified winner.

RACING’S BIGGEST PARTY: One of the biggest enhancements Super DIRT Week at Oswego has brought is the expanded entertainment off the track.

It kicked off this year with the Super DIRT Week Kickoff Party at Lighthouse Lanes on Sunday and continues all week long. There’s live music Tuesday through Saturday, including post-race live concerts on Friday and Saturday. New this year, Super DIRT Week is expanding into Downtown Oswego with Racing’s Biggest Block Party on Tuesday, Oct. 6, featuring music, food specials, driver meet-and-greets, race cars, and the raising of Mat Williamson’s championship flag at City Hall.

The frontstretch midway at the track will host live music, DJs, giveaways, stage shows, merchandise vendors, and more fan entertainment throughout the week. On Saturday, the Top-30 starters in the Billy Whittaker Cars 200 will gather in the midway for an autograph session at 1 p.m. For the full entertainment schedule, click here.

Fans should also be on the lookout for ways they can collect all 31 of the special edition pins being handed out throughout the week. Click here to learn more. 

ARTICLE: https://superdirtweek.com/news/top-5-storylines-big-names-big-parties-set-stage-for-super-dirt-week-54/

FAN 101: https://about.dirtcar.com/

 

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