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OSWEGO, NY (October 9, 2025) – Even with his success at Oswego Speedway, Mat Williamson added another Super DIRT Week milestone to his resume on Thursday.

The St. Catharines, ON driver earned his first SRI Performance and Stock Car Steel Pole Award for Saturday’s Billy Whittaker Cars 200, along with a victory in his 25-lap Qualifier later in the evening.

However, for the second straight day, it was a stressful few hours for the defending Super DIRTcar Series champion. After setting the fastest lap in his Qualifying group, his right-rear tire went flat. Luckily for “Money Mat,” his crew changed his tire before “Super Six” head-to-head qualifying, where he laid down a 21.622-second lap to earn the pole for Saturday’s Feature.

“We got to make it stressful,” Williamson said. “It’s always stressful. I wasn’t sure what happened. The first lap, I went in there pretty good, caught the hole a little bit, and the second lap, I hit it a little harder, and the tire got into the shock mount on the bottom, and it gave me a flat.

“Hats off to my guys that were obviously working hard in the pit area to be able to get the tire back out to be able to get Quick Time in the Super Six.”

Williamson kept his momentum from qualifying going in his Heat Race Thursday night, leading all 25 laps to win his Qualifier over Gary Lindberg. The three-time Billy Whittaker Cars 200 winner thanked his crew in Victory Lane and said that he and Buzz Chew Racing are keeping things status quo for the rest of the week.

“We just have to keep doing what we’re doing,” Williamson said. “Don’t be afraid to make changes here now and stick to the game plan. We did things tonight to see if the car was going to be good in nighttime racing, and it turned out to be pretty decent.”

Joining Williamson on the front row of Saturday’s Billy Whittaker Cars 200 is Alex Payne, who earned the Fratto Curbing Outside Pole award.

Payne also dominated his 25-lap Qualifier and said he was happy with the speed his team has shown at Super DIRT Week.

“The challenges are a little bit less when there isn’t any strategy involved,” Payne said. “The early speed we have, I’m really happy with. I was really pleased at the end of that [Qualifier], how good I felt, and I hope to carry that on to 50, 75, and 200 laps and really make the most out of everything. There’s so many variables, but it’s the best spot we’ve ever been in.”

Joining Payne and Williamson as Qualifier winners was Jimmy Phelps, the only competitor to win a Qualifier in both the Big Blocks and 358 Modifieds. The Baldwinsville, NY driver fell back to third in the opening laps of the race before his car came alive toward the end of the 25-lap event.

Phelps snuck by leader Justin Haers with a pass on the backstretch on Lap 18 and cruised to the victory. He said his car started to get better on long green-flag runs, like what it did during his second-place finish in last year’s 200.

“This feels good,” Phelps said. “I felt like I let my guys down in Time Trials. We had a great car in practice, and I just missed it. I got myself screwed up, but we clawed back and got the heat win, and we’ll start in the top 10. So, I guess all is good.”

Joining Williamson and Payne in the “Super Six” are Gary Lindberg, Kolby Schroder, who will start fourth in his first Oswego appearance, Haers, and Marc Johnson.

Drivers who transferred into Saturday’s $53,000-to-win Feature through the qualifiers were Tim Sears Jr., Anthony Perrego, Peter Britten, Jackson Gill, Billy Dunn, Tyler Murray, Billy VanInwegen, Michael Parent, Alex Yankowski, Tim Fuller, Max McLaughlin, Matt Sheppard, Rocky Warner, Corey Cormier, Darren Smith, Mike Mahaney, Dalton Slack, Felix Roy, Zach Payne, Jordan McCreadie, Chris Hile, Mike Trautschold, and Tyler Trump.

The rest of the 60-plus drivers will return on Saturday for Last Chance Showdowns, which start at 2:30pm.

Opening Ceremonies for the Billy Whittaker Cars 200 are scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. You can get tickets by clicking here.

If you can’t make it to the track, you can watch all the action live on DIRTVision.

Zachary Buff Claims First Super DIRT Week Pole, Top 24 Drivers Clinch Spots in Sportsman Great Lakes 75

OSWEGO, NY (October 9, 2025) - When the DIRTcar Sportsman take the green flag on Saturday night for the Great Lakes 75, it will feature two new faces at the front of the pack.

Among the 83 cars that made the trip to Oswego Speedway for Super DIRT Week 53, Latham, NY’s Zachary Buff won his first career SRI Performance/Stock Car Steel and Aluminum Pole Award in his second event appearance. The 24-year-old followed that up with a commanding win in Qualifier Heat 3 to build up his preparation for Saturday’s finale.

“It puts us all on an equal playing field,” Buff said. “You really just got to work hard, and come here with the best you got. Everything’s got to be perfect on these cars if you want to be able to get up front, so I think we did just that. Me and my dad have been in the shop nonstop, just working and trying to find this speed that we’ve been looking for, and it feels like we finally did it.”

Joining Buff after earning the Fratto Curbing Outside Pole Award was Gavin Eisele. The Lafargeville, NY driver followed up his career-high start in the Sportsman division with the win in Qualifier Heat 1 to chase his first Super DIRT Week triumph in his fourth career start.

“We were really trying to figure out what we got for long runs here,” Eisele said. “We’ll go from here, look at our notes, and see what happens Saturday. You just got to hope you have a good car coming out of the box, and we were fairly good early on, made some adjustments, and made it even better.”

The second Qualifier Heat saw domination from Gloversville, NY’s Chad Edwards, who transferred into the second round of Sportsman Time Trials to start the day. Though he missed out on the Super Six by 0.091 seconds, he’ll start seventh on Saturday to seek a finish one spot better than his career-high second place in 2022.

“We’ve been fighting a vibration all day,” Edwards said. “We didn’t have a ton of time to change the driveshaft. We changed the (transmission) in between racing, and we were really good for the Heat. The car was great. I have a lot of good help, but I think the track will be similar for us on Saturday. We got a little tweaking, and I got my shock builders here, so we’re coming up with some ideas and go from there.”

In the final Qualifier Heat from the DIRTcar Sportsman, Richard Murtaugh drove a flawless 15 laps for a dominant win. The Fulton, NY driver finished runner-up to Matt Janczuk in 2024, and he knows that 2025 is his moment to shine in Oswego Victory Lane.

“We have a huge notebook already,” Murtaugh said. “Every time I come here, I take a long list of notes and just get ready for next year. But this is the year that everything’s coming together with an amazing piece. This fits right into my driving style. I love this place, big tracks, and that’s kinda my thing and what we’re used to. So, we’ll see what we got for Saturday.”

Tanner Warner, Jessica Power, and Kevin Chaffee also appeared on Thursday’s Sportsman Super Six. Locking in a guaranteed position through the four sets of Qualifier Heats around Oswego included Cameron Tuttle, Emmett Waldron, Cody McPherson, Matt Guererri, Tyler Corcoran, Mike Fowler, Brett Sears, Derrick McGrew, Justin Liechti, Cody Manitta, Zach Sobotka, Stephen Gray, Kevin Ridley, Chris Darling, Tony Finch II, Martin Polhill, and Tristan Ladouceur

The remaining 59 drivers of the DIRTcar Sportsman Modifieds will go to three Last Chance Showdowns for the top three positions, beginning on Saturday at 2 p.m. ET. Opening Ceremonies for the Great Lakes 75 are scheduled for 3 p.m.

Sheppard Grabs Pole For Friday, Williamson Steals Qualifying Night Headlines
Matt Sheppard and Alex Payne will start on the front row of the DIRTcar 358 Modified Salute to the Troops 150

OSWEGO, NY (Oct. 9, 2025) – Matt Sheppard did “Big Block things” in a Small Block Wednesday night, while Mat Williamson’s path to a third consecutive DIRTcar 358 Modified Salute to the Troops 150 title had an eventful start.

Nearly 100 DIRTcar 358 Modifieds tried to secure one of the available lock-in spots for Friday’s Salute to the Troops 150 during Super DIRT Week 53.

After Time Trials, Matt Sheppard was on “cloud nine,” securing the SRI Performance/Stock Car Steel Pole Award for the 150-lap main event for the first time in his career with a 20.268-second lap. He also accomplished the feat outside of his own equipment, piloting Dave Camara’s 358 Modified.

“There’s no better starting spot to be this week,” Sheppard said with a chuckle. “To get the pole with this new qualifying format and everything, it feels really good. Just really happy for this whole team. You know, they took a chance and let me drive this thing this week. Really happy more for them than anybody.”

Alex Payne grabbed the Fratto Curbing Outside Pole Award and joined Matt Janczuk, Anthony Perrego, Jessica Friesen, Billy Dunn, Jimmy Phelps, and Matt Stangle as the rest of the top eight drivers to secure a spot in the first four rows.

Of the 98 DIRTcar 358 Modifieds on property, one noticeable driver who did not take time was two-time and defending Salute to the Troops 150 champion Mat Williamson. He blew a motor during practice and did not have a backup with him. That created a race against the clock as his dad and crew members raced back to Canada to pick up Williamson’s S&W No. 6 358 Modified – the car he recently dominated the Outlaw 200 with at Fulton Speedway – and try to bring it back in time for him to run a Qualifying Heat.

“The car was sitting at my house with the body off of it,” Williamson said on DTD Live during their post-race show. “We had ran the valves, but the body was still off of it. The tires were there. It was generally ready to go.”

With help from a few friends, his team was able to pick up the car just over the border, saving about another hour of the drive and got the car back in time to get race-ready and through tech just as cars were stagging for the Qualifying Heats.

Starting last – 24th – in the final Heat of the night, Williamson was the star of the night, climbing out of his hole to finish fifth and lock himself into Friday’s main event.

“I just went where they weren’t,” Williamson said. “Wherever the car in front of me went. One time going into (Turn) one, one (car) went high and one went low and that’s when I blew it into the bump and slid the guy that went high. The car ran really good.”

The four Qualifying Heats started with Jimmy Phelps leading all 20 laps in the first Heat, as he targets his second 150 title.

“Yeah, 100 cars and get locked in toward the front is a relief,” Phelps said. “The car feels really good in traffic and seems to race really well. So, that’s got us pretty upbeat going into Friday.”

The second Heat saw Darren Smith out duel Anthony Perrego for the top spot and lock himself into Friday’s Feature.

“We made some adjustments after Time Trials there, and I was telling the boys I’ll try to get the best starting position I can, and they said, ‘Just go win it,’ and I said, alright,” Smith said with a chuckle. “It was a little funky in dirty air but once we were in clean air we were pretty good.”

Billy Dunn and Chris Raabe brought the crowd to their feet in Heat Three as Dunn ran down Raabe in the closing laps and rocketed around the outside of him on the final corner to pull ahead with the victory. A little bit of a surprise victory for Dunn, as he hadn’t realized his winning move took place on the final lap.

“I honestly didn’t even know it was the last lap,” Dunn said. “I just knew I was catching the leader really quick and found a lane he wasn’t running, so if I did catch him I’d have a good run and luckily it was the last lap.

“The car is great. It took it about half the race to feel like it came in, but the more the track slowed down, I feel like my car didn’t slow down but everyone backed up to me a little bit. We need to make it a little better, but we’re pretty good.”

No matter if it is a Sportsman or a 358 Modified, two-time and defending Super DIRT Week Sportsman champion Matt Janczuk continued to prove he is fast at Oswego Speedway by winning Heat Four. However, luck played a hand as Sheppard suffered an issue with his engine while leading.

“You never like to get a win when somebody breaks, but we had a really good car,” Janczuk said. “I’m super thankful for all of my guys, it’s just great to be down here.

“I would have never expected this. It’s just a testament to this team and all the work we’ve been doing.”

Drivers also transferring to Friday’s $20,000-to-win Salute to the Troops 150 included Erick Rudolph, Tim Fuller, Ryan Godown, Jordan McCreadie, Mike Mahaney, Larry Wight, Brian Calabrese, Ronnie Davis, Marc Johnson, Raabe, Dalton Slack, Bobby Hackel IV, Jackson Gill, Dave Marcucilli, Alex Yankowski, Chris Curtis, Pat Ward, and Zachary Payne.

Click here for full qualifying results from Wednesday.

The rest of the 70-plus drivers will have to race their way in through Friday’s Last Chance Showdowns, which start at 2:30 p.m.

Opening Ceremonies for the DIRTcar 358 Modified Salute to the Troops 150 are scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. You can get tickets by clicking here.

If you can’t make it to the track, you can watch all the action live on DIRTVision.

Heavy Hitters Surge Forward in DIRTcar Pro Stock I Love NY 50 Qualifying
By Chris Dolack

OSWEGO, NY – Two former Super DIRT Week Pro Stock champions and one driver attempting to clinch the 2025 season-long title DIRTcar Pro Stock crown put themselves in prime position Wednesday night to score a victory in the I Love NY 50.

Chris Stalker, who sits fifth in the current Series championship standings, earned a victory in the first of three Qualifying Heat Races at Oswego Speedway, while 2023 Super DIRT Week winner Luke Horning and defending race winner Beau Ballard won the other two Heats.

Those Qualifying Heats followed the afternoon’s Super Six Time Trials, where Devon Camenga won the SRI Performance/Stock Car Steel Pole Award and Rich Crane earned the Fratto Curbing Outside Pole Award to lock up the front row for Friday night’s Feature. Kyle Hoard, JJ Courcy, Jocelyn Roy, and Stalker completed the Super Six Time Trials, which sets the first three rows for Friday’s I Love NY 50.

Stalker, of Hillsdale, NY, who started on the pole in last year’s event, charged from second to the lead following a caution midway through the first heat race and pulled away to win ahead of Shane Playford and Jocelyn Roy.

“What we did last year seemed to work, so we did the same exact thing this year,” Stalker said. “We made a couple of minor adjustments. We had a good car all night.”

Horning, of Gloversville, NY, started fifth in the second heat and after watching Courcy and Camenga battle out front, he slid past Carmenga on Lap 7 to grab second in Turn 2, then drove by Courcy a lap later in Turn 1 and drove off to the win.

“We were kind of sliding up to the top line early in the race, and sometimes when you slide up to it, you miss it, but we were hitting it every time, so I knew I could hit it and then I started entering a little higher,” Horning said.

Ballard, of Stamford, NY, is aiming to become the first back-to-back I Love NY 50 winner since 2017. He started fourth in the third heat but blasted to the lead exiting Turn 4 on Lap 2 and never looked back, leaving Kyle Hoard and two-time winner Pete Stefanski fighting for second and third.

“After that run there, that gives me a lot of confidence going into Friday,” Ballard said. “We made the right adjustments today to make the car better and I think we hit on something. We’re right where we need to be. We made the right changes, little tweaks on all four corners and it made it a totally different race car.

Camenga, of Troy, NY, is looking forward to starting from the pole position Friday night after turning a lap around Oswego Speedway in 24.509 seconds to earn the SRI Performance/Stock Car Steel Pole Award.

“We’ve been fast, and I really, really like this track, it suits my driving style,” Camenga said. “The closer up front you start the better it is because this DIRTcar Pro Stock class is just so hard. When I started racing, we didn’t worry about how many tenths we were off, now that’s what we’re all doing, we’re all down in our trailers trying to get one more tenth, two more tenths, three more tenths, which is crazy, but that’s where we’re at. It’s definitely a huge advantage to start out front and set the field and then see what the track conditions are going to be.”

Crane, of Canaan, CT, captured the Fratto Curbing Outside Pole Award, with a 24.696 second lap.

“Being locked in the top six no matter where is really good,” Crane said. “It takes some of the stress off for the rest of the week. It’s a really, racy racetrack.”

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: DIRTcar Northeast Stars Roar Into Oswego For Super DIRT Week 53
"Racing's Biggest Party" takes place from Oct. 6-11 at Oswego Speedway

OSWEGO, NY (October 7, 2025) – An annual October tradition continues in Central, New York, as the top drivers in the Northeast return to Oswego Speedway for Super DIRT Week 53.

All four DIRTcar Northeast divisions are in action Oct. 6-11, culminating with the Billy Whittaker Cars 200 on Saturday, Oct. 11.

The DIRTcar Pro Stocks and DIRTcar 358 Modifieds kick off the racing action on Wednesday, Oct. 8, with Qualifying and Heat Race action. Then, the DIRTcar Sportsman and Super DIRTcar Series Big Block Modifieds hit the track for Qualifying and Heat Races on Thursday, Oct. 9.

Features begin on Friday, Oct. 10, with the I Love NY 50 for the Pro Stocks, and the Salute to the Troops 150for the 358 Modifieds.

The final night of racing is on Saturday, Oct. 11, with the DIRTcar Sportsman Great Lakes 75, followed by the Billy Whittaker Cars 200 for the Super DIRTcar Series.

Along with the on-track action, there will be several activities throughout the week for fans to enjoy, including the annual Super DIRT Week parade through the Oswego Streets on Wednesday, Oct. 8, concerts, autograph sessions, and more.

Going For 4: Entering this year’s Billy Whittaker Cars 200 at Oswego, two drivers have a chance to make history.

With three wins each, 10-time Series champion Matt Sheppard and defending Series champion Mat Williamson could become the fifth driver to win the race four times, joining Brett Hearn, Billy Decker, Gary Balough, and Stewart Friesen.

Sheppard, from Savannah, NY, won the event in 2009, 2017, and 2022, and has finished in the top 10 in six of his eight Big Block starts at the “Clay Palace,” including five top fives.

Williamson, meanwhile, has had more success than any other driver at Oswego, winning three of the eight 200s at the track. The St. Catharines, ON driver has also won the Feature in every odd year since 2019. “Money Mat” enters the week as the Series points leader, owning a 71-point advantage over Alex Yankowski in the race for the 2025 title.

Joining Forces: With defending Billy Whittaker Cars 200 winner Stewart Friesen sidelined due to injury, Yankowski will drive a Halmar-Friesen Racing No. 84Y car this weekend at Oswego.

The Covington Township, PA driver will make his second start in the event, after finishing seventh in the Atlas Paving No. 66 last October. “Kid Rocket” has two Series victories this season, coming at Can-Am Speedway last month and Volusia Speedway Park in February, where he earned the “Big Gator” trophy during Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals.

Peaking at the Right Time: One driver who’s building momentum just before the biggest race of the season is last year’s runner-up, Jimmy Phelps. The Baldwinsville, NY driver won the Encore 50 at Weedsport Speedway in September, one week after a second-place finish during Malta Massive Weekend at Albany-Saratoga Speedway.

The 2025 edition of the Billy Whittaker Cars 200 will be Phelps’ 22nd start in the event. Last year’s second at Oswego was the “Baldwinsville Bandit’s” best finish at the 5/8-mile facility. He’s also finished in the top five in four of his eight Big Block starts at the track.

Building Momentum: After top 10 finishes last year, Jack Lehner, Darren Smith, and Mike Mahaney aim to build off their Oswego momentum.

Jack Lehner earned his first top five in the Billy Whittaker Cars 200 last season, driving from 21st to finish fifth. In six Big Block starts at Oswego, the Saratoga Springs, NY driver has a top five and two top 10s. However, those top 10 finishes came in each of the last two years.

Like Lehner, Smith earned his best finish at Super DIRT Week during last year’s Billy Whittaker Cars 200. The Binghamton, NY driver crosses the line sixth after earning the outside pole for the event. Smith’s only other top 10 at Oswego came in the Salute to the Troops 150 in 2018.

Mahaney has earned top 10s in each of the past two seasons and scored his first Oswego podium with a third-place finish in 2023. The Elizabethtown, NY driver has three total top 10s at the track in his career, including last year’s eighth-place finish.

Beware of the 6: Like in the Big Blocks, two-time and defending Salute to the Troops 150 winner Mat Williamson has the chance to make history this weekend in the 358 Modifieds.

In the 44-year history of the event, Billy Decker and Pete Bicknell are the only two drivers to win the race three consecutive times, a feat Williamson can accomplish with a win on Friday.

Williamson has finished on the podium in three of the last four Salute to the Troops 150s at Oswego and enters the weekend with momentum after winning the Outlaw 200 at Fulton Speedway for the second straight year.

He also enters the event as the DIRTcar 358 Modified Series points leader, holding a 66-point advantage over Mike Mahaney.

Hollywood and Smooth Shoe: Mahaney and Felix Roy have been trying to keep pace with Williamson all season in the battle for the DIRTcar 358 Modified Series title. Roy comes into the event one point behind Mahaney for second with two races remaining on the 2025 schedule.

Roy, from Napierville, QC, has outdueled Mahaney for two championships this season, beating “Smooth Shoe” at both Albany-Saratoga and Airborne Park Speedway for the track championship. “Hollywood” has made two starts in the Salute to the Troops 150, finishing 12th in 2023 and eighth last season.

Mahaney, meanwhile, has made five starts in the event, with his best finish a seventh in 2022.

Ready For a Seventh: In eight Salute to the Troops 150s at Oswego, there have been six different winners, with Williamson, Sheppard, Friesen, Decker, Tim Fuller, and Peter Britten taking the checkered flag. And with 93 drivers entered in this year’s event as of Monday, there’s a chance for a seventh different winner this weekend.

In those eight years, 13 drivers have earned a podium finish, but only six drivers have earned more than one.

Williamson, Sheppard, and Friesen each have four podiums, while Fuller has two. The other driver is Marc Johnson, who earned podium finishes in 2016 and 2023.

The Guilderland, NY driver comes into the event with momentum after winning the DIRTcar 358 Modified Series Feature at Albany-Saratoga during Malta Massive Weekend in September, his first career Series victory.

A Crucial Stop: With two races remaining, the DIRTcar Sportsman Great Lakes 75 will be a crucial stop on the road to the 2025 DIRTcar Sportsman Series title.

Entering Super DIRT Week 53, the top three drivers in the points standings are separated by eight points. Shane Pecore, the 2018 winner, holds a one-point lead over Tristan Ladouceur. Meanwhile, Emmett Waldron is in third, eight points behind Pecore.

Out of those three drivers, Pecore is the only driver to win the event. The Cornwall, ON driver has made two starts at Oswego, finishing 27th in his first attempt in 2017, as well as achieving a victory.

Waldron, meanwhile, has only made one start in the race, finishing 19th last season.

Former Winners: Along with Pecore, this year’s Great Lakes 75 will have two other former winners in the field. Cody McPherson and Zach Sobotka have both entered this year’s event, with McPherson winning in 2022 and Sobotka taking the checkered flag in 2021.

McPherson, from St. Catharines, ON, has been on a tear in 2025, winning 22 Features and finishing in the top five in 35 of his 36 starts this season. He’s made four starts at Oswego, including two podiums.

Sobotka’s 2025 season looked different than McPherson’s. The Parish, NY driver won six Features this season, but all of them were behind the wheel of a Sprint Car. Sobotka, who will be crowned CRSA Sprint Car champion this season, has been consistent over his past four starts at Oswego in a Sportsman. He’s finished in the top five in each of those races, including three podiums.

Consistent Power: One driver who’s been consistent over the past three seasons at Oswego is Jessica Power. The Kingston, ON driver, who enters the weekend fifth in the Series standings, has finished in the top 10 in each of the last three Great Lakes 75.

Those are her best three finishes in the event, after results of eighth in 2022, fifth in 2023, and 10th in 2024. She’s also started in the top 10 in each of those Features, proving she can start the week on a fast note at the “Clay Palace.”

Power is one of the drivers who will pull double duty this week, as she’ll also attempt to qualify for the Salute to the Troops 150.

Battle for the Title: The DIRTcar Pro Stocks have the honor of being the only division whose champion will be decided at Super DIRT Week 53. Entering this year’s I Love NY 50, five drivers are mathematically eligible to take home the championship.

That group is led by Tyler Bushey, who enters the event with a two-point lead over five-time and defending Series champion Pete Stefanski. The Heuvelton, NY driver has been consistent throughout the Series, finishing in the top 10 in seven of his eight starts, including three top fives.

However, he’s only made two starts at Oswego in his career, finishing 30th in 2021 and 22nd in 2022.

Stefanski, meanwhile, is not only searching for his sixth championship but also his first Super DIRT Week victory at Oswego. The Wheatfield, NY driver has finished in the top five in five of his eight starts at the track.

However, to earn his first Oswego win, he’ll have to do it driving a different car. Stefanski will be behind the wheel of a second No. 177 car owned by fellow competitor Chris Stalker, after his primary car was damaged in an incident at Fulton.

Two Canadian drivers aiming to wrestle the championship away are Marc Lalonde and Jocelyn Roy. Lalonde, from Plantagenet, ON, is currently third in points, 14 points behind Bushey. He has made four career starts at Oswego, with his best finish being a ninth in 2018.

Roy, meanwhile, is fourth in points, 22 points out of the lead. The Sainte-Helene, QC driver, like Lalonde, has made four starts at the 5/8-mile facility, earning three top 10s and a podium finish in 2017.

Stalker is also within striking distance of the championship, sitting in fifth, 36 points behind Bushey. The Hillsdale, NY driver, who earned the SRI Performance and Stock Car Steel Pole Award last season, finished ninth in his only Oswego start.

Beau is Back: Defending race winner Beau Ballard will return to Oswego in 2025, after holding off Luke Horning and Devon Camenga to win last year’s I Love NY 50.

The Stamford, NY driver also has a chance to make history this season, as he tries to become the first driver to win back-to-back events since Rob Yetman won five consecutive Super DIRT Week Features from 2013 to 2017.

Ballard scored four Feature wins in 2025, along with the Fonda Speedway track championship.

Playfab Dominance: In 2023, Shane Playford’s Playfab Chassis swept the podium at Oswego, with Luke Horning, Playford, and Camenga finishing in the top three. Last season, Horning and Camenga earned another podium finish, crossing the line second and third.

Now, they enter the week with momentum, after Playford and Horning scored back-to-back DIRTcar Pro Stock Series victories at Land of Legends Raceway and Fulton.

Horning, the 2023 Series champion, has finished in the top 10 in each of his last three starts at Oswego, finishing sixth in 2022 to go along with his win and second-place run.

Playford, meanwhile, has finished in the top 10 in two of his four starts, earning a ninth in 2022 to go with his second in 2023.

Camenga, from Troy, NY, has only made two starts in the event, finishing third on both occasions.

BUILDING MOMENTUM: Jimmy Phelps Trending in Right Direction Heading into Super DIRT Week
The Baldwinsville, NY driver finished second in the 2024 Billy Whittaker Cars 200, his best finish at Oswego

OSWEGO, NY (October 4, 2025) – After struggling early in the 2025 season, Super DIRTcar Series veteran Jimmy Phelps is starting to peak at the right time.

The Baldwinsville, NY driver finished second at Albany-Saratoga Speedway last month and backed it up with a win in the Encore 50 at Weedsport Speedway last weekend. That gives him momentum heading into Super DIRT Week 53 (Oct. 6-11), and the $53,000-to-win Billy Whittaker Cars 200 on Saturday, Oct. 11.

“[The win] was big,” Phelps said. “There was a good field of cars, and it was extra distance. It validated what was quietly a nice stretch of races for the 98. Before that race, we had four seconds in our last five races. While we were getting frustrated that we weren’t winning, things were still starting to click.”

This burst of momentum for Phelps comes after an undesirable start to the season, only finishing in the top 10 twice through the first 10 points-paying Features of 2025. Since then, he’s finished in the top 10 in seven of the last 10 races, including two podium finishes at Brewerton Speedway and Albany-Saratoga.

“It’s funny, we’re not approaching things differently than we were earlier,” Phelps said. “We just weren’t happy, started to search, and got off track. I think we got to a point where we reined it in a little bit and found a baseline that’s comfortable for us.

“I feel like we were good in the Features, but we weren’t qualifying good. We just buried ourselves and didn’t have much to show for it. But now, we’ve got a baseline. We’re not making major changes, and it’s helping with the confidence, which is a huge part of qualifying and decision making.”

He’ll rely on that confidence entering the season’s most significant event, the Billy Whittaker Cars 200 at Oswego Speedway. Last year, Phelps went from ninth to second and had opportunities to wrestle the lead away from Stewart Friesen in the closing laps.

Finishing second at “Racing’s Biggest Party” has the “Baldwinsville Bandit” hungrier than ever to win his first Big Block Feature at Super DIRT Week.

“I thought that was as close as we’ve come at Oswego to having a car at the end of the 200 that could win,” Phelps said. “I think we needed to restart a little better. It’s not necessarily a factor, but all the yellows combined slowed us down.

“I thought we were better on longer runs, but we were also going up against one of the best race cars we’ve seen in the past couple of years until his crash.”

Having that baseline setup could be key for Phelps entering this year’s 200. With his experience in long-distance races, he said you must be good right away to have a chance at the $53,000 prize.

“You don’t fall into an Oswego 200,” Phelps said. “There was some real outside influences that factored into the mile. This is just a really long short track race. Having the best car and putting yourself in a position to win is difficult.

This year’s edition of the Billy Whittaker Cars 200 will be Phelps’ 22nd start, after earning a guaranteed starting spot for the race during Malta Massive Weekend at Albany-Saratoga in September.

While an Oswego triumph would be the biggest win of anyone’s career, Phelps said taking home the checkered flag this year would mean a ton.

“I don’t know when retirement is, but I’m closer to that than the start of my career, that’s for sure,” Phelps said. “The clock is ticking, so to be able to X that off would be a huge relief.

“It would mean so much to do it for Al Heinke, my family, and my crew who’ve stuck around through everything. To win it for them would be huge.”

Phelps and the Super DIRTcar Series return to Oswego Speedway for Super DIRT Week 53, Oct. 6-11, culminating in the $53,000-to-win Billy Whittaker Cars 200 on Saturday, Oct. 11.

The 13-year-old will make his Super DIRT Week debut in a Sportsman after winning with the Microds at Oswego in 2024

OSWEGO, NY (Oct. 4, 2025) – Chris Darling stood atop the podium as a Super DIRT Week winner last year – a Quarter Midget & Microd Mania Super DIRT Week winner. Now, the 13-year-old is taking his talents from the infield of Oswego Speedway to the dirt track.

Darling, of Manchester, NY, is one of nearly 80 Sportsman drivers entered for Super DIRT Week 53, as he aims to make the DIRTcar Sportsman Great Lakes 75 in his first full year of competing in the division.

“It’s pretty cool,” he said about the opportunity. “It’s exciting to think last year I was running that Microd event, and this year I’ll be running it in one of these (Sportsman).”

He’ll have a solid support system around him for the effort in the form of Super DIRTcar Series competitor Alex Payne, and Eldon Payne, who fields the Sportsman for him. Through the partnership, Darling gets to work out of the same shop as Alex and soak up as much information as he can.

“[Alex has] taught me a lot on tires. A lot on tires,” Darling said. “He’s helped me with shocks a little bit. Things like that… It’s pretty cool to see the program out in the shop and how they do things.”

The teenager has been able to build a solid notebook in his first year of racing a Sportsman, competing at a variety of tracks like Land of Legends Raceway, Fulton Speedway, Genesee Speedway, Ransomville Speedway, Utica-Rome Speedway and Outlaw Speedway. He’s even built a solid trophy collection with nine wins in the Limited Sportsman class and a win at Outlaw in the regular Sportsman class.

He molded his talent behind the wheel of a race car, racing Microds for seven years – in Syracuse and Sodus. From 5 to 12 years old, he climbed the Microds ranks starting in the Junior Novice division (a full-fendered car) and moved his way up to the top Super Stock Open Wheel division. He also gained experience on dirt in those years, racing a Micro Sprint.

Winning at Oswego during last year’s Quarter Midget and Microd Mania has been one of the top highlights of that trajectory, so far.

“For years I dreamed of racing there (at Super DIRT Week),” he said. “To be able to do that for at least one night was pretty cool.”

His time in Microds helped him develop his driving skills, but also led to some of the best lessons he's learned in his career so far. A top that list is a lesson that came from his father, Dale Darling, who used to race Sportsman and Hobby Stocks in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

“He taught me how to work on the car from an early age,” Chris said. “When I was six or seven, I wanted to run two Microds. He said, ‘I’m not working on both of them. If you want to run two, you’re working on them.’

“That’s helped me out a lot. Now, I work on my cars and I know them pretty well. It helps me a lot with the setup and everything, and you know what’s wrong if there is something wrong. It’s a real big thing to know how the car works, the axles, the driveline, and everything. If something goes wrong, you can kind of diagnose it. If the car is tight or loose, you know what to do. It’s a big help to know what’s going on with the car.”

Along with guidance from his dad and the Payne family, Darling is also relying on a new-age tool to help him prepare for his Oswego Speedway debut – iRacing. For a couple hours every night, he makes laps around the virtual tracks, including a dirt-covered Oswego Speedway, to help give him an idea of what he can expect.

“I love it. It’s amazing,” he said. “It’s cool to run the tracks that you don’t have around here. It’s just cool to get some experience. It’s helped me out a lot since I began racing.”

He dreams of having a career like Matt Sheppard’s where he can travel the region and race for a living. But first, he’ll join the long list of drivers who have made the step from Microds to Sportsman and try to keep his nose clean throughout his Super DIRT Week debut.

You can watch the latest group of future stars for free during the third annual Quarter Midget and Microd Mania in the Oswego Speedway infield on Monday, Oct. 6 – Features start at 6 p.m.

Then, watch Darling and the 250-plus other drivers entered for Super DIRT Week 53, starting on Wednesday, Oct. 8. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased by clicking here.

If you can’t make it to the track, you can watch the Quarter Midget and Microd Mania, and all on-track action at Oswego Speedway live on DIRTVision.

THE FIRST VISIT: Kolby Schroder Excited For Super DIRT Week Debut
The Staatsburg, NY driver earned a guaranteed starting spot in the Billy Whittaker Cars 200 by winning Mr. DIRT Track USA at Lebanon Valley

OSWEGO, NY (September 30, 2025) – When the 2025 season began, Kolby Schroder had no plans of racing at Super DIRT Week 53.

But after earning the most significant win of his career at Lebanon Valley Speedway in August, his plans changed.

The Staatsburg, NY driver not only took home $15,500 at Mr. DIRT Track USA, but8 also earned a guaranteed starting spot in the Billy Whittaker Cars 200. That made it an easy decision to head to Oswego Speedway, Oct. 6-11, for his first trip to “Racing’s Biggest Party.”

“Going to Super DIRT Week is a big undertaking,” Schroder said. “It’s not even the cost of the racing. It’s getting everyone up there. Just all of it together. Usually, at the end of the year, we just decide to invest everything into next year, because it’s just a risk, because you can go up there and not qualify.

“So, getting the guaranteed spot made the decision for us. I called up all my sponsors, and everyone involved. Everyone chipped in to help, so we’re just going to go and enjoy the whole process. It’s always something we wanted to do; we just never had things line up to make it happen.”

In his Mr. DIRT Track USA win, Schroder said it was the culmination of having speed all season at Lebanon Valley and having the proper setup. However, a close call early in the race almost ended his opportunity at the guaranteed Super DIRT Week spot.

While racing Kyle Armstrong for fifth on Lap 9, a slide job by Andy Bachetti on Marc Johnson in front of them altered their lines through Turns 3 and 4. When that happened, Armstrong and Schroder collided.

At that point, Schroder was worried a flat tire might have cost him his chance to win.

“I knew I had a really good car, and I had to go,” Schroder said. “I was battling with Armstrong, and I couldn’t quite clear him off the turn. So, I was starting to crowd him up a little bit and break his momentum. I left him room, but every ounce of room I left disappeared when Andy ran Marc up the track.

“Then they were coming down, and we collided, and he jumped the right rear, and I figured I was going to get a flat and knock something off in the car. But a few laps later, everything felt good. It was close, though. I had a big mark in my car where he hit it. Somehow it didn’t tear it down, though.”

Schroder’s car stayed together from that point forward, as he drove to his first career Super DIRTcar Series victory.

But while he’s familiar with Lebanon Valley, Oswego will be a new challenge for the 35-year-old driver, as he’ll race on the 5/8-mile track for the first time.

“We’ve never turned a lap there or at Syracuse,” Schroder said. “We’re relying on Bicknell (Racing Products) and our other friends who’ve done it like Marc Johnson to help guide us a little bit and help us get into the ballpark.

“We went to Lebanon Valley and scuffed some tires a little bit, just kind of getting everything ready.”

Not only will Super DIRT Week 53 be Schroder’s first visit to “Racing’s Biggest Party,” the Billy Whittaker Cars 200 will also be his first 200-lap race. Knowing that heading into Oswego, Schroder said his expectations are set.

“I’d be happy with just completing all 200 laps,” Schroder said. “I’d be completely content with that. But I’d be over the moon just finishing top 15. I think that’s a realistic goal for the way we’ve been running. I tend to do well in long races, so I think this might be right up my alley.”

Schroder makes his first visit to Super DIRT Week 53 at Oswego Speedway with the Super DIRTcar Series, Oct. 6-11, culminating in the $53,000-to-win Billy Whittaker Cars 200 on Saturday, Oct. 11.

jOINING FORCES: Stewart Friesen, Alex Yankowski Excited For Super DIRT Week Collaboration
The Covington Township, PA driver is second in Super DIRTcar Series points entering Oswego Speedway

OSWEGO, NY (September 25, 2025) – The most significant opportunity of Alex Yankowski’s career awaits him at Super DIRT Week 53.

With Stewart Friesen sidelined due to injury, the Covington Township, PA competitor will drive the Halmar-Friesen racing No. 44 at Oswego Speedway as he aims for his first Billy Whittaker Cars 200 win on Saturday, Oct. 11.

It’s a collaboration Yankwoski said he thinks will be seamless as he and Friesen have worked together in the past.

“Stew’s been like a teammate to us,” Yankowski said. “So just to be able to fill in for a few races is pretty cool. Hopefully, we can get some good runs.

“I feel like we run our teams similar and parallel to one another. It’s a good fit, I think, and just combining our programs a little bit more is something that’s going to help us.”

Friesen, a six-time Billy Whittaker Cars 200 winner, echoed Yankowski’s sentiment, and said it was an easy decision to put “Kid Rocket” in his car for Super DIRT Week and Eastern States Weekend at Orange County Fair Speedway.

“We’ve worked really close in the past,” Friesen said. “Both teams working together, Tommy (Conroy, Friesen’s Crew Chief), and (Yankowski’s crew chief Kevin) Bates, it’s already a good relationship. All that should be good, and hopefully we’ll have a strong result.”

Yankowski will try to build off his only Oswego Big Block start last season, where he finished seventh in the Atlas Paving No. 66 car. Despite the inexperience compared to other drivers at the 5/8-mile track, Yankowski said he felt he wasn’t far off Friesen, who led all 200 laps last year.

“I’m just excited to be able to compare notebooks,” Yankowski said. “I feel like last year, Stew was the best car all week long. And there was a time period where in those Qualifiers we had pretty good pace with the number 66. But over a 200-lap run, he was just better than us.

“So, to get his experience. He’s going to help me as a driver, and I think we have a really good group of guys.”

Along with battling for his first Billy Whittaker Cars 200 victory, Yankowski is also chasing Mat Williamson in the Super DIRTcar Series standings, entering the event 71 points behind him in second.

However, that’s not changing his approach to the most prestigious event in Big Block Modified racing.

“Honestly, I feel like you go to all of these shows, and if you race to win the points will follow,” Yankowski said. “The HFR team hasn’t been racing a ton. Now that they have a little bit of time, Tommy Conroy can go to work. Having Tommy and Stew put a race car together in Sprakers, NY, is a pretty good deal. It’s going to be hard to beat that.

“I think we’ll come out of the box pretty solid and hopefully we’ll just build on it.”

Continuing to improve the No. 44 car is precisely what Friesen and his team, which includes tire specialist Jay Castimore, plan to do at Oswego. Despite leading every lap of last year’s event, Friesen said he isn’t satisfied with the car.

“We have a good notebook,” Friesen said. “We struggled at Oswego for a number of years and got it rolling last year. We really worked on some areas we needed to improve and improved them. We can still make the car better yet. Racing at night, the track conditions, and knowing what to expect going in are something we’re excited about. It’s just fine-tuning the screws in the process, and hopefully we’ll be good for 200 laps with Alex behind the wheel.”

While he won’t be competing at Super DIRT Week 53, Friesen will still be a presence throughout the week. The Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON driver will take part in Racing’s Biggest Block Party on Tuesday, Oct. 7, in downtown Oswego, where he’ll be honored for winning last year’s event with the raising of his champion’s flag.

Then, on Wednesday, Oct. 8, Yankowski will drive Friesen’s car in the annual parade through the city.

Friesen will also be at the track all week, helping the team as he continues to recover.

“There’s some challenges right now with the nerves and healing for the nerves,” Friesen said. “That’s a little bit of a hindrance. But everything’s going well. It’s just going to take time. Physical therapy is going good. I’m getting some movement and getting my strength back. We’re kind of right in the middle of it right now.”

While the focus will be on Yankowski and winning the Billy Whittaker Cars 200, the No. 44 won’t be the only car Halmar-Friesen racing will enter at Super DIRT Week. Friesen’s wife Jessica will attempt to make her second start in the DIRTcar 358 Modified Salute to the Troops 150 on Friday, Oct. 10, behind the wheel of her No. 1Z.

It’s a race, her husband said, she’s ready for, after competing in another long-distance event earlier this month.

“She ran the Fonda 200 last week,” Friesen said. “Had a good run going and had some motor trouble. She’s going to run there again this week and then the Small Block race at Oswego. We’re bringing a car that she’s comfortable in and running it once beforehand to work some bugs out. We don’t run a lot of spec Small Block races, so it’s good we’ll be able to get a run in this weekend to acclimate everything going into DIRT Week.”

As of now, there are no plans for Yankowski to drive the No. 44 after Super DIRT Week 53 and Eastern States weekend. However, that doesn’t mean that Friesen is ruling out another opportunity later in the season at the World of Outlaws World Finals at the Dirt Track at Charlotte.

“Perhaps,” Friesen said. “We’re going to see how DIRT Week and Eastern States go. I just feel like these are two events where we needed to be there as a team. Even if I can’t drive, it’s great to have the support from Halmar to put a driver in and make sure we’re part of the biggest races of the year.”

The Yankowski-Friesen combination will take center stage at Oswego Speedway during Super DIRT Week 53, Oct. 6-11, culminating in the Billy Whittaker Cars 200 on Saturday, Oct. 11.

Mat Williamson, Alex Payne Earn Front Row Starting Spots For Billy Whittaker Cars 200