In this month’s edition of the Announcer’s Roundtable, our panel discusses their thoughts on the first two points-paying Super DIRTcar Series races and who to watch as DIRTcar-sanctioned tracks across the Northeast begin their 2025 seasons.
Joining Super DIRTcar Series announcer Mike Warren in the monthly roundtable is Series pit reporter Rich Vleck, Land of Legends Raceway announcer Steve Ovens, Ransomville Speedway announcer Steve Petty, and DIRTcar 358 Modified Series announcer Tim Baltz.
How surprised were you to see L.J. Lombardo win with the 51-car field at Albany-Saratoga?
Mike Warren: Out of the five of us, I’m probably the one who doesn’t consider it an upset. Being around L.J. at Albany-Saratoga Speedway and Lebanon Valley Speedway throughout his career, I had an advantage in seeing what he could do in a racecar. While I didn’t have it on my bingo card entering the night, he’s always had the tools and driving ability to get it done, so it wasn’t a surprise.
Tim Baltz: Well, a part of me was surprised, but then again, I was not totally taken off guard. L.J. had a near-perfect night all around. He set fast time in Group A qualifying, giving him a good starting spot in the heat. He wins his Heat Race and then draws the pole. I figured he would have had a decent night. Then he leads the final laps and holds off a red-hot Alex Yankowski. I think it was meant to be his night no matter what. It takes everything to go your way to win these races, and at Malta, everything went his way.
Rich Vleck: It was surprising, for sure. One of the reasons Albany-Saratoga is so exciting is that it has a way of seeing a driver get in a groove, nail a setup, and ride it to the win. His Series win at the Valley was incredible, but I would wager this one was even more of a surprise. With him not racing much last year, coupled with a DNQ at New Egypt, it certainly caught everyone by surprise, but it also reaffirms how strong these fields are. As the race was going on, I looked up that he had never won at Malta. Just about then, he was falling back into the clutches of Mike Mahaney, who was running 3rd, so I figured that storyline was going away. He was so good on that restart, and then the final 10 laps, he was literally riding the rim in Turn 4! That’s what is so great about Albany-Saratoga. You can’t just cruise to the win. It shows you why 51 drivers show up. They all believe they can be the next incredible storyline. Awesome show!
Steve Ovens: It was a surprise; I didn’t have him on my list of contenders. Looking at past history, I see how much of a mistake that was to think that way. He had a win on the Series back in 2022 at Lebanon Valley and absolutely put it to the field at Albany-Saratoga. He will be a favorite when we get back to the Valley of Speed.
Steve Petty: Honestly, I was quite surprised to see L.J. Lombardo win at Albany-Saratoga. It was his first career win at “The Great Race Place”, but he has raced well there in the past. The way he dominated the first half of the race and then used his track advantage to roll the top to pass Alex Yankowski on the restart, L.J. had one of those races where everything came together.
What are your biggest takeaways after the Super DIRTcar Series events at New Egypt and Albany-Saratoga?
Tim Baltz: At New Egypt, I was not surprised that Stewart Friesen won that race, as he has three career Modified wins there. I was happy seeing different drivers in the top five, like Logan Watt, who finished third, and Louden Reimert, who finished fifth. At Albany Saratoga, seeing L.J. win was a big deal, but it also puts us past the halfway mark to possibly breaking a record for different series winners. In 1975, it was 10 different winners to start the season before there was a repeat winner. Albany gave us a fantastic race. I hope the place stays around forever. It lived up to its name, “The Great Race Place.”
Rich Vleck: Erick Rudolph is going to be one we will truly appreciate running the full Super DIRTcar Series again. He backs up his win at Volusia Speedway Park with drives forward to seventh and fifth and has a ton of good tracks for him this summer.
Alex Yankowski has now reached the status of every time he unloads; he will factor into the top five, and a few months into the season, that is becoming more solidified every single race.
It’s early with points, but I would imagine Mike Mahaney and Tim Sears are good with the first two hurdles, while Matt Sheppard and Peter Britten are among a large group who can’t wait to get a chance to get their momentum going.
Steve Ovens: Alex Yankowski and Erick Rudolph both being Top 3 in points after two races is impressive. Yet, we are just only two races into this year’s series. Can these guys sustain that standing over the course of the entire year? Especially when we get into the grind of weekly racing in addition to the series.
Steve Petty: My biggest takeaway is pure domination by Stewart Friesen at New Egypt and L.J. Lombardo at Albany-Saratoga. Friesen got the lead and led the final 52 laps to earn the win at a track where he’s had success. The same could be said about L.J.’s win in Malta, where he dominated the race and picked up the win. My second takeaway is back-to-back runner-up finishes for Alex Yankowski. He is proving that his DIRTcar Nationals Championship wasn’t a fluke and that, early on, he is a strong contender for the Super DIRTcar Series championship.
Mike Warren: I know fans talk about the big three and how much they win. But looking at the results of both races proves that a stout group of guys can win on any night in Super DIRTcar Series competition. That’s especially true knowing that drivers don’t have as many laps as others for four of the next five races entering June. I also think we’re in for a great points battle that’s coming all the down to World Finals, one that may have some new faces contending on championship Saturday.
Who do you think will be crowned champion in the DIRTcar 358 Modified Series in 2025?
Rich Vleck: This one is so hard to get a feel of. A shorter schedule amplifies one bad night. With that said, I like the start Mike Mahaney is off to this year. Former champions Felix Roy and Mat Williamson could always be a factor, but I love watching those teams that focus on small blocks like Lance Willix or Chris Raabe to go and flex their muscle.
Steve Ovens: To be the man, you have to beat the man. Felix Roy has been a year-in and year-out stalwart in the 358-Modified ranks for the last two years, winning in 2024 and finishing runner-up to Mat Williamson the year before. Two drivers I think are interesting to watch, though, are Dave Marcuccilli and Billy Dunn.
Steve Petty: With how competitive the 358 Series has been in recent years, it is really anyone’s title. You have the drivers from the West taking on Central and Northern New York, and you can never count out the gang from Quebec and Ontario. I will go with a driver who calls Fulton home on Saturday nights. Dave Marcuccilli will be the 2025 DIRTcar 358 Modified champion.
Mike Warren: It’s Lance Willix’s time. The veteran DIRTcar 358 Modified driver knocked on the door last year, missing out by only four points. Many of the tracks on the schedule are ones that he’s familiar with and has reached Victory Lane at. While contending with Roy, Williamson, and Mahaney will be tough, it’d be awesome to see Willix get it done and add a significant career milestone.
Tim Baltz: Since we haven’t turned a lap yet in the series, it is tough to say who has an edge for the championship this year. However, Felix Roy has flexed his muscles early, winning the Leon Gonyo Memorial at Airborne, which should give him confidence. Last year’s runner-up, Lance Willix, had a great showing locally at Can-Am Friday, finishing in 4th, so I think our top two from last year are the odds-on favorites. I think Lance has the fire to win and win a lot this year, and I think when you give a veteran like him some confidence, he is going to be tough, in my opinion.
Who do you think is the biggest dark horse to win a Big Block of 358 Modified Series track championship in 2025?
Steve Ovens: Big Block Modifieds: Erick Rudolph in his first season back on the Series.
DIRTcar 358 Modifeds: I know he didn’t have a good start to his year, but give me Shaun Shaw.
Steve Petty: I don’t know if he would be a dark horse, but Zach Payne winning the Big Block track championship at Land of Legends Raceway would be one. The field that competes weekly in Canandaigua is the “who’s who” of DIRTcar racing. Hall of Famers, future hall of fame drivers, and the top upcoming drivers call Canandaigua home. Winning and earning a championship there would make you a legend. Although he didn’t find victory lane in 2024, Zach had two top five runs and nine top-10s and was consistently in the hunt.
For the 358 Modifieds, Noah Walker winning the Ransomville title would be a dark horse. With his talent, Walker led laps in 2024 and was in contention for several wins, with three second-place finishes. Ransomville is home to some of the top 358 drivers on the DIRTcar circuit, and there is a saying that if you can win at Ransomville, you can win anywhere.
Mike Warren: I’m going with Dave Marcuccilli at Fulton. And while he may not seem to be a dark horse, beating Tim Sears Jr. at that track is no easy task. I think the Montezuma, NY driver is a little more consistent down the stretch and earns his first 358 Modified track title.
Tim Baltz: Being from the North, I think in the DIRTcar 358 Modifieds, the driver that jumps out as a driver that could win a track championship would have to be Johnathon Ferguson, driver of the #44 Splash Well Drilling ride out of Prescott, ON. He has been close on a few occasions at the Brockville Ontario Speedway. He has three career 358 Modified wins. Last year, he finished second three times and was never out of the top five in all but two or three events. This could be his year to break through.
Rich Vleck: Felix Roy going to Albany-Saratoga every Friday will be a lot of fun, but I’ll go with Jack Lehner being the top man at Malta. That competition is so good out there, but Jack had three wins there last season, which might be good enough to claim a title this year.
Which Sportsman Driver do you expect to make a jump in 2025 at weekly tracks and on the DIRTcar Sportsman Series?
Steve Petty: Making a jump on the DIRTcar Sportsman Series would be multi-time Ransomville track champion Derek Wagner. Wagner went to Albany-Saratoga and finished 11th in their Series event. If Wagner travels more in 2025, he would be a threat to win wherever he goes.
A second driver who has had success is Brett Senek. Another multi-time track champion at Ransomville, Senek finished third in Western Region points in 2024, with three top five finishes in the three races held at Ransomville Speedway and Merrittville Speedway. Only Senek, Adam Leslie, and 2024 champion Cody McPherson raced in all races in the Western Region. Brett has also had decent runs at Weedsport and Land of Legends and can be one to look out for on the road in 2025.
Mike Warren: I’m going with Chris Jakubiak at Albany-Saratoga. We saw him pick up a win in a dominating performance on DIRTVision during the 60th Anniversary Celebration, and he has a chance to better that in weekly action throughout the season. While I don’t know if he can knock off Tim Hartman Jr. for a title, the battles he’ll face throughout the season may be enough to put him in contention when he decides to travel outside the Capital Region.
Tim Baltz: After his performance at Can-Am in the North Regional Series opener, I firmly believe that even though he didn’t win the race, Richard Murtaugh is the driver that people will be contending with. I think he will be in Victory Lane many times in 2025. He claimed two Series wins during the Championship Season in 2024 at Weedsport and Land of Legends. He has the talent, the equipment, and the desire to win. Put all that together, you could be seeing the next series champion. You never know in this sport.
Rich Vleck: Emmett Waldron is getting more and more fun to watch as he gets older. He has his equipment in great shape, is really sharp on slick tracks, and has a great head on his shoulders. In a division that changes so much year-to-year, Emmett is in a prime position to pounce with his consistency.
Steve Ovens: With the expected departure of guys like Nicholas Root and Zach Sobotka, I think guys like Emmett Waldron and Mike Fowler have nice opportunities to step into that top-tier role. From a weekly track perspective, I’m keeping an eye on guys like Matt Guererri, Karl Comfort, Frank Guererri Jr., and Justin Liechti to take big steps at their home track of Land of Legends Raceway.
The Super DIRTcar Series returns to action on Tuesday, May 13, at Georgetown Speedway in Georgetown, DE for the Delaware Diamond 75. The event serves as the first Super DIRT Week Qualifier of the 2025 season.
If you can’t make it to the track, you can watch all of the Super DIRTcar Series action on DIRTVision, either online or with the DIRTVision app.
For more on the DIRTcar Northeast, follow the DIRTcar Facebook page and the Series’ X/(Twitter) page.
