When a historic moment is up for grabs on the Super DIRTcar Series, Alex Yankowski has made the most of every opportunity.
Along with being the youngest winner in Series history, the 20-year-old driver added another accomplishment to his Big Block resume. He earned the coveted “Big Gator” trophy at Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals, becoming the first driver from Pennsylvania to accomplish that feat.
“I think it’s a testament to how hard the team has worked,” Yankowski said. “To be the first guy out of Pennsylvania shows how much we travel. We race in New York. We race in Canada. We race in Delaware. We race anywhere that we could. We don’t have any boundaries or limits.
“I’m pretty proud of it, and hopefully it’s just a good start to the year.”
The road to “Kid Rocket’s” championship at Volusia Speedway Park was highlighted by a win, three top fives, and four top 10s. It comes after he struggled in his DIRTcar Nationals debut in 2024, failing to finish in the top 10 in three starts.
Despite those struggles, he said that experience played a vital role in chasing the “Big Gator.”
“We just knew going in what we were going to have,” Yankowski said. “We worked really hard on the setup but also in the engine shop too. Jeff Murray and Fred Loney really busted their butt to give me some good motors. I feel like our whole building right now between the engine shop and race car shop is just on its game, and it makes my job easier when I’m trying to race.”
Even with a more experienced game plan, the battle for the championship came down to the final night. Yankowski entered the 50-lap Feature with a 10-point lead over Peter Britten, and a 16-point lead over two-time and defending Series champion Mat Williamson.
Britten struggled, finishing 18th, but Williamson thrived with a second-place finish. That kept Yankowski on edge every lap as he battled to keep enough points for the title. When the the checkered flag dropped, Yankowski crossed the line in eighth – three points ahead of Williamson.
“I felt like we were throwing the Big Gator away,” Yankowski said. “But then we really couldn’t steer, and I said I just maybe need to settle in and get grounded. It was tough, and we just kind of squeaked it out.”
The championship became another historic accolade in Yankowski’s career. It joins his accomplishments of becoming the youngest Super DIRTcar Series winner at 17 years old in 2021 when he won at the World of Outlaws World Finals in his third Series start and becoming the second SummerFAST champion in the event’s history.
While he’s far from hitting his prime, he knows he’s leading the next wave of young drivers to success.
“I feel like there’s a lot of good talent coming through already,” Yankowski said. “I’m 20 years old and I’ve only been in it five years, but I’ve already seen the landscape change a little bit. Brett Hearn, Billy Decker, Pauch Sr, and Tim Fuller used to be those veterans, and now guys like [Stewart Friesen], [Matt Sheppard], and those guys are filling that role.
“You’re seeing guys a lot younger than me come through and those guys are going to give you a hard time in a couple of years. I think it’s really exciting for the sport.”
The Super DIRTcar Series kicks off its 2025 championship season at New Egypt Speedway in New Egypt, NJ, for Power in the Pines on Saturday, March 29.
If you can’t make it to the track, you can watch every race live on DIRTVision – either at DIRTVision.com or by downloading the DIRTVision App.