A night of high-speed thrills await the Super DIRTcar Series in New York’s Capital Region.
The Beasts of the Northeast return to Lebanon Valley Speedway on Thursday, June 19, for Mr. DIRT Track USA, the first of two stops at the track in 2025.
Drivers will battle in a 100-lap Feature, paying $15,500-to-win. It’s also the second Super DIRT Week Qualifier of the season, meaning one driver will earn a guaranteed starting spot in the Billy Whittaker Cars 200 at Oswego Speedway in October.
This race will serve as the make-up for last year’s event, which was postponed after Hot Laps. Fans who kept their admission ticket can use it for this event.
Joining the Super DIRTcar Series on the card are the DIRTcar Sportsman and DIRTcar Pro Stocks.
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.
Here’s a look at the key storylines entering Mr. Dirt Track USA:
A Chance to Lock-In: For the second consecutive event, drivers will battle for a guaranteed starting spot at Super DIRT Week 53 (Oct. 6-11). Thursday’s Mr. DIRT Track USA is the second of 11 Qualifiers in the 2025 season, with this one paying $15,500-to-win.
Stewart Friesen became the first driver to earn a guaranteed starting spot with his win at Selinsgrove Speedway earlier this month. If the Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON driver wins at Lebanon Valley, whoever finishes second will earn the guaranteed spot.
Here are the remaining Super DIRT Week Qualifiers in 2025:
Lebanon Valley Speedway (June 19 and Aug. 28)
Cornwall Motor Speedway (June 29)
Weedsport Speedway (July 26 and Sept. 6)
Autodrome Drummond (July 28 and July 29)
Sharon Speedway (Aug. 11)
Albany-Saratoga Speedway (Sept. 20)
Georgetown Speedway (TBD)
Tight at the Top: Entering Thursday’s Mr. DIRT Track USA, Alex Yankowski holds a 24-point lead over defending Series champion Mat Williamson.
Despite going winless in six points-paying events, the Covington Township, PA driver has been consistent, earning four runner-up finishes, including in each of the last two races. He’s also the only driver to finish in the top 10 of all six championship season events.
“Kid Rocket” has made three Series starts at Lebanon Valley in his career, earning two top 10s. His best finish was a seventh in 2023.
Williamson, meanwhile, has momentum after finishing on the podium in five consecutive races last weekend. The St. Catharines, ON driver earned a DIRTcar 358 Modified Series triumph at Airborne Park Speedway, along with victories at Utica-Rome Speedway and Devil’s Bowl Speedway. He also added runner-up finishes at Ransomville Speedway and Land of Legends Raceway.
“Money Mat” has made seven Series starts at the “Valley of Speed,” with three top fives and four top 10s. His best finish was a second in 2021.
Erick Rudolph (46 points behind) and Alex Payne (49 points behind) enter Lebanon Valley third and fourth in the Series standings, separated by three points.
Rudolph comes in with more experience than Payne at Lebanon Valley, making five Series starts. However, the Ransomville, NY driver hasn’t raced at the 1/2-mile track since 2021, the same year he earned his best Lebanon Valley finish (sixth). He enters Thursday’s race with top 10s in five of the six championship season events.
Payne, meanwhile, will make his first Series start at the track on Thursday. He’s coming into Mr. DIRT Track USA with four consecutive top 10s and top fives in three of the last four races.
A Super Chance to Strike: When it comes to full-time Super DIRTcar Series drivers, no one has been better at Lebanon Valley than 10-time Series champion Matt Sheppard.
The Waterloo, NY driver has four Series victories and back-to-back top two finishes at the 1/2-mile oval. In 33 starts, Sheppard has 13 top fives and 23 top 10s. He’s also finished in the top 10 in four of his last six Series starts at the track.
If Sheppard wins on Thursday, he’ll join Brett Hearn as the only two drivers to earn 100 Super DIRTcar Series victories. He enters the race sixth in the Series standings, 60 points behind Yankowski.
The Valley Bad Boys: While Sheppard has had recent success at Lebanon Valley in Super DIRTcar Series events, the road to a Series win there goes through seven-time and defending track champion Andy Bachetti.
The Sheffield, MA driver has seven Super DIRTcar Series wins at his home track, including three of the last five. He enters Thursday with momentum after earning two Big Block Feature wins at the track in the past month.
Joining Sheppard and Bachetti to win a Series event at Lebanon Valley is L.J. Lombardo, who’s already reached Series Victory Lane this season at Albany-Saratoga Speedway. Lombardo, from Danbury, CT, won the King of Spring in 2022, earning a guaranteed starting spot at Super DIRT Week.
In four Series starts in 2025, Lombardo has a win, a top five, and two top 10s.
Other drivers to watch include Brett Haas, Kolby Schroder, and Kyle Armstrong.
Haas finished second to Bachetti in the track’s points standings last year, earning five wins before coming up short of his first championship. Along with weekly success, the Pittsfield, MA driver has achieved Series success, earning a third-place finish in 2022 and a fifth-place finish in 2021.
Schroder, meanwhile, earned the opening night victory this season, and has two top fives in three starts this season. Like Haas, Schroder has also had Series success. The Staatsburg, NY driver has three Super DIRTcar Series top fives at Lebanon Valley, including a fourth in 2018.
Armstrong is Bachetti’s closest competitor in the track’s points standings, with two top fives in three races. The New Milford, CT driver earned a Series top five in 2022 when he finished fifth in the race won by Lombardo.
WHEN AND WHERE
Lebanon Valley Speedway (1/2-mile) in West Lebanon, NY on Thursday, May 19
ONLINE
Lebanon Valley Speedway: https://www.lebanonvalley.com
TRACK RECORD
Lebanon Valley Speedway: 19.236 second lap set by Brett Hearn on 9/1/16
FEATURE WINNERS: (7 Drivers)
Rank- Driver- Hometown-Wins
- Stewart Friesen, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON-3
- Matt Sheppard, Waterloo, NY-2
- Alex Yankowski, Covington Township, PA-1
Peter Britten, Brisbane, QLD-1
Erick Rudolph, Ransomville, NY-1
L.J. Lombardo, Danbury, CT-1
Ryan Godown, Ringoes, NJ-1
HEAT RACE WINNERS (20 Drivers)
Rank- Driver- Hometown-Wins
- Mat Williamson, St. Catharines, ON-5
Peter Britten, Brisbane, QLD-5
Matt Sheppard, Waterloo, NY-5 - Mike Mahaney, Elizabethtown, NY-4
Alex Yankowski, Covington Township, PA-4 - Stewart Friesen, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON-3
- Justin Haers, Phelps, NY-2
Jimmy Phelps, Baldwinsville, NY-2
Tim Sears Jr., Hastings, NY-2 - Billy Pauch Jr., Frenchtown, NJ-1
Alex Payne, Hopewell, NY-1
Erick Rudolph, Ransomville, NY-1
Larry Wight, Phoenix, NY-1
Tanner Van Doren, Schnecksville, PA-1
L.J. Lombardo, Danbury, CT-1
Marc Johnson, Guilderland, NY-1
Jordan McCreadie, Watertown, NY-1
Brett Tonkin, Carbondale, PA-1
Ryan Godown, Ringoes, NJ-1
Justin Stone, Middlebury, VT – 1
LAST CHANCE SHOWDOWN WINNERS (12 Drivers)
Rank- Driver- Hometown-Wins
- Chris Curtis, East Canaan, CT-3
- Danny Creeden, Wurtsboro, NY-2
Anthony Perrego, Montgomery, NY-2
Darren Smith, Binghamton, NY-2 - Larry Wight, Phoenix, NY-1
Zach Payne, Stanley, NY-1
Jimmy Phelps, Baldwinsville, NY-1
Ronnie Johnson, Duanesburg, NY-1
Mat Williamson, St. Catharines, ON-1
Jack Lehner, Saratoga Springs, NY-1
Erick Rudolph, Ransomville, NY-1
Ronnie Davis III, Memphis, NY-1
PODIUM FINISHES (11 Drivers)
Rank – Driver, Hometown – Podiums
- Alex Yankowski, Covington Township, PA-6
- Erick Rudolph, Ransomville, NY-4
Mat Williamson, St. Catharines, ON-4 - Matt Sheppard, Waterloo, NY-3
Stewart Friesen, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON-3 - Peter Britten, Brisbane, QLD-2
Alex Payne, Hopewell, NY-2 - Justin Haers, Phelps, NY-1
Logan Watt, Boyertown, PA-1
L.J. Lombardo, Danbury, CT-1
Tim Sears Jr., Hastings, NY-1
Mike Mahaney, Elizabethtown, NY-1
Ryan Godown, Ringoes, NJ-1
HARD CHARGER (9 Drivers)
Rank – Driver, Hometown – H.C.
- Anthony Perrego, Montgomery, NY-2
- H.J. Bunting, Milford, DE-1
Amy Holland, Fulton, NY-1
Alex Payne, Hopewell, NY-1
Louden Reimert, Oley, PA-1
Mat Williamson, St. Catharines, ON-1
Felix Roy, Napierville, QC-1
Tim Sears Jr., Hastings, NY-1
Jimmy Phelps, Baldwinsville, NY-1
BILLY WHITAKER CARS AND TRUX QUICK TIMES (7 Drivers)
Rank – Driver, Hometown – QTs
- Mat Williamson, St. Catharines, ON-2
Mike Mahaney, Elizabethtown, NY-2
Stewart Friesen, Niagara-On-The-Lake, ON-2 - Billy Pauch Jr., Frenchtown, NJ-1
Alex Payne, Hopewell, NY-1
Tim Sears Jr., Hastings, NY-1
Matt Sheppard, Waterloo, NY-1
JAM Performance Fastest Hot Lap Award (7 Drivers)
Rank – Driver, Hometown – QTs
- Justin Haers, Phelps, NY-2
Stewart Friesen, Niagara-On-the-Lake, ON-2 - Erick Rudolph, Ransomville, NY-1
Justin Stone, Middlebury, VT-1
Danny Creeden, Wurtsboro, NY-1
Mike Mahaney, Elizabethtown, NY-1
Billy Pauch Jr., Frenchtown, NJ-1
Super DIRTcar Series Lap Leaders (12 Drivers)
Rank – Driver, Hometown – Laps Led
- Stewart Friesen, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON-148
- Matt Sheppard, Waterloo, NY-107
- Ryan Godown, Ringoes, NY-75
- Alex Yankowski, Covington Township, PA-61
- Alex Payne, Hopewell, NY-40
- L.J. Lombardo, Danbury, CT-29
- Peter Britten, Brisbane, QLD-28
- Erick Rudolph, Ransomville, NY-26
- Felix Roy, Napierville, QC-24
- Mat Williamson, St. Catharines, ON-23
- Larry Wight, Phoenix, NY-24
- Louden Reimert, Oley, PA-17
2025 Super DIRTcar Series Schedule and Winners
- Wednesday, Feb. 12/Volusia Speedway Park/Barberville, FL/Matt Sheppard*
- Thursday, Feb. 13/Volusia Speedway Park/Barberville, FL/Alex Yankowski
- Friday, Feb. 14/Volusia Speedway Park/Barberville, FL/Peter Britten*
- Saturday, Feb. 15/Volusia Speedway Park/Barberville, FL/Erick Rudolph*
- Saturday, March 29/New Egypt Speedway/New Egypt, NJ/Stewart Friesen
- Friday, April 18/Albany-Saratoga Speedway/Malta, NY/L.J. Lombardo
- Sunday, May 25/Weedsport Speedway/Weedsport, NY/Stewart Friesen (2)
- Monday, May 26/Thunder Mountain Speedway/Center Lisle, NY/Matt Sheppard (2)
- Tuesday, June 3/Big Diamond Speedway/Pottsville, PA/Ryan Godown
- Wednesday, June 4/Selinsgrove Speedway/Selinsgrove, PA/Stewart Friesen (3)
*: Denotes Non-Points Paying Victory
