A Garden State battle awaits the Super DIRTcar Series as it kicks off its 2024 championship season with the Power in the Pines at New Egypt Speedway.
The 75-lap, $7,500-to-win, season-opener on Saturday, March 30, marks the first Series event at the track since 2014 – won by Matt Sheppard, now the 10-time and defending Series champion.
He, along with 18 other prominent northeast drivers, start their championship quest at the 7/16-mile track. But to win it, they’ll also have to contend with Hall of Famers, local stars and talented newcomers.
The Super DIRTcar Series will be joined by New Egypt’s Sportsman division Saturday night as well.
If you can’t make it to the track, watch all the action live on DIRTVision, either online or with the DIRTVision app.
Here’s a look at the key storylines to watch this weekend:
Chasing Milestones: Sheppard begins his quest for an 11th Super DIRTcar Series championship this weekend at New Egypt, where he’s found success before.
The Waterloo, NY driver has 13 wins at the track, including three Super DIRTcar Series victories. He also won the track championship at New Egypt in 2007 while driving the Randy Ross-owned #44 car.
While he begins another title defense on Saturday, Sheppard is also chasing 100 Super DIRTcar Series victories. After two wins during Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals, he has 96 Series triumphs. He aims to join Brett Hearn as the only two drivers to reach the century mark.
RELATED: Matt Sheppard Looks Ahead to Super DIRTcar Series Title Defense
Florida Momentum: While Sheppard earned two victories at DIRTcar Nationals, four other drivers left the Sunshine State with momentum.
After a win and three top-fives, Mat Williamson won the Big Gator trophy for the second consecutive season.
Now, he’ll try to challenge Sheppard for the title again after finishing second in 2023. The St. Catharines, ON, driver aims to win his second consecutive season opener after opening the 2023 championship season with a win at New Jersey’s Bridgeport Motorsports Park.
RELATED: Mat Williamson Ready to Defend DIRTcar Nationals Title at Volusia
While he didn’t win last year’s title, Williamson had more wins than any other driver last season (7), including his third Billy Whittaker Cars 200 triumph at Super DIRT Week.
Anthony Perrego was another driver who had three top-fives in Florida. The Montgomery, NY driver led laps on the first two nights of DIRTcar Nationals and drove from 19th to fifth on the final night to earn the Hard Charger award.
RELATED: Anthony Perrego Reflects on Strong Start, Aims For Continued Super DIRTcar Series Success
Perrego scored a Series win in 2023, holding off Sheppard to win the Anthracite Assault at Big Diamond, and finished second to Sheppard in the Dirt Jersey Nine last year.
Larry Wight made his presence known in Florida, scoring six top-10s in seven races. In the only race he didn’t finish in the top 10, he was leading before an accident took him out of the race with seven laps to go.
The Phoenix, NY, will aim to improve upon his 10th-place finish in Series point from last year, using his Florida success as a catalyst.
RELATED: Larry Wight Hopeful For Super DIRTcar Series Success After Offseason Changes
Jimmy Phelps, who finished third in the final 2023 standings, also had a good showing in Florida. The Baldwinsville, NY driver scored two fourth-place finishes as he searches for his first Super DIRTcar Series win since 2022.
Taking the Next Step: Mike Mahaney and Tim Sears Jr. had career years with the Super DIRTcar Series in 2023, finishing fourth and fifth, respectively in points, and will try to take that success a step further this year.
Mahaney found Victory Lane in 2023, grabbing his first Series win away from Albany-Saratoga Speedway with a win at Autodrome Drummond.
Sears, meanwhile, had a late-season charge, with seven top 10s in eight races from night two at Drummond to Super DIRT Week. He also added track championships at Brewerton and Fulton Speedway.
Both will make their 2024 Series debut at New Egypt.
The New Blood: When the season officially kicks off at New Egypt Speedway, five rookies will join the Super DIRTcar Series.
Alex Payne, Matt Caprara, Justin Stone, Mike Trautschold, and Daniel Johnson will battle for Rookie of the Year honors in 2024, hoping to follow in 2023 Rookie of the Year Felix Roy’s footsteps in their first season.
Along with going after the Rookie of the Year title, all five drivers will also be searching for their first Super DIRTcar Series victory.
All, but Johnson, got a head start to their 2024 season by competing in DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park. Payne built up the most momentum by scoring a top-five finish on the final night.
RELATED: Exciting Field of Veterans, Newcomers Ready For 2024 Super DIRTcar Series Campaign
This Is Our House: A trip to New Egypt means the track regulars will try to defend their home turf. Ryan Godown, Louden Reimert, and Brandon Grosso will lead the charge of New Egypt drivers hoping to steal the $7,500 prize.
Godown, the defending New Egypt track champion, scored his lone Super DIRTcar Series win in 2022 at Bridgeport Motorsports Park. The Ringoes, NJ driver hopes to add another this weekend. He’s currently second on the track’s all-time wins list with 55.
Reimert finished fourth in points at New Egypt in 2023, earning one win at the track last August. It’ll be his fourth appearance in Super DIRTcar Series competition this season, after racing at DIRTcar Nationals in February. The Pennsylvania competitor’s best finish is an eighth on the season’s opening night.
Brandon Grosso is another regular looking for his first Super DIRTcar Series checkered flag this weekend. While the Montgomery, NJ driver has only made two Series starts, he has scored a top 10, finishing eighth at Big Diamond in 2022.
Grosso finished third in New Egypt Speedway’s point standings last season.
Prospective Power in the Pines Roster
# Name Hometown
1J Danny Creeden Wurtsboro, NY
2 Jack Lehner Saratoga Springs, NY
4 Anthony Perrego Montgomery, NY
4V Billy VanInwegen Port Jervis, NY
8 Rich Scagliotta Bound Brook, NJ
9S Matt Sheppard Waterloo, NY
11 Matt Caprara Clayton, NY
12 Darren Smith Binghamton, NY
14 C.G. Morey Rutland, VT
15G Duane Howard Oley, PA
15X Justin Stone Middlebury, VT
17 Marcus Dinkins Watkins Glen, NY
20 David Schilling East Greenbush, NY
21A Peter Britten Brisbane, QLD
21M Bob McGannon Garnerville, NY
22 Tanner Van Doren Schnecksville, PA
25 Mike Kolka Middletown, NY
26 Ryan Godown Ringoes, NJ
27J Danny Johnson Rochester, NY
27JR Daniel Johnson Middlesex, NY
28 Mike Trautschold Roscoe, NY
29 Ken Eckert Jr. Orwigsburg, PA
32 Brandon Grosso Montgomery, NJ
35 Mike Mahaney Elizabethtown, NJ
58 Louden Reimert Oley, PA
66 Wallace Stacey Kahnawake, QC
70A Alex Payne Hopewell, NY
83X Tim Sears Jr. Hastings, NY
88 Mat Williamson St. Catharines, ON
91 Billy Decker Unadilla, NY
91 Felix Roy Napierville, QC
92 Dexter Stacey Kahnawake, QC
98H Jimmy Phelps Baldwinsville, NY
99L Larry Wight Phoenix, NY
111 Demetrios Drellos Queensbury, NY
215 Adam Pierson E. Corinth, VT
304 Ricky Wegner Somerset, NJ
323 Johnny Bangs Hamilton, NJ
WHEN AND WHERE
New Egypt Speedway (7/16-mile) in New Egypt, NJ on March 30
ONLINE
New Egypt Speedway: newegyptspeedway.net
TRACK RECORD
New Egypt Speedway: Kenny Brightbill 15.406
Past New Egypt Speedway Super DIRTcar Series Winners
1998- Bob McCreadie
2000- Billy Pauch
2001- Billy Decker
2002- Brett Hearn
2003- Alan Johnson
2005- Billy Pauch (2)
2005- Tim Fuller
2005- Matt Sheppard
2006- Tim Fuller (2)
2007- Billy Decker (2)
2007- Matt Sheppard (2)
2007- Keith Hoffman
2013- Rick Laubach
2014- Matt Sheppard (3)
FEATURE WINNERS: (2 Drivers)
Rank- Driver- Hometown-Wins
- Matt Sheppard, Waterloo, NY- 2
- Mat Williamson, St. Catharines, ON-1
HEAT RACE WINNERS (10 Drivers)
Rank- Driver- Hometown-Wins
- Matt Sheppard, Waterloo, NY-2
Mat Williamson, St. Catharines, ON-2 - Rick Laubach, Quakertown, PA-1
Peter Britten, Brisbane, QLD, AUS-1
Alex Payne, Hopewell, NY-1
Rex King Jr., Bristolville, OH-1
Erick Rudolph, Ransomville, NY-1
Larry Wight, Phoenix, NY-1
Jimmy Phelps, Baldwinsville, NY-1
Billy Pauch Jr., Frenchtown, NJ-1
LAST CHANCE SHOWDOWN WINNERS (6 Drivers)
Rank- Driver- Hometown-Wins
- Larry Wight, Phoenix, NY-1
Felix Roy, Napierville, QC-1
Stewart Friesen, Sprakers, NY-1
Billy Pauch Jr., Frenchtown. NJ-1
Anthony Perrego, Montgomery, NY-1
Marc Johnson, Guilderland, NY-1
PODIUM FINISHES (5 Drivers)
Rank – Driver, Hometown – Podiums
- Anthony Perrego, Montgomery, NY-2
Matt Sheppard, Waterloo, NY-2
Erick Rudolph, Ransomville, NY-2
Mat Williamson, St. Catharines, ON-2 - Larry Wight, Phoenix, NY-1
HARD CHARGER (3 Drivers)
Rank – Driver, Hometown – H.C.
- Stewart Friesen, Sprakers, NY-1
Mat Williamson, St. Catharines, ON-1
Anthony Perrego, Montgomery, NY-1
BILLY WHITAKER CARS AND TRUX QUICK TIMES (3 Drivers)
Rank – Driver, Hometown – QTs
- Mat Williamson, St. Catharines, ON-1
Rex King Jr., Bristolville, OH-1
Demetrios Drellos, Queensbury, NY-1
JAM Performance Fastest Hot Lap Award (1 Driver)
Rank – Driver, Hometown – QTs
- Jimmy Phelps, Baldwinsville, NY-3
Super DIRTcar Series Lap Leaders (5 Drivers)
Rank – Driver, Hometown – Laps Led
- Anthony Perrego, Montgomery, NY-25
- Demetrios Drellos, Queensbury, NY-24
- Matt Sheppard, Waterloo, NY-19
- Larry Wight, Phoenix, NY-12
- Erick Rudolph, Ransomville, NY-9
- Jimmy Phelps, Baldwinsville, NY-7
- Mat Williamson, St. Catharines, ON-3
2024 Super DIRTcar Series Schedule and Winners
- Wednesday, Feb. 14/Volusia Speedway Park/Barberville, FL/Matt Sheppard (1)*
- Thursday, Feb. 15/Volusia Speedway Park/Barberville, FL/Mat Williamson (1)*
- Friday, Feb. 16/Volusia Speedway Park/Barberville, FL/Matt Sheppard (2)*
*: Denotes Non-Points Paying Victory
