Memorial Day weekend is known as the “biggest weekend in motorsports.” And for the Super DIRTcar Series, it means the first doubleheader of 2025.
First, the Series makes its first of four stops at Weedsport Speedway this season on Sunday, May 25, for the Heroes Remembered 100. Drivers will battle in a 100-lap Feature paying $7,500 to win, ending a jam-packed day of racing action that includes the Monaco Grand Prix, Indianapolis 500, and Coca-Cola 600.
Then, the Beasts of the Northeast travel to Thunder Mountain Speedway for the second annual Natural 77, honoring Dale Planck, on Monday, May 26. A $7,700 prize is on the line in the 77-lap Feature.
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 are the key storylines to watch at Weedsport and Thunder Mountain:
Red Hot Money: No driver enters this weekend’s doubleheader with more momentum than defending Series champion Mat Williamson.
The St. Catharines, ON driver has won the last six races he’s entered, including two wins at Ransomville Speedway, two at Lernerville Speedway, and two at Land of Legends Raceway.
He’s also had more recent success than any other driver at Weedsport, winning three of the last four Heroes Remembered 100s and three of the previous four Super DIRTcar Series races at the track.
Williamson has made four starts at Thunder Mountain in his career, finishing on the podium three times. His best finish is second, twice – once in 2018 and last year’s Natural 77.
“Money Mat” is currently second in the Series standings, trailing Alex Yankowski by 11 points.
Yankowski, meanwhile, has finished second in both points-paying Series events in 2025. The Covington Township, PA driver has made one start at Weedsport, finishing 18th in the 2022 Heroes Remembered 100. He’s made two Modified starts at Thunder Mountain, earning a ninth as his best finish during last year’s Pinnacle of Power event.
Freeze Warning: The last time the Super DIRTcar Series battled at Weedsport, Stewart Friesen stood on “Victory Hill” as the Hall of Fame 100 winner in July.
The NASCAR Trucks Series star has finished on the podium in four of his last five Series starts at the 3/8-mile track, including a Heroes Remembered 100 triumph in 2022. He also finished fourth with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars at Weedsport last summer and added a Big Block win there last September.
Friesen has six Super DIRTcar Series wins at Weedsport, and 48 Series wins overall after winning the Power in the Pines at New Egypt Speedway in March.
Getting Back on Track: This weekend’s doubleheader is a chance for two veteran Super DIRTcar Series drivers to get back on track after an uncharacteristic start.
Matt Sheppard enters the weekend seventh in the Series standings after finishing 13th at New Egypt and seventh at Albany-Saratoga last month. Despite those two finishes, he returns to two places this weekend where he’s reached Victory Lane in the past.
The Waterloo, NY driver is a two-time track champion at Weedsport, earning 25 Feature wins, including eight Super DIRTcar Series triumphs. However, he’s searching for his first Series triumph at the track since 2023.
At Thunder Mountain, he has two victories in the track’s Lightning on the Mountain event in 2014 and 2021 and added a fourth in last year’s Natural 77, a race where he was contending for the lead.
This weekend is also a chance for Weedsport track promoter Jimmy Phelps to build momentum. In his last seven Series starts at “The Port,” the Baldwinsville, NY driver hasn’t finished outside the top 10. That includes a win in 2022 and two runner-up finishes – the latest in last year’s Hall of Fame 100. He also added a DIRTcar 358 Modified Series win in 2024.
The “Baldwinsville Bandit” is also the only Super DIRTcar Series winner in Thunder Mountain history, besting Williamson, Sheppard, and Tim Sears Jr. to earn the inaugural Natural 77 victory.
Feeling the Thunder: Monday’s Natural 77 at Thunder Mountain is a chance for two-time defending track champion Darren Smith to defend home turf at his Saturday night home.
The Binghamton, NY driver has two victories at the track this season and leads the points in both the track’s Open Modified and DIRTcar 358 Modified divisions.
He enters the weekend 13th in Series points after a 12th at New Egypt and 19th at Albany-Saratoga.
Tim Sears Jr. and Jack Lehner were two other drivers who found success in the Series’ debut at the Broome County facility.
Sears finished third in last year’s Natural 77, one of five podium finishes in 2024. The Hastings, NY driver has already earned a podium finish this season after finishing third at Albany-Saratoga. He enters the weekend fourth in points, 21 points behind Yankowski.
Lehner, meanwhile, scored one of his three top fives at Thunder Mountain last season. He’s aiming to better his first two finishes of the season after finishing 20th at New Egypt and 15th at Albany-Saratoga.
All three drivers are searching for their first career Series victory.
WHEN AND WHERE
Weedsport Speedway (3/8-Mile) in Weedsport, NY on Sunday, May 25
Thunder Mountain Speedway (1/4-mile) in Center Lisle, NY on Monday, May 26
ONLINE
Weedsport Speedway: https://www.weedsportspeedway.com
Thunder Mountain Speedway: https://thundermtnspeedway.net
TRACK RECORD
Weedsport Speedway: 15.156 by Demetrios Drellos on Sept. 2, 2019
Thunder Mountain Speedway: 14.146 by Codie Higbie on July 9, 2024
2025 Series Statistics
FEATURE WINNERS: (6 Drivers)
Rank- Driver- Hometown-Wins
- Matt Sheppard, Waterloo, NY-1
Alex Yankowski, Covington Township, PA-1
Peter Britten, Brisbane, QLD-1
Erick Rudolph, Ransomville, NY-1
Stewart Friesen, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON-1
L.J. Lombardo, Danbury, CT-1
HEAT RACE WINNERS (16 Drivers)
Rank- Driver- Hometown-Wins
- Mat Williamson, St. Catharines, ON-4
- Alex Yankowski, Covington Township, PA-3
- Peter Britten, Brisbane, QLD-2
Justin Haers, Phelps, NY-2
Jimmy Phelps, Baldwinsville, NY-2
Stewart Friesen, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON-2
Mike Mahaney, Elizabethtown, NY-2 - Billy Pauch Jr., Frenchtown, NJ-1
Alex Payne, Hopewell, NY-1
Erick Rudolph, Ransomville, NY-1
Matt Sheppard, Waterloo, NY-1
Larry Wight, Phoenix, NY-1
Tanner Van Doren, Schnecksville, PA-1
L.J. Lombardo, Danbury, CT-1
Marc Johnson, Guilderland, NY-1
Tim Sears Jr., Hastings, NY-1
LAST CHANCE SHOWDOWN WINNERS (7 Drivers)
Rank- Driver- Hometown-Wins
- Chris Curtis, East Canaan, CT-3
- Danny Creeden, Wurtsboro, NY-2
Anthony Perrego, Montgomery, NY-2 - Larry Wight, Phoenix, NY-1
Zach Payne, Stanley, NY-1
Jimmy Phelps, Baldwinsville, NY-1
Ronnie Johnson, Duanesburg, NY-1
PODIUM FINISHES (9 Drivers)
Rank – Driver, Hometown – Podiums
- Alex Yankowski, Covington Township, PA-4
- Erick Rudolph, Ransomville, NY-3
- Matt Sheppard, Waterloo, NY-2
Mat Williamson, St. Catharines, ON-2 - Justin Haers, Phelps, NY-1
Peter Britten, Brisbane, QLD-1
Alex Payne, Hopewell, NY-1
Stewart Friesen, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON-1
Logan Watt, Boyertown, PA-1
L.J. Lombardo, Danbury, CT-1
Tim Sears Jr., Hastings, NY-1
HARD CHARGER (5 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
BILLY WHITAKER CARS AND TRUX QUICK TIMES (5 Drivers)
Rank – Driver, Hometown – QTs
- Mat Williamson, St. Catharines, ON-2
- Billy Pauch Jr., Frenchtown, NJ-1
Alex Payne, Hopewell, NY-1
Stewart Friesen, Niagara-On-The-Lake, ON-1
Tim Sears Jr., Hastings, NY-1
JAM Performance Fastest Hot Lap Award (5 Drivers)
Rank – Driver, Hometown – QTs
- Justin Haers, Phelps, NY-2
Erick Rudolph, Ransomville, NY-1
Justin Stone, Middlebury, VT-1
Danny Creeden, Wurtsboro, NY-1
Mike Mahaney, Elizabethtown, NY-1
Super DIRTcar Series Lap Leaders (9 Drivers)
Rank – Driver, Hometown – Laps Led
- Alex Yankowski, Covington Township, PA-61
- Stewart Friesen, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON-52
- Matt Sheppard, Waterloo, NY-30
- L.J. Lombardo, Danbury, CT-29
- Peter Britten, Brisbane, QLD-28
- Erick Rudolph, Ransomville, NY-26
- Mat Williamson, St. Catharines, ON-23
- Larry Wight, Phoenix, NY-24
- Alex Payne, Hopewell, NY-2
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
*: Denotes Non-Points Paying Victory
