‘The Beasts of the Northeast’ battle it out against local talent for massive payout and title of Mr. DIRT Track USA
The Super DIRTcar Series Big Block Modifieds will return to Lebanon Valley Speedway for the second time this season on Saturday, Sept. 3, to crown a new Mr. DIRT Track USA.
The 100-Lap matchup guarantees the winner a starting spot at the 50th Running of NAPA Auto Parts Super DIRT Week and a massive $25,500 payout to the winner – the second highest payday of the championship season.
If you can’t make it to the track, you can watch all the action live on DIRTVision – either online or by downloading the DIRTVision App.
Here are the top storylines to follow…
SUPER STREAK: Eight-time and defending Super DIRTcar Series champion “Super” Matt Sheppard has claimed five Series victories thus far, including two wins in a span of four days at SummerFAST. Sheppard has previously claimed a victory at Lebanon Valley Speedway, taking home the checkers in May 2021.
The Waterloo, NY driver will look to come out on top against the rest of the Series competition and local talent on the track’s high banks to continue his charge for a ninth Series title.
NOT DONE AT ONE: Mat Williamson won his first Big Block Feature of the season at Ransomville Speedway on Aug. 25, breaking through at an optimum point in the season. The win pushed the St. Catharines, ON driver back into second in the point standings behind current leader Matt Sheppard.
He and the Buzz Chew Racing team will look to continue putting all the pieces together to improve on a second-place finish at Lebanon Valley last year and remain in contention for the Series championship.
DEFENDING HIS TITLE: Defending Mr. DIRT Track USA Andy Bachetti, of Sheffield, MA, will be looking to defend his title on his home track when the Series rolls into town this weekend. The four-time and defending Big Block Modified track champion has logged four wins at Lebanon Valley this season in both a Big Block and a 358 Modified.
Bachetti will be one of the top potential track regulars to take home the checkers and claim a second victory by a regional driver over the Series regulars in the same season.
HUNGRY FOR MORE: Baldwinsville, NY driver Jimmy Phelps had a sweet homecoming when he crossed the finished line first at Weedsport Speedway on the opening night of SummerFAST. With the win, Phelps broke an almost three-year drought without a points-paying victory.
He continued that momentum with two more top-10 finishes, catapulting him into third place in the point standings. To try and keep that momentum rolling, he’ll try to improve upon his previous results at Lebanon Valley, which include a 17th place finish back in May and two 11th place finishes in 2021.
LOCAL TALENT: As a longtime DIRTcar-sanctioned track, Lebanon Valley is the home base of several Big Block Modified talents who have substantial experience on the high banks of the 1/2-mile oval.
Full-time Series driver and Lebanon Valley regular Marc Johnson has captured two victories this season at the track and has run near the top of the weekly point standings throughout the season. He also finished second with the Super DIRTcar Series at the track earlier this season.
Fourteen-time Big Block track champion Kenny Tremont Jr. will be hitting the track to make a run for the win against Series regulars. Even though Tremont Jr. has captured only one victory this season, the veteran driver’s tenacity and familiarity with the track will make him a top contender to keep an eye on to win the title of Mr. DIRT Track USA.
Stat Glance
Track Facts
Lebanon Valley Speedway
Configuration: half-mile, high-banked clay oval
Big Block Track Record: 19.236 – set by Brett Hearn on Sept. 1, 2016
Website: www.lebanonvalley.com
AROUND THE TURN: The Super DIRTcar Series will return to Weedsport Speedway for the Cavalcade Weekend, Sept. 10-11. Saturday’s matchup will have a $7,500 payout while Sunday’s matchup will pay $10,000 and grant the winner a guaranteed starting spot at the 50th Running of NAPA Auto Parts Super DIRT Week.
2022 FEATURE WINS:
1-Matt Sheppard – 5
2-Stewart Friesen – 2
-Max McLaughlin – 2
-Mat Williamson – 2
-Jimmy Phelps – 2
6-Peter Britten – 1
-Ryan Godown – 1
-LJ Lombardo-1
-Mike Mahaney-1
2022 HEAT WINS:
1-Matt Sheppard – 8
2-Peter Britten – 6
-Mat Williamson – 6
-Stewart Friesen – 6
5-Jimmy Phelps –5
-Larry Wight-5
7-Max McLaughlin – 3
8-Jack Lehner – 2
-Tim Fuller – 2
-Marc Johnson-2
-Mike Mahaney-2
-Ronnie Davis III-2
-Tim Sears Jr-2
-Erick Rudolph-2
14-Demetrios Drellos – 1
-Rick Laubach – 1
-Ryan Godown – 1
-Ryan Krachun – 1
-Billy Dunn – 1
-Eddie Marshall-1
-Kyle Armstrong-1
-Andy Bachetti-1
-Kenny Tremont Jr.-1
-Matt Delorenzo-1
-Tim McCreadie-1
-Brett Hearn-1
-Anthony Perrego-1
-Chris Hile-1
-Adam Pierson-1
-Kyle Coffey-1
-Chad Brachmann-1
2022 BILLY WHITTAKER CARS FAST TIME AWARD
1-Stewart Friesen – 3
2-Peter Britten – 2
-Max McLaughlin – 2
-Larry Wight-2
5-Jack Lehner – 1
-Jimmy Phelps – 1
-Mike Mahaney-1
-Andy Bachetti-1
-Matt Sheppard-1
-Pat Ward-1
-Kyle Coffey-1
-Chris Hile-1
2022 LAPS LED
1-Matt Sheppard – 328
2-Jimmy Phelps – 172
3-Stewart Friesen – 106
4-Mat Williamson – 101
5-Ryan Godown – 75
6-Justin Haers-72
7-Mike Mahaney-61
8-LJ Lombardo-56
9-Peter Britten-30
10-Max McLaughlin – 23
11-Alex Yankowski – 10
-Larry Wight-10
13-Adam Pierson-8
-Marc Johnson-8
-Ronnie Davis III-8
2022 Super DIRTcar Series Schedule & Winners
#/Day, Date/Track/Location/Winner (Total Wins)
1. Tuesday, Feb. 15 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Stewart Friesen (1)
2. Wednesday, Feb. 16 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Peter Britten (1)
3. Thursday, Feb. 17 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Mat Williamson (1)
4. Friday, Feb. 18 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Max McLaughlin (1)
5. Saturday, Feb. 19 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Jimmy Phelps (1)
6. Tuesday, May 3 / Bridgeport Motorsports Park / Swedesboro, NJ / Ryan Godown (1)
7. Wednesday, May 18 / Can-Am Speedway / LaFargville, NY / Matt Sheppard (1)
8. Sunday, May 29 / Weedsport Speedway / Weedsport, NY / Stewart Friesen (2)
9. Monday, May 30 / Lebanon Valley Speedway / West Lebanon, NY / LJ Lombardo (1)
10. Friday, June 24 / Albany-Saratoga Speedway/ Malta, NY/ Mike Mahaney (1)
11.Thursday, June 30 / Land of Legends Raceway/ Canandaigua, NY/Max McLaughlin (2)
12. Wednesday, July 13/Big Diamond Speedway/ Pottsville, PA/Matt Sheppard (2)
13. Thursday, July 28/Orange County Fair Speedway/Middletown, NY/Matt Sheppard (3)
14. Monday, August 15/Weedsport Speedway/ Weedsport, NY/Jimmy Phelps (2)
15. Tuesday, August 16/ Brewerton Speedway/ Central Square, NY/ Matt Sheppard (4)
16. Thursday, August 18/Land of Legends Raceway/ Canandaigua, NY/ Matt Sheppard (5)
17. Wednesday, August 25/Ransomville Speedway/Ransomville, NY/Mat Williamson (2)
