CAN-AM THRILL: Jackson Gill Scores First Career Super DIRTcar Series win in Can-Am’s R.D. Hutchinson Memorial
After being shut out of Victory Lane all year, Jackson Gill ended Can-Am Speedway’s season with a moment he’ll never forget.
He stormed from 14th to the lead, passing Alex Yankowski with five laps to go to earn his first Super DIRTcar Series win in Saturday’s R.D. Hutchinson Memorial.
His win came just minutes from his Plessis, NY, home, as he celebrated with his family in front of the Can-Am crowd.
“I didn’t think I’d ever get one this year,” Gill said. “To be this night is truly something special.
“To win a Super DIRTcar Series race, it doesn’t get any better than that.”
While his night ended in celebration, he faced adversity early on. During Hot Laps, the left rear hub broke off his No. 60, forcing his team to go home and get another one so he could start his Heat Race. That didn’t stop him, though, as he gained enough positions to earn the 14th starting position in the Feature.
The 67-lap race began with Erick Rudolph, the SRI Performance and Stock Car Steel Pole award winner, and Jack Lehner trading the lead in the first two laps before Rudolph nosed ahead on Lap 3.
Rudolph led the next 10 laps before Yankowski closed on the No. 25’s bumper. After following him on the outside for a few laps, Yankowski slid Rudolph in Turns 1 and 2 on Lap 15 to take the lead.
Yankowski, from Covington Township, PA, drove out to a three-second lead. But once he reached lap traffic, it allowed the rest of the top five to close in on the Series points leader.
One of those drivers was Gill, who moved up 10 spots to fourth in the first 39 laps. He bided his time there for 12 more laps before making his final charge with 14 laps remaining.
Gill stuck his No. 60 car to the bottom of Can-Am’s wide racetrack, finding momentum, especially off Turn 4. He got by track champion Billy Dunn on Lap 53, and quickly set his sights on Lehner, who was running second. With the same move he used to get by Dunn, Gill powered off Turn 4 on Lap 57 to take second from the “Ginga Ninja.”
As Gill continued his charge, Yankowski’s lead was shrinking quickly. With a swift move on the bottom on Lap 63, Gill’s goal of getting to the lead was accomplished, Gill thundered past Yankowski for the lead as they exited Turn 4, nosing ahead of Yankowski at the start/finish line.
From there, Gill went untouched to score the $6,067 victory, becoming the 198th winner in Super DIRTcar Series history.
“I had a little pep in my step when I saw the 84Y in reach,” Gill said. It’s a little bit of a mental barrier behind Billy (Dunn). I just slowed down a little bit, but I ended up getting by him there and just staying consistent, trying not to get off that bottom. It took a little bit of rubber, and I was kind of surprised to see Yankowski pick the top. And as soon as I saw him do that, I knew it was go time.”
Yankowski settled for second, after leading 45 laps. Despite the good finish, “Kid Rocket” said his right rear tire was chunked at the end of the race.
“We just unloaded really bad,” Yankowski said. “We worked on it and got it better and better. I saw the color changes (on the track) going on, and I got behind (Matt) Sheppard and (Tyler) Dippel to try and lap them. I saw it was getting gray on the bottom like it was trying to rubber, but when I went down there, I felt like I was sliding like a 410 Sprint Car. And I was like, oh boy, that right rear is killed.”
“(Gill) did a really good job, and I’m really happy for them.
With his second straight runner-up finish, Yankowski extended his points lead to 98 points over Mat Williamson, who finished fifth.
Lehner rounded out the podium, earning his third-place finish of the season, and Dunn finished fourth.
UP NEXT: The Super DIRTcar Series heads to Albany-Saratoga Speedway in Malta, NY, on Saturday, Sept. 26, for Malta Massive Weekend. Joining the Beasts of the Northeast will be the DIRTcar Pro Stock Series.
Where can you buy tickets to Malta Massive Weekend? You can buy tickets at the gate on race day.
Where can you watch the Super DIRTcar Series? Watch every lap live on DIRTVision.
RACE NOTES:
JAM Performance Fastest Hot Lap Award: Jimmy Phelps
Billy Whittaker Cars and Trux Quick Time Award: Alex Payne
Bicknell Racing Products Heat Race 1 Winner: Alex Payne
DIG Race Products Heat Race 2 Winner: Mat Williamson
Wix Filters Heat Race 3 Winner: Tim Fuller
SRI Performance/Stock Car Steel Pole Award Winner: Erick Rudolph
Behrent’s Performance Warehouse One Lap to Go: Jackson Gill
R.D. Hutchinson Memorial (67 Laps): 1. 60-Jackson Gill[14]; 2. 84Y-Alex Yankowski[5]; 3. 2-Jack Lehner[3]; 4. 49-Billy Dunn[11]; 5. 88-Mat Williamson[9]; 6. 25-Erick Rudolph[1]; 7. 19-Tim Fuller[6]; 8. 35-Mike Mahaney[8]; 9. 98H-Jimmy Phelps[10]; 10. 99L-Larry Wight[7]; 11. 12-Darren Smith[13]; 12. 91-Felix Roy[19]; 13. 11-Matt Caprara[15]; 14. 28M-Jordan McCreadie[22]; 15. 27-Tanner Van Doren[23]; 16. 29-Ryan Krachun[17]; 17. 7M-Paul Mancini[25]; 18. 70A-Alex Payne[2]; 19. 9S-Matt Sheppard[12]; 20. 1-Tyler Dippel[20]; 21. 444-Russell Morseman IV[27]; 22. 22C-Cedric Gauvreau[21]; 23. (DNF) 6-Matt Stangle[18]; 24. (DNF) 15X-Justin Stone[16]; 25. (DNF) 83X-Tim Sears Jr[4]; 26. (DNF) 63-Adam Roberts[24]; 27. (DNF) 17-Marcus Dinkins[26]
