Column By: JOE GRABIANOWSKI / DIRTCAR – WATERTOWN, NY – Jordan McCreadie, son of Barefoot Bob McCreadie and brother to Tim McCreadie, is poised to carve his own unique place in dirt racing history with the Super DIRTcar Series.
McCreadie, from Watertown, NY, and his #28 Flack’s Hi-Rise Concrete Restoration Big Block Modified have battled all year long with the best drivers in the Northeast going to tracks in New York, New Jersey, Tennessee, and soon North Carolina for the NGK NTK World Finals. He’s currently running 13th in the points championship going into Charlotte.
The road, the tracks, and the competition are tough but through determination and tenacity, McCreadie and his team have made an impressive showing in 2021.
“It’s been a little bit nerve wracking for sure,” McCreadie said. “Brewerton, for example, is a track we haven’t been to all year and even then only with the Small Block. Going around there hammer down was pretty cool since it’s usually slick.”
McCreadie battled in and out of the top-10 throughout the Demon 100 at Brewerton on Tuesday, Oct. 5. He finished a season-best 11th in the end.
“We go into races with our baseline and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t,” McCreadie noted. “We just gotta roll with it and fix it as it comes. We’ve been doing all right relative to how it could be going. All these guys on the Series are really good. It makes it really hard if you don’t hit it right off the get-go.”
The rookie class is deep this year on the Super DIRTcar Series tour. Chris Hile is currently the rookie highest in the points standings running seventh and Tim Sears Jr. is 10th. Both of those drivers have a lot of Big Block starts compared to McCreadie. Former DIRTcar Sportsman Modified star Kevin Root is 14th while Lebanon Valley regular Olden Dwyer sits 17th.
Experience for both team and driver are equally important, especially with the evolving setups and various size and style tracks the Series races on.
“The tracks change so quick now,” McCreadie said. “Brewerton stayed so consistent but that’s a rarity. Usually, it slicks off really well. Canandaigua [Land of Legends Raceway] was really tough for the first couple of times. The last time when we got going we knew what to expect. If we’d gone there a few times we would have been prepared for it. The tracks changing so quickly and your ability to adapt are what can set you apart.”
Brother Tim McCreadie competed in the Demon 100 at Brewerton Speedway as well. The brotherly duo were stuck together all night. They drew for the same qualifying group and then battled amongst the top 10 drivers for nearly the entire 100 laps.
There may have even been some contact when Jordan got around him mid-race.
“I didn’t even see him there,” McCreadie said with a grin. “I asked him if I chopped him and he just laughed and said no. Maybe he was and was lying. I probably chopped him off. We were having a little bit of a battle back and forth. I never get to race with him. I hope he gets to run a Big Block more because he puts on a great show for everyone. It was just cool that we got to race with him and go halfway decent.”
Running a sophomore season on the tour is the next goal once the year is over.
“We are hoping to be back on the tour next year but we gotta finish up this year,” McCreadie said. “There’s a few more races left. We’ve had a lot of fun.”