Column By: TOBY LANGRANGE / RPW – PLATTSBURGH, NY – Just over a week ago the DIRTcar Pro Stock Series kicked off its 2022 racing season at the Can-Am Speedway in LaFargeville, New York. The series, which will be celebrating its 28th season in 2022, was originally scheduled to kick off at Can-Am back on April 30th however Mother Nature forced the postponement to this past week.
When all was said and done, and the 30-lap feature event was in the record books, a new name would be added to the long list of series winners – Tyler Bushey.
Bushey, of Heuvelton, New York, picked up the exciting win in front of the home crowd.
“I’m more shocked than anything,” Bushey said. “We’ve been struggling, but the car felt really good tonight. I just held it on the bottom and looked forward.”
Bushey held of hard charges from fellow track regular Mike White to claim the win. White finished second with Ian Bressette third, Bruno Richard fourth and four-time Glen Ridge Motorsports Park DIRTcar Pro Stock Track Champion Luke Horning fifth. The heat races were won by Richard and Rob Yetman, with Richard setting quick time.
“I know how to race here, and I was just going to run my line until somebody passed me,” Bushey said, from victory lane. “I hit the hole in four wrong and almost gave [second place finisher, Mike White] a chance. I knew I had to hit one and two perfectly to get the win.”
The series returns to action on Sunday July 10th at the Glen Ridge Motorsports Park in Fultonville, New York. In 2021, this event was claimed by Josh Coonradt.
A look around the DIRTcar Pro Stock circuit this past weekend shows Mother Nature picking up the win at the Glen Ridge Motorsports Park and at Autodrome Drummond. Chad Jeseo would take the checkered flag at the Albany-Saratoga Speedway with Steven LaRochelle taking the win at the Lebanon Valley Speedway. Bruno Richard was victorious at the Mohawk International Raceway while the division was off at Can-Am this past weekend and will return to action on June 3rd.
Jeseo currently holds the lead in the 2022 Hoosier Tire DIRTcar Pro Stock Weekly Championship Standings (best 16 finishes at all DIRTcar Pro Stock tracks). Jeseo holds a 98-point lead over Luke Horning. Jeseo however has completed eleven events with Horning having completed only nine, so that margin will shrink once everyone competes in 16 events. Rob Yetman, Jason Casey and Jay Casey complete the top five.
Following this past weekends action, the DIRTcar Pro Stock division track point standings look like this.
Albany-Saratoga Speedway – 1) Jason Casey (316), 2) Rob Yetman (-15), 3) Scott Towslee (-30), 4) Luke Horning (-42), 5) Chad Jeseo (-46)
Can-Am Speedway – 1) Bruno Richard (110), 2) Eli Gilbert (-4), 3) Kevin Fetterly, Jr. (-8), 4) Tyler Bushey (-10), Blayne Nichols (-16)
Autodrome Drummond – 1) Pascal Payeur (64), 2) Bruno Cyr (-5), 3) Bruno Richard (-6), 4) Yves Hamel (-9), 5) Marc Lalonde (-14)
Glen Ridge Motorsports Park – 1) Luke Horning (180), 2) Andy Graves (-12), 3) Adam Tranka (-32), 4) Brandon Tyler (-124), 5) Matt Wells/Frank Hoard, Jr. (-128)
Lebanon Valley Speedway – 1) Chad Jeseo (282), 2) Steven LaRochelle (-8), 3) Nick Hilt (-42), 4) Zach Seyerlein (-54), 5) Johnny Rivers (-56)
Mohawk Int’l Speedway – 1) Bruno Richard (129), 2) Kevin Fetterly, Jr. (-8), 3) Marc Lalonde (-34), 4) Eli Gilbert/Dennis Gauveau/Ian Bressett (-35).
Until next time, please remember to support those that support racing.