Column: Legends & Stars Align Wednesday For Super DIRTcar Series Showcase In Canandaigua
News Director 
Story By: MICHELINA FRISS / DIRTCAR – CANANDAIGUA, NY – Off a streak of four different winners in a row, the Super DIRTcar Series makes its first trip of 2023 to Land of Legends Raceway on Wednesday, July 19, with the question… who’s next?
The Beasts of the Northeast roll into Canandaigua, NY to compete in the Stars and Stripes event – a 70-lap, $7,500-to-win, showcase. The matchup was originally scheduled for July 3, but weather pushed it to July 19.
It will be the first of two Series trips to the western New York oval. The second will come next month on Wednesday, Aug. 16, to conclude the second annual SummerFAST.
Here are the top storylines to follow:
BATTLING BACK: After a red-hot start to his season, Mat Williamson comes into Land of Legends second in the points battle – 40 points behind Matt Sheppard – after posting his fifth win of the season at Weedsport Speedway during the Hall of Fame 100.
He’s found success at the 1/2-mile, too, notching three top-five finishes and seven top-10 finishes. However, he’ll be on the hunt for his first win there.
READY TO GO: Peter Britten comes into the matchup at Land of Legends Raceway sitting third in points anchored by a season of consistency. He’ll be right at home at the Canandaigua, NY oval as he can be found competing there weekly. The Brisbane, QLD native has already visited Victory Lane twice thus far, and will look to translate his track familiarity and winning formula into a Series win.
He’ll have a robust field of local contenders to battle along the way, as current track points leader Justin Haers, former Series driver Erick Rudolph, and Hall of Famers Alan Johnson and Danny Johnson are set to join the Series stars.
TOP DOG: Nine-time and defending Series champion and current Series points leader Matt Sheppard has one of the best records at Land of Legends Raceway with six Series victories there – most recently during the Series’ last trip there for SummerFAST, where he also won the inaugural SummerFAST title. In the Series’ last seven trips to the track, Sheppard has averaged a third-place finish.
HARD WORK PAYS OFF: 2021 Rookie of the Year Chris Hile has roared back into Series competition after taking a year off to rebuild his program. The Syracuse, NY native scored his first Series victory on June 13 at Albany-Saratoga Speedway and has since followed it up with two more top-10 finishes. Hile currently sits fourth in the points battle.
Hile won a Big Block Modified event at Land of Legends Raceway in 2020 and notched a top-10 finish in a Series matchup in 2021.
CONSISTENCY: Tim Sears Jr. has been busy quietly moving up the leaderboard, cracking into the top-five in the points race after posting a fourth-place finish at Weedsport Speedway’s Hall of Fame 100 – his best finish of the season thus far. It was also his fifth top-10 finish of the season.
The Central Square, NY resident notched a sixth-place finish during last season’s Stars and Stripes spectacular but has yet to notch a Series win. He’ll look to change that this visit.
AROUND THE TURN: The Super DIRTcar Series Big Blocks will cross the border to Canada for the first time in four seasons to compete at Autodrome Drummond July 31-Aug. 1 and then at Brockville-Ontario Speedway on Aug. 2.
The first matchup at the Drummondville, QC track will be a 60-lap, $7,500-to-win, showcase followed by a 75-lap, $10,000-to-win Super DIRT Week Qualifier the next night.
The Canadian Classic at Brockville-Ontario on Aug. 2 will be a 75–lap, $7,500-to-win, showcase.
