Column By: MICHELINA FRISS / DIRTCAR – CONCORD, NC – After a fourth-place run at Super DIRT Week 51, Matt Sheppard enters the World of Outlaws World Finals at The Dirt Track at Charlotte (Nov. 1-4) with a 72-point lead over Mat Williamson in the chase for the 2023 Super DIRTcar Series Championship.
He’ll have to hold that through three Features at the 4/10-mile track to claim his 10th Series title.
Take a look at the most recent points update and the latest movers with 17 races down in the quest for the 2023 championship.
CLOSING IN:
MAT WILLIAMSON (-72): Mat Williamson left Oswego Speedway with multiple big checks, a handful of trophies and a shot at the 2023 Series championship. By scoring his third Billy Whittaker Cars 200 title, Williamson cut into Sheppard’s point lead, now 72-points back, going into the track he won twice at last year.
MOVERS:
MIKE MAHANEY (+1): Mike Mahaney saw his hard work pay off on one the biggest stages in northeast dirt Modified racing. He scored a third-place finish during the ‘200’ at Oswego Speedway, after charging from 13th. His podium worthy performance was enough to bump him one spot into fourth place in the points battle.
JIMMY PHELPS (-1): Heinke-Baldwin Racing driver Jimmy Phelps has fluctuated all season between third– and fifth in points. He was on track to make a potential gain after scoring the SRI Performance/Stock Car Steel pole award at Super DIRT Week, but a 16th-place finish knocked him down to fifth in points.
JACK LEHNER (+1): While the Saratoga Springs, NY resident didn’t come away with a win during his trip to Oswego, NY, his 10th-place finish during the ‘200’ was enough to propel him into sixth in points – five points ahead of seventh–place Chris Hile, and 41 points behind fifth-place Jimmy Phelps.
CHRIS HILE (-1): Chris Hile had his work cut out for him in the ‘200’ starting from 37th place. He used every lap of the marathon race to charge forward and pick off 20 competitors, recording a 17th-place result. Though it was a valiant effort, finishing outside the top 15 saw him drop onespot down in the points battle to seventh.
TOP 10 IN POINTS:
- Matt Sheppard, 3707 (Matt Sheppard Motorsports)
- Mat Williamson, -72 (Buzz Chew Racing)
- Tim Sears Jr., -260 (Tim Sears Jr. Racing)
- Mike Mahaney -287 (Huttig Motorsports)
- Jimmy Phelps -289 (Heinke-Baldwin Racing)
- Jack Lehner -330 (Jack Lehner Racing)
- Chris Hile -335 (Hile Motorsports)
- Max McLaughlin, -364 (Heinke-Baldwin Racing)
- Peter Britten -410 (Peter Britten Racing)
- Larry Wight, -446 (LJL Racing)