Story By: HAZER / CAPITAL DISTRICT RACING ASSOCIATION – FULTONVILLE, NY – The first season of JAM Performance CDRA racing is full of underdog stories. Take the top five in point standings for example, who are all weekend warriors who might not have household names.
Get to know them, because right now they’re title contenders with a chip on the line headed to Glen Ridge on July 28th for the Hall Of Fame Classic.
Let’s start with Rensselaer, NY racer Cody Ochs and his Next Generation Services LLC, Pheasant Hollow, Rob Albreada Snap-On Tools number 33. Ochs opened the CDRA season with a win at the ridge in May during the DIRTcar Sportsman East series 40-lap event, and backed it up with a solid 6th place finish at Albany-Saratoga in the Dj Davies Media 26. He’s the current series point leader.
Middlegrove, NY racer Taylor Wason finds himself just five points out of the lead after a pair of top 10 finishes with his Lenihan Paving, Lake Auto Parts, Express Equipment Professionals number 07. Those finishes included a 7th to open the point championship chase at Glen Ridge, and followed that up with a solid 3rd place run at Albany-Saratoga. He’s knocking on the door to title town.
Brendan Gibbons is a pleasant surprise, currently 3rd place in CDRA points. The Amsterdam, NY racer had a tough wreck early in the season with his family-owned equipment, but landed in the driver’s seat of the David Bosclair owned 02. The C&D Stump-Tree Removal, Buff’s Auto Service, Justice Insurance ride has pair of top 10 finishes to his credit headed to Glen Ridge in July.
Zach Buff has had a tough start to 2024 despite having a pair of weekly racing wins. The Latham, NY racer has one top 10 finish in two CDRA races with his West End Towing & Repair, JAM Performance, Buff’s Auto Service number 01. The talent is there, he just needs the wheel to turn his way sort of speak. Despite any adversity thus far, Buff holds the 4th position in points just 23 out of the lead.
Rounding out ‘the five’ is young shoe Tavien Blowers out of Caroga Lake, NY. He’s positioned his O’Connor Towing, Charlie John’s Stone, New Image Lawn Care number 43 just 28 out of the point lead with a pair of top 15 finishes. The next CDRA points paying race is back at his Sunday night home track, Glen Ridge, where opportunity awaits.
The back half of the top 10 has some Capital District young guns and heavy hitters that include Kadon Hohensheldt (6th), Tyler Bobar (7th), Chris Crane Jr. (8th), Tim Hartman Jr. (9th), and Craig Wholey (10th). Wholey is in a 3-way tie for the spot with Dylan Madsen and Dylan Nichols, both who had 2nd place finishes in their CDRA appearances.
The JAM Performance CDRA championship chase will once again shake up after the Hall Of Fame Classic at Glen Ridge Motorsports Park on July 28, 2024. 35-laps to decide a race victor in round three of the CDRA points season on a special night at the ridge paying $1,000 for the winners’ effort.
CDRA is a nostalgic throwback to the CVRA days. A series designed specifically for Capital District racing. Six races make up a diverse schedule at storied dirt tracks to crown a champion. Are you brave enough to live life on the ridge, battle at the great race place, and tame the valley of speed? The drivers who do will earn hardware and some green for their efforts.
2024 CDRA Racing Series Schedule
- Race #1 – May 19, 2024 (Glen Ridge)
- WINNER: Cody Ochs
- Race #2 – June 25, 2024 (Albany Saratoga)
- WINNERS: Tim Hartman Jr. & Chris Crane Jr.
- Race #3 – July 28, 2024 (Glen Ridge) – Hall Of Fame Classic Night
- Race #4 – August 17, 2024 (Lebanon Valley) – Halloween Night
- Race #5 – August 31, 2024 (Lebanon Valley) – Mr. Dirt Track USA Night
- Race #6 – September 20, 2024 (Albany Saratoga) – Malta Massive Weekend