RPW Exclusive: Super DIRTcar Series Power Rankings Entering Month Of May

Column By: STEPHEN DURHAM / RPW – DERRY, NH – We are now one month into the Super DIRTcar Series.

We’re three races into the regular season with Mother Nature already winning one, the postponement of Thunder in the Thousand Islands.

We saw two different winners to start the season, Stewart Friesen at New Egypt, and LJ Lombardo at Albany Saratoga.

Three races are on tap for May, Georgetown on May 13th, and then the series has back to back nights between Weedsport and Thunder Mountain on Memorial Day Weekend to finish off the month.

When the Super DIRTcar Series heads to Georgetown, it will be the first time since 2008 they have raced there, with HJ Bunting III winning it. Only a couple of series regulars now were there the last time the series visited, Jimmy Phelps, Matt Sheppard, Rich Scagliotta, and Larry Wight.

The top 5 in this month’s rankings are nearly the same, while new names joined within the top 10 and others moved around. Here are the Super DIRTcar Series rankings as we head into May.

1. Mat Williamson (Previous: 1):
   • Williamson is off to a strong start to defend his championship. Coming away with a top 5 at New Egypt in 4th, and finishing 6th at Albany Saratoga. Williamson won his heat races in both events, especially in a deep field at Albany Saratoga, where a total of 51 modifieds came through the gate. Williamson trails Alex Yankowski by 11 points early in the season, but the season is young, as the series heads to tracks where Williamson is strong at. “Money Mat” is the defending winner of the Heroes Remember 100 at Weedsport, and swept the season at Weedsport in the series in 2023. Williamson also has won other series races at Georgetown, and finished 2nd last year in the The Natural 77.
2. Matt Sheppard (Previous: 2):
   • Sheppard is off to a steady start in 2025, he did win down in Volusia back in February, but with the two April races, he has one top 10 to write home about for the month. Sheppard came through the Last Chance Showdown at New Egypt, leaving him to start deep on the field, and came home 13th. At Albany Saratoga, he finished 2nd in his heat, redrawing 10th, and coming home 7th. Sheppard has won at Georgetown before with other series, so he knows how to get around the Delaware Speedway. “Superman” has won before at Weedsport as well, but it has been since 2021 that he has won with the Super DIRTcar Series, and he finished 4th last year at Thunder Mountain.
3. Anthony. Perrego (Previous: 3):
   • A steady and strong start to the early season for Perrego, bringing home a pair of top 10s in the first stops of the season for the series. The most notable performance over the last month by Perrego was at his former Friday night home. He failed to qualify through a very stacked heat race, featuring Sears, Sheppard, Roy, Smith, and others, he finished 4th, putting him in the Last Chance Showdown. Perrego won the Last Chance Showdown and started 20th, and battled his way to a 9th place finish. Perrego is another driver who has won at Georgetown with other series races. Perrego finished 8th at Thunder Hill in 2024, and had a top 5, with a 4th place finish at Weedsport last May.
4. Tim Sears Jr(Previous: 5):
   • Sears is off to a strong start in 2025, currently sitting fourth in the championship standings, 21 points behind first place Williamson. Sears picked up a heat race win at Albany Saratoga, and had a redraw of 3rd, and would finish 3rd. Georgetown will be a new track for Sears, so he will be looking to build notes this month. Sears will look to continue his strong start though at Thunder Mountain and Weedsport, both places he had strong runs at in 2024. Sears came home 9th at Weedsport last May, and finished 3rd at Thunder Mountain. p3 at Thunder Mtn, p9 at Weedsport
5. Jimmy Phelps (Previous: 4):
   • It was a middle of the pack type run for Jimmy Phelps at New Egypt and Albany Saratoga Speedway. Phelps did come from the Last Chance Showdown at New Egypt, winning it, and then starting 22nd for the 75 lapper. Phelps would finish 15th at New Egypt. Phelps had a similar finishing spot at Albany Saratoga Speedway, but started 14th, and finished 15th. The “Baldwinsville Bandit” though is a defending winner of The Natural 77, and has been victorious in the past at Weedsport, last winning there on the series in 2022.
6. Alex Yankowski (Previous: Unranked):
   • Yankowski is off to a very hot start on the 2025 season. Back-to-back 2nd place finishes for the “Kid Rocket”, and currently leads the Super DIRTcar Series as we roll into May. Yankowski won his heat race at Albany Saratoga Speedway, and had some luck on his side, getting a redraw of 2nd. He did lead laps, but eventually would be beat out by the eventual winner of LJ Lombardo. Yankowski will has wins at Georgetown, and will likely be found battling his way to the front. Yankowski has made a start as Weedsport, the last one being in 2022, finishing 18th, and has a top 10 with a different series at Thunder Mountain.
7. Erick Rudolph (Previous: Unranked):
   • Rudolph has been someone flying under the radar early in 2025. Erick Rudolph picked up a win back in February at Volusia, and has now a top 5, and two top 10s on the regular season. With the stout start to the season, Rudolph currently sits 3rd in the championship standings, 19 pounds behind Yankowski. Rudolph has won before at Weedsport on the series, twice in fact, 2018 Hall of Fame 100 and the 2019 edition of the Heroes Remembers 100. Additionally, Rudolph has a top 10 at Georgetown with a different series, and has had a top 5, and five top 10s at Thunder Mountain.
8. Peter Britten (Previous: 8):
   • If there was a tough luck award to start the regular season for 2025, Peter Britten would make a run for it. After a strong showering in the Sunshine State, with a gator win back in February, Britten has yet to get a top 15 in the first two races. Britten did break at Albany Saratoga, resulting in a DNF, and had a 17th place finish at New Egypt. Georgetown will be a new track for the “Batman”, but expect him to build momentum heading into this month with tracks to his liking coming up. Britten has six top 5s, including last spring, coming home 2nd.
9. Alex Payne (Previous: 6):
   • It has been a strong showing from Alex Payne to kick off 2025. Payne came away with a top 10 at New Egypt, after a very strong February where he had two top 5s, and four top 10s. Early on this season, Payne sits 9th in the championship standings. Georgetown will be a new track for Payne this month, but has laps under his belt at Weedsport and Thunder Mountain. Payne has had a couple of top 5s at Weedsport with other series and events at Weedsport, with his best finish with the series being 11th back in 2022. Payne finished 18th last year at Thunder Mountain.
10. Darren Smith (Previous: 10):
    • It’s been a steady start to 2025 for Darren Smith, coming off of three top 10s at Volusia. Smith came away with a 12th place finish at New Egypt, and finished 19th at Albany Saratoga. Smith did have to come from the Last Chance Showdown at Albany Saratoga, finishing 2nd behind Perrego. Smith has not made a start at Georgetown in the past, but has experience at Weedsport, and was the 2023 modified champion at Thunder Mountain.

On The Radar:

Mike Mahaney:
Mike Mahaney has had a strong start to 2025, finishing 14th at New Egypt and 4th at a former Friday Night home at Albany Saratoga. Mahaney will look to build momentum this month, as the Super DIRTcar Series heads to tracks he is familiar with. Mahaney has five top 5s at Georgetown, and seven top 10s. Mahaney is also a past winner at Thunder Mountain and Weedsport on different series from the Super DIRTcar Series.

Jack Lehner:
It has been a quiet start to the 2025 regular season for Jack Lehner, coming home 20th at New Egypt, and 15th at Albany Saratoga. Lehner has made laps at Georgetown, with a pair of top 15 finishes on non-series races from the Super DIRTcar Series. Lehner also nabbed a top 5 at Thunder Mountain last May, and had a top 5 and two top 10s at Weedsport in 2024.

The Super Dirt Series will roll into Delaware May 13th, then they will take a break until Memorial Day weekend. On Memorial Day Weekend, they will race Sunday, May 25th at Weedsport for the Heroes Remembers 100, then racing Monday, May 26th at Thunder Mountain Speedway in New York for The Natural 77, honoring the late Dale Planck. Check back later this month after these races, for our next edition of power rankings for the Super DIRTcar Series.