RPW Exclusive: Super DIRTcar Series Power Rankings Heading into Mr DIRT Track USA and September

Column By: STEPHEN DURHAM / RPW – WEST LEBANON, NY – We are in the final days of August, four races completed of the scheduled six in the month of August, as Mother Nature ruined the last two days of SummerFAST.

The Super DIRTcar Series remains busy heading into September, first with Lebanon Valley Speedway Thursday night. Then it’s back to back action for Can Am and Weedsport Speedways next weekend on September 5th and 6th. The series then heads to Albany-Saratoga Speedway September 20th for Malta Massive weekend. 

Williamson was crowned champion of the SummerFAST week, with his pair of top 5 finishes, and then also a win at Ransomville, with now a growing lead in the championship standings. Other drivers picking up wins, and their first wins on the 2025 season, Anthony Perrego, Peter Britten, and first career Super DIRTcar Series win, Tim Sears Jr.. Perrego, Mahaney, Britten and Rudolph had a very strong two weeks earlier in August, and will look to carry that momentum into Lebanon Valley and the upcoming schedule.

Yankowski struggled at Sharon and Ransomville, but began to rebound at Weedsport and Brewerton.

The series has four more races before the biggest race week of the year comes up, Super DIRT Week 53, at Oswego Speedway. Here is your next edition of the power rankings for the Super DIRTcar Series.

1. Mat Williamson (Previous: 1): It has been a strong month of August so far for “Money” Mat Williamson, victorious at Ransomville, and then had an additional two top 5 finishes, and then a top 10 finish at Sharon Speedway. Williamson has also increased his championship lead over the field, leading Yankowski by 88 points. For many Super DIRTcar Series regulars, Lebanon Valley has not been kind to Williamson, in the last three Mr. DIRT Track USA events, he did not finish in the top 10, but did have a top 10 finish in the spring race of 2023. Williamson is the defending winner of Can-Am from a year ago, and has had a strong 2025 season at Weedsport, with two runner-up finishes, and a 3rd place finish back in May. Williamson is the defending winner of Malta Massive Weekend from 2024.  As always, Williamson will be a threat to win in the upcoming races. 
2. Matt Sheppard (Previous: 2): “Superman” is starting to show signs of life here in the 2nd half of the season, but he still trails Yankowski and Williamson in the championship standings. Sheppard had a bit of both worlds in recent weeks, two podium finishes to start the month at Sharon and Ransomville Speedways, followed then misfortune at Weedsport and Brewerton, finishing outside the top 15. Sheppard trails Yankowski by 41 points, and is 129 points back from Williamson. Sheppard has known how to get around the high banks of Lebanon Valley, winner of Mr. DIRT Track USA in 2016 and 2021(May), and then winning the King of Spring 100 in May of 2023. Sheppard has also won at Can-Am and Weedsport, winning last Can-Am back in 2022, and last year finishing in 4th. Weedsport in 2025 has been up and down, with the most recent finish being 17th, but the other two finishes were a top 10 and 3rd place finish. Sheppard finished 2nd a year at Albany-Saratoga Speedway, and 7th earlier this year. 
3. Erick Rudolph (Previous: 4): Rudolph continues to have one of his strongest Super DIRTcar Series Seasons since the 2018 season, when he finished 2nd in the championship standings behind Sheppard. Rudolph had top 10 finishes at Sharon, Ransomville, and Weedsport this month, with his lone poor finish being at Brewerton in 19th. Rudolph heads into Lebanon Valley 5th in the championship standings, trailing 168 points back from Williamson, and 80 points from Yankowski in 2nd. Rudolph hasn’t been back to Lebanon Valley since 2021, where he had a pair of top 10 finishes in the spring and late summer race. Rudolph has won at Can-Am in the past with non-series races, and has won at Weedsport with the series, the last time being 2018. Expect Rudolph to remain hot as we head into September. 

   

4. Alex Yankowski (Previous: 3): It was a tough start to August for “Kid Rocket”, finishing outside the top 10 at Sharon and Ransomville Speedway’s. He rebounded at Weedsport with a 3rd place finish, and then a 6th place finish at Brewerton. Yankowski came with the series in the spring of 2023 to Lebanon, and had a 7th place finish, so he has some notes for the high banks. Yankowski this year so far has two top 5’s and three top 10’s at Weedsport. Yankowski went with the series to Can-Am in 2022, and had a 19th place finish. When the series heads to Albany-Saratoga Speedway, Yankowski will look to do one spot better than this spring, where he finished runner-up to LJ Lombardo.
5. Mike Mahaney (Previous: 7): Mahaney has had a really strong month of August so far, picking up two top 5’s at Sharon and Weedsport, and top 10 finishes at Ransomville and Brewerton. Mahaney currently sits 6th in the championship standings, with four top 5’s and 12 top 10’s on the season so far. Mahaney has shown promise at Lebanon Valley in the past, getting a 2nd place finish in the spring race of 2023 behind Sheppard, followed by a 12th place finish later that year. A year ago at Can-Am Mahaney came home 11th. For Weedsport, Mahaney has had speed, finishing 2nd back in May, then a 9th place finish in July, and then a 5th place finish earlier in August. Mahaney, a Friday night regular at Albany-Saratoga will look to get back to his winning ways, last winning with the series there in 2022, and currently leads the weekly championship standings. 
6. Jimmy. Phelps (Previous: 6):  It was a very stout period for the “Baldwinsville Bandit”, coming away with a strong podium finish at Brewerton, where he was contending for the win. Phelps as well had top 10 finishes at Sharon and Weedsport Speedway’s. If there is a track Phelps could use his veteran notes at, it would be Lebanon Valley. In 27 career starts, he has five top 5’s and  14 top 10 finishes.  His most recent top 5 was the spring race of 2023, finishing 5th. Phelps also a past winner at Weedsport back in 2022, will look to improve his season at Weedsport, where he has 1 top 10 in the three races on the season. At Can-A, Phelps came home 13th a year ago, but had a top 10 back in 2022. 
7. Peter Britten (Previous: 8): It was the “Batman” Peter Britten picking up the win at Weedsport, his first win on the 2025 campaign. Britten had as well a top 5 at Ransomville, and a top 10 at Brewerton. Lebanon Valley was briefly a Saturday night home for the “Batman”, picking up 1 feature win as a regular. In recent years, Britten has 3 top 10 finishes with the series. Britten will look to defend his win at Weedsport from a couple of weeks ago. For Can-Am, Britten a year ago finished outside of the top 10 at 14th, but had a top 10 run back in 2022. 

   

8. Alex Payne (Previous: 5):  It was a fairly strong month for Payne, picking up a pair of top 5 finishes at Sharon and Weedsport, along with a top 10 finish at Brewerton. Heading into the last week of August, Payne currently sits in 4th place in the championship standings, 10 points behind Sheppard in 3rd. When Payne rolls into West Lebanon, New York, it will be his first time checking out the high banks. A track that can be a daunting task for newcomers or even just the Super DIRTcar Series regulars. For the other tracks coming up, Payne has gotten top 5 finishes in all 3 starts at Weedsport, and a year ago had a top 10 finish at Can-Am. 
9. Tim Sears Jr (Previous: 10): It was only a matter of time for Tim Sears Jr to get a win, and he did at a familiar track, Brewerton. His first Super DIRTcar Series win. Sears had a pair of 12th place finishes at Sharon and Ransomville Speedways, and then a top 10 finish at Weedsport. In four starts at Lebanon Valley, Sears Jr has one top 10, that being Mr. DIRT Track USA back in 2023. Sears has rebounded at Weedsport in the most recent visit coming home 8th. For Can-Am, Sears a year ago picked up a 3rd place finish behind Williamson and Billy Dunn. Expect Sears Jr to ride momentum in the coming weeks from his Brewerton win.
10. Anthony Perrego(Previous: UR): Perrego has quickly become hot this month, winning at Sharon Speedway, and a top 5 at Brewerton, and top 10 finishes at Ransomville and Weedsport. Perrego now sits 8th in the championship standings, 2 points behind Britten, and 87 points back behind 6th place holder Mahaney. Perrego has had 6 starts at Lebanon Valley, tallying up 2 top 10 finishes, his most recent one being the King of the Spring 100 back in 2022. Perrego is riding momentum at Weedsport where he has top 10 finishes in all 3 starts so far this year, while at Can-Am, a year ago Perrego had a 5th place finish.

    

On The Radar:

Jack Lehner: It was tough decision making on who was in and who was out in the top 10 in the rankings. Lehner has been strong in August, three top 10 finishes to his credit. Lehner sits 10th in the championship standings, and 30 points back from 7th place. Lehner had a top 10 finish at Lebanon Valley in 2023. Lehner has done well at Weedsport so far in 2025, with two top 10 finishes in the three starts and in 2024, had a top 10 run at Can Am. 

Darren Smith: Smith had a strong couple of races, including a top 5 finish at Ransomville. Keep an eye on Smith to possibly pick up momentum in the final months of the season. Smith had a top 10 run at Lebanon Valley in the spring 2023 race, his only top 10 in three starts. A year ago, Smith finishes 10th at Can-Am. 

Lebanon Valley Speedway Regulars: Lebanon Valley might be one of the more daunting tracks on the Super DIRTcar Series schedule. A track where more motor is needed with the long straightaways, and high-banked corners. It’s a Saturday night track, where the local Saturday night regular has the upper-hand because they are there weekly. Andy Bachetti has won 3 consecutive Mr. DIRT Track USA races, 2021, 2022, and 2023. Will it be Bachetti, or could it be another Lebanon Valley regular like Brett Haas, Kolby Schroder, Matt Pupello, or Eddie Marshall? 

The Super Dirt Series rolls into Lebanon Valley Speedway Thursday, with hot laps starting at 6PM. Then Friday, September 5th, they head to Can Am Speedway in Lafargeville, New York, then back to Weedsport Saturday night, September 6th for the Cavalcade 100. After that, the Super DIRTcar Series heads to “The Great Race Place” of Albany-Saratoga Speedway for Malta Massive Weekend. Check back in late September for our next edition of power rankings for the Super DIRTcar Series.