Column By: STEPHEN DURHAM / RPW – MALTA, NY – We are heading into the midway portions of June and have Super DIRTcar Series action at Albany Saratoga Speedway on Tuesday night.
Mat Williamson went back to back wins between Bridgeport and Weedsport, with Matt Sheppard cooling off the hot hand of Williamson at Lebanon Valley. Drivers like Phelps, Britten, and Mahaney are itching to get into victory lane.
As they head into this week’s back to back races, will Mahaney get hot at “The Great Race Place” where he has won 2 of the last 3 series races, or will it be another home track regular like Ronnie or Marc Johnson to protect the turf?
Or will it be a Super DIRTcar Series regular? Here is this week’s power rankings heading into Albany Saratoga.
1. Mat Williamson (Previous Rank: 1):
Williamson has now kicked off the 2023 regular season campaign with back to back wins at Bridgeport and Weedsport, and finished Memorial Day Weekend with an 8th place finish. Williamson picked up a heat race win at Lebanon Valley Speedway and would draw starting position 7. Williamson also dominated at Weedsport, taking the leading lap 22 and not looking back. Last year, Williamson struggled at Albany Saratoga finishing 12th in June and 17th later in the year, and the last time the series was at Airborne, he came home in 6th.
2. Matt Sheppard (Previous Rank: 2):
Sheppard found his way to victory lane for the first time in 2023 with the Super DIRTcar Series at a place he’s been in victory lane before at Lebanon Valley, as the King of Spring 100. Sheppard also had a strong run at Weedsport coming home on the podium in 3rd place. Sheppard had good luck in 2022, winning at Malta in September, finishing 10th in June, and his previous visit to Airborne in 2019 finished in 2nd behind Larry Wight.
3. Peter Britten (Previous Rank: 4):
It was a steady Memorial Day Weekend for the “Aussie” Peter Britten, coming home with a top 5 and top 10. Britten would win his heat race at Lebanon Valley, getting the chance to redraw position 4 for the feature. Britten also started on the front row on the pole position at Weedsport and led 22 laps before Williamson took over and dominated the remainder of the race. Britten will look forward to being at his Friday night hometrack of Albany Saratoga, where he finished in the top 10 with both visits and had a top 10 run at Airborne back in 2019.
4. Jimmy Phelps (Previous Rank: 6):
The “Baldwinsville Bandit” has been on a roll here early on in 2023, as Jimmy Phelps and the HBR team are clicking. Phelps came off a 2nd place run at Weedsport, and finished 5th at Lebanon Valley. The three straight top 10 finishes has Phelps sitting 22 points out behind points leader Williamson here early on in June. Phelps had a top 10 run with one visit to Albany Saratoga in the fall, and came home in 4th place at Airborne back in 2019.
5. Max McLaughlin (Previous Rank: 3):
Memorial Day Weekend wasn’t too friendly to “Mad Max” McLaughlin, coming home outside the top 10 in both races at Weedsport and Lebanon. McLaughlin did pass quite a few cars to make it up to 17th at Lebanon Valley, but not the strongest run he had hoped for. McLaughlin will look to rekindle his momentum at Malta, where he finished 11th in the most recent run in September.
6. Anthony Perrego (Previous Rank: 5):
For the 2022 Rookie of the Year driver, it was also not the most friendly weekend to him. Perrego started the weekend off on the right foot, coming home in 6th, but would struggle at Lebanon, coming home in 21st. Albany Saratoga has been a good track to Perrego, winning the modified championship back in 2021, and finishing in the top 5 in both visits to the track last season. Expect Perrego to be making a charge to the front Tuesday night.
7. Tim Sears Jr (Previous Rank: 8):
Sears Jr continues to be a dark horse on the tour who can have a really strong run and go unnoticed. Sears came home with a stout top 10 in 7th at Weedsport, and would fight his way to a 14th place finish at Lebanon Valley. Last year, Sears Jr came home with a top 5 in June and a top 10 in September at Albany Saratoga Speedway. Don’t bet against Tim Sears Jr to be making a battle inside the top 5 on Tuesday or Wednesday.
8. Darren Smith (Previous Rank: 10):
It has been a stellar start to the season for Darren Smith. Weedsport may not have gone his way coming home in 17th, but Smith had a strong finish on the weekend at Lebanon Valley Speedway. A track many series regulars will struggle when the tour invades. Smith did grab a heat race win over the big names of Mahaney, Britten, mentor Billy Decker, and even Danny Johnson was in the heat. Smith didn’t have the strongest runs at Malta last year, but expect him to continue to build on his notes from last year and build on his momentum he has this year.
9. Mike Mahaney (Previous Rank: UR):
Bridgeport may not have been friendly to Mahaney, but he has rebounded nicely. Mahaney would earn a top 10 at Weedsport and then come home in 2nd at Lebanon Valley behind Sheppard. If there is one track Mahaney has had great success, it’s Albany Saratoga Speedway. Mahaney has won two of the last three races there for the Super DIRTcar Series, winning last June and back in September of 2021. Expect Mahaney to be a contender for at least the top 5, if not the win Tuesday.
10. Adam Pierson (Previous Rank: 9):
It has been a quiet start to the season for Pierson, but he has been knocking on the door of top 10 finishes. Pierson passed over half the field at Lebanon Valley, starting 27th and coming home in 11th position. Pierson, a Friday night regular at “The Great Race Place” will look to build upon his notes from weekly competition and pick up his first top 10 on the 2023 season.
On the Radar:
Jack Lehner:
Lehner has had a steady start to the season in 2023, as the results don’t represent correctly the speed Lehner has had. Lehner has been fast, getting into the redraw for each race so far to start the season. His best start came at Lebanon Valley, redrawing 3rd, but a mechanical issue with the rearend would send his night sour while running 3rd. Expect Lehner to gain momentum at his Friday night home track.
Steve Bernard:
Bernard has entered the first three regular season races, and has had to work for his steady top 15 finishes. Bernard’s best finish so far 12th at Lebanon Valley.
Johnson & Johnson:
After being rained out this past Friday night, the previous winner at Albany Saratoga weekly modified racing was Ronnie Johnson, his second feature win of the year. Who finished second? Marc Johnson. It was the second time the Johnson’s finished first and second, Ronnie winning the previous time as well. Both drivers are not related, but you can expect them both to come into Albany Saratoga ready to defend their turf.