A Fall staple is up next on the DIRTcar Sportsman Series schedule this weekend, as drivers prepare for the prestigious Sportsman Classic at Weedsport Speedway.
A $2,500 prize is on the line in a 75-lap Feature on Sunday, Sept. 28, bringing the top competitors from across the Northeast to Central, NY.
Joining the DIRTcar Sportsman Series is the Encore 50, a Big Block Modified race featuring several Super DIRTcar Series stars. Also on the card is the held-over CRSA Sprint Car Feature from July.
For more on the DIRTcar Northeast, follow the DIRTcar Northeast Facebook page and the Series’ X/(Twitter) page.
Here’s a look at what to watch for at Weedsport:
The Four Horsemen: With three races remaining on the road to the 2025 DIRTcar Sportsman Series championship, the top four drivers are separated by 22 points.
Shane Pecore, the 2016 Series champion, leads the standings by nine points over fellow Canadian Tristan Ladouceur. Meanwhile, Gavin Eisele is 18 points behind in third, and Emmett Waldron is 22 points back in fourth.
Pecore’s consistency has kept him at the top of the standings, earning four top fives and six top 10s in six Championship Series starts. However, the 11-time Series Feature winner has yet to make a trip to “Victory Hill” in his career. The Cornwall, ON driver’s best finish at the 3/8-mile track is a third in 2016.
Ladouceur, meanwhile, has four top fives and five top 10s in five starts, and has never made a Series start at Weedsport. The Alexandria, ON driver is searching for his first Series triumph.
Out of the four drivers in championship contention, Eisele and Waldron may have the upper hand this weekend due to their recent Weedsport success.
Eisele, from LaFargeville, NY, won the Central Region stop at Weedsport earlier this year and has momentum following a fourth-place finish last weekend at Albany-Saratoga. In his previous five Series starts at Weedsport, he’s finished in the top on four occasions, including a win and two seconds. He’s aiming for his fifth career Series triumph.
Waldron, from Savannah, NY, has been almost as good as Eisele in that stretch, earning three top fives and two podium finishes. That includes a third-place finish in the Central Region event in June. Waldron is searching for his second career Series victory.
For a complete look at the 2025 DIRTcar Sportsman Series points standings, CLICK HERE.
Here Comes the Show: Richard Murtaugh is having a September to remember with the DIRTcar Sportsman Series in 2025.
The Fulton, NY driver earned back-to-back wins at Can-Am Speedway and Mohawk International Raceway and backed it up with a second-place finish last weekend at Albany-Saratoga.
Richard Murtaugh celebrates his win at Mohawk/Joe Grabianowski
He’s also one of only two drivers to win the Sportsman Classic in back-to-back years, joining Dave Marcucilli, who’s won the event three times.
Despite a strong September, Murtaugh needs to make up ground quickly in the battle for the Series title. He enters the weekend in fifth, 62 points behind Pecore.
Aiming For Victory Hill: When the Sportsman Classic takes the green on Sunday night, every driver is aiming for a trip to the track’s iconic “Victory Hill.”
That includes Austin Germinio, who scored the victory when the DIRTcar Sportsman raced alongside the Super DIRTcar Series during SummerFAST in August. The Warners, NY driver finished eighth during the Central Region event in June.
Mike Fowler is also expected to be in attendance on Sunday night, looking for his first career Series victory. The Fulton, NY driver finished ninth in the event last season. His best Series finish at Weedsport came during OktoberFAST in 2020, when he finished fifth.
Tony Finch (fourth) and Cody Manitta (fifth) are two more drivers who finished in the top five during the last appearance by the Sportsman in August. Finch, from Penellville, NY, finished eighth in last year’s Sportsman Classic, while Manitta, from Cato, NY, finished 26th.
Championship Series Schedule
Sunday, Aug. 3, Glen Ridge Motorsports Park- Gavin Eisele
Tuesday, Aug. 12, Ransomville Speedway- Cody McPherson
Friday, Sept. 5, Can-Am Speedway- Richard Murtaugh
Friday, Sept. 12, Mohawk International Raceway – Richard Murtaugh
Saturday, Sept. 13, Land of Legends Raceway – Cody McPherson
Friday, Sept. 19, Albany-Saratoga Speedway- Connor Crane
Sunday, Sept. 28, Weedsport Speedway
Saturday, Oct. 11, Oswego Speedway-Super DIRT Week
Saturday, Oct. 18, Brockville Ontario Speedway
Oct. 30-Nov. 1, The Dirt Track at Charlotte (Non-Points)
