One night after Cody Mcpherson’s three-race DIRTcar Sportsman West Region win streak was snapped, he returned to Victory Lane Saturday at Merrittville Speedway.
The St. Catharines, ON driver snuck by Brett Senek on Lap 16 in traffic to win his first DIRTcar Sportsman Series Feature of 2025 and 28th of his career.
“I figured [Senek] was going to roll the top in Turns 1 and 2,” McPherson said. “The top has been so good lately. I tried to make the bottom work for the longest time and just realized I couldn’t. That’s when I went back to the top and started reeling him back in. We were able to make the move in lap traffic, but I knew it was going to be a dogfight between the two of us.”
Just like at Ransomville Speedway on Friday, Brett Senek grabbed the early lead in the 30-lap Feature. But this time, McPherson was on his back bumper early in the race. The two battled for the top spot until the race’s first caution came out on Lap 4.
Senek controlled the race on the restart, but a long green flag run allowed McPherson to keep up with the No. 111.
It wasn’t long before McPherson found the momentum he needed. As the two battled in traffic on Lap 16, Senek chose the outside, while McPherson went to the bottom with a lap car in the middle. That decision paid off for McPherson, who thundered past Senek for the lead.
From there, McPherson held off Senek on two more restarts and cruised to the $1,600 (CAN) prize, staying undefeated at Merrittville in 2025.
The two drivers have battled for years at racetracks in the Niagara Frontier, and McPherson said it’s a rivalry he welcomes every night.
“We battle all the time at Ransomville, and luckily, he’s popped over here for the start of the year,” McPherson said. “When he runs here, it’s always a good battle to the front when we start in the back. I know I can race him hard, and he can race me hard. We know we’re not going to run into each other, and if we do, it’s not on purpose.
“It’s just good fun hard racing. And when you know you can trust the guy beside you, it’s good.”
Senek settled for second, earning back-to-back podium finishes in West Region competition. The Ransomville, NY driver echoed McPherson’s sentiments, welcoming the rivalry between the two drivers in the West Region.
“I felt like I was good in the first 10 to 15 laps, but he might’ve been a bit better in Turns 1 and 2, and I was better in 3 and 4,” Senek said. “He was quick, and I love racing with him. He’s a clean driver and he’s never going to drive through you. So, I’ll race with him every day.
“I tightened it up a little too much for the track. I thought the [358 Modifieds] were going to blow it off a little bit more. I committed to the top in 3 and 4, and as the race went on, I was getting farther and farther out there. I thought I had something for him, but he was a little too quick.”
With both drivers finishing first and second in the first two races, McPherson and Senek are tied for the West Region points lead entering the region’s finale on Saturday, July 19, at Land of Legends Raceway.
Matt Sharpe crossed the line third, using a Lap 24 restart to move into a podium position. It was the first time the Port Colborne, ON driver had reached the top three in a Series event.
“We built a new car in 2022, and started doing a lot of research,” Sharpe said. “It’s slowly getting better. I’ve been working a lot on changing my driving style, and I’ve noticed a huge difference from trying to slow down a bit.
“In the Feature, I didn’t feel great. I was expecting people to blow my doors off, and it never came. Then, on that last restart, the car was kind of under me, and I felt like I was in control. Now, I’m not nearly as fast as the two guys in front of me, but we’re getting better.”
Curtis Friesen finished fourth, and Taylor Vanderzanden rounded out the top five.
UP NEXT: The DIRTcar Sportsman Series West Region travels to Land of Legends Raceway on Saturday, July 19, for the regional finale. The race will be a combined event along with the Central Region.
For more on the DIRTcar Northeast, follow the DIRTcar Facebook page and the Series’ X/(Twitter) page.
DIRTcar Sportsman Series West Region Feature (30 Laps): 1. 7-Cody McPherson[1]; 2. 111-Brett Senek[2]; 3. 5S-Matt Sharpe[4]; 4. 68-Curtis Friesen[10]; 5. 74-Taylor Vanderzanden[5]; 6. 28-Mitch Dumont[6]; 7. 11-Dan Ferguson[13]; 8. 12-Jacob Chevalier[12]; 9. 78JR-Nigel Pendykoski[7]; 10. 19-Boyd MacTavish[18]; 11. 99PJR-Matteo Panunte[14]; 12. 44-Ryan Barrett[16]; 13. 13M-Daniel McKay[23]; 14. 4B-Brad Overbeeke[17]; 15. 29-Matthew Jessome[21]; 16. 18RJR-Madyson Rouse[24]; 17. 3N-Noah Mamo[8]; 18. 88-Elijah Knutt[22]; 19. 391-Trevor Pitt[19]; 20. 66P-Jeff Panunte[15]; 21. 0-Zack Bleich[20]; 22. 24-Doug Walsh Jr[3]; 23. (DNF) 96-Tyler Lafantaise[25]; 24. (DNF) 185-Tyler Puchalski[11]; 25. (DNF) 108-Billy Bleich Jr[9]
