By Joe Grabianowski
Derrick McGrew Jr. has won multiple Hoosier Racing Tire Weekly Championship Features. And in 2023, he won a DIRTcar Sportsman Series East Region Feature.
But on Sunday night, the Ballston Spa, NY driver broke through to become a DIRTcar Sportsman Series Championship Season Feature winner at Glen Ridge Motorsports Park.
McGrew Jr. started third and passed Connecticut’s Connor Crane on the outside for the win. The first-time Championship Season winner kept the gas mashed and held off defending Glen Ridge Track Champion Zach Buff and Alexandria, ON driver Tristan Ladouceur for the win.
The 30-car field ran the first nine laps under green before the race came to a sudden stop. Eighteenth-place starter Jordan Hill exited the racetrack in Turn 3 and ended up on her roof. Hill walked away from the incident.
After the restart, seventh-place starter Zach Buff, from Latham, NY, went to the top of the racetrack and picked off competitors one by one.
“We found the top first, and I thought I was going to roll around all of them, but I clipped Jr. [McGrew] going into Turns 3 and 4,” Buff said.
Buff had a head full of steam, but that single moment of contact let McGrew know he was there.
“Connor [Crane] was able to get out there to the lead early and open up a little bit,” McGrew said. “I knew I had to have some patience and wait. We caught lapped traffic, but the caution came out. When we got going, I felt the bottom going away. I knew somebody was coming on the top; I could hear [Buff]. I got my bumper beat off of me one lap, and I knew it was time to get up there. I am glad we made the decision when we did because I would have been the one to get driven around.”
Once McGrew was signaled to the high-side line, he was able to drive to the lead around Crane. That wasn’t the end of the story, though, because Buff was ready to pounce.
“I know Zach [Buff] is as good at getting around this place as I am, “McGrew noted. “The only shot for him to get around me was to go into Turn 1 and slide me. That’s why I tried to pinch it off every restart. I kept it as clean as possible. I know Zach tried his hardest, but I am just glad we got away with it.”
Third-place finisher Ladouceur welcomed their Championship Season opening podium.
“We did exactly what we did last year,” Ladouceur said. “Started third. Finished third. I really can’t complain. We come here once a year. Zach [Buff] and Derrick [McGrew Jr.] are some of the best out here. To be on the podium with them is awesome.”
Seventh-place finisher and pole-sitter Connor Crane received a free right rear tire courtesy of Hoosier Racing Tire.
UP NEXT: The DIRTcar Sportsman Series Championship Season returns to action on Wednesday, Aug. 19 at Utica-Rome Speedway, joining the Super DIRTcar Series during SummerFAST.
If you can’t make it to the racetrack, catch all the SummerFAST action on DIRTVision.
DIRTcar Sportsman Champ Series (40 Laps): 1. 26-Derrick McGrew Jr[2]; 2. 01-Zach Buff[7]; 3. 92T-Tristan Ladouceur[3]; 4. 711X-Connor Crane[1]; 5. 07-Taylor Wason[13]; 6. 33-Richard Murtaugh[5]; 7. 711C-Chris Crane Jr[15]; 8. 78JR-Nigel Pendykoski[6]; 9. FOX28-Tyler Stevenson[12]; 10. 16M-Matt Barbour[16]; 11. 33M-Bodie Marks[8]; 12. 916-Nick Brundige[11]; 13. 6M-Cody Manitta[9]; 14. 52P-Jessica Power[17]; 15. 54-Sullivan Dickey[20]; 16. 11VT-Joey Scarborough[19]; 17. 43-Tavien Blowers[29]; 18. 2-Brent Warren[25]; 19. 82-David Hackett[21]; 20. 313-Cam Van Zandt[4]; 21. 10-Trevor Houghton[27]; 22. 2H-Greg Henry[30]; 23. 16X-Savannah Laflair[28]; 24. (DNF) 88-Michael Wagner Fitzgerald[22]; 25. (DNF) 4-Dale Robinson[23]; 26. (DNF) 51P-Bryan Preville[26]; 27. (DNF) 45-Mike Lupold[10]; 28. (DNF) 10X-Cory Castell[24]; 29. (DNF) 43J-Jayden Wust[14]; 30. (DNF) 51-Jordan Hill[18]
