Now that all four regional champions have been crowned, the battle to become the overall DIRTcar Sportsman Series champion begins this weekend.
Drivers will head to Glen Ridge Motorsports Park on Sunday, Aug. 9, to kick off the Championship Season in a 40-lap Feature paying $1,500-to-win.
Joining the Series at Glen Ridge are the track’s DIRTcar 358 Modified, DIRTcar Pro Stock, Limited Sportsman, 4-Cylinder, Street Stock, and Slingshot divisions.
Here’s a look at what to watch for at Glen Ridge:
Here Come the Champs: Throughout the 2026 season, drivers competed in their respective regions with four champions being crowned. Joey Scarborough (East), Tristan Ladouceur (North), Cody McPherson (West), and Richard Murtaugh (Central) each earned valuable bonus points toward this season’s Sportsman championship.
Ladouceur has been the most successful this season, winning the last seven Features at Mohawk International Raceway, along with another win at Cornwall in June. The Alexandria, ON driver finished third in his lone start at the 1/4-mile track last year.
Murtaugh, from Fulton, NY, has momentum entering this weekend’s race after winning his last two Series starts at Fulton Speedway and Land of Legends Raceway. The Central Region champion also won more Features than any other driver during the Championship Season in 2025, including the Great Lakes 75 at Oswego Speedway during Super DIRT Week. The “Rocket” finished 10th in last year’s Glen Ridge stop.
Scarborough clinched his 2026 East Region title at Glen Ridge last month, finishing seventh in the finale after starting 22nd. Sunday will be the Brandon, VT driver’s first championship season start. He won his first career Series Feature earlier this season at Bear Ridge Speedway, a track similar in size to Glen Ridge.
McPherson is not expected to compete for the 2026 championship.
Looking for Three Straight: In each of the last two seasons, Gavin Eisele has gotten the jump over his competitors by earning back-to-back wins at Glen Ridge.
Overall, the LaFargeville, NY driver has made four starts at the track, finishing in the top five on three occasions. Eisele is aiming for his fourth career Series win on Sunday, and first since last year’s triumph at “The Ridge.”
He’s won six times so far in 2026, earning victories at Brockville Ontario Speedway and Can-Am Speedway.
Agent Zero: Two-time and defending Series champion Shane Pecore officially begins his title defense on Sunday, aiming for his first Series victory in more than a year.
The Cornwall, ON driver has won four Features so far this season, scoring victories at Airborne Park Speedway, Brockville, and Can-Am.
Pecore has only made one start in his career at Glen Ridge, opening last year’s Championship Season with a ninth-place finish. He’s searching for his 14th career DIRTcar Sportsman Series win.
Defending the Ridge: Along with the Series stars, Glen Ridge’s regulars are ready to aim for the $1,500 prize. Zach Buff and Derrick McGrew Jr. are the only multi-time winners at the track this season and are separated by eight points in the battle for the track championship.
Buff, from Latham, NY, has two wins at the Capital Region bullring this season, along with nine top fives in nine starts. He has an East Region victory at the track, but he’s finished 20th and 23rd in the last two Championship Season openers.
McGrew, meanwhile, is a four-time winner this season, and has seven top fives and eight top 10s in eight starts. Like Buff, the Ballston Spa, NY driver has an East Region victory at the track. He also has a podium finish in Championship Season competition, crossing the line third at Glen Ridge in 2024.
Both drivers are aiming for their second Series victory.
Other Feature winners at the track this season include Bill August, Tavien Blowers, and Connor Crane, who won this year’s East Region stop.
2026 Championship Season Schedule:
Sunday, Aug. 9/Glen Ridge Motorsports Park/Fultonville, NY
Wednesday, Aug. 19/Utica-Rome Speedway/Vernon, NY
Tuesday, Aug. 25/Ransomville Speedway/Ransomville, NY
Sunday, Sept. 6/Weedsport Speedway/Weedsport, NY
Saturday, Sept. 12/Can-Am Speedway/LaFargeville, NY
Friday, Sept. 18/Mohawk International Raceway/Akwesasne, NY
Saturday, Sept. 19/Land of Legends Raceway/Canandaigua, NY
Friday, Sept. 25/Albany-Saratoga Speedway/Malta, NY
Saturday, Oct. 10/Oswego Speedway/Oswego, NY (Super DIRT Week 54)
Saturday, Oct. 17/Brockville Ontario Speedway/Brockville, ON
