A trip to the New York side of Lake Champlain is on tap for the DIRTcar Sportsman Series East Region, as it visits Airborne Park Speedway for the first time since 2022.
Drivers will battle in the Champlain Valley Showdown, a 30-lap Feature paying $1,500-to-win.
Joining the DIRTcar Sportsman East Region are the track’s Renegade, Novice Sportsman, and Mini Stock divisions.
For more on the DIRTcar Northeast, follow the DIRTcar Facebook page and the Series’ X/(Twitter) page.
Here are the key storylines to watch at Airborne:
Plattsburgh Faithful: Airborne Park Speedway boasts a strong contingent of drivers from Plattsburgh, who aim to defend their home turf on Thursday night.
That starts with six-time track champion Nick Heywood, who won the track’s most recent DIRTcar Sportsman Feature. The Plattsburgh, NY driver won the 2023 East Region championship and already has two Feature wins at the “Big A” this season.
Nick Heywood/Rick Young
Despite earning a championship, Heywood is looking for his first Series victory.
Another driver searching for his first Series triumph is Airborne veteran Bucko Branham. He’s won 16 times at the track between the dirt and asphalt surface, including a victory earlier this season. The Plattsburgh, NY driver also knocked on the door of a Series win in 2017, finishing second to Alex Lajoie.
One driver who’s already reached Victory Lane on the Series is three-time track champion Travis Bruno. The Morrisonville, NY driver outdueled Adam Pierson and former Series champion Shane Pecore for a win in 2019. Bruno has three top fives and five top 10s in six starts this season.
Beware of the Ridge Runners: An East Region battle means the Bear Ridge Speedway regulars will be there on Thursday night.
That starts with defending Series champion Jason Gray, who won the region finale last season. However, the East Thetford, VT driver has only made one Series start at the track in his career, finishing ninth in 2021.
Gray has already reached Victory Lane this season, winning opening night at Bear Ridge.
Todd Buckwold, the points leader at Bear Ridge, is also expected to make the drive to Plattsburgh on Thursday. The Canaan, NH driver also has one win at Bear Ridge this year and holds a five-point advantage in the track’s point chase. He earned his lone Series top five at Bear Ridge last year.
Bear Ridge promoter C.V. Elms will also be in action, as he plans to run the entire East Region schedule this season.
Quebec Strong: While many of the top drivers who race at Airborne weekly are from the Plattsburgh area, they’re all chasing Quebec’s Donovan Lussier.
The St-Denis-sur-Richelieu, QC driver earned a Series win on a national stage last season, winning at the World Short Track Championship at The Dirt Track at Charlotte.
Lussier has two wins at Airborne already this season and hasn’t finished outside the top five in six races. Along with his two wins at Airborne, he’s added wins at Devil’s Bowl Speedway, Bridgeport Motorsports Park, Autodrome Granby, and Port Royal Speedway.
2025 DIRTcar Sportsman East Region Schedule
Thursday, June 12, Airborne Park Speedway
Saturday Aug. 2, Bear Ridge Speedway
TBA, Glen Ridge Motorsports Park
