The DIRTcar Sportsman Series West Region begins its chase for the championship with a doubleheader spanning two countries.
A trip to Ransomville Speedway in Ransomville, NY, on Friday, May 31, kicks off the two-race swing, with $1,000 on the line in a 30-lap Feature.
Then, the Series heads to Canada on Saturday, June 1, to visit Merrittville Speedway in Thorold, ON for the Ivan Little Memorial. A $4,000 (Canadian) prize is up for grabs in the 40-lap weekend finale.
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Here’s a look at what to watch for this weekend:
Lucky Seven: Defending West region champion Cody McPherson is already off to a fast start in 2024.
The St. Catharines, ON, driver has four Feature wins this season, with three coming at Merrittville. That includes a sweep in Merrittville’s double Feature program on Memorial Day weekend.
McPherson won three West Region events in 2023 and enters the weekend with 16 DIRTcar Sportsman Series victories—seven coming at Ransomville and Merrittville. He’s currently tied for second on the Series all-time wins list with Steve Hall and Dave Marcuccilli.
Chasing McPherson: Brett Senek is one of the drivers chasing McPherson at Ransomville and Merrittville.
Senek has three DIRTcar Sportsman Series wins, all coming at Ransomville. That includes last year’s Championship Series victory in the Mike Bonesky Memorial.
He has a third and fourth-place finish at Ransomville this season and a third, second, and fifth at Merrittville.
Business As Usual: In 2024, many of the drivers who will compete for a West Region title will also race at Ransomville and Merrittville weekly.
That includes Cam Tuttle, who has two DIRTcar Sportsman Series West Region wins. The first of those two came at Ransomville, while the other came at Brewerton during Super DIRT Week in 2021.
Jim Harbison, who won last Friday at Ransomville, enters the weekend with momentum. He finished sixth in last year’s championship Series event.
Adam Leslie competes weekly at Merrittville and is the only West Region driver with a DIRTcar Sportsman Series start in 2024. He went to Glen Ridge Motorsports Park in East Region competition, finishing eighth. He’s currently third in Merrittville points entering the weekend.
DIRTcar Sportsman West Region Schedule
Friday, May 31, Ransomville Speedway
Saturday, June 1, Merrittville Speedway
Saturday, June 22, Land of Legends Raceway
Sat. June 29, Merrittville Speedway
Sunday, June 30, Humberstone Speedway
