With two regions already complete, the final two DIRTcar Sportsman Series regional champions will be crowned later this week.
First, the West Region will decide its 2026 champion at Land of Legends Raceway in Canandaigua, NY, on Wednesday, July 22, in a combined event with the Central Region. The event will be a 30-lap Feature paying $1,000-to-win as part of the Ontario County Fair.
Then, the Central Region returns on Saturday, July 25, with a stop at Fulton Speedway in Fulton, NY. Like Wednesday’s event, $1,000 is on the line in a 30-lap Feature that will crown a Central Region champion.
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Here’s a look at what to watch for at Land of Legends and Fulton:
How the West Was Won: After two wins at Ransomville Speedway and Merrittville Speedway in May, Cody McPherson has the upper hand on his West Region competitors entering Wednesday’s race at Land of Legends.
The St. Catharines, ON driver has a 10-point lead over defending Region champion Brett Senek, and a 24-point advantage over Matteo Panunte, who’s in third.
McPherson has had mixed results at Land of Legends throughout his career, with two top fives and three top 10s in five Series starts. However, he sat in Victory Lane the last time he raced at the track, winning the Gerald Haers Memorial last September.
Senek, meanwhile, has two podiums in West Region competition this season, finishing second at Ransomville and third at Merrittville. The Ransomville, NY driver has made three Series starts at the 1/2-mile track in his career, his best finish a second in 2020. He finished 18th in last year’s regional finale en route to the title.
A fifth at Merrittville and a seventh at Ransomville has Panunte, from Port Colborne, ON, in contention for the regional title, but he has less experience at Land of Legends than his competitors. Wednesday’s race will be his first Series start at the track.
Defending the Land: In 2025, no one won more DIRTcar Sportsman Series Features than Richard Murtaugh. And now he gets his chance to defend home turf on Wednesday at Land of Legends.
The Fulton, NY driver is the points leader at the track in 2026, on the strength of one victory, three top fives and five top 10s in five starts. Overall, he has seven career DIRTcar Sportsman Series wins but is looking for his first of 2026.
Murtaugh enters the event third in the region standings, 14 points behind Hunter Hollenbeck.
At Fulton, he’s made two Series starts in his career, finishing 10th in last year’s regional finale and 24th during a championship season event in 2021.
One driver who’s beaten Murtagh at Land of Legends on two occasions is the race’s defending winner, Karl Comfort. The veteran Sportsman competitor has two victories at the track this season and is third in the track standings, 37 points behind Murtaugh. Comfort, from Penn Yan, NY, is a four-time Series winner.
Finishing at Fulton: Hollenbeck, who won the Central Region opener at Weedsport Speedway in May, gets the chance to finish the regional schedule at home on Saturday.
The Fulton, NY, driver has already reached Victory Lane at Fulton this season and leads Tony Finch II by eight points entering Wednesday. In three Series starts at the track, Hollenbeck has earned a seventh and two ninths. However, he finished second during last year’s Sportsman Shootout during the Outlaw 200 weekend.
Finch, meanwhile, has two top fives in six starts at Fulton, including a third in last year’s Region finale. He made two starts at the 3/8-mile track in 2026, finishing second in May and 25th last month. The Pennellville, NY driver also has momentum after winning at Brewerton on July 3.
DIRTcar Sportsman Series West Region Schedule
Friday, May 29/Ransomville Speedway/Ransomville, NY- Cody McPherson
Saturday, May 30/Merrittville Speedway/Thorold, ON- Cody McPherson
Wednesday, July 22/Land of Legends Raceway, Canandaigua, NY
DIRTcar Sportsman Series West Region Standings
- Cody McPherson 300
- Brett Senek -10
- Matteo Panunte -24
- Tyler Puchalski -28
- Nigel Pendykoski -38
- Brad Overbeeke -44
- Martin Polhill -58
- Madyson Rouse -66
- Curtis Friesen -80
- Matthew Jessome -102
2026 DIRTcar Sportsman Series Central Region Schedule
Sunday, May 3/ Weedsport Speedway/Weedsport, NY- Hunter Hollenbeck
Friday, June 26/Brewerton Speedway/Central Square, NY- Cody Manitta
Wednesday, July 22/Land of Legends Raceway/Canandaigua, NY*
Saturday, July 25/Fulton Speedway/Fulton, NY
*- Denotes combined event with another region
DIRTcar Sportsman Series Central Region Standings
-
- Hunter Hollenbeck 384
2. Tony Finch II -8
3. Richard Murtaugh -14
4. Mike Fowler -22
5. Taylor Wason -22
6. Cody Manitta -38
7. David Hackett -46
8. Brian Harber -54
9. Tyler Stevenson -58
10. Riley Rogala -62
- Hunter Hollenbeck 384
