Defending DIRTcar Sportsman Champion three-for-three in West Region<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
Cody McPherson continues to make a statement in hopes to repeat as DIRTcar Sportsman champion for 2023.\u00a0 It took two late race, green, white, checkers to pass race long leader Billy Bleich to win his third West Region Series event out of three starts.<\/p>\n
In what look to be a non-stop event with Bleich going wire to wire, a yellow on lap 29 for a spun car in turn two changed the entire outlook of the event.<\/p>\n
The restart put McPherson\u2019s familiar #7 alongside Bleich and when the green lights shined, he stayed alongside his rival going into turn one.\u00a0 \u201cI needed that restart, this was Billy\u2019s race.\u00a0 I tried everything to get by him but he was so good down in that low lane,\u201d McPherson commented on the event\u2019s unfolding, \u201cWhen the restart happened I was going to roll the middle and try to maybe pinch him a bit.\u00a0 It worked.\u201d<\/p>\n
With McPherson out-front and looking to receive the checkers, a multi-car incident occurred in turn one.\u00a0 Yellow lights were on again which made for another green, white, checker.\u00a0 \u201cYea, didn\u2019t want to see that second yellow.\u00a0 You just don\u2019t know if he could do the same I did to him,\u201d he said with some concern, \u201cI tried to get a good jump and it seemed to work. The car took off.\u201d<\/p>\n
The win extended his lead slightly over Brett Senek who came home in third.\u00a0 In the runner-up slot was Merrittville tough luck finisher in James Michael Friesen.\u00a0 He too used those last two restarts to move himself from fifth to second at the finish.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was really just locked in the middle of the field for so many laps.\u00a0 I was trying to make the top work but the bottom was so good,\u201d Friesen summed up, \u201cThe restarts I was able to make some moves and get a bit lucky to grab second.\u00a0 We will take it.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Senek, It was a bit of a late race charge just like the week prior at Merrittville and this time it resulted in a podium finish.\u00a0 \u201cThe restarts helped me also.\u00a0 I was kind of settled in and was going to take what I could get,\u201d Senek quipped, \u201cOn the restarts I found a lane to get a couple of cars.\u00a0 That helped some in points, I\u2019m behind Cody be we do have a shot.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bleich took fourth at the finish, not the result he wanted.\u00a0 Chad Chevalier came from his tenth place to grab fifth at the end.\u00a0 The next five was made up of Taylor Vanderzanden, Nelson Mason, Curtis Friesem, who also receives a free Hoosier Tire, Justin Sharp and Kyle Richner.<\/p>\n
Taking the heat wins were McPherson, James Friesen and Jay Mallory.\u00a0 A total of 24 cars made up the pit log.<\/p>\n
DIRTcar Sportsman West Region 30 \u2013 <\/strong>Cody McPherson ($1,250), James Michael Friesen, Brett Senek, Bill Bleich Jr., Chad Chevalier, Taylor Vanderzanden, Nelson Mason, Curtis Friesen, Justin Sharp, Kyle Richner, Phil Vigneri III, Matteo Panunte, Rob Pietz, Jay Mallory, Terry Smith, Tom Princiotta, Matt Sharpe, Nathan Peattie, Tyler Pulchalski, Jeff Panunte, Adam Leslie, Chris Hawkins, Doug Walsh Jr.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Defending DIRTcar Sportsman Champion three-for-three in West Region Cody McPherson continues to make a statement in hopes to repeat as DIRTcar Sportsman champion for 2023.\u00a0 It took two late race, green, white, checkers to pass race long leader Billy Bleich to win his third West Region Series event out of three starts. In what look […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":186,"featured_media":42839,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[663],"tags":[1561,679,1518,1298,206,1560],"division":[1711],"series":[],"regions":[1725],"class_list":["post-42838","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-recap","tag-bill-bleich","tag-brett-senek","tag-chad-chevalier","tag-cody-mcpherson","tag-humberstone-speedway","tag-james-friesen","division-dirtcar-ne-sportsman-modifieds","regions-northeast"],"yoast_head":"\n