OSWEGO, N.Y. — After a year away last year, the 49th running Super DIRT Week will be this week at Oswego Speedway.
Racing’s Biggest Party features the Super DIRTcar Series, DIRTcar 358 Modifieds, DIRTcar Sportsman and DIRTcar Pro Stocks at the five-eighths-mile track that will be temporarily covered with dirt.
Racing kicks off Tuesday, Oct. 5, for the Demon 100 at Brewerton Speedway with the Super DIRTcar Series and DIRTcar Pro Stocks. The event is the last chance for a Super DIRTcar Series and Pro Stock competitor to earn a guaranteed NAPA Super DIRT Week feature starting position.
The party ramps up on Wednesday, Oct. 6, for “DIRTcar Day.” Fans are invited to wear their favorite racing attire and attend the popular NAPA Super DIRT Week parade (at noon) through the city streets of Oswego.
Later that night, 358 Modified and Sportsman drivers will make their way to Weedsport Speedway for the NAPA Super DIRT Week Kickoff Party race.
Practice and Time Trials will place at Oswego Speedway on Thursday, Oct. 7, before a return to Brewerton Speedway later in the day for the Hurricane Harvey 75, again with the 358 Modified and Sportsman drivers.
Qualifying Heats for all divisions will headline the action on Friday, Oct. 8, at Oswego Speedway. The first main event of the week, the Salute to the Troops 150, for the DIRTcar 358 Modifieds will be on Saturday, Oct. 9, at 5 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 10, is reserved for main events. The DIRTcar Sportsman Chevrolet Performance 75 will kick off the day at 11 a.m. The DIRTcar Pro Stocks 50 will follow a noon autograph session. The prestigious $50,000-to-win, 200-lap, Billy Whittaker Cars 200 for the Super DIRTcar Series Big Block Modifieds will start at 3 p.m.
• In the four years NAPA Super DIRT Week has been hosted at Oswego Speedway, there have been four different winners — Stewart Friesen, Matt Sheppard, Larry Wight and Matt Williamson.
With that, there are two ways history will again be made this year. There will either be a fifth different consecutive winner or the first repeat winner at Oswego.
While the four previous winners are all on track for a potential repeat, others such as Peter Britten, Mike Mahaney and Max McLaughlin will carry momentum into the big race.
• Defending Billy Whittaker Cars 200 winner Mat Williamson will have a busy schedule ahead of him as he tries to be the first to defend his NAPA Super DIRTcar Week championship at Oswego. Along with piloting his Buzz Chew No. 88, he’ll drive the No. 6 358 Modified at Oswego and his own 358 Modified for the satellite shows at Brewerton Speedway and Weedsport Speedway.
“There’s a list longer than my arm I could talk about good things for DIRT Week,” Williamson said. “How cool it is for a driver to be a part of it. There’s a lot of money, $50,000 to win. There’s prestige. People like Brett Hearn, Alan Johnson and Gary Balough, who have won this race in the past, it’s cool to have your name with them.”
• Stewart Friesen is taking a break from his chase for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series title to chase another win at what he considers one of the biggest events of the year. Friesen — a five-time Billy Whittaker Cars 200 winner — has been one of the strongest drivers all year long with the Super DIRTcar Series, picking up six wins.
He’s no stranger to making history at NAPA Super DIRT Week. He was the last driver to win at the Syracuse Mile and the first to win at Oswego Speedway.
• One would be hard-pressed to miss Billy Decker’s name in the NAPA Super DIRT Week history books. Especially when it comes to DIRTcar 358 Modified competition.
In 2019, he became the winningest 358 Super DIRT Week champion in history by claiming his seventh title.
The Sidney, N.Y., driver will be back behind the wheel of his Gypsum Racing No. 91 machine to chase another Salute to the Troops 150 win and further extend his presence in the history books.
• Billy Dunn has won the Billy Whittaker Cars 200, claimed the pole for the Salute to the Troops 150 and finished second in the prestigious DIRTcar 358 Modified race twice. This year, he’s poised to fill that gap and finally park his No. 49 358 Modified in victory lane Saturday night.
The Watertown, N.Y., driver has had a solid year in the DIRTcar 358 Modified ranks, picking up eight wins at three different tracks and finishing second overall in Hoosier Tire Weekly Championship points.
• Erick Rudolph has had a busy race season. Along with running the full Super DIRTcar Series tour, he’s finished second in points at Ransomville Speedway and fourth at Mohawk Int’l Raceway.
With that plethora of seat time, Rudolph will look to translate it into his first Salute to the Troops 150 win. He finished second to Billy Decker in 2019.
• Along with being a prestigious event for DIRTcar Sportsman drivers, it’s also acted as a career accelerator for those that win the Chevrolet Performance 75. The defending champion, Kyle Inman, has moved up to 358 Modifieds this year, and the only repeat winners of the event, Rocky Warner (2012, ’15) and Dave Marcuccilli (2016, ’17), have moved up to Big Block Modifieds.
Several other former Super DIRT Week Sportsman winners have gone on to race 358 and/or Big Block Modifieds as well, like Matt Sheppard (2000), Erick Rudolph (2008), Chad Brachmann (1999) and Ryan Godown (2001).
In 21 editions of the NAPA Super DIRT Week Sportsman Modified racing, there has been 19 different winners.
• Andrew Buff will get the best shot of his career this October to earn his first NAPA Super DIRT Week victory after an excellent year behind the wheel of his West End Towing & Repair No. 92 car.
As of mid-September, the Latham, N.Y., driver won 10 races in DIRTcar competition, spanning four different tracks. He also wrapped up his second sportsman track championship at Glen Ridge.
• Tyler Corcoran, 19, continued his success in the sportsman ranks this year with his second consecutive track championship at Can-Am Speedway, defeating several other Super DIRT Week hopefuls for the title.
The teenager sits ninth in Hoosier Weekly Points as of mid-September with five victories to his credit.