As two-time and defending Super DIRT Week champion Mat Williamson returns to Oswego (N.Y.) Speedway for the 50th running of the prestigious event, he’s disheartened by the way his season has gone.
Williamson is more than 150 points behind Super DIRT Series leader Matt Sheppard in the standings, with only two series victories this year and one-too-many finishes outside the top 10. While he moves forward in his attempt to capture a historic, third straight Super DIRT Week triumph, Williamson admits that he’s been needing every ounce of hope he can muster.
“Obviously we’ve had some more momentum going into this race before. This year, we’ve been struggling a little bit,” Williamson said.
Williamson has found unexpected success at tracks where he has underperformed in the past, while visits to his favored tracks have brought disappointing results. Last year, Weedsport Speedway and Albany-Saratoga Speedway were two of his best tracks — his top finish at either facility this season was ninth.
“I’m not really sure why, at this point. We’ve kind of been searching for a little bit of magic,” Williamson said.
He compares his season struggles to the idea of falling in a “deep hole,” as it’s been hard for the one-time Super DIRT Series champion to climb his way back to the top.
Will Super DIRT Week be the light at the end of the tunnel?
He hopes so.
“It can’t get any worse than what it is right now,” Williamson said.
He’s relying on the satellite shows at other New York tracks that will take place before Sunday’s Billy Whittaker Cars 200 to get some momentum rolling his way, and at this point, he’d be happy just to finish strong. And yet, after taking home the Super DIRT Week title two years in a row, the Buzz Chew Racing driver still has an eye on making it three in a row.
“Three in a row is going to be tough, it’s no easy task,” Williamson said. “But the fact that we’ve won it twice shows me we can do it, shows the team we can do it.”
The experience at Oswego Speedway is already unique in the way it levels out the competition. Drivers are given the entire week to practice on the track and dial in the race car, all to prepare for the ultimate 200-lap modified race on Sunday.
In a way, the format equalizes the field, giving each racer a fair shot at being their best.
“That’s something that we don’t see anywhere else,” Williamson said.
Facing such a stout crowd of competition also means survival can be a challenge — during the week and in the finale itself. Over the years, Williamson has realized that it comes down to being patient and being in the right spot on the track when opportunity comes.
“You just need to be there the last 15, 20 laps and be in a good position to win,” Williamson said. “You can’t be impatient in 200-lap races, there’s a lot of things that can go wrong.”
In short, treat the last 10 laps like the first, be in the top four as the race comes to a close and hope that a little bit of luck falls your way. Being at Super DIRT Week might just be the magic Williamson’s been chasing this season.