NEW EGYPT, N.J. — A Garden State battle awaits the Super DIRTcar Series as it kicks off its 2024 championship season with the Power in the Pines at New Egypt Speedway.
The 75-lap, $7,500-to-win, season-opener on Saturday, March 30, marks the first series event at the track since 2014 — won by Matt Sheppard, now the 10-time and defending series champion.
He, along with 18 other prominent northeast drivers, start their championship quest at the seven-sixteenths-mile track. But to win it, they’ll also have to contend with Hall of Famers, local stars and talented newcomers.
The Super DIRTcar Series will be joined by New Egypt’s Sportsman division Saturday night as well.
Here’s a look at the key storylines to watch this weekend.
Chasing Milestones
Sheppard begins his quest for an 11th Super DIRTcar Series championship this weekend at New Egypt, where he’s found success before.
The Waterloo, N.Y., driver has 13 wins at the track, including three Super DIRTcar Series victories. He also won the track championship at New Egypt in 2007 while driving the Randy Ross-owned No. 44 car.
While he begins another title defense on Saturday, Sheppard is also chasing 100 Super DIRTcar Series victories. After two wins during Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals, he has 96 Series triumphs. He aims to join Brett Hearn as the only two drivers to reach the century mark.
Florida Momentum
While Sheppard earned two victories at DIRTcar Nationals, four other drivers left the Sunshine State with momentum.
After a win and three top-fives, Mat Williamson won the Big Gator trophy for the second consecutive season.
Now, he’ll try to challenge Sheppard for the title again after finishing second in 2023. The St. Catharines, Ontario, driver aims to win his second consecutive season opener after opening the 2023 championship season with a win at New Jersey’s Bridgeport Motorsports Park.
While he didn’t win last year’s title, Williamson had more wins than any other driver last season (7), including his third Billy Whittaker Cars 200 triumph at Super DIRT Week.
Anthony Perrego was another driver who had three top-fives in Florida. The Montgomery, N.Y., driver led laps on the first two nights of DIRTcar Nationals and drove from 19th to fifth on the final night to earn the Hard Charger award.
Perrego scored a Series win in 2023, holding off Sheppard to win the Anthracite Assault at Big Diamond, and finished second to Sheppard in the Dirt Jersey Nine last year.
Larry Wight made his presence known in Florida, scoring six top-10s in seven races. In the only race he didn’t finish in the top 10, he was leading before an accident took him out of the race with seven laps to go.
The Phoenix, N.Y., will aim to improve upon his 10th-place finish in series point from last year, using his Florida success as a catalyst.
Jimmy Phelps, who finished third in the final 2023 standings, also had a good showing in Florida. The Baldwinsville, N.Y., driver scored two fourth-place finishes as he searches for his first Super DIRTcar Series win since 2022.
Taking the Next Step
Mike Mahaney and Tim Sears Jr. had career years with the Super DIRTcar Series in 2023, finishing fourth and fifth, respectively in points, and will try to take that success a step further this year.
Mahaney found victory lane in 2023, grabbing his first series win away from Albany-Saratoga Speedway with a win at Autodrome Drummond. Sears, meanwhile, had a late-season charge, with seven top 10s in eight races from night two at Drummond to Super DIRT Week. He also added track championships at Brewerton and Fulton Speedway.
Both will make their 2024 series debut at New Egypt.
The New Blood
When the season officially kicks off at New Egypt Speedway, five rookies will join the Super DIRTcar Series.
Alex Payne, Matt Caprara, Justin Stone, Mike Trautschold, and Daniel Johnson will battle for Rookie of the Year honors in 2024, hoping to follow in 2023 Rookie of the Year Felix Roy’s footsteps in their first season.
Along with going after the Rookie of the Year title, all five drivers will also be searching for their first Super DIRTcar Series victory.
All, but Johnson, got a head start to their 2024 season by competing in DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park. Payne built up the most momentum by scoring a top-five finish on the final night.
This Is Our House
A trip to New Egypt means the track regulars will try to defend their home turf. Ryan Godown, Louden Reimert, and Brandon Grosso will lead the charge of New Egypt drivers hoping to steal the $7,500 prize.
Godown, the defending New Egypt track champion, scored his lone Super DIRTcar Series win in 2022 at Bridgeport Motorsports Park. The Ringoes, N.J., driver hopes to add another this weekend. He’s currently second on the track’s all-time wins list with 55.
Reimert finished fourth in points at New Egypt in 2023, earning one win at the track last August. It’ll be his fourth appearance in Super DIRTcar Series competition this season, after racing at DIRTcar Nationals in February. The Pennsylvania competitor’s best finish is an eighth on the season’s opening night.
Brandon Grosso is another regular looking for his first Super DIRTcar Series checkered flag this weekend. While the Montgomery, N.J., driver has only made two series starts, he has scored a top 10, finishing eighth at Big Diamond in 2022.
Grosso finished third in New Egypt Speedway’s point standings last season.