SAVANNAH, N.Y. — The word “change” isn’t typically associated with 10-time Super DIRTcar Series champion Matt Sheppard.
But in 2026, change is exactly what the Savannah, N.Y., driver will endure, with a new sponsor on the quarter-panel of his No. 9s Big Block Modified, and new colors for the first time since 2018.
When Sheppard makes his first series appearance at Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals, Feb. 11-14, he’ll have the International Hot Rod Association on the side of the car, following an eight-season run with Hurlock Auto and Speed Supply as his main sponsor.
“It’s exciting for us and the whole team to have a new rebranding, new colors, and a fresh start after a long, successful run,” Sheppard said. “Things were good, but everything runs its course, and sometimes you need a reset.”
While IHRA is the main sponsor, Sheppard is also welcoming Sunrise Insulation, Chemung Concrete, Danube Dairy, and VP Racing Fuels, among several returning sponsors. For Sheppard, who owns the team, each partner is an important part of putting him in a position to contend for another Super DIRTcar Series title.
“As a self-owned team, I’m not a millionaire like a lot of these guys are,” Sheppard said. “I rely heavily on the sponsorship to keep us competitive and keep us in the equipment we need to be competitive. It’s been a crazy off-season, but it’s also been a good offseason for us, too.”
New sponsors and new colors aren’t the only changes Sheppard will endure in 2026, as Hall of Fame crew chief Randy Kisacky retired at the end of 2025.
However, it puts Sheppard back into a role he’s familiar with – serving as the driver and crew chief of the No. 9s.
“It’s going to be a hole to fill, but I think the timing of everything with Randy leaving, new sponsors, and new blood, it kind of adds to the whole fresh start that we got going on right now,” Sheppard said.
Even with the changes, Sheppard’s goal when he gets to the race track doesn’t change. The 103-time series winner has the same goal he’s always had: go out and win every night and earn a record-11th Super DIRTcar Series title.
And after a fourth-place finish in the 2025 standings, he said he knows what he must do to get back to championship form.
“We need to eliminate the bad nights,” Sheppard said. “Our championship years, we didn’t have any breakdowns, didn’t have any failures, and we didn’t really have any bad nights. We kind of came back last year and got back to winning races, getting podiums, and had a lot of strong performances. But we also had some poor performances, too. And those poor performances are the difference in winning championships and not winning championships.”
Before heading to Volusia Speedway Park, “Super Matt” will debut his IHRA sponsored-Big Block with its new colors at All-Tech Raceway during Dirt Track Digest’s Showdown in the Sunshine State, Feb. 4-7.
Then, he’ll search for his third consecutive opening night victory in the Super DIRTcar Series return to Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals in Barberville, FL, Feb. 11-14, where he’s earned 11 victories.
