LAFARGEVILLE, N.Y. — For the third time in the last four seasons, a first-time DIRTcar Sportsman Series winner took the checkered flag at Can-Am Speedway.
After Tyler Stevenson in 2023 and Eric Nier in 2024, Brennan Moore added his name to the Series record books, leading the final 12 laps to win Friday’s North Region opener.
Moore and defending Can-Am track champion Gavin Eisele brought the field to the green in the 30-lap feature, with Moore taking the early advantage. That was short-lived, however, as a yellow flag for Caleb Howard and Trevor Gibbons slowed the field on Lap 2.
Eisele took advantage of that caution to wrestle the lead away from Moore on the restart, diving to the inside of the No. 35 to gain the position as they battled down the backstretch on Lap 3. Eisele tried to pull away from Moore, but once he reached lap traffic, it brought Moore back to the bumper of Eisele’s 18e.
Moore saw his chance when the bottom lane opened on Lap 19. The Elgin, Ontario driver powered underneath Eisele as they raced down the backstretch. However, Eisele found another opportunity to try to regain the lead. Eisele went to the outside lane in Turns 3 and 4, trying to use Greg Henry as a pick through traffic. But that allowed Moore to get away as he continued to hug the bottom.
“[Eisele] was missing the bottom off every corner, every lap,” Moore said. “And I knew that was where I was going to get him.”
Behind Moore, Eisele’s swing to the outside allowed Tristan Ladouceur and Jessica Power to close in on the runner-up spot. The three cars battled three-wide through Turns 3 and 4 with Eisele on the top, Ladouceur in the middle, and Power on the inside. It was the inside lane that won the battle, though, as Power’s momentum carried her past both to take over second with nine laps remaining.
Moore couldn’t drive away from Power either, as a caution on Lap 23 for Logan Brown gave the Kingston, Ontario, driver a chance at her first Can-Am Series win.
But when the race resumed, Power couldn’t get the momentum she needed, allowing Moore to hold on for his first series victory worth $1,000.
Power finished second after starting seventh, and Ladouceur rounded out Friday’s podium. Eisele finished fourth, and Richard Murtaugh crossed the line fifth.
The finish:
Feature (30 Laps): 1. 35B-Brennan Moore[2]; 2. 52-Jessica Power[7]; 3. 92T-Tristan Ladouceur[5]; 4. 18-Gavin Eisele[1]; 5. 33-Richard Murtaugh[3]; 6. FOX28-Tyler Stevenson[10]; 7. 0-Shane Pecore[4]; 8. 34-Eric Nier[6]; 9. 35D-Dylan Moore[17]; 10. 9D-Taylor Doxtater[11]; 11. 51-Bryan Preville[13]; 12. 12-Owen Bird[24]; 13. 63-Teddy Clayton Jr[26]; 14. 18G-Justin Gadbaw[22]; 15. 79-Chris Hale[12]; 16. 03-Joshua Jock[8]; 17. 34K-Keegan Nier[9]; 18. 14-Camdin Cook[23]; 19. 9-Logan Brown[18]; 20. 2X-Martin Lessard[25]; 21. 16X-Savannah Laflair[29]; 22. 2-Greg Henry[19]; 23. 5R-Steve Roberts[27]; 24. 92-Frank Sibley[14]; 25. 21-Gage Howard[30]; 26. 55-Dan Reif[28]; 27. 54-Brady Howard[16]; 28. 90-Caleb Howard[15]; 29. 621G-Trevor Gibbons[21]; 30. 1D-Paul DeRuyter[20]
