WEST LEBANON, N.Y. — A night of high-speed thrills awaits the Super DIRTcar Series, as it returns to New York’s Capital Region for an August tradition.
The Beasts of the Northeast will visit Lebanon Valley Speedway on Thursday, Aug. 28, for Mr. DIRT Track USA. Drivers will battle for 100 laps, with $15,500 on the line along with a guaranteed starting spot at Super DIRT Week 53.
Joining the Super DIRTcar Series on Thursday’s card are the track’s DIRTcar Sportsman and DIRTcar Pro Stock divisions.
THREE SPOTS
Entering Thursday’s Mr. DIRT Track USA at Lebanon Valley, there are only three more guaranteed starting spots at Super DIRT Week 53 available in 2025.
So far, six drivers have locked into the Billy Whittaker Cars 200, with Stewart Friesen, Mario Clair, Mat Williamson, Matt Sheppard, Alex Yankowski, and Anthony Perrego earning their spot at “Racing’s Biggest Party.”
CHANCE TO REBOUND
After his worst Super DIRTcar Series finish of 2025 at Brewerton Speedway, Matt Sheppard has a chance to rebound at a track he’s had more success at than any other full-time driver.
The Waterloo, N.Y., competitor has four series wins at the “Valley of Speed,” including his last triumph in May of 2023 in the King of Spring. In his previous 10 starts at Lebanon Valley, the 10-time champion has finished on the podium five times, including three trips to victory lane.
Sheppard enters the 100-lap event third in the standings, 129 points behind Williamson.
CHASING MONEY
With 10 races left, Mat Williamson has an 88-point lead over Yankowski in the battle for the title.
However, Lebanon Valley is a track the St. Catharines, Ontario, driver has yet to win at. In seven starts, Williamson has three top fives and four top 10s. His best finish was a second in May of 2021.
“Money Mat” enters Thursday with 13 consecutive top 10 finishes and has only finished outside the top five twice in that stretch, reaching the podium on 10 occasions.
Yankowski, meanwhile, has only made three starts at the “Valley of Speed” in his career. He has two top 10s in those three starts, earning a 10th in 2022 and a seventh in 2023.
NUMBER 13?
As the series finishes August with Mr. DIRT Track USA, 12 different drivers have reached victory lane. Based on recent history, there’s potential for a 13th different winner since a track regular has won 23 of the last 29 series events at the half-mile oval since 2001.
Andy Bachetti has seven Super DIRTcar Series victories in that stretch at Lebanon Valley, including the most recent Mr. DIRT Track USA in 2023. The Sheffield, Mass., driver is the current track points leader in 2025. With four wins, he’s the only driver with more than one feature victory this season.
Along with the “Wild Child,” a few Lebanon Valley regulars are searching for their first series victory. That includes the track’s most recent winner, Marc Johnson. The “White Knight” has two runner-up finishes in his Super DIRTcar Series career, including one at Lebanon Valley.
Johnson has three top fives in series events at the track.
Three others who’ve been chasing Bachetti this season at Lebanon Valley are Kolby Schroder, Brett Haas and Keith Flach. All three drivers have at least 10 top-10 finishes in 12 starts this season.
Schroder and Hass have both won features this season, while Flach is an 11-time feature winner at the track.
Flach and Haas each have a Mr. DIRT Track USA podium, finishing second and third in 2022, while Schroder’s best event finish is a fourth in 2018.
