Winning Math Does The Job For Yankowski

CONCORD, N.C. — Alex Yankowski had a plan for 2026: win races, and the Super DIRTcar Series points would take care of themselves.

That is what the Covington Township, Pa., driver did Friday night, narrowly holding off Mat Williamson at The Dirt Track at Charlotte for his second Dave Smith Motors World Finals victory and fifth series triumph of the season.

The win mathematically clinched the 2026 Super DIRTcar championship for Yankowski, who will be crowned the youngest champion in Series history Saturday night.

“What a sigh of relief,” Yankowski said. “To get this championship is just an unbelievable feat. It’s always been the Northern guys beating up on us. I know Doug Hoffman got one. There’s a lot of people that aren’t with us that I wish were today. “I’m really proud of this whole group. We’re going to keep plugging. To win it and to clinch it is something special.”

Felix Roy, the SRI Performance and Stock Car Steel Pole Award winner, led the field to the green in the 30-lap Feature, beating Jack Lehner into Turns 1 and 2. Yankowski was second by Turn 2, and Williamson took third by the completion of Lap 1. Roy and Yankowski battled for the top spot in the first half of the race, with Roy holding off every attempt.

A caution for Paul Mancini on Lap 15 set up the restart. After Roy slid in front of him in Turn 4, Yankowski crossed to the bottom and took the lead as they completed Lap 16. He built a full straightaway advantage over the next 10 laps, but lap traffic let Roy and Williamson close in.

Williamson, the three-time Series champion, took second on Lap 29 and then pressed Yankowski, who was working past Francois Bellemare, a lap car. On the final lap, Williamson pulled alongside Yankowski in Turns 1 and 2 and made one more run in Turns 3 and 4, but Yankowski held on to win the $10,000 prize by 0.036 seconds.

“I didn’t know where to be (in traffic),” Yankowski said. “[Bellemare] was sliding himself the whole time so I couldn’t slide him. I couldn’t get under him. And Williamson did a great job trying to take advantage of that. “I beat myself up all winter long about things I felt I could’ve been better about, and this race team has been unbelievable.”

Williamson settled for second, narrowly missing a win for the second straight night and posting his fourth straight top-two Series finish. Mike Maresca earned his first Series podium of the season in third after starting 12th. Roy finished fourth after leading the first 15 laps, and Ryan Godown rounded out the top five.

Feature results (30 laps):