WEEDSPORT, N.Y. — With the calendar turning to May, many of the top weekly competitors across the Northeast will begin their journey to become the best weekend warrior.
Like in 2025, five divisions will take part in the Hoosier Racing Tire Weekly Championships in 2026, as drivers battle through New York, Vermont and Canada from now until Labor Day weekend.
Champions will be crowned based on their best 16 finishes in the Big Block Modifieds, 358 Modifieds, Sportsman, Pro Stocks, and 4 Cylinder divisions. More than $47,000 will be paid out at the end of the season, along with thousands of dollars in fuel certificates at the DIRTcar Northeast banquet in November.
Big Block Modifieds
It’s rare that Mat Williamson accomplishes a first at this point in his career, but that’s exactly what happened when we won his first Big Block Hoosier Racing Tire Weekly Championship in 2025.
The St. Catharines, Ontario, driver used a strong season at Land of Legends Raceway to earn the championship, earning six wins, 16 top fives, and 17 top 10s in 17 Big Block starts.
Two drivers he’ll battle against are former Hoosier Racing Tire Weekly Champions, Marc Johnson and Peter Britten. Both drivers will have more Big Block starts than Williamson, since they race a Big Block on both Friday and Saturday nights.
Last season, Johnson finished second in the standings with a win, 15 top fives, and 24 top 10s in 33 starts. He’s already off to a fast start in 2026, earning a win on opening night at Albany-Saratoga Speedway.
Britten, meanwhile, scored four wins in 2025 and added 14 top fives and 25 top 10s in 33 starts.
This year’s Big Block champion will win $5,000 along with bragging rights as the top weekly competitor.
358 Modifieds
Lance Willix took advantage of making more starts than any other 358 Modified competitor in 2025 to earn his third consecutive Hoosier Racing Tire Weekly championship.
The Theresa, NY driver had eight wins, 26 top fives, and 28 top 10s in 39 starts, beating out Felix Roy by eight points at the end of the season.
Roy will challenge Willix again this season after a year in which he won seven 358 Modified Features and earned 21 top fives and 26 top 10s. Billy Dunn and Mike Mahaney were also in striking distance of the championship last season, with Dunn winning six times and Mahaney seven.
Joining this group of drivers this season will be drivers from Utica-Rome’s 358 Modified division, since the track returned to the DIRTcar banner in 2026.
Whoever wins the 358 Modified championship will add $3,000 to their bank account.
Sportsman
A dominant season at Merrittville Speedway led to another Hoosier Racing Tire Weekly Championship for Sportsman veteran Cody McPherson. The St. Catharines, Ontario, driver won 13 times and finished in the top five in 18 of his 19 starts.
That was enough to beat Tim Hartman Jr. for the title by four points. Hartman, from Niskayuna, NY, had 12 wins, 23 top fives, and 26 top 10s in 32 starts between Albany-Saratoga Speedway and Lebanon Valley Speedway.
They’ll have to contend with defending DIRTcar Sportsman Series champion Shane Pecore, who had 11 wins, 18 top fives, and 19 top 10s between Cornwall Motor Speedway and Mohawk International Raceway.
This year’s Sportsman champion will take home $1,000 this season.
Pro Stocks
The DIRTcar Pro Stock division is guaranteed a new Hoosier Racing Tire weekly champion this season, after 2025 champion Marc Lalonde retired from full-time competition.
But even with Lalonde gone, there will still be a stout group of competitors trying to take home the $1,000 prize.
Three drivers who narrowly missed out on a championship last season were Chris Stalker, Kim Duell, and six-time DIRTcar Pro Stock Series champion Pete Stefanski.
Stalker lost out to Lalonde by eight points on the strength of four wins, 19 top fives, and 25 top 10s. Duell, meanwhile, had two wins, 12 top fives, and 16 top 10s. Stefanski, who competed against Duell and Stalker for most of the season, had five wins to go along with 14 top fives and 17 top 10s.
Those three drivers will face strong challenges from New York and Canada, with drivers like AJ Walters, Eric Jean Louis, and two-time Hoosier Weekly champion Luke Horning aiming for the title.
4-Cylinders
The DIRTcar 4-Cylinder division is a hotly contested battle each season, and last year, a regular from Bear Ridge Speedway took home the title.
Zach Audet earned Hoosier Racing Tire Weekly honors for the first time after winning seven times and finishing in the top five in all 16 of his starts.
Those statistics were enough to beat out Can-Am Speedway regular Francis White, who had five wins, 14 top fives, and 18 top 10s in 20 starts.
The driver who wins this year’s 4-Cylinder championship will take home $500 at November’s banquet.
