HOOSIER CHAMPIONS: Sheppard, Williamson, Buff, Jeseo, Mancuso Take ’21 Hoosier Racing Tire Weekly Championship Titles
CONCORD, NC – From January to Labor Day, five divisions of northeast DIRTcar racing saw drivers in each awarded points towards the $47,000 Hoosier Racing Tire Weekly Championship based on their 16 best finishes.
The points system rewards drivers for racing at their home tracks every week plus, thanks to a common ruleset, encourages drivers to travel to other DIRTcar tracks and Series races to accrue more points and experience.
This year, Matt Sheppard took the DIRTcar Big Block Modified Hoosier Racing Tire Weekly Championship title, Mat Williamson won the DIRTcar 358 Modified championship Andrew Buff took DIRTcar Sportsman Modifieds crown, Chad Jeseo won with the DIRTcar Pro Stocks, and Dante Mancuso is the first-ever DIRTcar 4 Cylinder champion.
DIRTcar Big Block Modifieds
Only Matt Sheppard, from Waterloo, NY, could insist he hasn’t had a “great” year while winning major championships like his record-setting eighth Super DIRTcar Series championship plus his seventh Hoosier Racing Tire Weekly Championship for DIRTcar Big Block Modifieds (formerly Mr. DIRT).
Sheppard’s Hoosier championship points run came with wins at Orange County Fair Speedway, Land of Legends Raceway, Ransomville Speedway, and Weedsport Speedway in both weekly and Series competition totaling 12 wins overall which netted him $5,000 for his title.
Last year’s champion Stewart Friesen came up four points short. He picked up 10 DIRTcar Big Block Feature wins at six different tracks including Volusia Speedway Park, Can-Am Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, Orange County Fair Speedway, Weedsport Speedway, and Land of Legends Raceway.
Peter Britten has had one of the best years of his career. Britten finished third in Hoosier Championship points collecting four wins including a Series DIRTcar Series win at his home track Land of Legends Raceway.
Check out the full DIRTcar Big Block Modified Hoosier Racing Tire Weekly Championship points HERE. The top twenty in points shared from the over $18,000 in point monies.
DIRTcar 358 Modifieds
St. Catharines, ON driver Mat Williamson, is no stranger to Victory Lane but now he is starting to make championships look routine too. Williamson, who is fighting for a podium on the Super DIRTcar Series standings going into the NGK NTK World Finals, picked up this year’s DIRTcar 358 Modified Hoosier Racing Tire Weekly Championship title worth $3,000.
This is Williamson’s third Hoosier championship in a row. Only this year’s third-place overall David Herbert has won three in a row and he made it four between 2014 and 2017.
Williamson’s 11 wins came at six tracks: Ransomville Speedway, Brockville Ontario Speedway, Fulton Speedway, Brewerton Speedway, and Weedsport Speedway.
Billy Dunn finished second in points but he also won the DIRTcar 358 Modified Series championship this year on the back of his herculean efforts to finish the race at Oswego Speedway in the Salute to the Troops 150.
David Herbert represented the Quebec cause coming in third place in the Hoosier standings. Hebert won DIRTcar 358 Modified Features at Autodrome Granby, Le RPM Speedway, Autodrome Drummond, and Cornwall Motor Speedway.
Check out the full points HERE. The top 20 in points will share from the over $14,000 cash point fund.
DIRTcar Sportsman Modifieds
Andrew Buff has proven his ability to win championships at home and is taking the show on the road. Buff is this year’s DIRTcar Sportsman Modified Hoosier Racing Tire Weekly Championship title winner collecting $1,000. The star DIRTcar Sportsman Modified Series: East Region driver beat out both Cameron Tuttle from the West and Zach Sobotka in the Central Region by six points. Tuttle and Sobotka finished tied in the Hoosier standings with 906 points.
Buff added his name to a list that includes Rocky Warner, Matt Sheppard, Chad Brachmann, and Chris Raabe.
Traveling man Andrew Buff took wins at Lakeview Motor Speedway in South Carolina, Glen Ridge Motor Speedway, Fulton Speedway, and Albany-Saratoga Speedway.
The final opportunity race for DIRTcar Sportsman Modifieds comes up at the Drydene World Short Track Championship from Thursday, October 28 to Saturday, October 30, 2021 at The Dirt Track at Charlotte.
Check out the full DIRTcar Sportsman Modified Hoosier Racing Tire Weekly Championship points HERE. The top 20 here will share from the $6,500 point fund.
DIRTcar Pro Stocks
Chad Jeseo, winner of the DIRTcar Pro Stock 50 at the 49th NAPA Super DIRT Week and overall DIRTcar Pro Stock Series Championship, ran away with the DIRTcar Pro Stock Hoosier Racing Tire Weekly Championship in 2021. His 936 points came on the back of 10 wins. Rival Jason Meltz finished second with 886 points while Kevin Fetterly came in third with 844 points overall.
This is Jeseo’s second DIRTcar Pro Stock Hoosier Racing Tire Weekly Championship title which he will take home a $1,000 check at the annual awards banquet. His first came in 2012.
Race fans can catch the DIRTcar Pro Stocks in action at this year’s Drydene World Short Track Championship (Thursday, October 28 – Saturday, October 30, 2021) at The Dirt Track at Charlotte.
Check out the full DIRTcar Pro Stock Hoosier Racing Tire Championship points HERE. Like the DIRTcar Sportsman, the DIRTcar Pro Stocks also paid out the top 20 with a $6,500 total point fund.
DIRTcar 4 Cylinders
Dante Mancuso motored his way to a title in the inaugural DIRTcar 4 Cylinder Hoosier Racing Tire Weekly Championship. He piled up his 11-win season at Ransomville Speedway and Genesee Speedway. Brad Whiteside and Cole Susice finished second and third overall. Twenty-one drivers took part in the first season of DIRTcar sanctioned 4 Cylinder action.
Mancuso will take home $500 for his first-ever title and the top 10 in the points will share from the over $2,500 point fund that was established.
Check out the full points HERE.
NEXT UP: Hoosier Racing Tire Weekly Championship points chasing starts up in 2022 at the DIRTcar Nationals for the Super DIRTcar Series Big Block Modifieds on February 14-19. The Big Blocks hit Volusia Speedway Park for a newly added Hot Lap session on Monday, February 14 before five straight nights of Feature action on The World’s Fastest Half-Mile all of which award valuable early-season Hoosier Racing Tire Weekly Championship points.
Watch for more updates, schedule announcements, Features, and more at DIRTcar.com and on social media on Facebook and Twitter.
Sources: Joe Grabianowski, DIRTcar Racing PR
PHOTO: Matt Sullivan
CAPTION: Mat Williamson in DIRTcar 358 Modified competition at Brewerton Speedway.