OSWEGO, NY (Oct. 23, 2023) – Super DIRT Week staff members took their seats in the auditorium of the Oswego Community Christian School as the clock neared 8 a.m. Coffee hovered to the lips of most. Eyelids drooped. Muscles, every muscle, fatigued.
It was Monday, Oct. 9. Day nine of Super DIRT Week 51 at Oswego Speedway. For some, day “who knows anymore.” About four inches of rain fell the night before in the area, on top of the rain that had already plagued a promising week on Friday and Saturday.
Jeff Hachmann, Super DIRT Week’s executive director of events, walked between the cluster of chairs and zombified staff members, clipboard in hand, directed toward the podium in front of them all. With no need to spare seconds, he delivered the medicine everyone needed. A message many feared may never come.
“We’re racing.”
For the first time in Super DIRT Week’s 51 years, the northeast epic ran on Monday, producing three unforgettable Features and an unforgettable experience for those involved. Because getting to that point was a trial in overcoming the impossible.
On Saturday, Sept. 30 – more than a week before the Billy Whittaker Cars 200 – Hachmann initiated talks with Precision Weather Service and Meteorologist Wayne Mahar, who provided daily weather updates, to map out what was expected for the week.
Monday through Thursday, great. Friday through Sunday…
As the week progressed, the forecast never improved. With that knowledge, the first proactive move came Wednesday after the city parade, moving all Time Trials to Thursday.
“Knowing what was potentially going to happen over the weekend, we were trying to get to the point where we could set the field,” Hachmann said. “So, if worst case scenario is we don’t get to do anything or time to do anything, we can still run Features. So, that’s why we set all the qualifying on Thursday.
“We were told that Friday was a chance, and that Saturday was our best chance to get racing in. We were always focused on trying to get to Saturday, knowing Sunday, all week long, looked like a complete wash out. The whole intent was to get the fans home on the day they were planning on getting home.”
Mother Nature didn’t care about intents. She closed the initial window to get racing in on Friday and canceled the entire day. But what resulted from that was a moment rarely seen in any form of motorsports. Officials invited all 200-plus drivers on site to a town hall-style meeting to discuss options for the rest of the weekend.
“We had a small group that included, production, officials, operations, track crew, ticketing and PR, that I kept consistent throughout the weekend when making decisions, everything was thought out,” Hachmann said. “But we knew we were starting to mess with format and people’s time and the overall completion of the event and felt like the drivers needed to be up to speed on the situation and give them that one-to-one conversation, give them that opportunity to ask questions, instead of just putting out a press release.”
From the guidance of Precision Weather Service, the best window to get racing in was 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday. Sunday was never presented as a viable option. Monday was the rain date, but also had a threat of rain and presented several logistical issues.
So with that information, it was decided to try and give drivers and fans all the Features – the Billy Whittaker Cars 200, DIRTcar 358 Modified Salute to the Troops 150, DIRTcar Sportsman Chevrolet 75 and DIRTcar Pro Stock 50 – on Saturday. But, to do so, the Super DIRTcar Series and DIRTcar Sportsman Qualifying Heats had to be scrapped. Instead, the Top-30 Super DIRTcar Series qualifiers and Top-26 DIRTcar Sportsman qualifiers would be locked in. Drivers in both divisions would at least get to try and race their way in through Last Chance Showdowns on Saturday. Also, the Sportsman Feature had to be cut to 50 laps and the Pro Stock Feature to 25.
After presenting drivers with the changes at the Friday meeting, Super DIRTcar Series Director Dean Reynolds left surprised and relieved by their unanimous understanding.
“I’ll tell ya, about 260 drivers were at that meeting and only about 10 of them had gripes. And legitimate gripes,” Reynolds said. “I think the one thing we gotta say is the race teams were understanding. They really were. When Doug (Leonard, the Race Director) had the drivers meeting and said what we were going to do and we were going to cut these laps, and everything, we stood there and stayed and really it was some one-on-ones and that was it.
“I think they knew the forecast and I think they really put their trust in us.”
The meeting was a new experience for Jimmy Phelps. In his more than 30 years of racing at Super DIRT Week, he couldn’t recall seeing one like it before.
“I thought that was good,” said Phelps, who also had the SRI Performance/Stock Car Steel Pole for the Billy Whittaker Cars 200. “It seemed the decisions were certainly around trying to get it in, trying to get us a paycheck. It was disappointing that we lost the Big Block Heats, but it was probably a good call and a necessary evil. I think everyone made the best decision.
“It was disappointing for some of the fans that couldn’t stay. I didn’t really see that there were too many people upset. Everyone that was there, they were paying attention to what Mother Nature was dealing for a hand.”
With everyone in agreement on Saturday’s plan, track crews massaged and cared for the track in preparation of a massive Super DIRT Week Saturday. In the 50 years of the event, the main Big Block Modified Feature had not run on Sunday only twice – Saturday, Nov. 5, 2005, and Saturday, April 15, 1978.
However, when the day came, the 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. window that had been touted all week tightened to 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Once the rain moved out at 2:45 p.m., the mission for the day became, “go, go, go!” Hachmann said.
Two Super DIRTcar Series Last Chance Showdowns, done. The 25-lap DIRTcar Pro Stock Feature, done. Two DIRTcar 358 Modified Last Chance Showdowns, done. Three DIRTcar Sportsman Last Chance Showdowns, done.
Then, it looked like it was finally going to happen. Big Block Modifieds, accompanied by four wheelers and toolboxes, staged in the infield.
Curious eyes peaked at phones and watches, then quickly veered away. The estimated window was closing. Fast.
With cars in place on pit road and drivers at their cars, the ‘200’ was seconds away from getting the green light. Seconds that turned into a fantasy with the first drop of water from the sky. Hopes of it being a passing cloud vanished as the sprinkle turned into an assault of rain drops.
“It rained hard enough that we knew there was nothing to do,” Hachmann said. “It wasn’t a tough decision. We knew, OK, now we’re in it.”
The release that night said the three remaining Features would be moved to Sunday, but officials would reevaluate the situation in the morning. Hachmann stated there wasn’t much confidence from any party that there would be racing on Sunday as Precision Weather Service called for the day to be a washout all week. But it would’ve been a disservice to fans if the option wasn’t left open.
When he woke up the next morning, the decision was easy. A bucket of precipitation was dropped on Oswego, accompanied by flood warnings and gale warnings.
Wasting no time when he got to the podium in the auditorium of the Oswego Community Christian School – used as the command center for Super DIRT Week staff during the week – Hachmann’s message was clear:
“We’re not racing today.”
Instead, for the next two hours, everyone focused on how to make Monday a reality for the first time in the history of Super DIRT Week. The ticketing department worked out how to accommodate those who could and couldn’t make it back. The track crew devised a plan on what they’d do to have the track ready in the morning. The facilities crew planned out what was needed to keep the grounds in good shape for an extra day. The public relations department constructed messaging and storylines everyone needed to know. Competition directors worked out the best plan of attack to get all the racing in. DIRTVision adjusted broadcast plans for fans who had purchased tickets but couldn’t stay for Monday. The events team meticulously mapped out details for the entire day.
And in addition to the event itself, there were several factors outside of it that needed to be addressed. Flights and rental cars needed to be changed. Hotels needed to be extended. Camper rentals needed to be extended. Internet service needed to be extended on the property. Porta-Johns needed to stay another day. The church school needed to stay closed another day for staff and security. The state needed to extend the event’s mass gathering permit. Oswego City Mayor William Barlow needed to enact an executive order to keep certain roads closed for an extra day. And more, and more.
Monday was the last chance to make Super DIRT Week 51 happen in 2023.
The day presented the largest window of opportunity to get racing in, but Mother Nature tried to throw one more curve ball at ruining the event. Nearly four inches of rain fell Sunday night, putting doubt in the mind of many if racing would still be possible.
“At 6:30 (Monday morning), I texted (the track crew) Larry Fink, Eric Fink and Paul Kirkland, and asked, ‘So, what do you guys think?’ Waiting for the answer to be, ‘We’re flooded, we’re not going to be able to do anything,’” Hachmann said, before pausing. “I’m going to get emotional here… Paul’s answer was, ‘We’ll have cars on the track by 11 (a.m.).’ Wow… Talk about the sunlight popping out of the clouds.”
When Hachmann returned to the podium in front of the group of tired and fatigued staff members for the 8 a.m. Monday morning ready meeting, he, again, wasted no time to deliver a clear message. This time, it dispersed through the audience like a divine message.
“We’re racing,” were words of healing, replacing torturous anxiety with excitement.
Cars rolled to the infield at 10 a.m. as committed fans filed into the grandstands, and the four-wide parade lap for the DIRTcar 358 Modified Salute to the Troops 150 rolled at 11 a.m. The DIRTcar 358 Modifieds proved the track was even better than many expected with multiple lead changes, a smooth surface and cars able to run multiple lanes.
“The racetrack proved a lot of us wrong,” Phelps said.
The day progressed without a hitch – although Mother Nature, with her ever apparent sense of humor, spit a few sprinkles during the DIRTcar Sportsman race that never evolved into anything more – leading to a historic Super DIRT Week and Billy Whittaker Cars 200, won for the third time by Mat Williamson.
For Hachmann, it was a Super DIRT Week he’d never experienced before. And hopes to never experience again. But, despite the stress and chaos, it’ll forever be one of the most important moments in his career and for the World Racing Group team.
“I look at it as a team effort and we really showed the true colors of our ability to fight adversity and succeed,” Hachmann said. “Albeit all the pain of the rain and the pain of rescheduling and all the changes that had to be made, I’d say this Super DIRT Week had to be one of the most gratifying for myself in the sense that we were challenged, we had to make tough decisions that ended up being good decisions and ended up creating a sense of success for something that could’ve just been a wash.
“I saw something that you don’t always see. There are close to 250 employees and contractors and vendors that work Super DIRT Week and I saw a consistent vison that we are going to get this in. A consistent positive message around the group… On the drop of the green flag on the 358 race, I’ll tell you, a tear came to my eye. It felt good that we got there. We never gave up.”
Fans can renew their tickets for Super DIRT Week 52 at Oswego Speedway, Oct. 7-13, now at SuperDIRTWeek.com or by calling 844-DIRT-TIX.
Erica Enders“It’s hard to believe that the season is coming to a close already. On the heels of our career-best year in 2022, this season didn’t necessarily start the way we wanted. To come from the bottom of the heap and rise to the top with the odds stacked against us? That’s the stuff that dreams are made of! I could not be more proud of my group’s tenacity and don’t-stop attitude through our struggles. We have made an incredible comeback and we aren’t done yet. Vegas has been very good to us in the past with nine previous wins and we hope to add another one this weekend. We just have to keep our heads down and go to work, one round at a time. We have been in this position before and I’m thankful for our past experiences that will help us to execute as perfectly as possible.”
Aaron Stanfield“While consistency is good and it’s helped us maintain a solid position in the points, this team is bound and determined to get a win this weekend! My guys have worked tirelessly and I know we’ve got a car that can get the job done. It would be awesome to shake up the standings in a big way in a city that does everything big. Can’t wait to hit the track!”
Troy Coughlin Jr.“Team Yellow absolutely thrashed to get this 
Bo Butner“We love this racetrack, and really, we just love this place. Las Vegas is where we doubled in 2012 (Comp and Stock Eliminator), and we’ve got a few other wins here, but what we think about most this time around is that Randi Lyn and I got married in Las Vegas last year. It was a week we won’t ever forget, and being able to do well here this weekend, especially with the JHG Pro Stocker, would just be the icing on the cake. It’s important for us to make some big moves if we want to finish in the top 10 in Pro Stock, so that’s where a lot of our focus will be. We won this race in 2018, then we won the Spring Vegas race in 2019. We know how to win here, and this would be a very good time to do it again.” 
Jerry Tucker“After running the best mph of the season in Dallas, I feel like everything is coming together at the right time. Qualifying in the top half of one of the fastest fields in Pro Stock history gave us a big confidence boost. This Outlaw Mile Hi Light Beer Camaro is bad to the bone and we are ready to turn on some win lights in front of the fans in Vegas!”
Jeg Coughlin Jr.“It’s an honor to be pulled out of the “dugout” to test and run Erica’s new car for these last two races of the season. It’s been a quick three-year hiatus and I was amazed at how Richard, Mark and the entire Elite team were able to make this happen and pull it off so smoothly. I haven’t missed many runs the team has made in that time and also look forward to racing again with Troy Jr, Erica, Aaron and with new teammates in the Cuadra family, Bo and Jerry Tucker.”
Fernando Cuadra Sr.“We continue to learn new things out there and we are excited to compete in front of the fans in Las Vegas. It’s going to be a great event!”
Fernando Cuadra Jr.“After reaching a new career-best elapsed time in Dallas, we are all excited to race in Las Vegas. This track has been good to my family over the years. It was the first race my dad ever qualified at back in 2004 and it’s the setting for Cristian’s first final round. We love it here and I’m confident that we can turn on some win lights this weekend.”
Cristian Cuadra“The Pro Stock category is so competitive right now. Our Corral Boots team is doing everything we can to remain in the Top Ten. I raced to my first final event in Las Vegas so this track is really special to me. I can’t wait to put on a great show for the fans!”
Erica Enders in her Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage / Melling Performance / SCAG Power Equipment Camaro. (Photo credit: Auto Imagery)
Troy Coughlin Jr. behind the wheel of the 
Aaron Stanfield in the Janac Bros. / Melling Engine Parts Camaro. (Photo credit: Auto Imagery)
Cristian Cuadra pilots the Corral Boots Mustang. (Photo credit: Auto Imagery)
Bo Butner competes in the Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage Camaro. (Photo credit: Auto Imagery)
Fernando Cuadra Jr. in his Corral Boots Camaro. (Photo credit: Auto Imagery)
Jerry Tucker drives the Outlaw Mile Hi Light Beer Camaro. (Photo credit: Auto Imagery)
Fernando Cuadra Sr. pilots the Corral Boots Mustang. (Photo credit: Auto Imagery)
Rendering of Jeg Coughlin Jr.’s new Pro Stock machine. (Photo credit: Elite Motorsports)
David Cuadra in his Corral Boots Top Sportsman machine. (Photo credit: Auto Imagery)
· Chevrolet in the NASCAR Cup Series at Martinsville Speedway:Famously known as “The Paperclip”, Martinsville Speedway is the only track that has hosted a NCS race every year since the inception of the series in 1949, with Sunday’s 500-lap event marking the series’ 150th appearance at the track. Chevrolet is the winningest manufacturer in NASCAR’s premier series at Martinsville Speedway, with Kyle Larson’s win in the series’ spring event delivering the Bowtie Brand its 60th all-time victory at the track – doubling the next ranking manufacturer competitor. The first of Chevrolet’s series-leading wins at Martinsville Speedway came in 1957 when Buck Baker drove his Chevrolet 150 to victory lane. The Bowtie Brand went on a winning streak at the track on a couple of different occasions, including seven in a row from October 2004 to October 2007, as well as eight consecutive triumphs from April 2011 to October 2014. Four of the series’ last six appearances at Martinsville Speedway saw a Hendrick Motorsports-prepared Chevrolet make its way to victory lane. The organization’s recent success at the track dates back to Chase Elliott’s victory in November 2020 – the first time the South Virginia short-track hosted the series’ Round of Eight elimination race. Elliott capitalized on a must-win situation to take the win and a berth into the title-deciding race – ultimately leading the Georgia native to his first career championship in NASCAR’s top division. Since then, each of Elliott’s Hendrick Motorsports teammates have tallied a win at the track with Alex Bowman (October 2021), William Byron (April 2022) and Kyle Larson (April 2023). 
Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 – 2nd in Playoff Standings; Clinched Championship Four position with his win at Las Vegas Motor SpeedwayVictories: 4Poles: 2Top-Fives: 14 Top-10s: 16Laps Led: 1,127Average Finish: 15.2Stage Wins: 8
William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 – 3rd in Playoff Standings; 30-points above the cutlineVictories: 6 Poles: 3Top-Fives: 14Top-10s: 20Laps Led: 921Average Finish: 11.1Stage Wins: 8 
MAKING HIS MARK AT MARTINSVILLEAt Martinsville Speedway just one year ago, Team Chevy’s Ross Chastain made an iconic move that will forever be etched into NASCAR history. With one lap to go and on the outside looking in of the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Four, Chastain pulled an unprecedented move now known as the “Hail Melon” – riding the wall of the final two corners to move from the 10th to the fifth position, passing Denny Hamlin at the line to take the fourth and final position in the series’ Championship Four. The move gave Chastain his first career opportunity to compete for the championship title in NASCAR’s premier series, with the Trackhouse Racing driver ultimately leading Chevrolet in the runner-up position of the final points standings. To commemorate the one-year mark of the historic move, the actual No. 1 Moose Fraternity Camaro ZL1 that performed the “Hail Melon” will make its return to Martinsville Speedway this weekend as a part of the Chevrolet Racing Display. Fans at the South Virginia short-track will have the chance to relive history and get a first-hand look at Chastain’s Chevrolet-powered machine throughout the race weekend. 
MAYER SET TO RUN FOR FIRST CAREER NXS TITLEIn only his second full-time season in the series, JR Motorsports’ Sam Mayer will make his first run at the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship title. The 20-year-old Wisconsin native collected the first guaranteed ticket into the series’ Championship Four after taking his No. 1 Camaro SS to the team’s fourth victory of the season. 
WRAPPING UP 2023 ‘MAKING STRIDES AGAINST BREAST CANCER’ CAMPAIGN For the 13th consecutive year, Chevrolet has partnered with the American Cancer Society and its ‘Making Strides Against Breast Cancer’ initiative. The specially-themed pink Camaro ZL1 will serve as the official pace vehicle for three NASCAR Cup Series races during the month of October, including Sunday’s NCS Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway. For every caution lap the pink Camaro ZL1 completes, Chevrolet will make a donation of $350 (up to $50,000) to the American Cancer Society to honor the ‘Making Strides Against Breast Cancer’ initiative. The second of three NCS events that are part of the initiative took place at Homestead-Miami Speedway last weekend. With the pink Camaro ZL1 pace car leading NASCAR’s premier series for 35 laps under caution during last Sunday’s race, Chevrolet will contribute $12,250 towards the campaign, bringing the total to $18,900 with one race remaining in the campaign. The pink Camaro ZL1 pace car will return to the track this weekend, serving as the pace car for the 500-lap/263-mile NCS Round of Eight elimination race at Martinsville Speedway – marking the third and final race of this year’s campaign. 
The No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane team is headed home this weekend to compete in the Xfinity 500 at historic Martinsville Speedway.
O’Neal came up just short of his first Dirt Track World Championship victory, but secured his first Lucas Oil title. “This is unbelievable. It was a war of attrition. I had two flat tires, led at one point, was a lap down at one point, so I had every emotion I could think of that happened during that race. What a race it came down to with me and Devin. It was kind of rough and tumble out there, but the way it came out it made a great race for the championship and it about made it a great race for the win. I think somebody [Sheppard] ran out of fuel coming to the checkered or something. Hats off to my whole team and family. This sport will drive you crazy sometimes, it helps to have a good backdrop of people to rely on.” O’Neal joins his father, Don who won the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series title in 2014. “I can’t believe it turned out the way it did. Hats off to the Eldora track crew. They worked their tails off all weekend no matter what the racetrack was they couldn’t help it; they did the best they could. It rained for three days straight they did a great job.” Moran, earning his best career finish in the Dirt Track World Championship and in the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series championship points, went back and forth with O’Neal in the final laps. “It was a great comeback year. We got off to a good start in Speedweeks and then we really struggled in the first month or two after that. That was about as exciting there at the end as it could get. I think everyone is going to talk about this for a very long time. Thanks to the whole Lucas Oil family for a great series to race with.” The winner’s Sheppard-Riggs Racing, Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Cornett Racing Engine and sponsored by Valvoline, True Timber Camo, Dennis G. Woodworth Attorney at Law, Wyld Gear, Riggs Drilling Solutions, Sheppard Auto Sales and Salvage, D&E Marine, Sunoco Race Fuels, and Bilstein Shocks. Completing the top ten were Bobby Pierce, Jimmy Owens, Ricky Thornton Jr., Garrett Smith, and Jonathan Davenport.
