SYRACUSE, NY – The 2024 Super DIRTcar Series season is complete and drivers were rewarded with cheques, trophies and other special awards at the annual year-end awards banquet in Syracuse.
Mat Williamson was honoured for his second series title, along with the 17 other drivers who competed full-time with the Super DIRTcar Series.
2024 Champion: On the heels of a nine-win season, Mat Williamson held off Matt Sheppard to earn his second Super DIRTcar Series title and first since 2019. For his efforts, the St. Catharines, ON driver earned $60,000.
Along with a win at Volusia Speedway Park, Williamson had eight points-paying victories, including his first series wins at Albany-Saratoga Speedway, Can-Am Speedway, and Land of Legends Raceway. He also tied Jack Johnson for ninth on the series all-time wins list, with 31 victories.
“The first one we came out of the box and (I had) just joined the Buzz Chew Racing team,” said Williamson. “We just hoped to be in contention. We hoped for a top-three or a top-five and ended up winning.
“That one was very unexpected, and ever since then, you expect it. Your hopes are high, and your expectations are higher. The whole 9S gang sets the bar high, but Buzz sets the bar even higher. We try to win races, and winning races turn into championships, and that’s what we did this season.”
Bryon Chew, Buzz’s son, accepted the owner’s championship trophy for Buzz Chew Racing.
Matt Sheppard (2nd Place): Matt Sheppard, the 10-time series champion, finished second in 2024, earning three victories between Volusia Speedway Park and Autodrome Drummond.
Along with his wins, the Waterloo, NY driver finished the season with 15 top-fives and 17 top-10s.
“We had a really good year,” said Sheppard. “We had a solid year, but it wasn’t an outstanding year. And a solid year isn’t going to beat a team like the Buzz Chew team and Mat. Those guys had an outstanding year, and we had a solid year.
“We’re going to go to work, we’re going to try again next year, and I can’t thank my whole team, my family, my girlfriend, and sponsors enough. Like I said, a really solid year, but we’re going to try again.”
For the second consecutive year, Sheppard also won the Social Media Ambassador award for constantly promoting Super DIRTcar Series races and DIRTVision.
Anthony Perrego (3rd Place): Anthony Perrego had his best Super DIRTcar Series season in 2024, finishing third in the final standings. The Montgomery, NY driver won at New Egypt Speedway and The Dirt Track at Charlotte, earning 10 top-fives and 15 top-10s.
“Our first year, we ended up sixth, and it was good for us,” said Perrego. “Last year, we missed out with some motor issues and whatnot, and Vinny (Salerno) did a lot for us this year and got us a few more engines to keep us in the game.
“We went to Canada, and I think I forgot how to drive there, but other than that, we had a really solid year, and we were hanging right there with Mat and Matt.”
Jimmy Phelps (4th place): Series veteran Jimmy Phelps re-entered the win column in 2024 by scoring a victory in The Natural 77 Honoring Dale Planck at Thunder Mountain Speedway. The Baldwinsville, NY driver finished the year with seven top-fives and 12 top-10s to place fourth in the standings.
Tim Sears Jr. (5th place): Tim Sears Jr. matched his best Super DIRTcar Series finish in 2024, earning fifth in the final standings. “Timmer” narrowly missed out on his first Super DIRTcar Series win on multiple occasions, adding nine top-fives and 11 top-10s this season. Those numbers included five trips to the podium.
Jack Lehner (6th place): Jack Lehner earned his best season finish in 2024 by reaching sixth in the final Super DIRTcar Series standings. The Saratoga Springs, NY driver had three top-fives and eight top-10s, highlighted by his first top-five in the Billy Whittaker Cars 200.
Alex Payne (7th place): Alex Payne hit the ground running with the Super DIRTcar Series in 2024, earning Rookie of the Year honours and a seventh-place finish in points. The Hopewell, NY driver’s season was highlighted by his first career series win at Brockville Ontario Speedway in September, where he held off Sheppard for the victory.
“It was an incredible year,” said Payne. “We sure had a lot of fun. I learned a lot. This is a tough thing to keep sledding with, but we couldn’t be happier. I had 10-15 starts with the tour coming into this season, and you know what to expect. Being on the road and the consistency of trying to be good all the time is what’s really tough.”
Payne finished the year with the win, five top-fives, and nine top-10s.
Darren Smith (8th place): Like Lehner, Darren Smith earned his best Super DIRTcar Series points finish in 2024. The Binghamton, NY driver had a top-five and six top-10s, highlighted by a second-place finish to kick off the season at New Egypt Speedway.
Felix Roy (9th place): Felix Roy improved on his rookie season in 2024 by finishing ninth — his first series top-10 points finish. The Napierville, QC driver had seven top-10s throughout the season, with his best finish being a sixth at Brockville Ontario Speedway and Fulton Speedway.
Roy also earned the Super DIRTcar Series Fan Favourite award, voted on by the fans for the second consecutive season, and won the DIRTcar 358 Modified Series title.
Mike Mahaney (10th place): Mike Mahaney returned to Super DIRTcar Series competition in 2024, earning his second consecutive top-10 season finish. “Smooth Shoe” ended the season with eight top-10s, his best finish coming at Weedsport Speedway and Oswego Speedway.
Danny Johnson (11th place): Three-time series champion Danny Johnson returned to the Super DIRTcar Series in 2024, just missing out on a top-10 season finish. “The Doctor” earned five top-10s throughout the season, with his best finish at Autodrome Drummond, where he was honoured for his success during King of the North.
Larry Wight (12th place): Larry Wight earned a 12th-place finish in 2024 on the strength of six top-10s. His best finish this season was a sixth during the Heroes Remembered 100 at Weedsport.
Peter Britten (13th place): Super DIRTcar Series veteran Peter Britten returned in 2024, finishing 13th at the season’s end after missing three events. The Brisbane, QLD driver had four top-fives and nine top-10s, including a second-place at Weedsport in May.
Mike Trautschold (14th place): Mike Trautschold joined the Super DIRTcar Series for the first time in 2024, finishing second in the rookie standings. The Roscoe, NY driver finished 14th and earned his best season finish at Autodrome Drummond in July.
Daniel Johnson (15th place): Daniel Johnson got to race on the Super DIRTcar Series with his dad in his first Super DIRTcar Series season, finishing 15th in the final season standings. His best finish was an 11th at Ransomville in August.
Justin Stone (16th place): Justin Stone also joined the series for the first time in 2024. The Middlebury, NY driver’s best finish came at Land of Legends Raceway in July, when he finished ninth. He also led laps at Autodrome Drummond before getting a flat tire near the halfway point.
C.G. Morey (17th place): C.G. Morey returned to the Super DIRTcar Series in 2024, finishing 17th at the end of the season. The Rutland, VT driver’s best finish was a 16th at Thunder Mountain Speedway.
Marcus Dinkins (18th place): Marcus Dinkins joined the Super DIRTcar Series for the fifth time in 2024, finishing 18th in points. The Watkins Glen, NY driver’s best finish came at Brockville, where he finished 19th.
Here’s a look at the top-15 in the final standings for the Super DIRTcar Series and their end-of-year points fund payouts:
Mat Williamson ($60,000)
Matt Sheppard ($35,000)
Anthony Perrego ($20,000)
Jimmy Phelps ($15,000)
Tim Sears Jr. ($12,000)
Jack Lehner ($10,000)
Alex Payne ($9,000)
Darren Smith ($8,000)
Felix Roy ($7,000)
Mike Mahaney ($6,000)
Danny Johnson ($5,000)
Larry Wight ($4,000)
Peter Britten ($3,500)
Mike Trautschold ($3,000)
Daniel Johnson ($2,500)
- By Mike Warren/Super DIRTcar Series
