WEEDSPORT, NY (September 8, 2022) – The eighth edition of the prestigious Sportsman Classic 75 will take place this Sunday at Weedsport Speedway, paying $2,500 to the winner of the 75-lap affair, presented by Stirling Lubricants and Champion Racing Oil.
The Sportsman crown jewel event will be the final of the season for the DIRTcar Sportsman Central Region schedule, as teams prepare for the Fall Championships to begin on September 23 at Albany Saratoga Speedway.
“This is a welcome opportunity to pair the Sportsman Classic with our Cavalcade Cup Weekend finale for the Super DIRTcar Series,” said Weedsport Speedway promoter, Jimmy Phelps. “The Sportsman Classic has been a staple on our schedule for many years now and has really proven to elevate Sportsman competitors to the next level of the sport.”
On track action will begin at 6 p.m. this Sunday, September 11 with pit gates opening at 3 p.m. and grandstand gates swinging open at 4 p.m.
Previous winners of the Sportsman Classic include James Michael Friesen, Dave Marcuccilli, Ronnie Davis III, Jackson Gill and most recently Zachary Payne. Sunday’s 75-lap event will be the third Sportsman event of the year at Weedsport.
Cody McPherson, the 2022 Hoosier Racing Tire Weekly Champion for the Sportsman division, won Weedsport’s opener back in May with a last lap pass of Noah Walker. Walker would wind up settling for third that night behind Matt Janczuk, but settled in ahead of Tyler Corcoran and Chris Mackey.
Just last month the Sportsman returned and it was once again an instant classic. This time it was Zach Sobotka slicing his way from third place to the win in the final two laps over Alan Fink, McPherson, Tyler Murray and Kyle Devendorf.
With a pair of podium finishes, McPherson has been the driver to beat at Weedsport this season and may be the odds on favorite come Sunday. Sobotka, Walker and Fink have been close behind with Will Shields and Jordan Millard currently standing as Weedsport’s top finishers in two events.
Add in Central Region regulars David Rogers, Mike Fowler, Andrew Buff, Ricky Thompson and more and this Sunday’s Sportsman Classic will be another highlight of the 2022 season.
Tickets are already on sale for September 11 with reserved seating set at $35 and general admission seating available to those 18 and older for $30. Youth general admission will be set at $15 with kids 10 and under free.
To reserve camping in 2022, visit online at www.campspot.com/book/weedsportspeedway.
Visit www.weedsportspeedway.com or follow Weedsport Speedway via Facebook at www.facebook.com/weedsportspeedway and Twitter @WeedsportSpdwy for more information. Fans can reach the Speedway office by phone at (315) 834-3067.
Sportsman Classic Champions:
2014 – James Michael Friesen
2015 – Dave Marcuccilli
2016 – Ronnie Davis III
2017 – Dave Marcuccilli
2018 – Dave Marcuccilli
2019 – Jackson Gill
2020 – N/A
2021 – Zachary Payne
Sportsman Classic Top Five Finishers (2014-2021):
Dave Marcuccilli: 5
Steve Gray: 2
Rocky Warner: 2
Jackson Gill: 2
Connor Cleveland: 2
Kevin Root: 2
Kyle Inman: 2
James Michael Friesen
Eric Giguere
Todd Town
Mike Maresca
Ronnie Davis III
Cody McPherson
Corey Barker
Kevin Ridley
Glenn Forward
Matt Guererri
Zach Sobotka
Brad Rouse
Zachary Payne
Matt Janczuk
Nick Guererri
Tyler Murray
Tyler Corcoran
2022 Sportsman Modified Central Region Points (Top 10):
- David Rogers – 512
- Tyler Corcoran – 508
- Mike Fowler – 496
- Andrew Buff – 486
- Zach Sobotka – 484
- Chris Mackey – 438
- Ricky Thompson – 300
- Noah Walker – 296
- Daryl Nutting – 282
- Gavis Eisele – 262
About Weedsport Speedway: Officially opened for the first time on July 24, 1955 – the Weedsport Speedway 3/8 mile dirt oval has produced a legendary list of drivers and champions including Will Cagle, Danny Johnson, Bob McCreadie, Alan Johnson, Jack Johnson, and Dave Lape to name a few. In 2018, Weedsport introduced the all-new Weedsport Kartway, just outside of the Speedway’s main pit area, to begin to foster the next generation of racers, crew members and race fans. Couple the racing with state-of-the-art camping and track amenities, unmatched on-site television production capabilities, plus the ability for large scale concert productions and Weedsport is one of the marquee entertainment venues in the country.