Alex Yankowski used consistency to have a strong run with the Super DIRTcar Series last year. This year, he’s doing it with wins. 

The Covington Township, PA driver has scored back-to-back Series victories and already has nine wins overall this season, entering Mr. DIRT Track USA at Lebanon Valley Speedway on Tuesday, June 16.

It’s a start, Yankowski said he never expected.

“We’ve kind of made a joke over the last year,” Yankowski said. “We’ve won some pretty cool races, but we’ve never been a guy to go on a tear. You look at stat sheets, and we’ve never really had that many wins. It honestly always kind of bugged me. A lot of it, too, is where I’ve been racing the last few years with (Matt) Sheppard at [Utica-Rome Speedway], and (Stewart) Friesen at [Fonda Speedway]. It always made it really tough.

“I’m just really proud of the program. I don’t think there’s another group in dirt Modified racing where we do as much as we do in-house and are successful at it. I think the stats show how good the people are in this building.”

With his wins at Georgetown Speedway and Cornwall Motor Speedway, Yankowski matched his Series single-season win total from last year. But winning two consecutive races isn’t a feat many drivers accomplish. He’s only the fifth driver to win back-to-back Features since 2020, joining Sheppard, Friesen, Mat Williamson, and Larry Wight.

Yankowski attributed his recent success to his engine program, something he’s worked closely on with Jeff Murray at S.Y. Murray Performance.

“Cornwall is a place I used to hate, then I loved it, and now I really love it,” Yankowski said. “I feel like it goes back to our motor program is good at different-sized tracks and different surfaces. Jeff Murray and I worked on what we need for all-around stuff, and I think it just kind of showed there. Obviously, Georgetown was big for Tim and Debbie Millman (owners of the blue Millman’s Napa Auto Parts No. 84Y). That’s their home turf. 

“I’m pretty excited to get rolling again. The weather has kind of been a bummer. Hopefully we can get rolling and cranking and try to get a few more wins.”

“Kid Rocket” aims for his third straight victory when the Series heads to Lebanon Valley next week. It’s an event he’s looking forward to after winning the track’s King of Spring event last month, passing Sheppard in the race’s closing laps. 

In five starts at Lebanon Valley, Yankowski has finished in the top 10 on four occasions, including a top-five when the Series last visited in 2025. Add those past results with his recent success, and it’s giving the 21-year-old confidence with $15,500 up for grabs on Tuesday.

“If you look back to 2022 on the Series when I ran half the schedule, the Valley was one of the only races I finished in the top 10,” Yankowski said. “The only other place was Big Diamond when we got fourth. So, from then on, I was like, the Valley’s alright. The Valley is a place the regular guys on tour aren’t accustomed to and have a hard time adapting. I think the Valley is one of the tracks on the schedule we love going to, so mentally I think we’re in a much better spot than a lot of guys on tour. 

“But anything can happen. It’s still racing, right? We could unload out of the box and be terrible or have some kind of problem. It’s a tough Series.”

Tuesday’s Mr. DIRT Track USA could be a vital stop on the tour as Yankowski aims to dethrone Williamson from the top of the points standings. He’s currently nine points behind the Buzz Chew Racing No. 88. But after Lebanon Valley, where Williamson has four top fives and five top 10s in eight starts, the defending champion’s two home tracks, Ransomville Speedway and Land of Legends Raceway, are up next. They’re also tracks “Money Mat” won Series events in 2025.

“This year we get to go to Utica, which is cool for me, but we don’t have a home track advantage like Williamson does,” Yankowski said.  “We go to Ransomville (Speedway) and Land of Legends (Raceway), where he races every week.”

Chasing Williamson isn’t a new position for Yankowski, after he tried to keep pace with the three-time Series champion for most of last year. But this time, Yankowski said he’s more prepared, knowing what he needs to do to be in contention all the way to the World of Outlaws World Finals.

“I think if you look at last year and the championship points shakeout, we were accidentally in contention and we followed it through,” Yankowski said. “It was the Ohio swing that killed us. That was terrible. But I think this year you’re going to see us try to be wiser about schedules and try to be there in the end.”

Yankowski and the Super DIRTcar Series make their lone stop at Lebanon Valley Speedway on Tuesday, June 16, for Mr. DIRT Track USA, a 75-lap Feature paying $15,500-to-win and $1,000-to-start.

GET MR. DIRT TRACK USA TICKETS HERE

How can you watch the Super DIRTcar Series? Live on DIRTVision.

This article was republished with the permission of the Super DIRTcar Series. The original article can be found here: https://superdirtcarseries.com/dirtcar-ne/big-block-modifieds/super-dirt-car-series/alex-yankowski-reflects-on-strong-2026-start-looks-forward-to-lebanon-valley/

NEXT: Title Fight For DIRTcar Sportsman Series East Region Continues At Airborne