A back-to-back battle in New York’s north country is on tap this weekend, as the DIRTcar 358 Modified Series kicks off a jam-packed September.
The top Small Block drivers in the Northeast will compete at Can-Am Speedway in LaFargeville, NY, in two crucial races on the road to the 2026 championship.
First, drivers will finish the postponed Pabst Shootout from July 1 on Thursday, Sept. 10. Then, they’ll return on Friday, Sept. 11, to kick off the track’s Showdown in September weekend. Both events are 50 laps and pay $4,000-to-win.
How do you buy tickets to the Showdown in September weekend? You can buy tickets at racecanam.com.
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Here’s a look at what to watch for at Can-Am:
Turning the Tide: During the last Series stop at Ransomville Speedway, Mat Williamson moved ahead of Mike Mahaney in the battle for the DIRTcar 358 Modified Series championship.
Since not finishing the Series opener at Lebanon Valley, Williamson has finished on the podium in five consecutive races, including two victories. At Can-Am, the St. Catharines, ON driver has never reached Victory Lane with the DIRTcar 358 Modified Series. However, he does have two wins there, including a Super DIRTcar Series triumph in 2024.
Williamson is searching for his 23rd career Series win, which would break a tie with Tim Fuller for fourth on the all-time wins list.
Mahaney, meanwhile, didn’t finish the event at Ransomville due to a mechanical failure. But the Elizabethtown, NY driver has the chance to bounce back at Can-Am, where he won the Pabst Shootout last season. In five Series starts at the “Nasty Track of the North,” Mahaney has three top 10s and two top fives, adding a fifth in 2019.
A win this week would be his fourth career Series victory.
Aiming For Third: With six races remaining on the DIRTcar 358 Modified Series schedule, three drivers are separated by six points in the battle for third in the standings.
Lance Willix, from Theresa, NY, is two points ahead of Chris Raabe, who’s two points ahead of Peter Britten entering Thursday’s race.
Willix is an eight-time winner at the “Nasty Track of the North,” including one victory at the end of August. He also has 86 top fives and 142 top 10s in 200 starts at the track. He’s aiming for his third career Series victory and finished sixth in last year’s Pabst Shootout.
Raabe, from Alexandria, ON, has also been successful at Can-Am, winning on eight occasions along with 27 top fives and 31 top 10s in 38 starts. The 2016 Series champion is searching for his sixth career Series win and first at Can-Am.
Australian driver Peter Britten is the only one of the three who has not won at Can-Am but has earned three top 10s in eight starts. His only 358 Modified Series start at the track came last year, when he crossed the line 13th. The “Batman” is searching for his second career Series victory.
North Country Stars: Like at any DIRTcar Northeast weekly track, there’s a stout group of local stars that includes two former Series champions.
That starts with Billy Dunn, who has 75 wins at the track, more than any other driver. The Watertown, NY driver earned the track championship for the eighth time in 2026 on the strength of five wins, 12 top fives, and 16 top 10s.
Dunn, who’s a 12-time DIRTcar 358 Modified Series winner, has one Series triumph at Can-Am. He reached that feat in 2021, the year he won the Series title.
Joining Dunn will be 2004 Series champion Tim Fuller, who has 52 victories at the track. The Edwards, NY driver scored three wins in 2026, finishing second in the track’s standings. Fuller is aiming for his first Series win since last July, when he took the checkered flag at Cornwall Motor Speedway.
Joining those two with wins at Can-Am in 2026 were Willix (3), Super DIRTcar Series star Matt Caprara (3), Shaun Shaw (2), Cameron Black, and Derek Webb.
2026 DIRTcar 358 Modified Series Schedule
Saturday, April 18/Lebanon Valley Speedway/West Lebanon, NY- Andy Bachetti
Saturday, April 25/Devil’s Bowl Speedway/West Haven, VT- Mat Williamson
Thursday, June 11/Airborne Park Speedway/Plattsburgh, NY- Mike Mahaney
Tuesday, June 30/Weedsport Speedway/Weedsport, NY- Jimmy Phelps
Wednesday, July 15/Utica-Rome Speedway/Vernon, NY- Mat Williamson
Tuesday, Aug. 25/Ransomville Speedway/Ransomville, NY-Gary Lindberg
Thursday, Sept. 10/Can-Am Speedway/LaFargeville, NY
Friday, Sept. 11/Can-Am Speedway/LaFargeville, NY
Friday, Sept. 18/Mohawk International Raceway/Akwesasne, NY
Friday, Sept. 25/Albany-Saratoga Speedway/Malta, NY
Friday, Oct. 9/Oswego Speedway/Oswego, NY
Saturday, Oct. 17/Brockville Ontario Speedway/Brockville, ON
DIRTcar 358 Modified Series Points Standings
- Mat Williamson 928
- Mike Mahaney -22
- Lance Willix II -72
- Peter Britten -74
- Chris Raabe -76
- Brad Rouse -136
- Andrew Buff -154
- Brendan Gibbons -174
- Jack Butler -180
- C.G. Morey -196
This article was republished with permission from DIRTcar Northeast. The original article can be found here: https://dirtcar.com/dirtcar-ne/358-modifieds/dirtcar-358-modified-series/what-to-watch-for-showdown-in-september-weekend-features-dirtcar-358-modified-series-doubleheader/
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