Dale Planck was a staple at Utica-Rome Speedway throughout his career, and on Wednesday night, the track will honor him as part of its DIRTcar 358 Modified Series event.
The Northeast’s top Small Block Modified drivers will compete in the Dale Planck Memorial on Wednesday, July 15, a 77-lap Feature paying $5,077-to-win. It’s the Series’ first stop at Utica-Rome since 2019.
Joining the 358 Modified Series are the track’s Sportsman and 4-Cylinder divisions.
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Here’s a look at what to watch for at Utica-Rome:
Closing In on the Lead: After a second-place finish at Weedsport Speedway, defending Series champion Mat Williamson has closed the gap in the battle for the 2026 championship. Entering Wednesday’s race at Utica-Rome, Williamson is 16 points behind Mike Mahaney with nine races remaining.
The St. Catharines, ON driver has two Series victories at the “Home of Heroes” in his career, winning the last stop in 2019 and adding another in 2017. Overall, Williamson has four wins at the 1/2-mile track, including a 358 Modified triumph in April.
A win by “Money Mat” on Wednesday would be his 22nd career win, tying Tim Fuller for fourth all-time.
While Williamson has found recent success at Utica-Rome, the last time the Series raced a Feature on a 1/2-mile track, Mahaney was standing in Victory Lane at Airborne Park Speedway in June.
Wednesday’s race will be Mahaney’s 135th start at Utica-Rome, a place where he’s found Victory Lane six times, along with 55 top fives and 99 top 10s. Mahaney’s last 358 Series start at the track came in 2019, when he finished third behind Williamson and Erick Rudolph.
“Smooth Shoe” is searching for his fourth career Series triumph.
The Battle for Third: While Mahaney and Williamson are locked in a tight battle for the lead, it’s also tight between third, fourth, and fifth.
Lance Willix is currently third in the Series standings, 42 points behind Mahaney. However, former Series champion Chris Raabe and Peter Britten are tied for fourth, 16 points behind Willix.
All three drivers finished together at Weedsport earlier this month, with Britten gaining the upper hand after he crossed the line eighth.
At Utica-Rome, Willix, from Theresa, NY, has the most experience, earning seven top fives and 13 top 10s in 27 starts. Britten, meanwhile, has two top fives and seven top 10s in 16 starts.
Raabe is expected to make his second start at the track on Wednesday, but he does enter with momentum. The Alexandria, ON driver won a 358 Modified Feature at Brockville Ontario Speedway on Saturday night.
Defending the Home of Heroes: With the weekly season entering the heart of July, two drivers have emerged as contenders in the battle for Utica-Rome’s 358 Modified track championship.
After back-to-back victories at the track, Payton Talbot has regained the points lead from Nick Root by four points. Talbot, from New Berlin, NY, has put together a strong season in 2026 thus far, earning three wins, seven top fives, and nine top 10s in 10 starts. Talbot has made three Series starts, his best finish a seventh at Can-Am in 2025.
Root, meanwhile, has a victory, along with six top fives and seven top 10s. However, Wednesday will be his first Series start.
Other track regulars who’ve won at Utica-Rome this season are two-time Sportsman Super DIRT Week winner Matt Janczuk and Mike Richmond.
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
Sunday, June 7/Glen Ridge Motorsports Park/Fultonville, NY- PPD
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
Sunday, Aug. 2/Cornwall Motor Speedway/Long Sault, ON
Tuesday, Aug. 25/Ransomville Speedway/Ransomville, NY
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
- Mike Mahaney 648
- Mat Williamson -16
- Lance Willix -42
- Chris Raabe -58
- Peter Britten -58
- Brad Rouse -96
- Andrew Buff -112
- Brendan Gibbons -114
- Jack Butler -124
- C.G. Morey -142
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-utica-rome-to-honor-dale-planck-during-dirtcar-358-modified-series-stop/
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