MALTA, NY – With just one week until the djdaviesmedia 26 for Sportsman Modifieds at Albany-Saratoga as part of a huge Don Davies celebration of life Super DIRTcar Series event, it’s time for some bold predictions about who’s moving up and who might be moving out in the JAM Performance CDRA championship point standings.
Let’s recap what we know for the Tuesday June 25th special at the great race place in regard to the djdaviesmedia 26 for Sportsman Modifieds. Cordova Plumbing is sweetening the victor or victors’ spoils if car counts dictate multiple features. That’s just the beginning.
On top of the $1,046 to win prize, companies such as Madsen Overhead Doors along with Greg’s Towing and Repair are offering lap leader bonuses and finishing position bonuses. Leaders of laps 8 and 18 will get $76, while finishers in the 8th and 18th positions will get $118.
The djdaviesmedia 26 will serve as the second CDRA points paying race of the season. Drivers participating should be DIRTcar legal. Timed laps will determine lineups for heats and/or feature(s). If there are enough cars to warrant two main events for the Sportsman Modifieds, BOTH will be worth full CDRA points based on series points structure.
Now, let’s talk bold predictions. Based on weekly racing, results, stats, and just a good old-fashioned hunch we’ll throw out some names that may move up, down, or out of the top 10 in JAM Performance CDRA series points. Let’s start with our point leader Cody Ochs.
Cody Ochs has a pair of wins this season with one coming at Glen Ridge Motorsports park and one at Albany-Saratoga Speedway. Heading to the great race place and should he be in competition it’ll be hard for the Rensselaer, NY racer to maintain the lead. He’s struggled a bit at ‘Malta’ and in eight races has just two top five finishes and two top 10’s.
Bold Prediction: Cody may very well lose the point lead after this race. Plenty of opportunity to rebound post djdaviesmedia 26, but the Albany-Saratoga race will shake the point standings up.
Dylan Nichols and Dale Robinson are wild cards and that’s okay. CDRA season one is like the wild west, because you never know what gunslingers are coming to town to shoot down a top performance. But Jason Gray has history at Albany-Saratoga. While he’s not a regular in 2024 at Malta, he’s been in victory lane before and has multiple solid finishes.
Bold Prediction: Gray could advance to the point lead from his 4th position with a solid run on a special Tuesday night at the great race place. He’s only five points behind Ochs and statistically he’s more consistent at Albany-Saratoga.
Brendan Gibbons is an unknown. Currently 5th in CDRA points headed to the great race place, he’s run into a string of bad luck this season including a blown engine this past Friday night in the David Bosclair owned 02 Bicknell. Should he be back in competition for the djdaviesmedia 26 there’s an opportunity for him to maintain a top ten-point standing. But Gibbons racing recently posted a DIRTcar legal crate for sale?
Bold Prediction: Gibbons is headed down the point standings and out of the top 10. We would love to see him prove this notion dead wrong.
Jeremy Huntoon is a mystery and Adam Leslie is a good fella, but said it’s a bit of a haul on a Tuesday but wishes everyone involved with Albany-Saratoga Speedway and the Don Davies Memorial the best with the event. That leaves us at Taylor Wason. Quiet kid, improving each year, and respectable racer. The Middlegrove, NY driver just needs to conquer his fear of the valley and he could legitimately have a shot at a trip to CDRA title town.
Bold Prediction: Wason lays down a solid lap, puts himself in the main event, and earns a hard-fought top 10 finish in the djdaviesmedia 26. That would send him back to the ridge in July still top 10 in points, if not top five.
Despite starting the season off ninth in points, Zach Buff is only 10 points out of the lead and points paying race number two is at a place he’s been to victory lane at. Buff races weekly at Albany-Saratoga and has been a top contender with a handful of top five and top ten finishes to his credit. The Latham, NY racer would benefit tremendously from a good run at the great race place.
Bold Prediction: Buff lays down top five finish in the djdaviesmedia 26 and leaves Albany-Saratoga Speedway the new CDRA point leader headed back to Glen Ridge for round three in July.
Let’s look deep down at the current point standings until we find Tyler Bobar. After an impressive display in points paying race number one at Glen Ridge, and an unfortunate scale infraction he overcame adversity to still pick up a win this season. Should he be in competition at the djdaviesmedia 26 he has a legit shot at climbing way up the point standings considering he’s only 20 out of the point lead.
Bold Prediction: Bobar shows up and shows out. Solid top 10 finish to catapult himself into the top 10 in CDRA points. This would put him on solid footing heading back to his home track at Glen Ridge for round three.
Now here’s where we get into drivers that are not in the points just yet and we’re starting with Tim Hartman Jr. Big time little Tim may have missed race number one at the ridge, but headed to Albany-Saratoga puts the point game in his wheelhouse. A place he has two victories this season and the current track point lead. So what’s the prediction on Hartman?
Bold Prediction: TH2 contends for a win and uses a top three finish to catapult himself into CDRA title talk. He finds a ride for the ridge in July, remains red hot in August for the ‘Valley Swing’ and heads to Malta Massive Weekend with a shot at landing in the money. Now that’s bold.
There are of course a host of other racers that would absolutely like to spoil bold predictions and that would be fantastic. Remember, bold predictions are a biproduct of actual race results, performances, and a wildly unknown future. There’s a bit of knowledge mixed with entertainment. Bold predictions are in no way a knock on any driver. Have fun with it.
“It’s exciting. The unknown, the differences from race-to-race, the way everything could change in a single race, it’s just exciting. Nobody knowns how it’ll all shake out, but Tuesday June 25th at Albany-Saratoga is going to be a good night celebrating the life of a really good human being in our sport and I thank Lyle DeVore and Jo Ann Davies for the opportunity to be a small part of it with this project,” said CDRA competition director Rob Hazer.
There’s a lot of uncertainty in CDRA season one. Drivers show up to the specific points paying races, they earn points, and the series along with marketing partners provide monetary rewards for their efforts. It’s a wide-open outlaw style points shootout. Sportsman Modified drivers get to the track on Tuesday June 25th for the djdaviesmedia 26 and make lasting Malta memories.
CDRA is a nostalgic throwback to the CVRA days. A series designed specifically for Capital District racing. Six races make up a diverse schedule at storied dirt tracks to crown a champion. Are you brave enough to live life on the ridge, battle at the great race place, and tame the valley of speed? The drivers who do will earn hardware and some green for their efforts.
For more information on CDRA visit http://www.cdraracing.com on the web. Fans and drivers can also find CDRA on Social Media at http://www.facebook.com/cdraracing. Be sure to save, like, and follow.
Anyone interested in joining CDRA family of marketing partners can contact the series via website, phone, or e-mail.
2024 CDRA Racing Series Schedule
Race #1 – May 19, 2024 (Glen Ridge) – WINNER: Cody Ochs
Race #2 – June 25, 2024 (Albany Saratoga) – Don Davies Memorial
Race #3 – July 28, 2024 (Glen Ridge) – Hall Of Fame Classic Night
Race #4 – August 17, 2024 (Lebanon Valley) – Halloween Night
Race #5 – August 31, 2024 (Lebanon Valley) – Mr. Dirt Track USA Night
Race #6 – September 20, 2024 (Albany Saratoga) – Malta Massive Weekend
CDRA is brought to you by marketing partners that include Albany-Saratoga Speedway, Lebanon Valley Speedway, Glen Ridge Motorsports Park, JAM Performance, Elmo’s Speed Supply, Fox Racing Shox, Finish Line Designs, Full Throttle R/C Raceway, Hazilla Brands, DIRTcar Racing, Hoosier Racing Tire, VP Racing Fuels, and GM Performance 602 Crate Engines. Any information shared about participating Capital District tracks is obtained via website, social media, and/or track press. Information including but not limited to winners share, formats, laps, sponsors, or schedule dates are subject to change. Thank you for supporting the Capital District Racing Association.
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