FONDA, NY – Two of the most prestigious honors a driver can have bestowed upon them from the Capital District Racing Association are a ticket to title town and Newcomer Of The Year. Champ and the NOTY sounds like the beginning of a good racing book, but this Friday at Albany-Saratoga both will be determined in one of the most competitive fields of the season.
It’s time to hit race fans with the next to last edition of ‘The Five’ for Season Two (2025), as the JAM Performance and Consulting CDRA racing series presented by Elmo’s Speed Supply prepares for the Great Crate Race Friday night in Malta, NY at Albany-Saratoga Speedway. The event is also in conjunction with the DIRTcar Sportsman fall championship series.
Tim Hartman Jr: Big Time Little Tim has a small cushion over defending champ Taylor Wason heading into Friday night’s CDRA points championship finale. The Glenville, NY hot shoe has a 28-point leeway and needs only to finish 27th or better to secure the championship. That’s also contingent on the defending champ parking it in victory lane.
Taylor Wason: Speaking of the defending champ, Wason, the ‘Ultimate Underdog’, has defended his Season One (2024) championship valiantly. After claiming the points title without a win, and learning one of the Capital District’s top Sportsman Modified racers was on tour in 2025, he pushed himself to another level overcoming adversity, finding victory lane, and competing for another title.
Tavien Blowers: Last season ‘Taz’ finished 10th in final points after missing the Great Crate Race season finale at Malta. This year he’s stepped up his drive. He almost won the Rumble At The Ridge finishing second respectively, and has taken on the challenge of the great race place. He’ll be on hand Friday to secure his podium points finish if he can hold off the NOTY leader, Nick Brundige.
Nick Brundige: After getting some press for being the sure bet for Season Two (2025) Newcomer Of The Year, one fan commented a reply that read, “Yeah NOTY. Get it!” So, if we’re giving nicknames out, this young man is now known as Nick “NOTY” Brundige. And he’ll already have earned the honor soon as he signs in to compete Friday night no matter his result.
Zach Buff: Out of the top five, Buff is the only enigma. Last season he was a title contender finishing third in points missing only, the Valley race. This season, despite a tough opening points race, he was battling again for a podium points finish until he missed the Valley race. Zach is a legit title contender with the likes of Hartman and Wason, but needs to tame the lady of West Lebanon.
Hard Luck: It’s hard to say ‘hard luck’ when it’s a matter of attendance, but truth be told Connor Crane is another legit title contender if he were to show up and compete at the Ridge. The ‘cardiac kid’ was just 13 points behind the lead when he missed both CDRA points paying races at Glen Ridge Motorsports Park. He returned to tour with another solid run at Lebanon and is sixth in points.
UP NEXT FOR CDRA: Focus is solely on the only points paying event left for Season Two (2025). The Great Crate Race at Albany-Saratoga Friday September 19th as part of the DIRTcar Sportsman Modified Fall Championship Series. Someone will punch their ticket to CDRA title town Friday night.
CDRA is a nostalgic throwback to the CVRA days. A series designed specifically for Capital District racing. Season two schedule consists of a diverse schedule at storied dirt tracks like the great race place, the fastest quarter mile on dirt, and the valley of speed. Drivers who do travel the Capitaland 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 follothee faw.
Anyone interested in joining CDRA family of marketing partners can contact the series via website, phone, or e-mail.
2025 CDRA POINT RACE SCHEDULE
04/18/25 – Albany-Saratoga Speedway | Spring Showdown ✔
07/25/25 – Albany-Saratoga Speedway | Flying Trowel 32 ✔
08/03/25 – Glen Ridge Motorsports Park | Rumble At The Ridge ✔
08/10/25 – Glen Ridge Motorsports Park | Montgomery County Brawl ✔
08/28/25 – Lebanon Valley Speedway | Mr. Crate Track USA ✔
09/19/25 – Albany-Saratoga Speedway | Great Crate Classic
Official Primary CDRA Marketing Partners For 2025 include: Albany-Saratoga Speedway, Lebanon Valley Speedway, Glen Ridge Motorsports Park, JAM Performance, Elmo’s Speed Supply.
Official Associate CDRA Partners For 2025 Include: Fox Racing Shox, SD Marketing and Designs LLC, Herrington Farms LLC, J-Tees Screen Printing, McGaffin Family Photography, and Final Reward Trophies.
Official Affiliate CDRA Partners For 2025 Include: DIRTcar Racing, Hoosier Racing Tire, VP Racing Fuels, GM Performance 602 Crate Engines, Mad Skins Race Car Bodies, Cordova Plumbing & Heating, Bart Contracting, Hayes Trucking & Excavating, New Deals Used Cars, Joe Wilkinson & Sons Excavating, County Waste, and Doug Wholey Ideal Excavation.
Official Media | Social Partners For 2025 Include: Area Auto Racing News, Hazilla Brands, My Race Pass, DIRTvision, DTDtv, Race Pro Weekly, Dirt Track Digest, Race New York, Doug’s Dirt Diary.
Official CDRA Race Titles For 2025 Include: Sportsman Modified Spring Showdown (ALB), Montgomery County Brawl (GRMP), Flying Trowel 32 (ALB), Rumble At The Ridge (GRMP), Mr. Crate Track USA (LVS), and Great Crate Classic – Malta Massive Weekend (ALB).
Information shared about partners in Capital District Racing Association is obtained via website, social media, and/or track press. Info included but not limited to winner’s share, formats, laps, sponsors, or schedule dates are subject to change.
For the latest news, results, point standings, and more about the CDRA Series presented by JAM Performance and Elmo’s Speed Supply, please visit http://www.cdraracing.com.
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