Sabia, Giardini, and Burk Make Their Mark With Podium Finishes But Hartman Dominated Lebanon Valley

2/26/25: Nick Giardini (399) races with Connor Prokop (12p) and Karl Barnes (307) at Lebanon Valley Speedway during CDRA points paying race action. (Jeremy McGaffin Photo / CDRA)

FONDA, NY – Let’s talk podium finishes again, this time checking in with Lebanon Valley Speedway. Did you know that Tim Hartman Jr. dominated the Sportsman Modified competition with record setting runs including 13 podium finishes, all wins?!

Of those wins, one came during a JAM Performance CDRA points paying race presented by Elmo’s Speed Supply in August.

Matt Burke was apparently the only other driver with a ticket to the victory lane party after parking it on the front stretch to close the season in West Lebanon, NY. It was his only podium finish on the year.

Michael Sabia tried hard to put his Teo Pro Car elite in victory lane, which earned him six podium finishes. He had four runner up finishes and a pair of third place runs, but never made it to the front stretch for a celebratory dub.

Impressive to note are the five podium finishes earned by Nick Giardini. They were all runner up finishes including three consecutive to start the season in 2024.

As part of our commitment to participating tracks we share weekly results and/or stats from the Sportsman Modified division as a lead up to CDRA points paying race results and/or stats. We appreciate the valley of speed, what they offer to Capital District racing, and their support of CDRA.

CDRA is a nostalgic throwback to 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.

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, GM Performance 602 Crate Engines, McGaffin Family Photography, and Final Reward Trophies. 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.

Hartman, Crane, and Buff Top Podium Finishers At Albany-Saratoga Speedway Last Season

02/25/25: Chris Jakubiak (49) and Tim Hartman Jr. (22) race for position during Malta Massive Weekend. (Blake Post Photo / RPW)

FONDA, NY – Podium finishes are among our favorite stats. Did you know that Tim Hartman Jr. led all Sportsman Modified drivers at Albany-Saratoga Speedway last summer with nine top three finishes including six wins and a trio of seconds!?

Of those podiums one win came during a JAM Performance CDRA points paying race presented by Elmo’s Speed Supply.

His closest peer was Chris Crane Jr. who earned three wins, one second, and a pair of thirds. Of his wins, two were points paying CDRA races including a big win during Malta Massive Weekend.

Zach Buff earned six podium finishes with one victory, three second place runs, and a couple of thirds.

Equally as impressive was Craig Wholey who had six podium finishes without a win. He earned six runner up finishes including one during a CDRA points paying race.

As part of our commitment to participating tracks we share weekly results and/or stats from the Sportsman Modified division as a lead up to CDRA points paying race results and/or stats. We appreciate the great race place, what they offer to Capital District racing, and their support of CDRA.

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.

SCHEDULE NEWS: Two Big Points Paying Races At Glen Ridge For CDRA Sportsman Modified Championship Racers During DIRTcar Series Events

02/19/25: Glen Ridge is preparing for another fantastic season in 2025 and CDRA is part of two big DIRTcar Sportsman Modified shows. (GRMP Graphic)

FONDA, NY – CDRA continues to ramp up towards a historic Season two including booking the fastest quarter mile on dirt for a pair of wildly competitive DIRTcar series races to also serve as JAM Performance CDRA points paying races presented by Elmo’s Speed Supply.

– 𝗦𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝟭𝘀𝘁 will be a CDRA points paying event at the fastest quarter mile on dirt as part of the DIRTcar Sportsman Modified East Series event. Last season Cody Ochs picked up the big win followed by Dylan Nichols, Dale Robinson, Jason Gray, and Brendan Gibbons rounding out the top five! The program would also include DIRTcar Racing 358 Modifieds, Pro Stocks, 4-Cylinders and more.

– 𝗦𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗔𝘂𝗴𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝟯𝗿𝗱 CDRA returns with another points paying event at the ridge, this time as part of their DIRTcar Sportsman Modified Fall Championship Series program. Last season Gavin Eisele earned the big fall win followed by Nicholas Root, Derrick McGrew Jr., Cody McPherson, and Cody Ochs rounding out the top five! The program would also include DIRTcar Racing 358 Modifieds, Pro Stocks, 4-Cylinders and more.

– 𝗣𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝘂𝗽 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗯𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝗼𝘁𝗵 𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀! Drivers will have an opportunity to earn series points during both programs towards DIRTcar Sportsman championships and the CDRA title!

✅ Many thanks to track promoter Ray Sefrin, General Manager Alicia Hughes, and the rest of the staff at Glen Ridge Motorsports Park for the continued support of our project.

CDRA Honors: Tim Hartman Jr., Zach Buff, and Brendan Gibbons Earn Season One Honorable Mention Awards

02/10/25: Tim Hartman Jr., Zach Buff, and Brendan Gibbons earned Honorable Mention awards during CDRA Honors reveal Friday night. (Bill McGaffin Photo / CDRA)

FONDA, NY – 𝘛𝘪𝘮 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘑𝘳. Is arguably one of the top Sportsman Modified competitors in the Capital District. The Glenville, NY racer earned two points paying wins, and a seventh-place finish in the three races he was able to enter. That earns the Kick Fly’s Quality Hemp Products, Bemiss Trucking, and Parrillo Companies GM powered Troyer Race Cars Sportsman Modified driver a Season One Honorable Mention.

𝘡𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘉𝘶𝘧𝘧 is a championship caliber racer in the Capialand. The Amsterdam, NY competitor earned a points paying win and three top 10 finishes in the four events he entered to finish 3rd in final points. That earns the West End Towing, JAM Performance, and Buff’s Auto Service GM Powered Bicknell Racing Sportsman Modified driver a Season One Honorable Mention.

𝘉𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘯 𝘎𝘪𝘣𝘣𝘰𝘯𝘴 spent some time behind the wheel of the David Bosclair owned racecar last season. The Amsterdam, NY racer had two top five finishes and a top ten on his way to finishing 4th in final point standings. That earns the C&D Stump and Tree Removal, Buff’s Auto Service, and Justice Insurance GM Powered Bicknell Racing Sportsman Modified driver our final Season One Honorable Mention.

𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 once again to Tim Hartman Jr., Zach Buff, and Brendan Gibbons on solid performances in CDRA Season One (2024)!

CDRA Honors: Chris Crane Jr. Earns Season One Outstanding Performance Award

02/10/25: Chris Crane Jr. earned the OPA award during CDRA Honors reveal Friday night. (Don Simpson Photo / DTD)

FONDA, NY – Canaan, CT racer Chris Crane Jr. made a splash in the JAM Performance & Consulting CDRA Season One title chase presented by Elmo’s Speed & Supply with two wins out of the six scheduled PPR’s. It was his Malta Massive Weekend DIRTcar Sportsman series win that was perhaps his most impressive starting 6th and passing a handful of talented racers including his younger brother Connor.

For his ‘Massive’ victory the Crane’s Outdoor Power Equipment, Laurel Brook Natural Resources, and Cannan Auto Supply GM Crate powered Bicknell Racing Sportsman Modified driver is our choice for the Outstanding Performance Award!

+ Feature Win.
+ Top Five Finish.
+ Top 10 Finish.
+ One Of Only Two Drivers With Multiple Series Wins.

𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 once again to Chris and the entire 711 Racing team on winning multiple points paying races in CDRA Season One (2024)!

CDRA Honors: Cody Ochs Earns Season One Newcomer Of The Year Award

02/10/25: Cody Ochs earned the NOTY award during CDRA Honors reveal Friday night. (Quentin Young Photo / DTD)

FONDA, NY – Rensselaer, NY racer Cody Ochs opened the JAM Performance & Consulting CDRA Season One title chase presented by Elmo’s Speed & Supply with a win at The Ridge. He backed that up with multiple top five finishes leading the standings until surrendering the point lead to Taylor Wason.

For his runner up efforts in final point standings the Next Generation Services, Pheasant Hollow, and Rob Albreada’s Snap-On Tools GM Crate powered Bicknell Racing Sportsman Modified driver is our choice for Newcomer Of The Year!

+ Feature Win.
+ Top Five Finish.
+ Top 10 Finish.
+ First Winner In Series History.

𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 once again to Cody and the entire 33 race team on a solid points performance in CDRA Season One (2024)!

CDRA Honors: Taylor Wason Earns Season One Driver Of The Year Award

02/10/25: Taylor Wason earned the DOTY award during CDRA Honors reveal Friday night. (Wason Racing Photo / CDRA)

FONDA, NY – Middlegrove, NY racer Taylor Wason had a championship season in 2024 earning the JAM Performance & Consulting CDRA Season One title presented by Elmo’s Speed & Supply. He did so like legendary drivers Ray Dalmata and current young talents Alex Yankowski, without a trip to victory lane.

For his efforts the Lenihan Paving, Lake Auto Parts, and HICO Fabrication GM Crate powered Bicknell Racing Sportsman Modified driver is our choice for Driver Of The Year!

– Feature Win.
+ Top Five Finish.
+ Top 10 Finish.
+ Perfect Attendance.

𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 once again to Taylor and the entire 07w race team on a championship CDRA Season One (2024)!

CDRA Tentative Season Two (2025) Points Paying Race Schedule

01/23/25: Zach Buff (01), Tyler Bobar (12b), and Stephen Gray (25) race 3-wide for position at Glen Ridge Motorsports Park. (Tyler Clemons Photo / RPW)

FONDA, NY – Series officials will soon have the full JAM Performance & Consulting CDRA Racing presented by Elmo’s Speed & Supply schedule ready to go with six points paying races for Sportsman Modifieds in the Capital District.

Two Albany-Saratoga Speedway dates are confirmed with a possible third TBA. Next up is locking in PPR’s for the fastest 1/4 mile on dirt, Glen Ridge Motorsports Park and the high banks of Lebanon Valley Speedway.

2025 𝘛𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘚𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘥𝘶𝘭𝘦 𝘖𝘧 𝘗𝘗𝘙’𝘴
✅ April 18th – ALB – 60th Season Kickoff Celebration w/SDS Big Block Modifieds – (𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑚𝑒𝑑 𝐷𝑎𝑡𝑒)
☑️ June 1st – GRMP – (DIRTcar Sportsman Modified East Series) – (𝑇𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝐷𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑇𝑜 𝐵𝑒 𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑚𝑒𝑑 & 𝑆𝑢𝑏𝑗𝑒𝑐𝑡 𝑇𝑜 𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒)
☑️ July – TBD – (𝑇𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝐷𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑇𝑜 𝐵𝑒 𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑚𝑒𝑑 & 𝑆𝑢𝑏𝑗𝑒𝑐𝑡 𝑇𝑜 𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒)
☑️ August 3rd – GRMP – (DIRTcar Sportsman Modified Championship Series) – (𝑇𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝐷𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑇𝑜 𝐵𝑒 𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑚𝑒𝑑 & 𝑆𝑢𝑏𝑗𝑒𝑐𝑡 𝑇𝑜 𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒)
☑️ August 28th – LVS – Mr. Dirt Track USA w/SDS Big Blocks – (𝑇𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝐷𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑇𝑜 𝐵𝑒 𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑚𝑒𝑑 & 𝑆𝑢𝑏𝑗𝑒𝑐𝑡 𝑇𝑜 𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒)
✅ September 19th – ALB – Malta Massive Weekend w/SDS Big Blocks & DIRTcar Racing 358 Modifieds, Sportsman Modifieds, & Pro Stocks – (𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑚𝑒𝑑 𝐷𝑎𝑡𝑒)

𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗲 that CDRA works around track schedules and while we have a tentative idea of what we’d like to see as a fully confirmed schedule, it is subject to change. Be patient. Green checkmarks are confirmed PPR dates. Blue checkmarks are PPR dates we’re hopeful for. Thanks.

SCHEDULE NEWS: Albany-Saratoga Speedway Confirms Two CDRA PPR’s With Possible Third TBD

01/22/25: Albany-Saratoga is celebrating 60 years of the great race place in 2025 and CDRA is proud to be a small part of their racing season. (Scott Duell Graphic)

FONDA, NY – While CDRA continues to work on catching up, there is some exciting news to share. The 2025 JAM Performance & Consulting CDRA Racing season presented by Elmo’s Speed & Supply will start and conclude at Albany-Saratoga Speedway with two massive racing events.

– 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗔𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗹 𝟭𝟴𝘁𝗵 will be a CDRA points paying event at the great race place as part of the great race place 60th Season Celebratory Kickoff featuring the Super DIRTcar Series Big Block Modifieds.

– 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟭𝟵𝘁𝗵 will also be a points paying event, as once again CDRA takes part in celebrating Albany-Saratoga Speedway’s racing season with Malta Massive Weekend. The event features the SDS Big Block Series for their 2nd appearance, as well as DIRTcar Racing 358 Modifieds, Sportsman Modifieds, and Pro Stocks.

– 𝗪𝗮𝗶𝘁, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲! CDRA and Albany-Saratoga are working on a potential 3rd date at the great race place for the Sportsman Modifieds as well! 🤯

✅ Many thanks to track promoter extraordinaire Lyle DeVore, his wife Marcy, and the rest of the staff at Albany-Saratoga for the continued support of our project.

𝐔𝐏𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄: 𝐖𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐌𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐚’𝐬 𝟔𝟎𝐭𝐡 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝟑 𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐬! Friday July 25th on Stan The Man Night the $1,320 to win Flying Trowel 32 Sportsman Modified race is worth CDRA points!!

Season Two Title Chase To Pay Handsomely; Begins At Albany Saratoga Speedway

1/9/25: Joey Bruning (24), Michael Wagner-Fitzgerald (88), and Dominic Roselli (80) race for position during Jam Performance CDRA presented by Elmo’s Speed Supply Malta Massive Weekend points paying race. (Bill McGaffin Photo / CDRA)

FONDA, NY – Season Two of the JAM Performance CDRA Racing Series presented by Elmo’s Speed Supply is full throttle into 2025 with a big leap in payouts to the top 10 final point drivers including $2,025 to the champion. The schedule for this coming season starts and finishes at the great race place, Albany-Saratoga Speedway.

It would be an understatement to note that Chris Reckner and his father before him have done so much to give back to the Capital District racing community. Elmo, the innovator of the speed supply business passed the proprietor torch to Chris to travel the country with his wife in retirement. Chris expanded the business to include the wildly successful JAM Performance and consulting.

JAM Performance and Elmo’s Speed Supply are both located at 861 Saratoga Road, in Burnt Hills NY. Elmo’s offers quality new or used parts up to and including race ready rolling race rods. JAM Performance and Consulting is known for their winning formula of suspension components, setups, and service that gives drivers the victorious edge.

So, how did JAM Performance and Elmo’s Speed Supply help CDRA make season two bigger and better? In 2025 they’ve made it possible for CDRA to offer a healthy $2,025 to the champion of the six-race series. That’s not all. They also made it possible to reward 5th in points $425 and 10th in points $250. Surely one can imagine what the other final point spots are valued at.

“I’m still recovering from a pretty serious health scare that took me off my feet for nearly six months, so I struck up a conversation with Chris (Reckner). He asked about CDRA and dropped a number. It took me by surprise. He already does so much for projects I work on it just meant a lot he believes in it that much. Can’t thank him and everyone at Elmo’s and JAM enough,” said Rob Hazer.

To go along with that information bomb, CDRA also proudly announced this week that Season Two (2025) will start and conclude at Albany-Saratoga Speedway with a possible third series points paying race during the summer months at the great race place.

𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗔𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗹 𝟭𝟴𝘁𝗵 will be a CDRA points paying event at the great race place as part of the great race place 60th Season Celebratory Kickoff featuring the Super DIRTcar Series Big Block Modifieds!

𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟭𝟵𝘁𝗵 will also be a CDRA points paying race, as once again we take part in celebrating Albany-Saratoga Speedway’s racing season with Malta Massive Weekend. The event features the SDS Big Block Series for their 2nd appearance, as well as DIRTcar Racing 358 Modifieds, Sportsman Modifieds, and Pro Stocks!

“I was glad to have a chance to talk to Lyle (DeVore) about racing. He was enthusiastic about my idea to begin and end the CDRA season at Albany-Saratoga. We might even be able to swing a third race at Malta, which is awesome. Good to chat with the boss man and have his well wishes and support,” concluded Rob Hazer.

The full top 10 final points payout will be listed on the CDRA website under the rules section. Rules will remain the same for Season Two (2025) with the exception of adding a driver eligibility/attendance amendment to earn point fun monies. It will be posted on the website.

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.