WHAT A NIGHT FOR A KNIGHT: Marc Johnson Earns First Career DIRTcar 358 Modified Series Win at Albany-Saratoga
MALTA, NY (September 19, 2025) – For years, Marc Johnson had tried winning a Malta Massive Weekend championship belt at Albany-Saratoga Speedway but came up short on multiple occasions.
However, the Guilderland, NY driver’s moment finally came Friday night, passing Mat Williamson with 15 laps to go to earn his first career DIRTcar 358 Modified Series victory.
“We just kept on digging,” Johnson said. “I don’t know if being on the bottom was better or the top. This thing is just slow, but the track is very racy. There was a top and a bottom.”
Joey Scarborough led the field to the green in the 50-lap Feature, driving away from Williamson in the early stages of the event. That lead was short-lived, however, as a caution for defending race winner Mike Mahaney slowed the field on Lap 5.
When the race resumed, “Money Mat” made his move, sliding in front of Scarborough in Turn 4 to take the lead.
Williamson would lead for the next 24 laps while Johnson moved through the field, passing Neil Stratton, Matt Delorenzo, Zach Payne, and Tim Sears Jr. on his way to the front from his 15th starting position.
Johnson moved into second on Lap 26 and got the opportunity he needed on Lap 29 when the yellow came out again for Walt Hammond. That lined Johnson up next to Williamson in a race for the $4,000 prize.
When the green came back out, Williamson went to the top, trying to keep his momentum rolling on the outside lane. Meanwhile, Johnson was in his preferred inside lane, keeping pace with the No. 6. The two traded the lead back and forth for five laps, until the “White Knight’s” No. 3J had just enough momentum to pull ahead of Williamson as they completed Lap 35.
That gave Johnson some breathing room in the race’s closing stages, but the race wasn’t over yet. A yellow flag on Lap 46 for C.J. Castelletti gave Williamson one more chance.
On the restart, Johnson went back to the bottom, but Williamson thundered around the outside of the racetrack, trying to wrestle the lead away. But Johnson was too strong in the end, as he held on to win his first DIRTcar 358 Modified Series Feature.
“Everybody in the field is really good nowadays,” Johnson said. “You just have to hope and pray that you hit your marks good and, I’m happy.”
Williamson settled for second, after leading 20 laps in the Feature. He also extended his points lead to 66 points over Roy, who finished third.
“I tried to make it interesting at the end,” Williamson said. “(Turns) 3 and 4, I was probably a little better on the top than I was floating in the middle. I just kept on making mistakes in 1 and 2. I was trying to push hard and keep up with those W-16s.
“Marc ran a great race. The better car won tonight, that’s for sure.”
Roy, the defending Series champion, said he was happy with his podium and is excited to use that momentum toward Saturday’s Super DIRTcar Series race.
“I was happy to see that (Lap 46) caution,” Roy said. “I was able to roll the top and hopefully put on a good show for the fans. We’re just happy with a third-place finish.”
Stratton finished fourth, and Zach Payne rounded out the top five.
UP NEXT: The DIRTcar 358 Modified Series heads to Super DIRT Week 53 at Oswego Speedway (Oct. 6-11) for the Salute to the Troops 150 on Friday, Oct. 10.
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If you can’t make it to the track, you can watch all of the Super DIRTcar Series action on DIRTVision, either online or with the DIRTVision app.
DIRTcar 358 Feature (50 Laps): 1. 3J-Marc Johnson[15]; 2. 6M-Mat Williamson[2]; 3. 91-Felix Roy[13]; 4. 87-Neil Stratton[9]; 5. 77Z-Zachary Payne[11]; 6. 77X-Carey Terrance[5]; 7. 3D-Matt Delorenzo[10]; 8. 12-Darren Smith[4]; 9. 83X-Tim Sears Jr[6]; 10. 31-Lance Willix[18]; 11. 25R-Erick Rudolph[20]; 12. 20-David Schilling[21]; 13. 19-Tim Fuller[17]; 14. 97HA-Bobby Hackel IV[24]; 15. 4*-Anthony Perrego[7]; 16. 60-Jackson Gill[28]; 17. 35C-Chris Curtis[22]; 18. 28-Jordan McCreadie[16]; 19. 5-Amy Holland[26]; 20. 2RJ-Ronnie Johnson[23]; 21. 97-Cody Higbie[25]; 22. 21A-Peter Britten[29]; 23. 06-Mike Coffey[27]; 24. 98H-Walt Hammond[14]; 25. 11VT-Joey Scarborough[1]; 26. 117-CJ Castelletti[31]; 27. (DNF) 7S-Shaun Shaw[12]; 28. (DNF) 10C-Willy Decker[19]; 29. (DNF) 11S-Steve Lewis Jr[30]; 30. (DNF) 35-Mike Mahaney[8]; 31. (DNS) 11-Matt Caprara
ARTICLE: https://dirtcar.com/recap/what-a-night-for-a-knight-marc-johnson-earns-first-career-dirtcar-358-modified-series-win-at-albany-saratoga/
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Connor Crane Drives to First Career DIRTcar Sportsman Series Win at Albany-Saratoga
Shane Pecore finishes ninth, extends Series points lead to nine points over Tristan Ladouceur
MALTA, NY (September 19, 2025) – One year after finishing second to his brother during Malta Massive Weekend, Connor Crane was one spot better on Friday night at Albany-Saratoga Speedway.
The Canaan, CT driver outdueled Richard Murtaugh in the closing laps to score his first career DIRTcar Sportsman Series victory.
Track regular Dylan Madsen led the field to the green in the 35-lap Feature, driving away from Crane in the race’s opening laps. The Spencertown, NY driver held the advantage throughout the first half of the race, as Crane held off early challenges from Murtaugh for second.
That battle lasted until Lap 13, when Murtaugh’s momentum on the outside lane was too much for Crane, as he powered his No. 33 past Crane for second. That happened as Madsen started catching lap traffic, allowing Murtaugh and Crane to catch Madsen out front.
Murtaugh’s first opportunity to take the lead came on Lap 19, when he nosed ahead of Madsen’s No. 89 on the backstretch. Madsen countered immediately, though, sliding in front of Murtaugh to keep the lead as they exited Turn 4. However, Madsen’s lead was short-lived, as Murtaugh kept his momentum rolling on the top, driving by Madsen on the outside lane to take the lead on Lap 22.
Behind Murtaugh, Crane followed on the inside, taking second away from Madsen. As Murtaugh pulled away, a yellow on Lap 28 for Savannah Laflair slowed the field for the second time, giving Crane another shot at the win.
When the race resumed, Murtaugh continued his pace on the outside, but Crane stayed with the DIRTcar Sportsman Series full-time competitor as they battled for the lead. Crane took his first chance to pass Murtaugh on Lap 30, sliding in front of him in Turn 4. But it wasn’t enough that time, as Murtaugh drove by him again on the bottom.
Crane wouldn’t be stopped, though. As the two drivers exited Turn 4 on Lap 31, Crane threw another slide job at Murtaugh to take the lead as they crossed the start/finish line. Murtaugh returned the favor in Turns 1 and 2, sliding Crane as they drove through the corner, but Crane’s momentum was too much as he pulled ahead of Murtaugh again.
That was all Crane needed as he led the final two laps to win the 35-lap Feature.
“I just have to thank Richard for running me clean,” Crane said. “That was awesome. I can’t believe I’m here after last year, when my brother passed me with like 10 to go. I can’t believe I did it.
“This track is awesome. This is the best place to be in the Northeast.”
Murtaugh settled for second in only his third appearance at the track. He said even with the lead, his lack of experience played a role in relinquishing the lead at the end of the race.
“I knew he was better on the bottom,” Murtaugh said. “When I went into Turn 1, I looked over and saw him. It’s my third time ever here, so I didn’t really know what to do. I was just kind of ripping the top. Once he got under me, I didn’t think he’d slide me, and once he did, I was like, what do I do now?”
Emmett Waldron crossed the line third, earning back-to-back Series top fives. The Savannah, NY driver said that while he had a good car, he still needed to start up front.
“This car is really good,” Waldron said. “We just need to start more toward the front more. We finally made a redraw in one of these Series races. We’ve been starting 11th and 12th, and it’s so hard to get to the front in these crate cars.”
Gavin Eisele finished fourth, and last year’s winner Chris Crane Jr. rounded out the top five.
Series points leader Shane Pecore finished ninth, extending his lead to nine points over Tristan Ladouceur, who finished 11th.
DIRTcar Sportsman Feature (35 Laps): 1. 711X-Connor Crane[2]; 2. 33-Richard Murtaugh[4]; 3. 4-Emmett Waldron[7]; 4. 18E-Gavin Eisele[6]; 5. 711C-Chris Crane Jr[8]; 6. 89-Dylan Madsen[1]; 7. 78JR-Nigel Pendykoski[14]; 8. 33M-Bodie Marks[3]; 9. 0-Shane Pecore[10]; 10. 22-Tim Hartman Jr[20]; 11. 92T-Tristan Ladouceur[21]; 12. 98W-Craig Wholey[5]; 13. 01-Zachary Buff[19]; 14. 112-Dave Baranowski[24]; 15. 916-Nick Brundige[9]; 16. 44-Ryan Barrett[30]; 17. 12-Jon Miller[25]; 18. 27-Michael Ballestero[17]; 19. 16X-Savannah Laflair[27]; 20. 52-Jessica Power[23]; 21. 12P-Connor Prokop[11]; 22. 10-Trevor Houghton[28]; 23. (DNF) 1M-Mark Mortensen[12]; 24. (DNF) 34-Dylan Grogan[15]; 25. (DNF) 26-Derrick Mcgrew Jr[26]; 26. (DNF) FOX28-Tyler Stevenson[29]; 27. (DNF) 42D-Daniel Grignon[18]; 28. (DNF) 07W-Taylor Wason[22]; 29. (DNF) 43-Tavien Blowers[13]; 30. (DNF) 02C-Cody Ochs[16]
ARTICLE: https://dirtcar.com/recap/connor-crane-drives-to-first-career-dirtcar-sportsman-series-win-at-albany-saratoga/
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