MALTA, N.Y.  A celebration of six decades highlights the next stop for the Super DIRTcar Series as it prepares for its first of two visits to Albany-Saratoga Speedway in 2025.

The Friday, April 18, event will be a special 60th Anniversary Celebration, highlighted by a 60-lap feature paying $7,500-to-win. Itll be the second race of the championship season and the series first stop in New York this year.

The speedways DIRTcar Sportsman and DIRTcar Pro Stock divisions will join the Super DIRTcar Series for the tracks highly anticipated opener.

Racing to the Top

With Stewart Friesen competing with the NASCAR Craftsman Trucks Series on Friday, the Super DIRTcar Series will have a new points leader when it leaves Albany-Saratoga.

Leading the charge of full-time drivers is defending Series champion Mat Williamson, who has the chance to make history this weekend. The St. Catharines, ON driver has won back-to-back Series events at the Great Race Place, a feat only matched by Friesen, Mike Mahaney and Kenny Brightbill. Entering the weekend eight points behind Friesen, a win in the 60th Anniversary Celebration would make him the first driver to earn three consecutive Series victories at the track.

Chasing Money Mat is Anthony Perrego (14 points behind), who has past success at the track. The Montgomery, NY driver won the 2021 Albany-Saratoga track championship and scored his first Series victory during OktoberFAST in 2020. In 11 Super DIRTcar Series starts at the track, the Ant-Man has a win, four top fives, and five top 10s.

Erick Rudolph (17 points behind) is also in striking distance after finishing seventh at New Egypt. In eight starts at Albany-Saratoga, his best finish is 10th twice in 2017 and 2019. The Ransomville, N.Y., driver is searching for his 12th series triumph.

While not officially a full-time member, Alex Yankowski can also take over the points lead on Friday night. The Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals champion is currently second in points, five points behind Friesen. Hes made two series starts at the Malta, N.Y., oval, finishing 13th in 2023 and third last June.

Home Field Advantage

In 2025, six Super DIRTcar Series drivers will call Albany-Saratoga home on Friday nights, led by two-time defending track champion Peter Britten. The Batman has 18 victories at the four-tenths-mile track but hasnt won in Super DIRTcar Series competition. Brittens best Series finish is fourth in 2014 and June of 2023. Hes also added two fifth-place finishes in the last two September stops.

Joining the Aussie is 2020 track champion Mike Mahaney, whos scored two series wins at Albany-Saratoga. The Elizabethtown, NY driver won back-to-back series events in 2021 and 2022 and has 10 feature wins at the track overall.

Jack Lehner is aiming to break through this weekend with his first series win. Lehner, from Saratoga Springs, N.Y., had his best season at Albany-Saratoga in 2024, earning three feature wins and finishing third in the final points standings. His best series finish at the track is ninth in last years Malta Massive Weekend finale.

Felix Roy will join the Albany-Saratoga field in 2025 as a track regular for the first time. The Napierville, Quebec driver earned a second-place finish during Malta Massive Weekend in 2023. He comes into the weekend with momentum after winning the Leon Gonyo Memorial at Airborne Park Speedway in his DIRTcar 358 Modified.

The two Vermont drivers on tour, C.G. Morey and Justin Stone, will also call Albany-Saratoga Speedway home on Fridays. Moreys best series finish at the track is 27th, while Stones is 19th in 2023.

Beware of the Malta Boys

Along with the series drivers, a stout group of regional drivers aims to beat the Super DIRTcar Series stars to victory lane.

Demetrios Drellos will strap into his Big Block Modified for the first time in 2025 on Friday night, looking for his second Super DIRTcar Series triumph. The Queensbury, N.Y., driver dominated the Malta Massive Weekend 100 in 2019 and was in striking distance last September, leading 58 laps before finishing sixth. Drellos is a 10-time winner at the track and the 2023 track champion.

Another former champion aiming for glory on Friday is two-time track champion Marc Johnson. The Guilderland, N.Y., driver finished second to Mahaney in 2022 and has three top fives and eight top 10s in 15 series starts at the track. Johnson is ninth on Albany-Saratogas all-time wins list with 27 feature wins.

Matt Delorenzo is another former champion with recent success in Super DIRTcar Series events, finishing second to Chris Hile at Albany-Saratoga in June 2023. The Cropseyville, N.Y., driver has 21 career Feature wins and won the track championship in 2022.

A Chance to Rebound

Ten-time series champion Matt Sheppard had an uncharacteristic start to his chase for an 11th title, finishing 13th at New Egypt Speedway last month.

Despite success at Albany-Saratoga, with nine top fives and 15 top 10s in 18 series starts, only one of the Waterloo, N.Y., drivers 98 Series victories have come at the track. He scored that triumph during Malta Massive Weekend in 2022.

Super Matt is looking for his second series win of 2025 after opening the season with a win at Volusia Speedway Park.