WEEDSPORT, N.Y. – DIRTcar Racing and Hoosier Tire will retain the expanded overall $45,000 Hoosier Racing Tire Weekly Championship purse for 2021 and beyond.

With the $8,000 overall purse increase last year across the four DIRTcar Northeast divisions — Big Blocks, 358 Modifieds, Sportsman Modifieds and Pro Stocks — the top-20 drivers in each division will continue to be recognized and awarded in November during the banquet.

“When we knew last year that there weren’t going to be Series events and Series point funds, we shifted our focus to the Hoosier Racing Tire Weekly to help out the tracks that did open up during the pandemic,” said DIRTcar Northeast Director Dean Reynolds. “Then it was decided to expand the number of competitors that will receive a cash payout.

The Hoosier Racing Tire Weekly Championship points cover all four DIRTcar Northeast divisions: DIRTcar Big Block Modifieds, 358 Modifieds, Sportsman Modifieds, and Pro Stocks.

Each drivers’ top-16 finishes in DIRTcar sanctioned Feature are calculated for points.

Stewart Friesen received $5,000 for being on top of the points for Big Blocks while Mat Williamson visited every track he could in Canada to come out on top of the DIRTcar 358 Modified points to take home $3,000. Kevin Root just nipped Andrew Buff to receive his $1,000 while “Cousin” Luke Horning was king in the Pro Stocks to receive his $1,000.

VP Fuels also has many special bonuses for the top point-getters in the weekly point championship, last year they handed out more than $7,500 in fuel certificates to more than 30 different drivers to make it more lucrative.

While DIRTcar sanctioned weekly racing is the main focus of the championship, it is notable that all Series races in all divisions also count towards drivers’ top-16 finishes as well. This creates an inviting environment for drivers to race for track championships but also travel to other DIRTcar events when possible.

Despite COVID-19 restrictions throughout the Northeast and Canada, there was still an impressive number of sanctioned races in all four divisions. In 2020, there were 69 DIRTcar Big Block, 66 358 Modified, 177 Sportsman Modified, and 83 Pro Stock Features completed in 2020 which raced for the first time under the top-20 pay structure.

With a robust weekly championship points fund in place and a common rule set spanning most of the Northeast, DIRTcar Racing is primed for another successful year of premier dirt track racing.