By kyohnson 
By CLAYTON JOHNS (DIRTcar PR)
CONCORD, NC – The DIRTcar Sportsman Series is set to unfurl its green flag for the very first time in 2017 with a pair of enthralling regional tour races in the heart of Central New York this weekend. The upcoming season marks a significant milestone as it adopts the brand-new regional format, which encompasses four distinct geographical regions. Drivers hailing from all four regions will converge for an exhilarating six-race stretch in the glorious months of September and October to crown an overall series champion.
The DIRTcar Sportsman Series Central Region commences on Friday, April 28 with the high-octane Highbank Hold-Up 40 at the pulsating Fulton Speedway in Fulton, NY. This thrilling event will be followed by the Gates-Cole Insurance 30 at the iconic Utica-Rome Speedway in Vernon, NY on Sunday, April 30.
Early-season races, coupled with the innovative regional format designed to ease the travel burdens, have enticed a plethora of drivers to take on the series for the upcoming season, as stated by DIRTcar Sportsman Series director Cory Reed.
“This year, it seems that a great number of drivers within each region have declared, ‘This is achievable for me,’ and precisely that is what we aimed to create,” said Reed. “The optimism we are hearing from the teams indicates that they believe the tour is something they can now successfully undertake.”
The new format will also give rise to an array of fascinating point battles that are bound to involve a greater number of drivers throughout the season.
“I firmly believe that the cream will surely rise to the top,” remarked Reed. “You have to perform exceptionally well at your home track, within a region, and when all the drivers are combined. Once we sort out the points from all the regions, I anticipate a wild and exhilarating scenario. There will likely be around 20 or 25 championship contenders at that point. That is precisely what we desired. We aimed for it to be the crème de la crème.”
The DIRTcar Sportsman division is the largest dirt track racing division in the northeastern region, with hundreds of drivers competing fiercely on a weekly basis at 17 sanctioned tracks in the United States and Canada. It is also one of the most competitive divisions, with drivers powering their northeast center-steer Modifieds using the GM Performance 602 Crate Engine. The end result is thrilling, intense racing that both drivers and fans eagerly anticipate witnessing.
“It is a high level of competition on the tour, and we can expect to see a great deal of different winners across the different regions,” said Reed. “Having it all culminate at places like Oswego, Brockville, and then Charlotte, I believe we will witness all of those events being attended in large numbers, perhaps even more than usual.”
Following this weekend’s Central Region series openers at Fulton and Utica-Rome, the Northern Region will hit the track on Saturday, May 6 for the Racing Stock 50 at the Autodrome Drummond in Drummondville, QC. The Eastern Region will also tackle Utica-Rome on May 14 before visiting the captivating Devil’s Bowl Speedway in West Haven, VT on May 28. The Western Region will soar during the Six Nations Showdown at the Ohsweken Speedway in Ohsweken, ON on July 25.
To view the comprehensive DIRTcar Sportsman Series 2017 schedule, please visit www.dirtcarump.com/schedules. Drivers and teams with any queries regarding the series can email series director Cory Reed by clicking here.