Kolby Schroder Wins Mr. DIRT Track USA, Earns Guaranteed Starting Spot at Super DIRT Week
Photo by Joe Grabianowski
WEST LEBANON, N.Y.—Kolby Schroder has climbed ladders at Lebanon Valley Speedway his entire career, winning races in a Sportsman and a Big Block Modified. But on Thursday night, he climbed his tallest ladder yet.
The Staatsburg, NY driver thundered past Darren Smith on Lap 37 and led the final 64 laps to win the 2025 edition of Mr. DIRT Track USA, his first career Super DIRTcar Series victory.
“We’ve been close a few times,” Schroder said. “We just haven’t had things go our way. Andy (Bachetti) is super tough here, and we just nailed it. The thing was right on. We got to the front early, and I just kind of took care of my stuff. I kept it straight and rolling.”
Darren Smith, the SRI Performance and Stock Car Steel Pole Award winner, led the field to green alongside Tim Sears Jr, as the field began their battle for the $15,500 prize. Smith gained the early advantage over Sears, using the outside lane to lead Lap 1.
Schroder, who started ninth, quickly began moving forward in his No. 99, grabbing sixth by Lap 8. He’d gain two more positions on Lap 9, when Andy Bachetti slid Marc Johnson up the racetrack in Turns 3 and 4 while battling for third, forcing Johnson into the outside wall. While that happened, Schroder and Kyle Armstrong, who was running fifth, made contact exiting Turn 4. Schroder benefitted from that contact, moving into fourth past Armstrong and Johnson when he reached the start/finish line.
After a caution for Jack Lehner on Lap 10, Schroder snuck by Bachetti for third on the restart and set his sights on Sears for second. He wouldn’t get his chance until 20 laps later, though, as Schroder used a Lap 30 restart to keep pace with the No. 83X.
Despite running the outside for the first quarter of the race, Schroder switched lanes on Lap 31, diving underneath Sears through Turns 1 and 2. When they exited Turn 2, Schroder’s momentum allowed him to slide in front of Sears to take over second.
Three laps later, Schroder had his first look underneath Smith for the lead. However, a yellow flag for Chris Curtis stopped Schroder’s momentum, forcing him to wait for another opportunity.
When the race resumed, that opportunity came. Schroder and Smith battled side-by-side into Turn 1. But as they hit the middle of the corner, Smith’s No. 12 pushed up the racetrack, allowing Schroder to take the lead as they raced down the backstretch.
Johnson followed the No. 99 into second, aiming to wrestle the lead away toward the race’s halfway point. “The White Knight” got his best chance on a Lap 43 restart, pulling ahead of Schroder as they battled through Turns 1 and 2. But Schroder had too much momentum on the outside lane and grabbed the lead back from Johnson down the backstretch.
That was as close as Johnson would get, as Schroder outdueled him on the race’s final restart on Lap 87.
From there, Schroder went untouched to score the most significant win of his career, earning a guaranteed starting spot in the Billy Whittaker Cars 200 at Super DIRT Week 53.
Starting ninth in the Feature, and knowing Bachetti, who had won the last three Mr. DIRT Track USAs, was starting fourth, Schroder said he had a game plan to win the race.
“I knew I had to get to [Bachetti] before Lap 50,” Schroder said. “He’s the guy to beat. He’s just phenomenal here. I got to third and I was just kind of pacing myself. And when opportunities came up, I’d take advantage, trying to take care of the car and not use up my tires and brakes and stuff like that.
“Once I got to clean air, the car was even better. What a race.”
Bachetti crossed the line second, after he slid Johnson for the position on Lap 94. The Sheffield, MA driver, who’s earned four straight Series podiums at Lebanon Valley, said he debuted a new car for the 100-lap event, but still had to work some of the bugs out.
“I felt like we were kind of behind the eight-ball all night,” Bachetti said. “Yeah, we were fast. We finished second. But I didn’t feel like the car was what it needed to be.
“It was a lot of work to get [to the front]. Everybody was fast. Everyone was running a different line. Once we burned the fuel off, we got a little bit better. But we weren’t good.”
Ten-time Series champion Matt Sheppard finished third after starting 11th, earning his sixth podium in his last 11 starts at the “Valley of Speed.” The Waterloo, NY driver made a late race charge and was catching Bachetti at the end of the race.
“We had a pretty good car all night,” Sheppard said. “We just battled too tight for too long. We kind of got stuck in the middle to bottom of the top 10. I’d gain a spot and lose a spot. I don’t know what happened over the last 20 to 25 laps. The thing started steering and coming to life. We were really coming there at the end.”
Defending Series champion Mat Williamson finished fourth, after starting 24th. It’s the St. Catharines, ON driver’s fourth straight Series top five, and 14th straight Series top 10.
“Money Mat” also extended his points lead to 90 points over Alex Yankowski, who rounded out the top five after starting 26th.
UP NEXT: The Super DIRTcar Series makes its lone appearance at Can-Am Speedway in LaFargeville, NY, on Friday, Sept. 5, for the second annual R. D. Hutchinson Memorial. Drivers will battle for 67-laps is a $7,567-to-win Feature.
If you can’t make it to the track, watch all the action live on DIRTVision, either online or with the DIRTVisioapn app.
Mr. DIRT Track USA (100 Laps): 1. 99-Kolby Schroder[9]; 2. 4B-Andy Bachetti[4]; 3. 9S-Matt Sheppard[11]; 4. 88-Mat Williamson[24]; 5. 84Y-Alex Yankowski[26]; 6. 9-Marc Johnson[3]; 7. 83X-Tim Sears Jr[2]; 8. 98-Eddie Marshall[5]; 9. 12-Darren Smith[1]; 10. 70A-Alex Payne[22]; 11. 35L-LJ Lombardo[21]; 12. 98H-Jimmy Phelps[17]; 13. 87-Neil Stratton[10]; 14. 43-Keith Flach[8]; 15. 25-Erick Rudolph[20]; 16. 74-John Virgilio[15]; 17. 91-Felix Roy[19]; 18. 21A-Peter Britten[13]; 19. 44-Kyle Sheldon[25]; 20. 35-Mike Mahaney[16]; 21. 28-Michael Trautschold[18]; 22. 115P-Matt Pupello[29]; 23. 35C-Chris Curtis[12]; 24. (DNF) 6-Matt Stangle[27]; 25. (DNF) 11A-Kyle Armstrong[6]; 26. (DNF) 7CT-Donny Travaglin[14]; 27. (DNF) 55-Brett Haas[7]; 28. (DNF) 2-Jack Lehner[23]; 29. (DNF) 4-Anthony Perrego[28]
Contingency Awards:
JAM Performance Fastest Hot Lap Award: Chris Curtis ($100)
Billy Whittaker Cars Quick Time Award: Andy Bachetti($100)
VP Racing Fuels Award: Eddie Marshall ($50)
ARP Bolts Award: Matt Sheppard ($50)
ASI Racewear Award: L.J. Lombardo ($50)
Behrent’s Performance Warehouse Award: Kolby Schroder ($50)
Cometic Gasket Award: Jimmy Phelps ($50)
Comp Cams Award: Darren Smith ($50)
DIG Racing Products: Jimmy Phelps ($50)
Fox Factory Award: Tim Sears Jr. ($50)
MSD Award: Tim Sears Jr. ($50)
Swift Springs Award: Alex Yankowski ($50)
Weld Racing Wheels Award: Andy Bachetti ($50)
Hoosier Racing Tire Award: Chris Curtis (Free Tire)
SRI Performance/Stock Car Steel Pole Award: Darren Smith ($100)
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