CENTER LISLE, NY – Matt Smith put on a show Saturday night at Thunder Mountain Speedway, charging from 13th and using the high side to score his second win of the 2025 season in the Dirt Track Digest TV Modifieds.

Joining Smith in victory lane were Jimmy Zacharias in the DIRTcar 358 Modifieds, Luke Powell in DIRTcar Sportsman action, Brian Rhodes in the Factory Stocks, Tyler Talada in the 600cc Modifieds, and Zach Bobbett, who continued his dominance in the 600 Sprint feature.

It was also championship night at the Mountain. Darren Smith earned his third consecutive Dirt Track Digest TV Modified title and also locked up the DIRTcar 358 Modified championship. Matt Brewer went back-to-back in the DIRTcar Sportsman division, while Jerry Lobdell Jr. repeated as Factory Stock champion. Tyler Talada clinched the 600cc Modified title, and Zach Bobbett was crowned champion in the 600 Sprints.

Mike Austin led the Dirt Track Digest TV Modified feature to the green flag and set the early pace, jumping out front quickly in the 35-lap nonstop main event. By lap 11, he had caught lapped traffic, and the pressure began to build. Meanwhile, Matt Smith was on the move after starting deep in the field from the 13th position. He found speed on the outside groove and began methodically working his way forward, breaking into the top five by lap 11. Doug Smith Jr. applied heavy pressure to Austin for the lead around lap 16, but a few laps later, Smith hammered the cushion and made a bold move to the front on lap 20.

As the laps wound down, Matt Smith maintained his momentum out front, even while navigating dense lapped traffic in the closing circuits. With six laps remaining, Darren Smith worked his way into second after starting 12th, trying to close the gap on his brother. However, Matt Smith remained smooth and fast on the high side, driving away to capture a hard-earned victory. Darren Smith settled for second, followed by Brandon Loucks in third. Doug Smith Jr. and early leader Michael Austin made up the top five.

The 30-lap feature for the DIRTcar 358 Modifieds saw Jimmy Zacharias power his way to his second win of the season after taking the lead from Joshua Landers on lap 4. Landers, who started on the outside of the front row, set the early pace before Zacharias made his move and never looked back. Lance Willix and Darren Smith battled hard inside the top five, with Smith finishing fourth to secure enough points to clinch the track championship. Jamie Kamrowski, who started on the pole, rounded out the top five.

In the 25-lap DIRTcar Sportsman feature, Luke Powell charged from the fifth starting position to claim an impressive victory, taking the lead from Todd Hayward on lap 16. Hayward, who had been strong up front after starting third, couldn’t hold off Powell’s late-race surge. Rich Talada made a steady climb from eighth to finish second, while Will Eastman and Eric Winsor put on a show from deep in the field, advancing from 14th and 15th respectively to complete out the top five.

Brian Rhodes inherited the lead on lap 10 and never looked back, scoring his first win of the 2025 season in the 20-lap Factory Stock feature and ending Jerry Lobdell Jr.’s recent winning streak. Starting from the second position, Rhodes capitalized on mid-race developments to move to the front and held off Frank Del Nero Jr., who came home second. Rich Sharpsteen charged from 12th to finish third, while Lobdell settled for fourth after dominating in recent weeks. Damon Decker rounded out the top five.

Tyler Talada stormed to victory in the 600cc Modifieds 20-lap feature, clinching the track championship with a thrilling late-race pass. After starting eighth, Talada steadily climbed through the field and closed in on Chelsie Beebe, who had led most of the race. He made his winning move on lap 17 and officially took control on lap 18, pulling away in the final laps to secure the win. Anthony Desimone finished second, followed by Beebe in third, Doug Windhausen in fourth, and Owen Mossow in fifth after solid drives from deeper in the field.

Zach Bobbett capped off a dominant run in the 600 Sprints with his ninth win of the season, leading all 20 laps from the pole position. Bobbett was flawless out front, setting the pace early and never giving the field a chance to challenge. Ivan Forney held steady in second after starting third, while Timothy Westlake settled into third following an early battle for position. Billy Applebee and Wayne Stella Jr. advanced from mid-pack to finish fourth and fifth, but no one had anything for Bobbett, who controlled the race from start to finish.

On Labor Day, Thunder Mountain Speedway will honor two racing legends with a special night of high-stakes action. The Wade Decker Memorial headlines the program, featuring a 50-lap, $5,000-to-win main event for the Modifieds. Also on tap is the Randy Decker Memorial for Factory Stocks, offering $1,500 to the winner in a 40-lap showdown. The 600cc Modifieds will also be in action as part of the Hustling the Highway Series. Racing is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m.

Track Location: 91 Hunts Corners Rd, Richford, NY 13835

More Info: Visit Thunder Mountain Speedway on Facebook or contact the track at 607-849-7889.

About Thunder Mountain Speedway:

Thunder Mountain Speedway is a high-banked 3/8-mile dirt oval nestled in Center Lisle, NY. Family-owned and operated, the track is known for fast racing, scenic location, and a commitment to delivering top-tier dirt racing events. Each season features a blend of weekly divisions and touring series, making Thunder Mountain one of the Northeast’s must-visit dirt tracks.

RACE RESULTS 8/30/29

Open Modified

Dirt Track Digest TV  Feature (35 Laps): 1. 28-Matt Smith[13]; 2. 12-Darren Smith[12]; 3. 23-Brandon Loucks[9]; 4. 119X-Doug Smith Jr[3]; 5. 9-Michael Austin[1]; 6. 37-Alex Tonkin[4]; 7. 72K-Ajay Potrzebowski II[7]; 8. 97-Cody Higbie[11]; 9. 34-Rusty Smith[16]; 10. 82S-Will Shields[5]; 11. 713-Tommy Collins[10]; 12. 71-Jimmy Zacharias[19]; 13. 6NN-Nick Nye[6]; 14. 22-Brandon Walters[18]; 15. 9BT-Brett Tonkin[8]; 16. 13-Landon Cummings[2]; 17. 71T-Tyler Peet[20]; 18. 15M-Daniel Morgiewicz Jr[14]; 19. 119-Brian Malcolm[22]; 20. 38-Jeff Sheely[17]; 21. 23JR-John Michael Phillps[23]; 22. 18-Damon Decker[24]; 23. (DNF) 14B-Arthur Bray[21]; 24. (DNF) 55-Pj Goodwin[15]

Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 119X-Doug Smith Jr[2]; 2. 9-Michael Austin[1]; 3. 23-Brandon Loucks[5]; 4. 82S-Will Shields[3]; 5. 28-Matt Smith[8]; 6. 34-Rusty Smith[7]; 7. 71-Jimmy Zacharias[6]; 8. 119-Brian Malcolm[4]

Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 37-Alex Tonkin[2]; 2. 72K-Ajay Potrzebowski II[4]; 3. 713-Tommy Collins[5]; 4. 13-Landon Cummings[1]; 5. 15M-Daniel Morgiewicz Jr[6]; 6. 38-Jeff Sheely[3]; 7. 71T-Tyler Peet[7]; 8. 23JR-John Michael Phillps[8]

Heat 3 (8 Laps): 1. 6NN-Nick Nye[3]; 2. 9BT-Brett Tonkin[4]; 3. 12-Darren Smith[6]; 4. 97-Cody Higbie[5]; 5. 55-Pj Goodwin[2]; 6. 22-Brandon Walters[7]; 7. 14B-Arthur Bray[1]; 8. 18-Damon Decker[8]

DIRTcar 358 Modifieds

Feature (30 Laps): 1. 71-Jimmy Zacharias[6]; 2. JD33-Joshua Landers[2]; 3. 31-Lance Willix[4]; 4. 12-Darren Smith[5]; 5. 284-Jamie Kamrowski[1]; 6. 24-Garett Rushlow[9]; 7. J82-Will Shields[12]; 8. TREE-Erik Holmgren[3]; 9. 00-Joe Sellars[11]; 10. 44-Gordon Smith[7]; 11. 23-Brandon Loucks[14]; 12. 119-Doug Smith Jr[10]; 13. 1-Stacy Jackson[8]; 14. 82ST-Dave Teidman[15]; 15. (DNF) 77L-Lee DeWitt[13]

Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 71-Jimmy Zacharias[6]; 2. TREE-Erik Holmgren[3]; 3. 1-Stacy Jackson[7]; 4. 284-Jamie Kamrowski[1]; 5. 24-Garett Rushlow[4]; 6. 00-Joe Sellars[2]; 7. 77L-Lee DeWitt[8]; 8. 82ST-Dave Teidman[5]

Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. JD33-Joshua Landers[2]; 2. 31-Lance Willix[4]; 3. 44-Gordon Smith[6]; 4. 12-Darren Smith[5]; 5. 119-Doug Smith Jr[1]; 6. J82-Will Shields[3]; 7. 23-Brandon Loucks[7]

DIRTcar Sportsman Modifieds

Feature (25 Laps): 1. 48-Luke Powell[5]; 2. 08-Rich Talada[8]; 3. 33-Todd Hayward[3]; 4. 120-Will Eastman[14]; 5. 79-Eric Winsor[15]; 6. 78G-Grant Hilfiger[9]; 7. 99-Cody Jackson[10]; 8. 88-Alan Komar[4]; 9. 22A-Avery Decker[11]; 10. 84-Mike Wilcha[2]; 11. 39B-Matt Brewer[12]; 12. P16-Johnathon Fowlston[1]; 13. 3T-Thor Holmgren[17]; 14. 7-Chance Spoonhower Jr[13]; 15. 000-Barrett Hill[16]; 16. 119-Dawcyn Davis[18]; 17. 3XL-Beth Brown[21]; 18. (DNF) 52M-Matthew Backus[6]; 19. (DNF) B17-Randy Brokaw[7]; 20. (DNF) 90-Ray Taylor[20]; 21. (DNS) 78-Stephen Winsor

Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. P16-Johnathon Fowlston[1]; 2. 08-Rich Talada[4]; 3. 88-Alan Komar[2]; 4. 22A-Avery Decker[6]; 5. 7-Chance Spoonhower Jr[3]; 6. 000-Barrett Hill[7]; 7. 119-Dawcyn Davis[5]

Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 48-Luke Powell[2]; 2. 78G-Grant Hilfiger[5]; 3. 84-Mike Wilcha[1]; 4. B17-Randy Brokaw[3]; 5. 120-Will Eastman[6]; 6. 3T-Thor Holmgren[7]; 7. (DNF) 78-Stephen Winsor[4]

Heat 3 (8 Laps): 1. 33-Todd Hayward[1]; 2. 52M-Matthew Backus[2]; 3. 39B-Matt Brewer[6]; 4. 99-Cody Jackson[5]; 5. 79-Eric Winsor[4]; 6. 3XL-Beth Brown[7]; 7. (DNF) 90-Ray Taylor[3]

Factory Stocks

Feature (20 Laps): 1. 37-Brian Rhodes[2]; 2. 95-Frank Del Nero Jr[4]; 3. 83T-Rich Sharpsteen[12]; 4. 202L-Jerry Lobdell Jr[6]; 5. 57-Damon Decker[5]; 6. M60-Lukas Mills[11]; 7. 87-Michael Dickerson[7]; 8. 7-Gene Sharpsteen[13]; 9. 18-Buck Mills jr[1]; 10. 22L-Harold Lobdell Jr[3]; 11. 1I-Shane Moshier[8]; 12. 115-Buck Mills III[10]; 13. (DNF) 11-Jason Rhodes[9]

Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 57-Damon Decker[6]; 2. 22L-Harold Lobdell Jr[4]; 3. 18-Buck Mills jr[1]; 4. 87-Michael Dickerson[5]; 5. 11-Jason Rhodes[2]; 6. M60-Lukas Mills[3]; 7. 7-Gene Sharpsteen[7]

Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 202L-Jerry Lobdell Jr[6]; 2. 37-Brian Rhodes[1]; 3. 95-Frank Del Nero Jr[4]; 4. 1I-Shane Moshier[2]; 5. 115-Buck Mills III[3]; 6. 83T-Rich Sharpsteen[5]

600cc Modified

Feature (20 Laps): 1. 80-Tyler Talada[8]; 2. 8X-Anthony Desimone[6]; 3. 17C-Chelsie Beebe[3]; 4. 8-Doug Windhausen[9]; 5. 22-Owen Mossow[10]; 6. 23H-Leon Poirier[1]; 7. 101-TJ Smith[11]; 8. 108-Ali Scutt[17]; 9. 23-Logan Ladue[20]; 10. 99L-Justin LaDue[13]; 11. 17A-Dustin Jordan[7]; 12. 12-Will Eastman[16]; 13. 28-Samuel Hubbard[5]; 14. 71-Liam Zacharias[2]; 15. 29A-Ajay Tuttle[15]; 16. 25P-Cullen Sharpsteen[21]; 17. 44-James Deisz[18]; 18. 1B-Ryan Baranska[22]; 19. (DNF) 5-Charles Lohmeyer[12]; 20. (DNF) 34-Marty Eaves[19]; 21. (DNF) 17J-James Randall[4]; 22. (DNF) 66-Timothy Cornell[14]

Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 8X-Anthony Desimone[3]; 2. 17C-Chelsie Beebe[2]; 3. 22-Owen Mossow[6]; 4. 23H-Leon Poirier[1]; 5. 99L-Justin LaDue[5]; 6. 12-Will Eastman[8]; 7. 34-Marty Eaves[7]; 8. (DNF) 1B-Ryan Baranska[4]

Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 71-Liam Zacharias[1]; 2. 17J-James Randall[2]; 3. 5-Charles Lohmeyer[7]; 4. 80-Tyler Talada[5]; 5. 66-Timothy Cornell[3]; 6. 108-Ali Scutt[6]; 7. 23-Logan Ladue[4]

Heat 3 (8 Laps): 1. 17A-Dustin Jordan[4]; 2. 28-Samuel Hubbard[2]; 3. 101-TJ Smith[6]; 4. 8-Doug Windhausen[5]; 5. 29A-Ajay Tuttle[1]; 6. 44-James Deisz[3]; 7. 25P-Cullen Sharpsteen[7]

600cc Sprints

Feature (20 Laps): 1. 99Z-Zach Bobbett[1]; 2. 7F-Ivan Forney[3]; 3. 15-Timothy Westlake[2]; 4. 11-Billy Applebee[7]; 5. 9K-Wayne Stella Jr[8]; 6. 40-Kevin Kaiser[6]; 7. 73-Charles Bruce[9]; 8. C7-Cameron Searls[10]; 9. 44-William Westlake[14]; 10. 66-Timothy Cornell[4]; 11. 29-David Johnson[12]; 12. (DNF) 55-Cliff Pierce[11]; 13. (DNS) C4-Nate Combs; 14. (DNS) 2P-Thomas Paige; 15. (DNS) 64-Kevin DeLong

Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 15-Timothy Westlake[3]; 2. C4-Nate Combs[6]; 3. 7F-Ivan Forney[5]; 4. 9K-Wayne Stella Jr[8]; 5. 73-Charles Bruce[2]; 6. C7-Cameron Searls[4]; 7. 55-Cliff Pierce[7]; 8. (DNF) 64-Kevin DeLong[1]

Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 99Z-Zach Bobbett[2]; 2. 11-Billy Applebee[7]; 3. 40-Kevin Kaiser[6]; 4. 66-Timothy Cornell[5]; 5. (DNF) 29-David Johnson[1]; 6. (DNF) 2P-Thomas Paige[4]; 7. (DNF) 44-William Westlake[3]