RPW Exclusive: Lebanon Valley Almost Saw Mike Mahaney Win Mr. Dirt Track USA Saturday

Column By: DYLAN FRIEBEL / RPW – WEST LEBANON, NY – Two years, two impressive performances by Mike Mahaney at Lebanon Valley’s Mr. Dirt Track USA.

The driver out of King Ferry, NY has shown he’s to be considered among the best to wheel a Northeast Dirt Modified.

Pulling into the biggest-paying race on the Series outside of Super DIRT Week last year, Mahaney wasn’t necessarily on anyone’s radar. He came to the track earlier in the year with a Small Block and tested but pulled in early from the feature, but may have learned enough as he managed to be one of the only cars to pass in last year’s Title race.

“Last year, we came in and time trialed as one of the last cars,” Mahaney said. “It put us behind the 8-ball and we didn’t want to do that again this year.”

This year’s version of the race, as Mahaney had wanted, was vastly different.

“We timed great this year (sixth overall),” he said. “We were one of the fastest, finished second in our heat and that got us in the redraw. I had a lucky youngster who drew the pole for me.”

If there’s one place you want to start at Lebanon Valley for a big race, it’s on the pole. Some can pass in long distance races at the track, but they usually use up their stuff and don’t necessarily have anything for the end. Mahaney was lucky that he didn’t have to worry about that. He went to work from the initial green flag and drove away.

The yellow silk plagued the first 30 to 35 laps of the event, but then fans were treated to a long green flag run, and this was okay for the young driver. It appeared as if Mahaney would have the car to beat. However, the two of the best to ever turn laps around the famed half-mile, Kenny Tremont and Brett Hearn, were chasing him.

That’s when set-up began to show. Mahaney may have paced himself too hard in the first 45 laps. Coming off turn two on several laps he began to swing his #88 wide and Kenny Tremont started showing him the nose of this red #115. Tremont made a few attempts in lap traffic, but Mahaney was able to keep the veteran at bay.

The complexity of the race changed, however, on lap 64 when Tremont diamond his line through turns one and two, driving underneath Mahaney’s loose-handling car and into the lead. He led the remaining laps and went on to win his first Mr. Dirt Track USA since 2005. Mahaney was passed by Hearn as well but brought the Buzz Chew-owned machine home with a podium finish.

“We got loose there with the tires going away,” Mahaney said. “We had everything we needed for the first 70 or so laps, but then I needed a little more experience. Guys like Kenny Tremont and Brett Hearn know what to do with this track when it gets blown off and slippery like it did tonight. I haven’t had a whole lot of experience with that. We’re gonna take what we learned tonight and go get the victory next year. But, a third place finish to those two isn’t anything to hang your head about.”

Mahaney knows how hard it is to beat the Valley regulars, as the Valley seems to have some of the hardest regulars of any Series track.

“The guys here are really good,” he said. “A lot of them have top notch equipment. They spend money. I would love to race here with Buzz (Chew) weekly. They give me great equipment and I think we could compete here. It would give me the experience to win this race.”

Mike and the Buzz Chew team haven’t been racing the Modified a lot during the dog days of summer, however, getting a third at one of the hardest races on the schedule is no easy feat.

“I love Lebanon Valley and love this event,” he said. “It takes a while to get done. It’s not your normal 100 lap ‘sprint.’ It takes a while to get where you’re going and you gotta be super smooth here. However not being in the Modified the last few months much hasn’t helped me. If anything, it hurt.”

No matter what, Mahaney was very proud of the finish and the team that helped him get it.

“I’m super proud of my guys and what they gave me,” he said. “This is the momentum we need heading into the end of the year…big races like this one, Oswego and Eastern States where we’ve been on the podium the last few years. Running the Sprint Car has helped me deal with the high speeds here and getting used to that.”

If you haven’t taken notice of Mike Mahaney yet, you need to. He went from to the front in last year Mr. Dirt Track USA and almost pocketed the $25,000 this year. He’s put his name on the map and can only continue getting better. This is a young man who is destined to add his name to the list of Champions for years to come. Mark my words.