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The Wait Is Over: Can Am Speedway Fires Up for 52nd Season Opener

Mother Nature may have taken away our Thunder in the 1000 Islands Weekend, but this coming Friday night Can Am Speedway in Lafargeville New York will be back with a strong 52nd season opener at the Nasty Track of the North.

The night will feature all five regular divisions of racing but a lot is on the line for the Bob Johnson Auto Group DIRTCar Sportsman division on Friday April 24th.

The opener for the DIRTCar Sportsman North Regional Series will highlight the night with a 30 lap feature event. Shane Pecore comes into the evening as the defending Series and North Regional champion and is looking to score his first Can Am Series win, which would be the 14th of his career if he can pull it off. Four-time track champion Tyler Corcoran is looking to claim a record sixth series win at Can-Am. Corcoran will look to become the first driver since Steve Hall to win the season opener for the Sportsman class three straight years (1992, 1993 and 1994). Hall holds the record with five wins in the opening day race. Defending track and Central Region champion Gavin Eisele along with Jessica Power, Richard Murtaugh and a host of others will be looking to claim the season opener.

In the Whitesboro Plow Shop DIRTCar 358 Modified division Jackson Gill will look to go back to back in the season opener, but 7 time and defending track champion Billy Dunn, along with Lance Willix, Tim Fuller and others will look to take down the rising star. Dunn has won the 358 Modified season opener four times (2016, 2019, 2022 and 2024) and will look for a record breaking 5th season opening triumph. Dunn is tied with Hall of Famer and 10 time track champion Pat O’Brien, who won the season opener 4 times in 1987, 1995, 1997 and 2000. O’Brien also won the Big Block Modified season opener in 2005.

Bruno Richard had a great start to the 2025 campaign claiming his first season opener in the Panther Frameworx Crate Sprint Cars, but several drivers will be in contention for the opening day win. Four-time and defending track champion Josh Verne Jr. is coming back and will look to become the first repeat winner of the season opener, having won it in 2023. Tucker Donath, Adam Turner, Andrew Hennessy, Nick Webb and George Sanford will be some of the many drivers looking for opening night paydirt. A big field is also expected this season as the class continues to grow year after year.

Corey Valade won 8 of the 14 events for the Sundance Leisure Thundercars in 2025 and was the driver to beat on opening day a year ago as he took his first season opener. Francis White will be back to challenge for a second Can Am track title and will have a great shot at his third season opener, with wins in 2020 and 2023. White is the only repeat opening day winner in the last 8 seasons.

The Donath Motorworx Limited Sportsman always draws a good crop of up and coming drivers along with some experienced veterans, looking to make their mark in the division in years to come. Last season Genavieve Bartlett took the season opening win, one of her four trips to victory lan in 2025. We will find out on Friday, who will join the list of past opening day winners in the division.

It’s been a long winter, it’s time to go racing and the 52nd Nasty Track of the North Season Opener is ready for green at 7pm. To keep up with what is happening at Can Am Speedway in 2026 stay tuned to our website at racecanam.com. Also give us a follow on our Facebook page and be sure to follow us on My Race Pass for the live timing and scoring at all events. Can Am events will be broadcast weekly on Dirt Track Digest TV.

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