NEW EGYPT, N.J. — Alex Payne completed his Tremendous DIRTcar Collection targets in 2024, successful his first characteristic and incomes rookie-of-the-year honors.
Now, he returns for his second full-time season, using a wave of confidence and a need to turn out to be the following sequence champion.
The Hopewell, N.Y., driver’s self-belief stems from his expertise gained competing towards drivers like defending sequence champion Mat Williamson, 10-time sequence champion Matt Sheppard, Peter Britten and Erick Rudolph on the tour and usually at Land of Legends Raceway – the place he completed fourth in monitor factors final yr.
“I feel that we’re able to competing towards these guys,” Payne stated. “And I feel if I generally is a little bit higher, begin up entrance, make the redraw each evening, and get a few wins on the board, I don’t suppose it’s that large of a attain.
“It makes us wish to work twice as arduous at it.”
In February, Payne narrowly missed out on his second Tremendous DIRTcar Collection win throughout Federated Auto Components DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park. He completed second to Peter Britten after a detailed battle for the Gator trophy.
He added three extra high 10s on the occasion and stored his constant streak going at Port Royal Speedway final weekend with a fourth-place end. Payne goals to proceed the sturdy 2025 begin when the Tremendous DIRTcar Collection kicks off its championship season on Saturday, March 29, at New Egypt Speedway.
“Final yr, we ran sixth at New Egypt,” Payne stated. “Hopefully, we will do higher than that and have a strong weekend to start out the yr. Clearly, there’s some issues you possibly can’t management, however hopefully we’ve performed a ok job this winter to ensure all the things is in the most effective form attainable.
“Hopefully, we come out of the field simply nearly as good as we did final yr.”
Whereas Payne is trying to construct off his rookie season, there will probably be a slight change all through the season. Whenever you see Payne on the race monitor, Eldon, his dad, isn’t far behind. Nevertheless, with Alex’s sister Kennedy beginning to increase her racing profession within the DIRTcar Sportsman division, Eldon gained’t be along with his son at each race.
Regardless of the change, it doesn’t faze the 19-year-old driver as he focuses on his subsequent sequence objective.
“We work quite a bit on our program, and after we get to the racetrack, we simply bounce a few concepts off one another,” Payne stated. “I don’t suppose it’ll change an entire lot. I undoubtedly suppose me, and my guys are able to doing the identical job both means. I feel it’ll be simply fantastic.”
