Yankowski Tops World Finals Friday, Clinches SDS Crown
ALex Yankowski (84Y) passes Felix Roy to win Friday's Super DIRTcar Series feature at The Dirt Track at Charlotte. (KR Poole Photos)
By Jacob Seelman, SWN News Editor
CONCORD, N.C. (Nov. 6, 2026) – Alex Yankowski wanted to clinch his first Super DIRTcar Series big-block modified championship in style, and the 22-year-old Pennsylvanian did exactly that Friday night at The Dirt Track at Charlotte.
After searching and trying multiple racing lines throughout the first half of the 30-lap feature at the Dave Smith Motors World Finals, Yankowski stormed past polesitter and race-long leader Felix Roy on lap 16 after turning a strong run down the backstretch into a pass for the win in turns three and four.
From there, Yankowski drove away before reaching traffic late, then hung on to the finish line despite a last-gasp charge from title rival Mat Williamson in the final corner.
Yankowski just edged Williamson at the checkered flag by .036 seconds for his ninth career Super DIRTcar Series win, fifth of the season, and second at Charlotte.
In a race where he only needed a top-10 finish to secure the crown, Yankowski went out a winner, hammering home the mantra he’d followed all year – get trophies and the points will take care of themselves.
“What a sigh of relief,” Yankowski said. “To get this championship is just an unbelievable feat. It’s always been the Northern guys beating up on us. I know (fellow Pennsylvanian) Doug Hoffman got one. There’s a lot of people that aren’t with us that I wish were today.
“I’m really proud of this whole group. We’re going to keep plugging. To win it and to clinch it is something special.”
After Felix Roy and Jack Lehner led the field to green from the front row, both seeking their first series win, it was Roy who got the edge and led the early stages of the race.
Yankowski ripped the top side before crossing underneath behind them, surging from fourth to second in a lap and a half after the green and quickly setting his sights on Roy out front.
Roy weathered all challenges early, despite a pair of cautions in the first 12 laps, fending off every charge Yankowski threw at him from every lane possible.
However, a reset with 13 laps complete – after Paul Mancini slowed with a flat right-rear tire – finally gave Yankowski the moment he needed to pounce.
Yankowski carried a run high off turn two all the way down the backstretch on lap 15, getting underneath Roy in turns three and four and nearly taking the top spot away. Though Roy led at the flagstand, Yankowski was there and not about to be denied.
A run back to the bottom off turn two was all Yankowski needed to claim the lead for good on the 16th lap. He pulled clear on the other end of the racetrack and never trailed again, leading the second half of the race en route to his first World Finals win in five years.
It didn’t come without a few last-second dramatics, however.
Despite Yankowski building a straightaway advantage, he caught lap traffic with six to go that allowed Roy and Mat Williamson to close in from behind.
Williamson grabbed second from Roy with two laps left, then worked the inside lane to pull almost even with Yankowski in turns one and two after the white flag.
Yankowski was struggling to pass Francois Bellemare, and chose the bottom lane in the final set of corners. Williamson went to the top groove and tried to rip around the outside of Yankowski’s No. 84Y, but fell short by a whisker as Yankowski collected the $10,000 winner’s check.
“I didn’t know where to be (in traffic),” Yankowski said. “ [Bellemare] was sliding himself the whole time so I couldn’t slide him. I couldn’t get under him. And Williamson did a great job trying to take advantage of that.
“I beat myself up all winter long about things I felt I could’ve been better about, and this race team has been unbelievable.”
Despite the narrow loss, it was still Williamson’s fourth straight top-two finish on tour. Mike Maresca completed the podium with his best finish of the season, advancing from 12th to finish third.
Fourth and fifth, respectively, were Roy and Ryan Godown.
The Dave Smith Motors World Finals conclude Saturday night with action for the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series and World of Outlaws Late Model Series alongside the 40-lap Super DIRTcar Series finale.
Broadcast coverage begins live at 3:30 p.m. ET, with every lap available with a DIRTvision subscription.
The finish:
Feature (30 laps): 1. 84Y-Alex Yankowski [4]; 2. 88-Mat Williamson [3]; 3. 7MM-Michael Maresca [12]; 4. 91-Felix Roy [1]; 5. 26-Ryan Godown [5]; 6. 70A-Alex Payne [14]; 7. 1-Tyler Dippel [6]; 8. 98H-Jimmy Phelps [10]; 9. 2-Jack Lehner [2]; 10. 3-Justin Haers [13]; 11. 12-Darren Smith [8]; 12. 35-Mike Mahaney [7]; 13. 33-Eddie Strada [11]; 14. 21A-Peter Britten [15]; 15. 28-Michael Trautschold [22]; 16. 4M-Logan Watt [21]; 17. 99L-Larry Wight [23]; 18. 6-Matt Stangle [9]; 19. 29-Ryan Krachun [30]; 20. 165-Rex King Jr. [17]; 21. 7M-Paul Mancini [18]; 22. 9S-Matt Sheppard [27]; 23. 15X-Justin Stone [29]; 24. 11-Matt Caprara [25]; 25. 21M-Bob Mcgannon [26]; 26. 35B-Francois Bellemare [24]; 27. 25-Erick Rudolph [28]; 28. 16-Louden Reimert [19]; 29. 9-Tim McCreadie [16]; 30. 0-Glenn Styres [20].
