Photo courtesy Mohawk International Raceway, Tyler Lacelle

HOGANSBURG – A thrilling night of racing and fireworks lit up Mohawk International Raceway on Independence Day, as Firehouse Pizzeria and Frenchie’s Chevy/Ford presented an action-packed program, capped off by a fireworks show sponsored by Akwesasne Mohawk Casino and the Akwesasne Convenience Store Association.

Headlining the night was the 17th annual Independence Day Classic for the DIRTCar 358 Modifieds and the Farnham Ale & Lager Pro Stock Series’ 38-lap special, alongside divisions for Sportsman, Limited Sportsman, and Mini Stocks.

Limited Sportsman: Tarbell Dominates Feature

The Limited Sportsman division kicked off the evening with a single heat race, won convincingly by Jackson Welling, who led flag-to-flag. Justin Lazore and Bryan Tarbell completed the podium.

In the feature, Tarbell took command early and never looked back, holding off a late charge from Lazore to take the win.

Mini Stocks: White, Massy, and Lavair Score Heats

Mini Stocks ran three competitive heat races. Glen Engstrom rebounded from earlier mechanical issues to qualify, while Emily Massy impressed with a last-lap pass in her heat. In the third heat, Francis White led early and survived a restart to claim victory over Massy and CJ Lavair.

Sportsman: Pecore Earns Historic 115th Victory

Shane Pecore and Cory Castell took heat wins in the DIRTCar Sportsman division. In the feature, Tristan Ladoucer led early, but Pecore methodically worked his way forward. After a lap-19 caution set up an eight-lap sprint, Pecore seized control and notched his 115th career victory, the most in series history.

Pro Stocks: Sharp Outduels Field in Wild Feature

The Farnham Ale & Lager Pro Stock Series brought drama from the outset. A violent flip by Anthony Mossow in Heat 1 set the tone for a wild night. Heat wins went to Yves Hamel, Bastien Caron, Bruno Cyr, Jocelyn Roy, and Dakota Sharp.

In the 38-lap feature, Sharp led early and handled pressure from Ian Bresset and Zack Daniels throughout. A late caution with 10 laps to go brought the field back together. In the final dash, Sharp and Bresset battled side-by-side, with Sharp ultimately edging ahead to take the win.

Modifieds: Willix Returns to Victory Lane

The night concluded with the 40-lap Independence Day Classic for the 358 Modifieds. Heat wins went to Corey Wheeler, Carey Terrance, and Lance Willix, who entered the night late and skipped hot laps—but quickly showed he had speed.

In the feature, Willix steadily climbed to the front, taking the lead with 10 laps remaining after Brian McDonald slid high in turn 2. A late caution for Tim Fuller’s mechanical failure bunched up the field, but Willix held strong on the restart to secure his first Mohawk victory since 2017, finishing ahead of Jonathan Ferguson and McDonald.

Results Summary

• 358 Modified Feature Winner: Lance Willix
• Pro Stock Feature Winner: Dakota Sharp
• Sportsman Feature Winner: Shane Pecore
• Limited Sportsman Feature Winner: Bryan Tarbell
• Mini Stock Heat Winners: Glen Engstrom, Emily Massy, Francis White