{"id":2577,"date":"2024-10-25T09:34:10","date_gmt":"2024-10-25T13:34:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/worldofoutlawsworldfinals.com\/uncategorized\/all-dirt-roads-alex-payne-secures-super-dirtcar-series-rookie-of-the-year-aims-for-strong-finish-at-world-finals\/"},"modified":"2024-10-25T09:55:03","modified_gmt":"2024-10-25T13:55:03","slug":"all-dirt-roads-alex-payne-secures-super-dirtcar-series-rookie-of-the-year-aims-for-strong-finish-at-world-finals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldofoutlawsworldfinals.com\/dirtcar-ne\/big-block-modifieds\/super-dirt-car-series\/all-dirt-roads-alex-payne-secures-super-dirtcar-series-rookie-of-the-year-aims-for-strong-finish-at-world-finals\/","title":{"rendered":"ALL DIRT ROADS: Alex Payne Secures Super DIRTcar Series Rookie of the Year, Aims For Strong Finish at World Finals"},"content":{"rendered":"
Entering 2024, Alex Payne wanted to give the Super DIRTcar Series his best shot.<\/p>\n
He did that and more, earning his first Series victory at Brockville Ontario Speedway and mathematically securing Rookie of the Year honors before the World of Outlaws World Finals<\/em><\/a> at The Dirt Track at Charlotte, Nov. 6-9.<\/p>\n The Hopewell, NY driver\u2019s success comes in part from his decision to ensure his team was fully prepared before joining the Series in 2024.<\/p>\n \u201cI feel like, for the most part, we did the job we were hoping and expecting to do,\u201d Payne said. \u201cWe didn\u2019t run the tour last year because we took the time to make sure we knew our equipment and what it was going to take.<\/p>\n \u201cWe were ready, but we certainly learned some of the challenges that come with running the tour.\u201d<\/p>\n Payne will officially earn Rookie of the Year honors once the 2024 season is completed at Charlotte. And even with his lead in the Rookie standings over Justin Stone, Mike Trautschold, and Daniel Johnson, he\u2019s keeping the same approach for the final three Features.<\/p>\n \u201cI knew Justin Stone had a really good, prepared team,\u201d Payne said. \u201cMike Trautschold was another one, and we\u2019ve raced with Matt Caprara and Daniel Johnson. I really wasn\u2019t sure if I had a good chance at it, but I raced all year long like we were racing for it, and we still are.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a pretty cool accomplishment and something we really strived for the whole season.\u201d<\/p>\n The most significant moment of Payne\u2019s season came in September when he outdueled Matt Sheppard for his first Series win at Brockville. A month and a half later, it\u2019s an accomplishment he said still hasn\u2019t completely set in.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSometimes it\u2019s still hard to believe,\u201d Payne said. \u201cEvery morning when I walk into the shop, (the check on the wall) is the first thing I look at every day. It\u2019s such a cool thing, and just for it to come this soon is unreal. And I don\u2019t think we\u2019re done yet.\u201d<\/p>\n Payne will finish his 2024 season in Charlotte with the Super DIRTcar Series, entering the event sixth in the Series standings, 33 points ahead of Jack Lehner. In seven starts at the 4\/10-mile dirt track, he\u2019s earned one top five and three top 10 finishes.<\/p>\n \u201cThe first year was the learning year for me,\u201d Payne said. \u201cI think that was one of my first races in a Big Block. Then we went back in [2022] and ran fifth and sixth, and last year we had a top 10.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m looking forward to it. I think we have really good equipment going into that. The last couple of years have helped us learn\u2014especially the tires at that place. You can go down there and run a 300 or a 500 (tire). It\u2019s crazy the way that it changes.\u201d<\/p>\n Tires aren\u2019t the only difference Payne and Super DIRTcar Series drivers face when they travel to North Carolina. The track has a different type of surface compared to most tracks on the schedule.<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t have a whole lot of time on red clay,\u201d Payne said. \u201cRacing with the Sprint Cars and Late Models is also something we don\u2019t do a whole lot. When that place gets a curb on the outside, it\u2019s like no other.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a whole different animal. It\u2019s nothing compared to what we\u2019re used to. It\u2019s like Autodrome Drummond with the speed of it and how the tires are. It\u2019s kind of the only thing I can think to compare it to.\u201d<\/p>\n Payne will chase his first Charlotte victory when the Super DIRTcar Series battles at the World of Outlaws World Finals<\/em> at The Dirt Track at Charlotte in Concord, NC, Nov. 6-9. For tickets, CLICK HERE<\/a>.<\/p>\n