With only one race left in the ARCA Dirt USA International Championship, Round 5 at USA International Speedway (Dirt) carried massive weight for every points-paying position. The scoring stays razor-sharp: 12 points to win, one point less for each spot behind, plus 1 point for qualifying fast time. That format has kept the standings honest all season—and now, with the finale looming, it’s turning every move into a championship-level decision.
At the front, Brayden E Carter delivered yet again. Carter started on the pole and never gave the field a real opening, leading all 25 laps and posting the fastest lap of the race (24.938) on the way to another win. With that, Carter collected a maximum points night (win + qualifying fast time) and added another milestone to the resume: the victory was the 71st of his ICL career. In a short six-race championship, it’s hard to overstate how decisive those bonus points have been—Carter has stacked them and turned consistency into separation.
Behind Carter, Bryan Brewer put together a huge run to finish second. It was a steady, forward night for Brewer that translated directly into points, and it also reshuffled the top-10 standings heading into the finale. Brandon Dittmer backed up his recent momentum with a third-place finish, continuing what’s quietly become one of the strongest late-season pushes in the entire field.
The battle that shaped the night’s story, though, was the fight for second. Aidan Strawberry was right in the middle of it before losing a couple of spots after going around while racing for P2. Strawberry ultimately salvaged what he could, but in a format where every position is a point, those few places matter. Warren Watkins capitalized to bring home a strong fourth, while Strawberry crossed the line fifth and limited the damage enough to keep his championship hopes alive.
Now the big picture: with Round 5 complete, only one race remains, and the standings create a clear set of final-round pressure points. Carter sits on 50 points, while Strawberry is at 38, meaning Strawberry needs a massive points swing in the finale to flip the championship. Behind them, the podium fight is wide open: Levi Fisher (23) holds third but is within range of Dusty Fincher (21), and a single strong finish could swap those positions. The top-five battle is even tighter with Brandon Dittmer and Carson Southern tied at 17, making that spot a pure head-to-head points race. And deeper in the top 10, the finale could be chaos—in a good way—with Barker and Foskey tied at 12, Brewer and Larson tied at 11, and multiple drivers close enough that one great run can change several places at once.
That’s what makes the final round so important: it’s not just about the championship lead—it’s about every single payout-relevant position being within striking distance. Carter has been the season’s standard, Strawberry has been the season’s most consistent challenger, and the rest of the top 10 is stacked with drivers who can still move multiple spots with one clean, high-points night.
RESULTS (RACE 5 — USA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY, DIRT)
-
Brayden E Carter
-
Bryan Brewer
-
Brandon Dittmer
-
Warren Watkins
-
Aidan Strawberry
TOP 10 IN STANDINGS (AFTER RACE 5)
-
Brayden E Carter – 50
-
Aidan Strawberry – 38
-
Levi Fisher – 23
-
Dusty Fincher – 21
-
Brandon Dittmer – 17
-
Carson Southern – 17
-
Chandler Barker – 12
-
Jon Foskey – 12
-
Bryan Brewer – 11
-
Everett Larson – 11
• You can race with ICL for free, following along with race day info in our discord here: https://discord.gg/vQmsdwxvTf
• Become a VIP member to be eligible for Payouts and Provisionals: https://www.iracingchampions.com/signup/
• Subscribe to our Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWWJrcsnS02EYhcoT6WThGQ?sub_confirmation=1
