Round 2 of the ARCA Dirt USA International Championship kept the series right at USA International Speedway (Dirt), and the early-season points picture got even more interesting. With 12 points awarded to the race winner, one point less per position behind them, and a crucial 1-point bonus available for the qualifying fast time, every run matters in a six-race championship. Two races are now in the books, which means there are four races left for drivers to make their move before the title is decided.

Brayden E Carter made the most of his first start of the season, turning a P2 grid spot into a controlled win. Carter got by Dusty Fincher early and was never really challenged after that, leading 23 of the 25 laps on the way to the checkered flag. Fincher led the other two laps and brought it home second, and even though he didn’t get the win, he still walked away with the biggest possible points haul outside of victory: 11 points for second plus the 1-point qualifying fast time bonus, giving him 12 total points on the night—matching Carter’s race-winning total.

Behind them, Aidan Strawberry’s night was fast enough to turn heads and steady enough to keep the championship trend moving in the right direction. Strawberry finished third, and he was the driver who produced the quickest lap of the race with a 24.765. He also briefly looked like the closest challenger to Carter after getting around Fincher, but contact with the inside wall took some momentum out of the push. Even with that moment, Strawberry banked a strong third-place points day—and it stands as his best finish of the season so far after running eighth in the opener.

The rest of the top five added some important names into the conversation. Carson Southern finished fourth in his first start of the season, quietly putting himself into the mix with a 9-point debut. Jordan LaFon came home fifth in his first start since September, immediately showing he can step back in and contend. Doug Welch rounded out the top six, and while he gave up a couple of spots compared to where he started, the finish still marked a big step forward from his Round 1 result—making this his best finish of the season so far and helping him climb sharply in the standings.

With a 12-car field, the “hard charger” category was more about small gains than huge comebacks, but there were still positions earned. Carter, Southern, LaFon, Christopher Gansen, Jaitre Laplante, and Bradley Robinson each improved their starting spot by one place. On the flip side, Doug Welch and Paul Bogensberger Jr. had the toughest swing against their starting position, each dropping two spots by the finish—exactly the kind of points leakage that can haunt a short, six-race championship.

In the standings, the biggest story is how quickly consistency can flip the table in a format like this. Aidan Strawberry made the largest move in the points order, jumping seven spots to take over the series lead with 15 points after two starts. Behind him, it’s tight and crowded: Brayden E Carter, Dusty Fincher, and Jon Foskey are all tied at 12 points. That tie is particularly fascinating because it’s been achieved three different ways—Carter with a win in his only start, Fincher with a runner-up plus the qualifying bonus in his only start, and Foskey still holding the full win total from Round 1. With four races remaining and the possibility of 13 points in a single night (win plus qualifying fast time), the gap from first to the tie for second is only three points—small enough that one strong round can completely reshuffle the top of the board.

Just behind that second-place logjam, Levi Fisher and Everett Larson sit at 11 points each, showing how close the front group remains even with mixed participation early. Riley Halverson II and Carson Southern are next at 9, and then a three-way tie at 8 points includes Jordan LaFon, Mitchell Maynard, and Doug Welch. The big takeaway after two rounds: the points are compact, the qualifying bonus is already influencing the order, and with four races left, the championship is still wide open for anyone who can stack finishes and grab that extra point in qualifying.

Race 2 Results (USA International Speedway – Dirt)

  1. Brayden E Carter

  2. Dusty Fincher

  3. Aidan Strawberry

  4. Carson Southern

  5. Jordan LaFon

  6. Doug Welch

  7. Dennis Holley

  8. Christopher Gansen

  9. Connor D James

  10. Jaitre Laplante

  11. Bradley Robinson

  12. Paul Bogensberger Jr

Top 10 in Standings (Ties Included)

  1. Aidan Strawberry – 15

  2. Brayden E Carter – 12

  3. Dusty Fincher – 12

  4. Jon Foskey – 12

  5. Levi Fisher – 11

  6. Everett Larson – 11

  7. Riley Halverson II – 9

  8. Carson Southern – 9

  9. Jordan LaFon – 8

  10. Mitchell Maynard – 8

  11. Doug Welch – 8

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