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DILLON MCCOWAN Words and Pictures by Greg Stanek
IT WAS A LONG CAMPAIGN and it came down to the very last few races of the USRA season to determine whether Dillon McCowan would achieve his ultimate goal – USRA champion. Regardless of that outcome, McCowan had a truly breakout season in which the youngster from tiny Urbana, Missouri, (pop: 414) was a dominant force in the USRA A-mod division this year and reached double digit wins during a season-long battle with Minnesota’s Dustin Sorenson. Dillon is your typical kid growing up in the Midwest. He loves to hunt, fish and ride four wheelers on the family cattle farm. During the week he attends school and works the farm. From feeding to baling hay, he stays very busy. Mom and dad may provide the ride, but he works very hard to earn that right to have and drive a race car.
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Week nights, after school and work on the farm is done, he works in the shop on his race cars along with his dad, and little brother Devin who is known as “The crew chief” and family friend Ryan Lewis. Dillon gets his interest and love of racing from his grandpa, who owned several cars during his lifetime. “His grandpa got this whole mess started,” Charlie McCowan said. “Mom and I were like No....No....but we just took up with the deal and rolled with it.” On weekends you will find Dillon at one of several local dirt tracks running door handle to door handle with some of the best modified drivers in the country. At just 17 years old, this young man has put together quite a resume in a very short period of time. Racing against some of the best drivers in the nation like Kris Jackson, J.C. Morton, Andy Bryant, Ryan Gillmore,
DIRT EMPIRE MAGAZINE • ISSUE 04 - 2021
Dillon has earned the respect of veteran drivers across the country. “Dillon comes from a good family and is extremely well mannered and that follows him out on the race track,” said two-time USRA B-Mod National Champion Kris Jackson. “ He is easy to race with. He doesn’t come out here to beat your sides off, he just wants to go fast and race.... he is just a really good kid and I am glad to race with him every week.” Some of that “well mannered” racing
