Volusia Speedway Park is turning up the heat as the “Fab 5” return for the Short Track Showdown on Saturday, April 26.
The 604 Late Models, 602 Late Models, DIRTcar UMP Modifieds, 3/4 Modifieds and Factory Stocks take center stage for the second time this season as their respective title fights begin to take shape.
At the season-opening event, drivers got familiar with a refreshed dirt surface laid down after the World of Outlaws Bike Week Jamboree. Saturday night’s Short Track Showdown adds to a season-long challenge of mastering the “World’s Fastest Half Mile” in 2025.
Saturday grandstand gates will open at 4 p.m., with Hot Laps beginning at 6 p.m. ET. General admission tickets are $15, and kids aged 12 or under are free.
Here are the top storylines to look out for:
Kopka Reigns Supreme: Mikey Kopka began his 2025 Volusia season right where he left off in 2024 with a 604 Late Model Feature win in the Spring Fling, piloting Joe Kump’s No. 721 Barry Wright Race Cars Late Model.
The Astor, FL native also pulled double duty that night, earning a top-10 finish with the DIRTcar Factory Stocks. Since then, Kopka has stayed active, notching a win at North Florida Speedway in his No. 41L Factory Stock.
Kopka sits atop the leaderboard by five points over Callahan, FL’s Kole Platt, entering Saturday’s Short Track Showdown.
Dalton’s Domination: Dalton Hopke has proven to be the driver to beat in the 3/4 Modified division at Volusia Speedway Park this year.
In March, Hopke won the World of Outlaws Bike Week Jamboree Features and then the track’s season-opener. Before those wins, he hadn’t visited Victory Lane at Volusia since the 2023 Labor Day Classic.
The Jacksonville, FL native is focused on claiming superiority in the division as the Short Track Showdown presents an opportunity to build on his five-point lead in the standings.
Quadruple Duty: Jason Garver enjoys as much track time as possible on race nights at Volusia Speedway Park. In the Spring Fling, he competed in the 604 Late Model, 602 Late Model, DIRTcar UMP Modified and the Factory Stock divisions.
The Starke, FL native won with the UMP Modifieds, scored a podium in the 602 Late Models, earned a sixth-place result in the 604 Late Models and contended for the Factory Stocks win until a late crash took him out of the running.
If Garver can complete the sweep, he’ll become the first driver to score multi-divisional Feature wins in a single night at the Short Track Showdown since Joe Belkey on March 25, 2022.
The Kid Shines: Willy Cuddy had been working toward his first DIRTcar Factory Stock win at Volusia since he started racing in the division in 2022.
That moment came at the Spring Fling when leaders Blake Clouser and Jason Garver collided on the backstretch, leading toward the Christmas, FL driver claiming his first career Volusia triumph.
“The Kid” kept the momentum rolling in the aftermath of the win, with podium finishes earned at All-Tech Raceway and Ocala Speedway as he chases a second Feature win on Saturday night.
Youth Movement Brewing: While the Spring Fling saw five drivers leave Volusia with the first trophies of the 2025 season, a rising pool of young drivers is looking to celebrate a win at the Barberville, FL facility.
Lake Helen, FL gasser Blake Clouser led the first 17 laps of the Factory Stocks Feature until his collision with Jason Garver led to a 14th-place result. The 16-year-old enters Volusia with a head of steam after scoring a Factory Stock win at Ocala on April 12 and an asphalt Pure Stock triumph at Cordele Motor Speedway on April 19.
Aside from a DNF in the opening Bike Week Jamboree Feature, Ethyn Hwan has finished inside the podium at every 3/4 Modifieds Feature he’s participated in this year. The 19-year-old bagged two wins at Marion County Raceway and finished third in the Spring Fling. Hwan goes for his first career win at the “World’s Fastest Half Mile” on Saturday.
Despite owning a track title in the 602 Late Models from 2023, Austin Leamon is continuing to seek his first career Feature win at Volusia Speedway Park. The 22-year-old driver out of Lithia, FL finished second with the 602 Late Models and inside the top-10 with the 604 Late Models at the season opener.
For more information about the Short Track Showdown weekend and the full Volusia Speedway Park calendar, CLICK HERE.