Garret Stewart was one of Florida’s most successful drivers in the DIRTcar UMP Modified ranks, but then shocked many when he sold his Modified halfway through the season in 2022. In place of it, he purchased a Longhorn Chassis to compete in the 604 Late Model division.
The reason he made the switch to a Late Model was simple: he wanted more time to race.
“We wanted to race more,” Stewart said. “Only Seth (Geary) and I, at the time, ran between the big three of East Bay (Raceway Park), Volusia, and Ocala (Speedway). We knew East Bay was closing, then Volusia scaled back, and Ocala was hardly open. So, we went from racing 18-20 times to almost once a month.
“We just decided to take the leap, and I don’t know that we’ve always thought that it was the right decision. But I’m pretty happy with what we’re doing. I mean, there’s tons of places for Modifieds to race, but most of it is in Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, and Tennessee versus taking the Late Model to South Georgia or Alabama. So, we still miss it, but I’m having a lot of fun right now.”
About three years later, the five-time Volusia Speedway Park Modified track champion is building a new reputation as a Late Model driver. And even though he has 17 years of racing experience, life in a Late Model has taught him new lessons.
“I’ve had to change a ton with my driving style,” Stewart said. “I had to get a lot more aggressive, especially in the first couple of years. My stuff was really good in the Mod, so I could let things play out five-eight laps in and start maneuvering through the field. Whereas the Late Model, when they throw the green flag, you gotta go.
“So, it’s been a bit of a hurry up for me to get aggressive and learning how different the two drive. You have to really be able to rotate the (Late Model) for the corner, because you can’t just drive straight through it. You could sometimes take a Modified where it wasn’t exactly where it needs to be, but you could still be able to run through your lines straight through.”
The second part of Stewart’s adjustment from the two cars lies in the engine department. While they weigh the same at 2,400 lbs, his Modified had 700 horsepower versus his Crate Late Model which has 400 horsepower.
“In the Modified, you got rewarded for being straight, and there was a lot of things you could do,” Stewart said. “(The Modified) had horsepower, and most of the guys had too much of it that you couldn’t use it all. The Late Model has to be spot on, and it’s gotta be really close because it’s momentum racing. That’s something I hadn’t done since go-karts.
“It’s learning how to keep the car freed up, and sometimes you can overdrive it, but it rewards you in this car where overdriving in the Modified would be a disadvantage. Even though we’ve gotten wins, I still struggle with that on some nights. But, we’re still getting better.”
Marking his first appearance at the “World’s Fastest Half Mile” with the 604 Late Model in August of 2022, Stewart finished the year with two top-five finishes.
Nearly a year later, Stewart picked up his first Volusia 604 Late Model win at the Labor Day Classic and the 2023 All-Tech Raceway track title. In 2024, he scored one Volusia Feature win at Back to School Night in August.
Volusia Speedway Park’s recently installed new clay has several drivers pressing the reset button on what they’ve previously known about the track. For Stewart, he feels a nostalgia towards the surface as it reminds him of a Volusia from years past.
“We came here on the first night, and the racetrack had widened out,” Stewart said. “There’s a line that used to work out of (Turn 2) a long time ago, and it was right back at home. So, for two or three laps, I just blasted the fence, got right up against the wall, and it hadn’t been like that in a couple of years. It was fun to get up on the wheel like that again, and it widened out just like it used to. It’s kinda funny because I know it’s new clay, but it feels old, like home again.”
With five track titles in the DIRTcar UMP Modifieds, a 604 Late Model title is something that Stewart hopes to have fall his way when the Volusia Speedway Park points season ends on Saturday, November 15 at the Prelude to the Reutimann.
After top-five finishes in the first two Volusia events, Stewart currently sits second in 604 Late Model points – 15 markers away from Trynt Lloyd entering the Firecracker Classic on June 14.
“The titles were something we never really thought about,” Stewart said. “We always just raced as much as we could, and then it just ended up with all these titles that didn’t really plan on. We just race as much as we can, and it works out. At All-Tech currently, I missed the first race for a cruise, but you look at it now, and we’re second in points.
“Winning at Volusia would be huge for us, because it would show that we rose to the occasion, we’re running a lot better, I understand the car a lot more, and it’s definitely a goal of mine. I don’t want to be known as ‘The Modified Guy’ because I hear Bob (Stoekel) say it, and I just wanna be known as Garret. But it’d really mean a lot for me and my family.”
Stewart brings the No. 67 604 Late Model back to the “World’s Fastest Half Mile” on Saturday, June 14, with the Firecracker Classic featuring the “Fab 5” divisions of 604 Late Models, 602 Late Models, DIRTcar UMP Modifieds, 3/4 Modifieds, and the Factory Stocks.
If you can’t make it to the track, you can watch all the action live on DIRTVision – either online or by downloading the DIRTVision App.