Commencing the racing season in Volusia County is a cornerstone tradition in American motorsports, as century-old speed records were set across the Daytona Beach shores.
The “Sunshine State” will continue to be the home of opening the year for multiple levels of motorsports in 2026, beginning with Volusia Speedway Park welcoming dirt Late Models for the seventh edition of DIRTcar Sunshine Nationals.
The event has become a home for fire-starting championship quests, spotlighting regional stars of the southeast, and pitting the best competitors across three classes of Late Models to help the event earn its nickname, the “Late Model Palooza.”
Let’s take a look at the history of Sunshine Nationals:
2020 – The inaugural running of Sunshine Nationals was created as a regional-focused weekend that hosted Pro (604) Late Models, 602 Late Models, and the Florida Late Model Challenge Series.
The opening night saw wins from future World of Outlaws Late Models presented by DIRTVision racers, as Kyle Bronson won with the Pro Late Models, and Cody Overton with the 602 Late Models. Track veteran David Showers Jr scored the victory with the Florida Late Models.
Bronson swept the Pro Late Models the next two nights while Showers took a second victory in the Florida Late Models on Friday. The Saturday finale included Dusty Sparkman winning the Florida Late Models finale. In the 602 Late Models, Bud Chancey and Colton Leyendecker took the Friday and Saturday Features to complete the first annual running.
2021 – There was an increase in horsepower for the second edition of Sunshine Nationals with the arrival of the World of Outlaws to the Barberville, FL facility. Before 2021, the 900-horsepower machines had visited Volusia for Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals in February every season since 2004, along with the previously held Gator 100 from 2005 to 2006.
The new trip to “The World’s Fastest Half Mile” for the Series was the prime opportunity for Florida’s Kyle Bronson to earn his first win against the World of Outlaws. And he wasn’t the only first-time winner. Multi-time track winner Kyle Stricker claimed the Saturday finale.
In the Pro Late Models, Michael Page took the Thursday opener while Bronson won the Saturday night closer. In the 602 Late Models, future Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series gasser Clay Harris captured the Thursday showcase while Dalton Hood ended the event with his first Feature win at the 1/2-mile track.
2022 – The third annual event saw an emotional triumph for one of the south’s biggest Late Model stars while a Midwestern favorite kick-started his championship chase.
After fighting prostate cancer in the latter months of 2021, Chickamauga, GA’s Dale McDowell returned to the steering wheel of his Team Zero Chassis No. 17m and claimed his first Series win since 2018. Behind McDowell, Carpentersville, IL native Dennis Erb Jr. finished second to start a season that culminated in his first World of Outlaws championship.
Weather hindered much of the 2022 event, forcing a makeup Feature to be held at the World of Outlaws Late Model opener at Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals. The night involved Ashton Winger bagging his fourth career Series victory – his first at Volusia. In the sole Features for the 604 Late Models and 602 Late Models, Mark Whitener and Dalton Hood left the January weekend with the event’s famed straw hats for the victors.
2023 – When the fourth edition of Sunshine Nationals arrived, it welcomed the emergence of the latest Volusia Speedway Park expert: Dresden, OH’s Devin Moran.
Entering 2023 was a new era for Moran as he joined the Double Down Motorsports No. 99 Longhorn Chassis. The Friday night opener saw the Ohioan pass Tim McCreadie in the final stages of the Feature for his second career win at Volusia. The “Mail Man” kept the winning energy into the Saturday finale by leading the final 18 laps to sweep the weekend for his first surfboard trophy.
The year also saw the Pro and 602 Late Models competing in split Features between the Thursday and Friday programs. Winners in the Thursday Pro Late Models included Ross Bailes, Bronson, Demetrios Drellos, and Rye Faulk. Friday highlighted winners in Austin Yarbrough, Freddie Carpenter, Donald McIntosh, and Randy Weaver. In the 602 Late Models, Jensen Ford swept the two Features, while Michael Courtney and David Showers Jr. claimed the second Thursday and Friday Features, respectively.
2024 – At the half-decade mark of Sunshine Nationals, Moran established his place as the driver to beat at Sunshine Nationals. While Bobby Pierce set a new track record in the Super Late Models, Moran was back in business on the opening night when he outpaced Ricky Thornton Jr. and Pierce for the opening night triumph.
The Saturday night finale almost became a four-peat for Moran after leading the first 11 laps. However, Hudson O’Neal’s Rocket1 Racing Late Model overpowered Moran’s Longhorn Chassis as he led the final 29 circuits for his second career World of Outlaws Feature win. Within the top five between the two nights was New Berlin, IL’s Brandon Sheppard. His finishes of second and fifth in the two-night span proved to be crucial in the overall title fight as the Longhorn Chassis No. B5 narrowly defeated Pierce and Nick Hoffman for a fifth Series championship, the most all-time.
The Pro Late Models and 602 Late Models opened Friday with split Features, then finale Feature racing in Saturday’s slate of events. Friday Pro Late Model victors included Dillon Brown, Yarbrough, Richie Stevens, and Brock Pinkerous, while 602 Late Models highlighted Chaz Haskins and Nevin Gainey. Saturday’s closer saw new event champions, as Matt Henderson took the Pro Late Models victory and Pierce McCarter claimed the 602 Late Model hardware.
2025 – The latest showcase of Sunshine Nationals provided a tidal wave of new Volusia Speedway Park contenders to commence the 2025 dirt Late Model season.
Friday’s opening night came with tense closing laps for Marshalltown, IA’s Ryan Gustin. While leading, with Jonathan Davenport closing in behind him, Gustin’s motor started billowing smoke. However, it stayed together long enough for Gustin to claim his third career win at Volusia.
Saturday’s finale saw Davenport fight a different opponent for a Sunshine Nationals win. This time, it was Las Cruces, NM’s Garrett Alberson, who, like Davenport, also appeared at the January event for the first time in his career. Alberson’s No. 58 and Davenport’s No. 49 exchanged the lead throughout the $20,000-to-win Feature, but Alberson was able to hold off “Superman” for his first win at Volusia. He also became the first driver from New Mexico to win with the Series.
In Friday’s split Pro Late Model Features, winners from the night included Sam Seawright, Matt Herlong, Drellos, and Whitener. While 602 Late Models saw Pierce McCarter and Dalton Peavy pick up the night’s trophy offerings. Similar to the World of Outlaws, the two Late Model classes added first-time event winners with Ethan Wilson in the Pro Late Models and Bubba Roling in the 602 Late Models.
2026 – Seven years of beginning the racing season at Volusia Speedway Park will continue with DIRTcar Sunshine Nationals on Wednesday-Saturday, Jan. 21-24. Wednesday will be open practice for drivers and teams to prepare for three days at the “World’s Fastest Half Mile.”
Racers of the World of Outlaws will continue to run a traditional nightly program with Feature racing each night, with Thursday and Friday offering $12,000-to-win and Saturday’s finale throwing up a $20,000 payday to the winner.
The Crate Racing USA Late Models and 602 Late Models will compete in split prelim Features on Thursday and Friday, with the Pro Late Models giving away $1,500-to-win and 602 Late Models presenting $1,000-to-win. The top 20 in each division’s points after Friday will clinch a position in Saturday’s finale. The 602 Late Models will chase a $3,000 reward through 20 laps, and the CRUSA Late Models will close the event with a $10,000-to-win chase.
SUNSHINE NATIONALS REGISTRATION
If you can’t make it to Volusia Speedway Park, you can watch all the action live on DIRTVision – either online or by downloading the DIRTVision App.