News

DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park Starts One Day Earlier on Monday, Feb. 7

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The anticipation for the 2022 DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park is growing larger as the huge two-week event will now kick off on Monday, Feb. 7.

By beginning the DIRTcar Nationals a day earlier than previous years, it creates for a break between the two weeks of racing for a day of rest on Sunday, Feb. 13, before action runs through Feb. 19.

The new dates will create an exciting opportunity for the DIRTcar UMP Modifieds. Following three nights of racing to kick off the event, the division’s traditional “All-Features” night will now be on Thursday, Feb. 10 with split fields competing on Friday, Feb. 11, and the Gator Championship on Saturday, Feb. 12. The All Star Circuit of Champions will join the DIRTcar UMP Modifieds on Tuesday and Wednesday before the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars take the green flag on their season Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.

DIRTcar Late Models power up the second week of racing on Monday, Feb. 14, along with a Super DIRTcar Series Big Block Modified hot lap night, followed Tuesday, Feb. 15, with DIRTcar Late Models and the Super DIRTcar Series. Then beginning Wednesday, Feb. 16, World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Models and Super DIRTcar Series Big Block Modifieds drive the event to the checkered flag through Saturday, Feb. 19.

The grandstands at the World’s Fastest Half-Mile dirt track near Daytona Beach open nightly at 5 p.m. with opening ceremonies and racing at 6:50 p.m.

While the best way to catch all the action is in the track’s massive grandstands, the racing will also air around the world on DIRTVision as part of the broadcast giant’s Fast Pass subscription.

Tickets and camping for the DIRTcar Nationals are available online. Fans who had already purchased tickets and would like to update their package to the revised dates can begin by clicking here.

Here’s a look at the schedule featuring Sprint Cars, Dirt Late Models, UMP Modifieds and Big Block Modifieds:

Rain Cancels Sept. 18 Races

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Unfortunately, with the heavy rain all week, the heavy rain now at the track and more forecast for tomorrow, the races for tomorrow night — Saturday, September 18th — have been canceled. The Fall Classic is next up, Oct. 16, featuring Top Gun Sprints, 604 Late Models, 602 Late Models, and Thunder Stocks.

Saturday’s Blazing Guns 30 Falls to Rain

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A storm rolled through Volusia Speedway Park Saturday afternoon, forcing track officials to postpone the Blazing Guns 30 with 602 and 604 late models as well as DIRTcar UMP Modifieds.

Next up will be the scheduled event is the Labor Day Classic Sept. 3-5 featuring 602 Late Models, 3/4 Modifieds, DIRTcar UMP Modifieds, Street Stocks, 604 Late Models and Thunder Stocks.

Mother Nature Postpones Bad Fast 50

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Persistent rains and ongoing thunderstorm warnings throughout the weekend have forced Volusia Speedway Park officials to postpone this weekend’s BAD FAST 50. The track is working to reschedule the event and will announce the new date soon.

Meanwhile, racing continues on Saturday, April 24, when the Work Force 30 spotlights the 602 Late Models with a 30-lap, $1,000-to-win Feature. Also racing are the DIRTcar UMP Modifieds, Street Stocks, Compact 4s, and Thunder Stocks.

Season Opener Cancelled, Moved to March 27 Big Dog 30

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Cold and rainy weather in Barberville, FL has forced Volusia Speedway Park officials to cancel tonight’s Season Opener, pushing the official opener to next weekend.

The Big Dog 30, on Saturday, March 27, will feature the DIRTcar UMP Modifieds, with a 30-laps, $1,500-to-win Feature, alongside the 602 Late Models, Street Stocks, Thunder Stocks, and Compact 4s.

 

UNEXPECTED GATOR: Moran Claims First Big Gator Championship

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WITH THE HELP OF A FLORIDA COUPLE, MORAN MADE THE TRIP TO FLORIDA FOR A CAREER WEEK

A trip to Volusia Speedway Park for the 50th DIRTcar Nationals wasn’t initially on Devin Moran’s 2021 itinerary. His new gator-wide smile signified his joy of that change.

Moran, 26, of Dresden, OH, claimed his first DIRTcar Nationals Big Gator championship on Saturday after an impressive display of consistency through the five rounds of Late Model races. If it wasn’t for a broken driveshaft on Wednesday, he could’ve finished on the podium in each event – he had finishes of third, second, 31st, first (his first Volusia win) and second.

“It’s pretty cool,” Moran said about claiming his first Big Gator title. “It’s pretty unexpected, to be honest. At the start of the week, we weren’t even planning on coming down here. Then to run top three even night, except for that one DNF, which I think we had a shot to win, it just gives us a lot of confidence… To start out the year the way we have, it’s been a lot of fun and like I said, it gives us a lot of confidence.”

If it wasn’t for Florida-residents Terry and Marry Ann Wright – who have been friends with Moran’s car owner for a while – Moran and his team would’ve skipped the prestigious event. They’ve been trying to get the team to come down for a couple of years and this year helped make it affordable for them, Moran said.

Bobby Pierce was his closest competitor in the championship hunt going into the final race – before Saturday’s event was canceled due to rain. He entered the night only nine points behind Moran and was on track to cut into that lead after setting Slick Woody’s Quick Time and starting on the outside pole of the Feature.

However, as fate would have it, he suffered a motor issue and the team was unable to get a new one in before the Feature started. Pierce hoped in Reid Millard’s car for the Feature but pulled in early and was unable to finish, unofficially handing the Big Gator championship to Moran who finished second that night. He earned his first golden gator trophy the night before.

Defending Big Gator champion and three-time defending World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series champion Brandon Sheppard finished second in over Big Gator points.

“Like I said, it’s so unexpected,” Moran said. “First of all, with us not coming and then winning the whole week. It sucks with what happened with Bobby that he had to change motors and couldn’t… It’s a bummer that he couldn’t race. But we had a really consistent fast car all week. It’s a special thing to take home this gator with as unexpected as it was.”

UP NEXT
The World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series, on Friday, March 5, will return to Duck River Raceway Park in Lewisburg, TN.

If you can’t make it to the track, you can watch all the action live on DIRTVision.

50th DIRTcar Nationals Big Gator Championship Goes to McLaughlin

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BARBERVILLE, FL – Max McLaughlin walked into Volusia Speedway Park with one mission —  win races. He captured one victory, three top-fives and four top-10s to take the 50th DIRTcar Nationals Big Gator championship for the Super DIRTcar Series Big Block Modifieds.

The banner win came with a dose of redemption that had been on McLaughlin’s mind since he drove for Heinke-Baldwin Racing in 2017. 

“Not only have I wanted to win at this race track for a long time, but to get a DIRTcar Nationals championship is really special,” said McLaughlin, of Mooresville, NC. “I almost got one in 2017 when I tied with Brett Hearn. He ended up winning the final night which gave the championship to him. It’s been bothering me for a few years that we didn’t win it. Now, this makes up for it.”

But it wasn’t all smooth sailing for the multi-discipline race car driver at The World’s Fastest Half-Mile. The 20-year-old driver of the #32C made contact with seven-time Series champion Matt Sheppard in Turn 1, Lap 1 during the rain-delayed Feature on Feb. 11. McLaughlin went on to win the race with Sheppard finishing fifth, however the drivers were involved in an altercation afterward.  

“I made a mistake hitting the water on Lap 1 and got into Sheppard and got punched in the face for it,” McLaughlin said. “That’s alright. Whatever. I got one black eye, one busted lip, and one DIRTcar Nationals championship.”

Sheppard was penalized. 

McLaughlin now has his first two Super DIRTcar Series wins with the Sweentener’s Plus Big Block. 

“Thank you, Vic Coffey and everyone at the Sweetener’s Plus race team, for giving me the opportunity,” he said. “We won our first Heat Race of the week and I remember saying in an interview that this team has won here before and now it’s up to me and that’s what we did.”

McLaughlin finished in an average position of 4.5 and accumulated 594 points in four completed 30-lap Features. Just behind him was The Franklin Flyer Billy Decker in his Gypsum Wholesalers Big Block who finished with 589 points. Decker had four top-five finishes to finish the week in second place overall which is a good indicator that the #91 will be contending for a Super DIRTcar Series championship in 2021. 

Michael Maresca finished in third place overall and came out with his first career Super DIRTcar Series win. The St. Lawrence Radiology #7MM is off to a strong start in 2021.

Check out the final Big Gator championship points standings here.

The Super DIRTcar Series Big Block Modifieds start up the championship points season at The Nasty Track, Can-Am Speedway, on Saturday, April 10. If you can’t make it to the track DIRTVision will have you covered for the broadcast. 

Be sure to follow us on social media on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Also bookmark SuperDIRTcarSeries.com for the schedule, features, race reports, and more. 

Rain Showers Force Cancellation of DIRTcar Nationals Finale

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Heavy morning showers creating a high-water table and saturated grounds at Volusia Speedway Park, along with persistent rain throughout the day, have forced World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series, Super DIRTcar Series and track officials to cancel Saturday’s event during the 50th DIRTcar Nationals at the speedway.

Those who purchased a ticket in advance to Saturday’s event at Volusia will receive a face-value credit to their MyDirtTickets.com account to be used towards any World of Outlaws event available at WorldofOutlaws.com/tix. If a credit to your account does not work for you, CLICK HERE to be taken to the refund request page.

If you bought the ticket at the track, you can mail your ticket and/or wrist band back to our Concord office with a return address: 7575 West Winds Blvd. Concord, NC 28027.

With the cancellation, that awards two first time Big Gator champions. Devin Moran is the new champion for the Late Models and Max McLaughlin is the champion for the Super DIRTcar Series.

The World of Outlaws Late Models will continue their high-octane show on Friday, March 5, at Duck River Raceway Park and the Super DIRTcar Series’ season will continue on Saturday, April 10, at Can Am Speedway.

For the latest on the World of Outlaws Late Models and Super DIRTcar Series, follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. And at WorldofOutlaws.com and SuperDIRTcarSeries.com.

If you can’t make it to the track, you can watch all the action live on DIRTVision with the annual Platinum FAST PASS subscription for $299/year or the monthly FAST PASS subscription for $39/month.

What to Watch For: The Super DIRTcar Series Starts Five Nights of Volusia Action Tonight

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BARBERVILLE, FL – The 2021 Super DIRTcar Series season hits the ground running in 2021 with five straight nights of racing at Volusia Speedway Park.

The best Big Block Modified drivers in the world will be on the hunt for the prestigious Big Gator championship trophy.

Big Block Modified Features at the DIRTcar Nationals are a touch different from traditional Series races where race fans are accustomed to seeing 100-lap battles. Instead, the Features at Volusia from Tuesday to Friday are 30 laps and $4,000-to-win. Saturday night’s finale is 50 laps and $5,000-to-win. These races do not count towards the Super DIRTcar Series points championship but they do count as prestigious Series wins in the record books. 

How to watch:

Tickets are available for all five nights of racing at Volusia Speedway Park. 

Tonight, Tuesday, February 9, features the DIRTcar Late Models with the Big Blocks. The next four nights, Wednesday to Saturday, the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Models take over on the card. Alternatively, race fans can watch the live broadcast on DIRTVision. 

Who to beat:

Defending Series champion Mat Williamson, from St. Catharines, Ontario, was the other man to beat in 2020 at Volusia. Williamson won the first night and the final night as Wight picked up three straight in between. Look for Williamson in his #88 Buzzchew Racing, Shakelton Auto Parts Big Block Modified to be fast out of the box at “The World’s Fastest Half-Mile.”

The defending Super DIRTcar Series DIRTcar Nationals champion Larry Wight will not be in attendance but for good reason: His wife had a baby on February 8. Although Wight will not be traveling with the team, race fans will see the familiar Gypsum Racing red gracing Billy Decker’s #91. He’s looking to make a championship run this year and starting out fast at Volusia is often a key indicator for early-season success.

For all of his success, only two of his 70 Series wins have come in DIRTcar Nationals competition. “The Franklin Flyer” is eager to add to his total this week. 

Matt Sheppard, a member of the Top 50 DIRTcar Nationals drivers, says Volusia is unique because once you think you have it down, you don’t. He’s looking to a strong DIRTcar Nationals as the 2020 edition was not his best Florida excursion. 

Sheppard has eight wins to his name at Volusia and three Big Gator championships. 

The Ransomville, NY racer Erick Rudolph is a strong contender at every race. The top guns of the Series know the #25R is coming for them again in 2021. Can Rudolph kick off the 50th anniversary of the DIRTcar Nationals with a win.

Rudolph has won Series races in New York, Quebec, Canada, and Ohio but so far a Florida victory eludes him. 

Big names in attendance:

Never count out Stewart Friesen. The Sprakers, NY Canadian-American wheelman has added another motor racing vehicle to his repertoire; a dirt late model. Now Friesen will be back behind the wheel of his Super DIRTcar Series Big Block Modified before going to “the big track” to run his NASCAR Camping World Truck. Friesen was held winless at Volusia in 2020.

Seven out of Friesen’s 33 Series victories have come at Volusia. 

Brett “The Jet” Hearn is back behind the wheel. He has the most DIRTcar Nationals checkered flags out of all Super DIRTcar Series drivers. Notably, Hearn’s first win came on a flat three-eights of a mile track on the same grounds when the half-mile was paved over. 

When it comes to success at the DIRTcar Nationals Hearn is in a league of his own. He’s earned nine Big Gator trophies and a whopping 21 Feature wins. No one else is close. 

Max McLaughlin has made a name for himself behind the wheel of a Big Block Modified, an asphalt modified, and stock cars. He had an incredible run during last fall’s OktoberFAST including his first career Super DIRTcar Series win which came at Weedsport Speedway. 

Tim Fuller has 31 career Super DIRTcar Series wins under his belt. His last DIRTcar Nationals win came in 2016. Watch for the #19 to be a steady presence at the front of the field.  

Stories to follow: 

Albany-Saratoga Speedway hot shoe, Jessey Mueller, planned to make 2020 his rookie season in the Super DIRTcar Series. He’s going for it again as we get 2021 started with a bang. 

“The Batman” Peter Britten has a brand new Bicknell Racing Products chassis for the 50th annual DIRTcar Nationals. True to his nickname, he’s gone all black on the #21A. 

A couple of Big Block veterans, Rick Scagliotta and Dave Rauscher are looking to make their presence known at Volusia. Rauscher is coming off an injury plus a huge rollover at Land of Legends Raceway this past summer in his #48too. 

Jack Lehner continues to improve and could soon become a consistent threat for podiums this year. Watch his Time Trials results to see if the #2L is going in the right direction at Volusia. A solid Time Trial can set a driver up for a strong night. 

Keep an eye on these drivers:

Thirty-plus drivers are expected to let their Big Blocks loose at Volusia. Watch for drivers like Kyle Coffey, Billy VanInwegen, Jimmy Britt, Cass Bennett, Brandon Hightower, Danny Creeden, Rob Pitcher, Derrick McGrew, Justin Wright, Tyler Jashembowski, Ryan Godown, Marcus Dinkins, CG Morey, Tyler Dippel, Darwin Greene, and Matt Stangle want to start their 2021 off with a gator to bring back home. 

How to follow the action: 

Race fans can catch every lap of action in person at Volusia Speedway Park or live on DIRTVision.com. 

For live up-to-the-minute coverage, all week long follow us on Twitter and Facebook. You can also catch shots and videos up on Instagram. Schedules, features, race reports, and more are all on SuperDIRTcar.com. 

For more DIRTcar Nationals coverage follow the event account on Twitter and at DIRTcarNationals.com.