In 2022, Seth Geary has put himself in contention to become one of the most improved Volusia Speedway Park DIRTcar UMP Modified drivers this year after a long career path that stems from being a third-generation driver.
After years of watching his grandfather race Mini Stocks, Geary, 21, of Gibsonton, started his racing career at five years old, racing Quarter Midgets across the East Coast. That led to a career highlight of finishing sixth in the Heavy 160 during the first annual Battle at the Brickyard at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
From there, he made the transition from a Quarter Midget to a dirt E-Modified at North Florida Speedway, running the #7 in honor of his grandfather who ran the #07.
So, why the change from asphalt to dirt?
“I had an interest in dirt and the family support towards dirt racing was the better way to go for me,” he said.
After racing across the state of Florida for a few years in an E-Modified, he made the move to run a UMP Modified. Since then, he hasn’t made the change, nor has he been obligated to make a division change.
“The (UMP) modified is tough to drive, but that’s what makes it fun,” Geary said. “Setting the car up has its complexities, but they aren’t mood killers. Not only that, the competition is unreal when I’m racing at some of the best tracks in the country.”
The statistics of the past are a stark contrast with the performance Geary has had this season. In 2020 and 2021 combined, he only amassed five podiums and one win. In 2022, he has shot those statistics out of the water with five podiums, six top five finishes, and three wins.
“For me, the pressure is self-inflicted because when I’m racing, I only go for the wins,” Geary said. “Of course, there is always a sort of pressure to have when you’re leading a race, but I don’t let it affect me because I focus on what the job is to be done during that night; win.”
With three wins to his credit at Volusia this season, Geary said he feels this is his best season in a UMP Modified and knows there’s more to come with the fall season making it’s arrival.
“This has been my best season in Modified racing since I first started,” Geary said. “We have three wins at Volusia on top of nine total across all dirt tracks in Florida. So, this has been a season of trying to get all the dominos right. Volusia has taken lots of time for me to figure out what is best for setup, the way the track evolves through the night, what the preferred line is, where the best passing opportunities are and the car’s performance have all played a factor in my recent success.”
Adding to car performance, Geary also credited his chassis supplier, Longhorn Chassis for being a big supporter in his stellar season.
“Longhorn has been a huge help to me and my team the moment I first joined their racing family,” he added. “The people there that build the cars have a great partnership with me and my team and it’s a blessing to have such a great relationship with them. You don’t often get close with the guys that build these chassis. But I’m lucky I am.”
Geary has had to take a short hiatus from racing over July and August due to a new motor from Klein Engines. Geary hopes he can rack up more victories with the new power plant in the coming future.
When asked if he’s interested in going racing around the country, Geary said he has interests in running the Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals, the World Short Track Championship at the Dirt Track at Charlotte in October, and dipping his feet in new waters as time passes.
His path to get here includes an immense amount of support from his family, his crew chief Richard Tipton, and countless sponsors and supporters to build him up to the position he’s in now.
“The people that have helped me get to where I am now are nothing short of amazing,” he said, “I started this as something to just have fun and now I get to call it a second full-time job. It’s something I don’t want to stop yet.”
For more on Geary and his career, visit Seth Geary Racing on Facebook.
For the full Volusia Speedway Park schedule, driver points and results, visit VolusiaSpeedwayPark.com.
If you can’t make it to the track, you can watch weekly racing from The World’s Fastest Half-Mile live on DIRTVision – either online or by downloading the DIRTVision App.