Volusia Speedway Park’s 2023 season will again close with the epic two-day Battle in Barberville, now featuring Sprint Cars on both days.
The second running of the event will showcase the best Florida drivers and beyond across 360 Sprint Cars, DIRTcar UMP Modifieds, and 3/4 Modifieds.
Fans will see winged Sprint Cars on Friday and Saturday this year, with Friday’s Feature paying $2,000 to win and Saturday’s Feature paying $3,000 to win. The winner of Saturday’s Feature will also earn a guaranteed spot in January’s Germfree Southern Sprint Car Shootout (if that driver locks themselves into January’s Feature without needing the guaranteed spot, it will go to the next driver in the finishing order of this Saturday’s Feature).
Accompanying the Sprint Cars on Friday will be 3/4 Modifieds, and UMP Modifieds will join them on Saturday. Thursday, Nov. 30 will be a practice night for all three divisions.
Here are the top storylines heading into the weekend:
Clem Back For More: The fast Floridian that every driver has been chasing in 2023 is St. Petersburg’s Tyler Clem. The defending champion of the Battle in Barberville, Clem was able to take full advantage of his opportunity in January by winning the Germfree Southern Sprint Car Shootout. That was not his only success at Volusia in 2023, winning with the Top Gun Sprint Car Series in August and the 604 Late Model Feature race at the Reutimann Memorial two weeks ago with Big Frog Motorsports.
Champion’s Challenge: Multiple Top Gun Sprint Car Series champions are expected to make the trip to Barberville, including former champions Danny Martin Jr., A.J. Maddox, and Brandon Grubaugh.
Martin, who finished second to Clem in last year’s Feature will be looking for that same speed on Friday and Saturday to lock himself into the Germfree Southern Sprint Car Shootout. Volusia is stomping grounds for the Sarasota, FL driver, who won every Top Gun Sprint Car Series Feature at the track in 2022.
Last December, A.J. Maddox, Tampa, FL, joined Martin on the podium in his familiar #3A Sprint Car. The three-time Top Gun Sprint Car Series champion has seen his fair share of success at Volusia, with his last win coming in May 2021. Maddox is seeking to break a 30-month winless streak to end the season.
Another champion in attendance will be defending Top Gun champion, Brandon Grubaugh. The Ocala, FL driver broke the 360 Sprint Car track record last year with a 14.909-second lap and finished inside the top five.
Springboard for Success: Dalton Lanich became the inaugural DIRTcar UMP Modified winner at the Battle in Barberville last year. He then used that success to springboard him to the 2023 Volusia Speedway Park track championship.
After a top-10 run in the Reutimann Memorial two weeks ago, Lanich will be poised to repeat his success in the December race and take home another Boot trophy.
Never Back Down: Josh Sanford has not let his close one-point loss in the DIRTcar UMP Modified track championship get to his performance, earning his first top-five in the famed Reutimann Memorial Feature. The Keystone Heights, FL driver is looking to close out the season by winning his first Battle in Barberville Feature after earning a top-10 Feature finish in all 2023 Volusia Speedway Park races.
Finally First: At the 10th Anniversary Reutimann Memorial, Steven Powers captured an emotional first Feature victory with the 3/4 Modifieds at Volusia, besting his dad, Timmy Hogan, in the closing stages. With his first win secured, and Hogan earning a win at the Veteran’s Day Classic, the father-son duo from Lake Helen, FL will be favorites in the division come Friday night.
Seeking Redemption: While Powers and Hogan are seeking another triumph in the 3/4 Modified division, Jacksonville, FL natives Colton Lane and Dalton Hopke will be seeking redemption.
Lane was three laps away from winning during the Reutimann Memorial before his motor broke. Hopke was also on track for a good run in the Memorial race before he had a mechanical issue. Both will try to rebound and score the elusive Battle in Barberville victory.
See who ends the 2023 Volusia Speedway Park season as a winner this Friday and Saturday, Dec. 1-2. For tickets, CLICK HERE.
If you can’t make it to the track, you can watch every lap live on DIRTVision – either with the DIRTVision App or at DIRTVision.com.
About Volusia Speedway Park
Volusia Speedway Park, The World’s Fastest Half Mile, is a 0.5-mile dirt track located in DeLeon Springs, Florida. VSP is home to the most prestigious dirt racing events, such as the Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals, Germfree Southern Sprint Car Shootout, Sunshine Nationals, and the Emil & Dale Reutimann Memorial. The track hosts weekly races year-round with divisions of Dirt Late Models, Modifieds & Stock Cars. The track also hosts dirt karting races at the facility. For more information, visit VolusiaSpeedwayPark.com.