After 11 months of racing at Volusia Speedway Park, five new local division champions will be honored Saturday night in the lead-up to the biggest 2025 racing finale in Florida.
The inaugural Prelude to the Reutimann features the “Fab 5” classes of the track with DIRTcar UMP Modifieds, 604 Late Models, 602 Late Models, 3/4 Modifieds, and Factory Stocks going to battle for a chance at a championship for the final time in the year.
The weekend also adds higher stakes for the UMP Modified competitors, as the winner of the division’s Feature will earn a guaranteed starting position in the $10,000-to-win Emil and Dale Reutimann Memorial finale.
Gates will open at 4 p.m. ET, with Hot Laps at 6 p.m. Tickets will be $15. Attendants 12 and under are free. To honor America’s armed forces for Veterans’ Day, the first 20 active or former military members with a valid ID will get to see Saturday’s event free of charge.
Here are some storylines to keep an eye on:
DIRTcar UMP Modifieds – The battle for the DIRTcar UMP Modified championship has been whittled down to veterans Jason Garver and Seth Geary dueling for the crown on Saturday.
Garver has been at the top of the standings since the opening race of the season, while Geary had to make a climb back through the points in 2025 to place himself 24 points back from the driver of the No. 27G.
The weekend builds higher stakes aside from the title the two drivers are hunting, as a win in the Prelude to the Reutimann will give them a coveted spot in the $10,000-to-win Reutimann Memorial Feature. If Geary wins, Garver will need to finish fifth or better to lock up his first track championship in the division.
604 Late Models – Trynt Lloyd is ready to finish the 2025 season as a first-time Volusia Speedway Park track champion in the 604 Late Models.
The Jacksonville, FL teenager has proven to be the class of the field with four wins and top fives through every Feature contested this year at the Barberville, FL facility behind the wheel of his No. 2 Longhorn Chassis.
Lloyd is entering the weekend with recent momentum from the Fall Classic after passing Nevin Gainey on the final lap to win the night’s Feature.
602 Late Models – One point. That is all that separates Brandon Yates and Jason Garver in the championship standings as they head into the “Fab 5” finale.
Yates picked up his sole Volusia win in 2025 at the Firecracker Showdown, while Garver is seeking his first win in the division. Sitting 10 points behind the two drivers is 2022 division champion Austin Leamon, who can steal the title if he wins and the two drivers finish fourth or worse.
The tight points race ahead of the Prelude to the Reutimann will see the three drivers vying for every position available around the 1/2-mile Saturday night to leave with the championship in their possession.
3/4 Modifieds – Dalton Hopke has one more night to show why he’s the cream of the crop in the 3/4 Modified field as he runs towards his first Volusia track championship in the division.
The Jacksonville, FL, pilot of the No. H1 has scorched the division with five wins in six Features to lead Top Gun Classic winner Ethyn Hwan by 31 points into the season’s finale at the Barberville, FL racetrack.
Winning the championship on Saturday will solidify a turnaround season for him after the year prior saw him suffer multiple mechanical issues that hindered a run for the championship. In 2025, Hopke’s worst result is a second-place run to Colton Lane at the Battle in Barberville revival.
Factory Stocks – Heading into the championship-deciding finale, Jason Garver and Willy Cuddy will go face-to-face for the 2025 Factory Stocks crown at “The World’s Fastest Half Mile.”
Cuddy made the biggest stride in his racing career at the track, where he has two wins, five top-five finishes, and a top-10 finish in every Feature held for the division this season. Garver owns one more win and a top-five finish than Cuddy, but was unable to outrun him in the October Fall Classic.
The two drivers face different motivations heading into the Prelude to the Reutimann. Cuddy, of Christmas, FL, is seeking a championship to culminate his arrival to the top step of Volusia County racing, while Garver, of Starke, FL, is racing to cap off the year with titles in the DIRTcar UMP Modifieds, 602 Late Models, and Factory Stocks.