The biggest DIRTcar UMP Modified event of 2025 returns to Volusia Speedway Park for the 12th edition of honoring one of Florida’s most storied families.
The 12th Emil and Dale Reutimann Memorial highlights the “Sunshine State” in November with three days of on-track activity from Thursday-Saturday, Nov. 20-22.
An open practice night on Thursday from 6-9 p.m. will help drivers become acclimated to the 1/2-mile facility. Racing begins Friday with four Discount Towing Showdown Features for the UMP Modifieds, along with action from 602 Late Models and Factory Stocks.
Saturday raises the stakes with Last Chance Showdowns and the main event – the 50-lap, $10,000-to-win Reutimann Memorial Feature, which also awards the iconic Crystal Tractor trophy to the winner.
602 Late Models and Factory Stocks will join the Modifieds on Friday, while the 604 Late Models and 3/4 Modifieds will join them on Saturday to help cap off 11 months of racing at “The World’s Fastest Half Mile.”
Here are the top storylines to look for:
Weekend of Honor – While the November event hosts competitors from around the United States to race at Volusia, it is a weekend of remembrance for Emil Reutimann Jr. and Dale Reutimann.
The Reutimann family will have an active presence on the track with 2015-16 winner David Reutimann’s Beak Built Chassis cars being occupied by his dad, Buzzie Reutimann, along with Treb Jacoby, Zane Oedewaldt, Eric Moon, Wade Olmsted, Dillon Buhr, and 2022 event winner Ethan Dotson.
Off the track, there will be activities featuring vintage Reutimann Modifieds that Buzzie piloted in the 1970s, and a bike giveaway on Saturday for children in attendance to take home.
Back For More – As the majority of drivers will hunt after a maiden win in the marquee event, multiple former champions have a mission to leave the track with the Crystal Tractor trophy.
Reigning champion Kyle Stricker returns in his Elite Chassis No. 8 to go after a third win in the event. The “High Side Tickler” won three Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals gators in February, and comes off a top-five effort at the 10th World Short Track Championship at The Dirt Track at Charlotte. He’d become the first driver since David Reutimann to go back-to-back if he wins.
DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals champion Tyler Nicely will pilot Justin Allgaier’s No. 7 UMP Modified in his attempt for Reutimann Memorial win No. 2. The Owensboro, KY native won his first Crystal Tractor trophy in 2020, but is making his first start at Volusia since the 2024 DIRTcar Nationals.
2022 event winner Ethan Dotson is back in a Beak Built Chassis for the second consecutive year with the Reutimann family. The Californian is fresh off a season of racing in the World of Outlaws Real American Beer Late Models presented by DIRTVision – winning in the Illini 100 weekend at Farmer City Raceway.
Garver’s Humble Abode – Jason Garver only intended to race at Volusia to gain an advantage in the upcoming marquee event. With track championships in the UMP Modifieds, 602 Late Models, and Factory Stocks, he has more of a reason to enter the event with confidence.
The Starke, FL driver won a total of five Features at the 1/2-mile, with two wins in the Modifieds and three in the Factory Stocks. Garver also took time in the summer to race on the Summit Modified Nationals trail for the first time in his career, finishing a high of fifth at Duck River Raceway Park. His best finish in the Reutimann Memorial, so far, is a 10th-place finish in 2019.
While “Racin’ Jason” will focus on chasing the $10,000 payday behind the wheel of his No. 27G Lethal Chassis, it won’t be the only victory he chases over the weekend. Like every race weekend at Volusia, he’ll continue to pull triple-duty, if not more, competing in the other divisions each night.
National Clash – The Reutimann Memorial weekend pits the top drivers in the United States against the natives of Florida in the final chapter of the 2025 racing season.
Former track champions Seth Geary, Dalton Lanich, and Buzzie Reutimann will chase after their first win in the prestigious event. Amongst the Florida stronghold of drivers are Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series driver Clay Harris, multi-time track winner Dillon Buhr, and veteran Paul Shead.
On the other hand, the travelers who have marked a heading for Volusia include Summit Modified Nationals winner Treb Jacoby, World Short Track Championship winner Ray Kable, former NASCAR Truck Series racer Austin Self, and NASCAR Cup Series competitor Justin Haley.
No Sweat – In the track’s points finale on Saturday night, Todd Neiheiser earned a guaranteed spot in the $10,000-to-win Feature with a triumph in the inaugural Prelude to the Reutimann.
The Panama City, FL veteran drove the same No. 72 Elite Chassis that Ray Kable took to victory in October’s World Short Track Championship after dueling against Rich Pratt for the checkered flag after 20 laps.
Neiheiser is a proven threat against the national competition, owning a DIRTcar Nationals gator from 2023 and finishing top five in the 2021 Reutimann Memorial. The 63-year-old is looking to be the first winner from Florida since Jeff Mathews in 2017.
REUTIMANN MEMORIAL CHAMPIONS
2014 – Austin Sanders, Seffner, FL
2015 – David Reutimann, Zephyrhills, FL
2016 – David Reutimann, Zephyrhills, FL
2017 – Jeff Mathews, Brandon, FL
2018 – Kyle Strickler, Mooresville, NC
2019 – David Stremme, Mifflintown, PA
2020 – Tyler Nicely, Owensboro, NC
2021 – Nick Hoffman, Mooresville, NC
2022 – Ethan Dotson, Bakersfield, CA
2023 – Nick Hoffman, Mooresville, NC
2024 – Kyle Strickler, Mooresville, NC