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LITTLE 2, BIG 5K: Nicely Scores First Career Reutimann Memorial Victory at Volusia

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Nicely’s Longhorn by Loenbro Chassis wins in first weekend out, Elite Chassis finish 2-3

BARBERVILLE, FL – Nov. 21, 2020 – When Tyler Nicely and his team loaded up after their testing session earlier this week, he knew he had a car he could take to Volusia Speedway Park and contend for his first Reutimann Memorial Feature victory.

Not only did Nicely, of Owensboro, KY, and his new Longhorn by Loenbro Chassis score the victory in the 7th annual Emil & Dale Reutimann Memorial, he showed consistent strength in the new car throughout the weekend. Setting fast time and winning his Showdown Feature on Friday night set him up for a spot in the redraw on Saturday, where he took full advantage of his forward starting spot, leading 30 total laps en route to the $5,000 payday.

“I didn’t want to lose the race and I was going to do everything I could to win it,” Nicely said in Victory Lane. “I knew I just needed to get out in clean air and just dictate my own race. I knew we had a pretty good car early; I just knew I needed to make a smart move early to get to the lead.”

Starting from position #4 on the grid, Nicely showed speed right out of the gate, chasing down NASCAR standout Justin Allgaier, of Riverton, IL, and leader Devin Dixon, of Apollo Beach, FL, inside the first 10 laps. After an early caution, Nicely made the move around Allgaier for second and cracked the whip, gunning for leader Dixon’s rear bumper.

As Dixon worked his way around a slower car out of Turn 4 to complete Lap 21, he got a bit too wide out of the groove and the door opened for Nicely to his inside. Nicely threw it hard into Turn 1, slid up the track and took the lead away.

Dixon came back at him with a slide job of his own a few laps later, but the non-existent cushion up top threw him wide once again as Nicely drove back by. Dixon was able to grab the lead back briefly on Lap 27 after Nicely slipped high in Turn 2, but lost it again as Nicely threw a big slide job on he and Allgaier on a restart just one lap later.

Dave Shank Photo

Then came the opening Allgaier had been waiting for. Nicely slipped way high again in Turn 1 on Lap 35 as Allgaier jumped through the open door. Nicely recovered quickly though, throwing yet another slider for the lead as they came back around to Turn 1.

“We got the lead there and then Tyler slid me down in [Turn] 1,” Allgaier said. “I didn’t know if he was going to make 1 and 2 or not, so I jumped out of it. I wish, in hindsight, I’d have stayed in it.”

Allgaier’s presence out front seemed to spark a fire under Nicely’s seat. He dropped the hammer on the high side and never relinquished the lead again, fending off Allgaier and fellow Elite Chassis pilot Nick Hoffman’s surge for the front in the final laps.

Hoffman, the five-time DIRTcar Nationals UMP Modified champion at Volusia, took a shot at Allgaier with five-to-go for the runner-up spot, but was unable to hold the car down in Turn 1 and gave the spot right back as he washed-up the track.

“Justin had a way better racecar, so once he showed me a nose, I just let him go back by; the only shot for Elite Chassis to win tonight,” Hoffman said.

Dave Shank Photo

The Elite cars brought the heat after one final restart in the home stretch but couldn’t get a big enough run in either groove to threaten for the lead. Nicely was too fast on the top side and brought the field back around to the checkers to score his first career Reutimann Memorial victory.

“I kinda liked getting that caution with six to go, just because that took the lapped cars out of it; that’s how I got passed for the lead when we got into lapped traffic,” Nicely said.

Allgaier crossed the stripe in second – now his best career finish in the event. He was the only driver that kept it inside the podium for all 50 laps, despite his feelings on how the race began for him.

“In the beginning there, I struggled to get a line that really worked for me. Once we figured that out, I was able to make up some time,” Allgaier said.

Hoffman rounded out the podium in third, crossing by a slim margin over Justin Haley and Austin Holcombe. His newly-built Elite Chassis was quite the hot rod in the latter half of the race, but ultimately came up one spot shy of tying his personal best finish in the event (second, 2018).

“At the middle of the race, I kinda got my motor too hot and kinda cruised for a little bit; I wanted to cruise anyway. Once it was time to go, I was able to cool it down and really hustle,” Hoffman said.

7th Annual Reutimann Memorial Feature RESULTS (50 Laps)
1. 25-Tyler Nicely[4]; 2. 7-Justin Allgaier[3]; 3. 2-Nick Hoffman[6]; 4. 11-Justin Haley[12]; 5. 8A-Austin Holcombe[9]; 6. 35-David Stremme[13]; 7. 67-Garrett Stewart[7]; 8. 13P-Rich Pratt[19]; 9. 313-Devin Dixon[1]; 10. 36-Kenny Wallace[21]; 11. 7G-Seth Geary[18]; 12. 99W-Chris Arnold[17]; 13. 33-Jeff Matthews[2]; 14. 18-Eric Moon[24]; 15. 4-Maverick Varnadore[5]; 16. 205-Travis Vanadore[16]; 17. 80-Rich Dawson[8]; 18. 2J-Troy Johnson[14]; 19. 1-Steve Stevenson[11]; 20. 33K-Kenny Mihalik[27]; 21. 00-Buzzie Reutimann[20]; 22. 1S-Brian Shaw[26]; 23. 00D-David Reutimann[10]; 24. 6-Ryan Ayers[15]; 25. 72-Todd Neiheiser[25]; 26. 39W-Brandon Wells[22]; 27. 80P-Paul Shead[28]; 28. 27-Jason Garver[23]

UMP Mod Last Chance Showdown 1 (15 Laps)
1. 36-Kenny Wallace[1]; 2. 27-Jason Garver[9]; 3. 72-Todd Neiheiser[13]; 4. 14D-David Taylor[3]; 5. M20-Mike Petoskey[2]; 6. 1SJ-Josh Sanford[4]; 7. 80P-Paul Shead[10]; 8. 73-Mark Rhoades[16]; 9. 7N7-Jeff Solinger[12]; 10. 40-Shawn Reiss[7]; 11. 1R-Ryan Rackley[11]; 12. 57-Mark Grosvenor[6]; 13. 11R-Jesse Rupe[5]; 14. 33K-Kenny Mihalik[8]; 15. 96-Cole Parker[14]; 16. (DNS) 32-Bruce Martin

UMP Mod Last Chance Showdown 2 (15 Laps)
1. 39W-Brandon Wells[2]; 2. 18-Eric Moon[13]; 3. 1S-Brian Shaw[11]; 4. 11Z-Zane Oedewaldt[4]; 5. 17-Patrick Vareika[10]; 6. 17G-Brandon Grossman[1]; 7. Z06-Larry Mott[7]; 8. 141-Justin Galbreath[3]; 9. 21-Sean Monaghan[6]; 10. 62E-Kim Edington[5]; 11. 3C-Tony Campbell[9]; 12. 27S-Paul Schloss[14]; 13. 2D-Ray Durrence Jr[8]; 14. (DNS) 10-Dustin Thayer

SUNSHINE SHOWDOWNS: Allgaier, Dixon, Nicely, Mathews Win Reutimann Memorial Prelim Features at Volusia

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Twenty drivers now locked into Saturday’s 50-lap, $5,000-to-win main event

BARBERVILLE, FL – Nov. 20, 2020 – Fifty-two of the best DIRTcar UMP Modified drivers in the country assembled at the Volusia Speedway Park Friday night for the preliminary night of action at the 7th annual Emil & Dale Reutimann Memorial. Twenty names have since punched their ticket into Saturday’s $5,000-to-win main event.

Four 15-lap Showdown Features hit the track after two groups of Qualifying, locking the top-five finishers into Saturday’s Feature and taking the top-two into the redraw.

Showdown Feature #1 – Justin Allgaier

He hasn’t been able to drive his Federated Auto Parts #7 Elite Chassis as much as he would have liked to in 2020, but Justin Allgaier looked as if he had been in the car all season Friday night with a flag-to-flag victory in the first Showdown Feature.

Grabbing the lead into Turn 1 from the outside pole on the opening lap, Allgaier fought off all challengers from behind, including his chassis builder and 2020 DIRTcar UMP Modified national champion Nick Hoffman, for the $500 victory.

Hoffman held on for second, sending both he and Allgaier to the redraw. Also transferring into the Feature were Austin Holcombe, David Stremme and Chris Arnold.

Allgaier’s been steadily working on his dirt program recently and said he feels very comfortable with the car and the crew working tirelessly behind him. Hoffman’s been in his car for most of the season and has provided both he and Allgaier with a great opportunity to pick up the big $5,000 victory Saturday night.

“Well, tomorrow’s 50 laps, tonight was only 15,” Allgaier said of his outlook to Saturday. “I’ve got to not make a mistake. There’s a lot of guys tonight that got caught-out by the track conditions in Qualifying. The conditions tonight suited my driving style really well. But if it gets slick tomorrow, which I think it will, Nick’s [Hoffman] gonna be incredible. I know it.”

UMP Modifieds Feature 1 (15 Laps) RESULTS

  1. 7-Justin Allgaier[2]; 2. 2-Nick Hoffman[3]; 3. 8A-Austin Holcombe[4]; 4. 35-David Stremme[6]; 5. 99W-Chris Arnold[1]; 6. 36-Kenny Wallace[8]; 7. 14D-David Taylor[5]; 8. 11R-Jesse Rupe[13]; 9. 40-Shawn Reiss[11]; 10. (DNF) 27-Jason Garver[9]; 11. (DNF) 1R-Ryan Rackley[7]; 12. (DNF) 72-Todd Neiheiser[10]; 13. (DNF) 32-Bruce Martin[12]

Showdown Feature #2 – Devin Dixon

Through the first half of the second Showdown Feature, it appeared as though the event’s Best Appearing Car Award winner Rich Dawson was going to drive away flawlessly for the win. But Apollo Beach, FL’s Devin Dixon had other plans.

Dawson won the battle into Turn 1 on the opening lap, but Dixon never let him out of sight. A restart five laps in gave Dixon the opportunity he needed to make the move, which he did to Dawson’s inside in Turn 1 after furiously reeling him in lap-by-lap.

“Once we got going there, [Dawson] took off pretty good and then he started fading a little bit the later the race went, and we started getting better. Down there into [Turn] 1, he jumped the cushion a little bit and I just slid him, and it was on from there,” Dixon said.

From that point forward, Dixon set it on cruise and was never challenged for the lead again as he drove across the stripe, punching his ticket to the redraw with runner-up Dawson. Steve Stevenson, Ryan Ayers and Rich Pratt also transferred to the 50-lap Feature.

UMP Modifieds Feature 2 (15 Laps) RESULTS

  1. 313-Devin Dixon[2]; 2. 80-Rich Dawson[1]; 3. 1-Steve Stevenson[3]; 4. 6-Ryan Ayers[6]; 5. 13P-Rich Pratt[8]; 6. M20-Mike Petoskey[7]; 7. 1SJ-Josh Sanford[9]; 8. 57-Mark Grosvenor[12]; 9. 33K-Kenny Mihalik[5]; 10. 80P-Paul Shead[10]; 11. 7N7-Jeff Solinger[11]; 12. (DNF) 96-Cole Parker[4]; 13. (DNF) 73-Mark Rhoades[13]

Showdown Feature #3 – Tyler Nicely

For the first weekend out in a brand-new car, Tyler Nicley’s certainly gotten off to a great start.

After laying down the night’s fastest lap in Qualifying of 18.740, a $250 cash prize courtesy of the Reutimann family, Nicely grabbed the lead from the pole of the third Showdown Feature and never once even thought about giving it up. The Owensboro, KY-native led every single lap en route to the redraw and $500 prize with runner-up Maverick Varnadore.

Even when he proved a green-white-checkered finish could not throw him off of his game, at the end of the day, Nicely was still looking for more speed.

“We weren’t as good as we wanted to be in that Feature,” Nicely said. “Just tried to get the car to work well on the bottom and rotating. Tomorrow night will be different, 50 laps. Hopefully the track slows down a lot and we get a good redraw.”

Also transferring into the 50-lap Feature was two-time event winner David Reutimann, Troy Johnson and Seth Geary.

UMP Modifieds Feature 3 (15 Laps) RESULTS

  1. 25-Tyler Nicely[1]; 2. 4-Maverick Varnadore[4]; 3. 00D-David Reutimann[2]; 4. 2J-Troy Johnson[3]; 5. 7G-Seth Geary[6]; 6. 17G-Brandon Grossman[7]; 7. 141-Justin Galbreath[8]; 8. 99-Ronnie Chance[9]; 9. 62E-Kim Edington[12]; 10. 206-Larry Mott[10]; 11. 3C-Tony Campbell[13]; 12. 1S-Brian Shaw[11]; 13. 18-Eric Moon[5]

Showdown Feature #4 – Jeff Mathews

The 2017 Reutimann Memorial Feature winner had absolutely no problem putting himself in position to win it a second time Friday night. Jeff Mathews did just that with a flag-to-flag victory in the fourth and final Showdown Feature.

Mathews took the lead at the drop of the green and never looked back, leading every lap en route to the $500 victory and a spot in the redraw with runner-up Garrett Stewart.

Even the restarts Mathews faced along the way could not slow his momentum. But he knows Saturday is the big one, and he’ll have to be extra prepared to be there at the end of 50 laps.

“We didn’t really know which direction we wanted to go, if we wanted to be getting tighter or freeing-up, or trying to stay neutral,” Mathews said of his car setup. “I think we made the right call, but tomorrow’s a whole different ball game. We’ve got 50 laps, and I don’t think we’ll have this type of racetrack tomorrow night.”

Justin Haley, Travis Vanadore and Buzzie Reutimann also transferred into the Feature. Reutimann, the 79-year-old racing legend from Zephyrhills, FL, was perhaps the biggest star of the entire show when he was spun sideways about halfway through the race, gathered it back in on the restart and hung on to the fifth and final transfer spot to punch his ticket into the big show.

UMP Modifieds Feature 4 (15 Laps) RESULTS

  1. 33-Jeff Matthews[1]; 2. 67-Garrett Stewart[2]; 3. 11-Justin Haley[3]; 4. 205-Travis Vanadore[7]; 5. 00-Buzzie Reutimann[5]; 6. 24B-Dillon Buhr[4]; 7. 39W-Brandon Wells[6]; 8. 11Z-Zane Oedewaldt[8]; 9. 21-Sean Monaghan[11]; 10. 2D-Ray Durrence Jr[10]; 11. 17-Patrick Vareika[12]; 12. (DNF) 10-Dustin Thayer[9]; 13. (DNF) 27S-Paul Schloss[13]

UP NEXT

The Reutimann Memorial action continues Saturday evening for the DIRTcar UMP the Modifieds, beginning with the redraw, Last Chance events and closing with the 50-lap, $5,000-to-win Feature. Catch all the action LIVE on DIRTVision!

Bike Week Rolls to Volusia Speedway Park

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Steve Nace Racing brings the AMA All Star National Flat Track Series and the AMA Amateur and Vintage National series to Volusia Speedway Park March 8 through March 11.

Sunday, March 8, it’s the AMA All Star National Flat Track Series on the half mile. Gates and registration open at 10 a.m., practice begins at noon and racing at 2 p.m.

On Monday, March 9, it’s the AMA Amateur and Vintage National on the half mile. Gates open at 8 a.m. with sign ups between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m., practice at 10 a.m. immediately followed by racing.

Tuesday, March 10, is the AMA Amateur and Vintage National short track. Gates open at 8 a.m. with sign ups between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m., practice at 10 a.m. immediately followed by racing.

The Volusia action concludes on Wednesday, March 11, with the AMA All Star National Flat Track Series TT. Gates and registration open at 10 a.m., practice begins at noon and racing at 2 p.m.

For more details, go to stevenaceracing.com or call 270-442-7532.

Owens, Williamson win; Wight, Sheppard Champs

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Owens Three-Peats, Williamson Picks Up Second Win at Volusia Speedway Park

Wight in Super DIRTcar Series, Sheppard in Late Model claim DIRTcar Nationals Big Gator titles

BARBERVILLE, FL — Feb. 15, 2020 — For the third consecutive night, Jimmy Owens captured the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series main event at Volusia Speedway Park’s DIRTcar Nationals presented by Bozard Ford.

After a series of drivers battled for the lead early in the Feature on Saturday night, it was Kyle Bronson who emerged to set a blistering pace on the top side of the half-mile dirt oval. Owens managed to keep up with Bronson, and with 11 to go in traffic slid to the lead exiting Turn 4 and pulled away. Ricky Weiss followed Owens a couple laps later as Bronson’s machine just couldn’t maintain its momentum.

Owens, who had never won at Volusia until this week, finishes the DIRTcar Nationals on a three-race win streak.

“We set the car up for late in the race,” said Owens, of Newport, Tenn. “We were debating on changing it, not changing it. We had it jacked up and down two or three times and finally we just said let’s go with what we started with. It worked, we just bided our time and used patience and I knew once the track slicked off it would come to us.”

Weiss was second with Bronson, Darrell Lanigan and Brandon Sheppard rounding out the top five. For Sheppard, it was just enough to claim his second DIRTcar Nationals Late Model Week Big Gator Championship in as many years.

“It’s been a great speed weeks for us,” said Sheppard, of New Berlin, Ill. “We’ve been fast every night, we’ve been in contention every night. I wish we had a few more nights left. I think we got the car a little bit better tonight for Feature time, and in the Feature there it was about the best I’ve felt in the past couple of days. It’s good to leave here knowing that we got the car a little bit better before we left. … We’re definitely fortunate to get this Gator Championship, it feels really good.”

In the Super DIRTcar Series finale at Volusia, Mat Williamson charged to his second victory of the week, bookending the event with his win on Tuesday night. Williamson jumped out front on the initial start, held off Jimmy Phelps on a restart with 17 laps down and cruised to victory over Phelps, Matt Sheppard, Billy Dunn and Billy Decker.

Larry Wight, who won three consecutive Features during the week, finished sixth on Saturday night, good enough to clinch his third Big Gator Trophy (2015, 2019, 2020) as the Super DIRTcar Series champion at the DIRTcar Nationals presented by Bozard Ford.

“I think it’s a combination of good preparation, good car, good motor and a phenomenal crew, and having the family to back all that up and allow us to put in the hours and time at the track to come down here,” said Wight, of Phoenix, N.Y, who has won four of the past seven Super DIRTcar Series races going back to 2019. “The track kind of threw us for a loop tonight, we didn’t think it was going to get as slick. We thought the top would be better, so we tried to get the car freed up versus [Friday] night. I guess we should have left it just left it a little bit snugger.”

DIRTcar Nationals Race Report; Volusia Speedway Park; Feb. 15, 2020

World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series (50 Laps): 1. 20-Jimmy Owens [2][$10,000]; 2. 7-Ricky Weiss [3][$5,000]; 3. 40B-Kyle Bronson [7][$3,000]; 4. 29v-Darrell Lanigan [4][$2,500]; 5. 1-Brandon Sheppard [11][$2,000]; 6. 8-Kyle Strickler [1][$1,700]; 7. 0-Scott Bloomquist [13][$1,400]; 8. 25-Shane Clanton [9][$1,300]; 9. 39-Tim McCreadie [15][$1,200]; 10. 25z-Mason Zeigler [10][$1,100]; 11. 0M-Chris Madden [23][$1,050]; 12. 2e-Rick Eckert [16][$1,000]; 13. 6T-Tyler Erb [12][$950]; 14. 3s-Brian Shirley [17][$900]; 15. 28-Dennis Erb [14][$850]; 16. B1-Brent Larson [28][$110]; 17. 18-Chase Junghans [19][$770]; 18. 76-Brandon Overton [21][$750]; 19. 12-Ashton Winger [24][$730]; 20. 97-Cade Dillard [18][$700]; 21. 66c-Matt Cosner [26][$110]; 22. 4G-Kody Evans [27][$110]; 23. 99B-Boom Briggs [25][$110]; 24. 5-Mark Whitener [6][$700]; 25. 22-Gregg Satterlee [20][$700]; 26. 157-Mike Marlar [8][$700]; 27. 17M-Dale McDowell [22][$700]; 28. 49-Jonathan Davenport [5][$700]; 29. 6-Blake Spencer [29][$110]. Lap Leaders: Kyle Strickler – 1, Darrell Lanigan – 2-7, 9-14, Jonathan Davenport – 8, Kyle Bronson – 15-39, Jimmy Owens – 40-50. KSE Hard Charger Award: 0M-Chris Madden [+12].

Super DIRTcar Series (50 laps): 1. 88-Mat Williamson [2][$5,000]; 2. 98H-Jimmy Phelps [1][$2,500]; 3. 9S-Matt Sheppard [4][$1,500]; 4. 49-Billy Dunn [5][$1,000]; 5. 91-Billy Decker [7][$800]; 6. 99L-Larry Wight [3][$700]; 7. 42P-Pat Ward [10][$650]; 8. 4-Andy Bachetti [19][$600]; 9. 25R-Erick Rudolph [11][$550]; 10. 19-Tim Fuller [15][$500]; 11. 20-Brett Hearn [23][$475]; 12. 44-Stewart Friesen [6][$450]; 13. 7MM-Michael Maresca [8][$425]; 14. 44P-Anthony Perrego [16][$400]; 15. 19M-Jessey Mueller [9][$375]; 16. 21A-Peter Britten [24][$350]; 17. 30-Ronnie Johnson [21][$325]; 18. 3-Justin Haers [18][$300]; 19. 23-Kyle Coffey [13][$300]; 20. 111-Demetrios Drellos [28][$300]; 21. 83-Brian Swartzlander [12][$300]; 22. 46-Jeremy Smith [14][$300]; 23. 32-Jim Rasey [25][$300]; 24. 8-Rich Scagliotta [26][$300]; 25. 1G-Darwin Greene [17][$300]; 26. 30M-JoJo Watson [22][$300]; 27. 1-Billy Pauch [20][$300]; 28. 7-Rick Laubach [27][$300]. KSE Hard Charger Award: 20-Brett Hearn [+12].

Wight Wins Third Consecutive Gator, Owens Repeats

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Larry Wight and his daughter, Audrey, celebrate Wight’s third Super DIRTcar Series win in a row. (Joe Grabianowski photo)

Wight Scores Third Consecutive Super DIRTcar Series Gator at DIRTcar Nationals

Owens goes back-to-back at Volusia World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Models Features

BARBERVILLE, FL — Feb. 14, 2020 — For the third consecutive night, Larry Wight put on a thrill show at the DIRTcar Nationals presented by Bozard Ford, winning his third Gator Trophy of the week in the Super DIRTcar Series Feature at Volusia Speedway Park.

After winning from the front row the past two nights, Wight launched from the seventh position Friday and worked his way toward the front while teammate Billy Decker showed the way for the first 26 laps. Then with four to go, Decker would not budge off the bottom of the track and got pinned behind Kyle Coffey, who was trying everything he could to stay on the lead lap. Wight jumped top side and blasted around Decker and into the lead, powering away for his third win of the week.

“He got stuck behind the lapped cars, I have to make sure I give Kyle Coffey a beer for that one,” said Wight, of Phoenix, N.Y. “[Decker] didn’t move up in time and we were able to get the top. I thought after I messed up the first time going after it Billy would have taken the top away from me, but he left me just enough room so I could enter above the cushion and cut down, luckily the car turned just enough for it.”

In the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series main event, Jimmy Owens went back-to-back, winning the second Volusia Feature of his career in as many nights. It wasn’t easy, though, as Kyle Bronson surged forward from 15th to overtake Owens in heavy traffic just as the caution waved with five to go.

The field was reset with Owens, of Newport, Tenn., back in front, giving him a clear track to hold off Bronson to the checkered flag. Darrell Lanigan raced from eighth to third with Brandon Sheppard and Brandon Overton rounding out the top five.

2020 VOLUSIA SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED: Before racing began on Friday night, Volusia Speedway Park track officials announced the track’s full 2020 schedule, beginning with Bike Week events on March 8 and running through the Corbin 75 on Dec. 5. A full schedule of events is posted at https://dirtcar.com/vsp/schedule/2020-schedule-flyer/.

DIRTcar Nationals Race Report; Volusia Speedway Park; Feb. 14, 2020

World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series (40 Laps): 1. 20-Jimmy Owens [1][$10,000]; 2. 40B-Kyle Bronson [15][$5,000]; 3. 29v-Darrell Lanigan [8][$3,000]; 4. 1-Brandon Sheppard [5][$2,500]; 5. 76-Brandon Overton [10][$2,000]; 6. 0-Scott Bloomquist [11][$1,700]; 7. 7-Ricky Weiss [12][$1,400]; 8. 18-Chase Junghans [3][$1,300]; 9. 28-Dennis Erb [9][$1,200]; 10. 14-Josh Richards [17][$1,100]; 11. 2e-Rick Eckert [14][$1,050]; 12. 97-Cade Dillard [18][$1,000]; 13. 66c-Matt Cosner [21][$950]; 14. 8-Kyle Strickler [22][$900]; 15. B1-Brent Larson [25][$150]; 16. 99B-Boom Briggs [23][$800]; 17. 12-Ashton Winger [7][$770]; 18. 0M-Chris Madden [6][$750]; 19. 4G-Kody Evans [24][$730]; 20. 6-Blake Spencer [16][$700]; 21. 6T-Tyler Erb [19][$700]; 22. 5-Mark Whitener [2][$700]; 23. 3s-Brian Shirley [13][$700]; 24. 72-Michael Norris [4][$700]; 25. 36-Logan Martin [20][$700]; 26. 21-Ivedent Lloyd [26][$110]. Lap Leaders: Mark Whitner – 1-14, 17-18, Jimmy Owens – 15-16, 19-40. KSE Hard Charger Award: 40B-Kyle Bronson [+13].

Super DIRTcar Series (30 laps): 1. 99L-Larry Wight [7][$3,000]; 2. 91-Billy Decker [2][$1,500]; 3. 88-Mat Williamson [9][$1,000]; 4. 44P-Anthony Perrego [13][$800]; 5. 98H-Jimmy Phelps [8][$700]; 6. 4-Andy Bachetti [5][$650]; 7. 9S-Matt Sheppard [3][$600]; 8. 111-Demetrios Drellos [10][$550]; 9. 49-Billy Dunn [19][$500]; 10. 19-Tim Fuller [15][$450]; 11. 7-Rick Laubach [1][$400]; 12. 25R-Erick Rudolph [20][$375]; 13. 42P-Pat Ward [25][$350]; 14. 83-Brian Swartzlander [14][$325]; 15. 3-Justin Haers [11][$300]; 16. 19M-Jessey Mueller [17][$275]; 17. 46-Jeremy Smith [26][$250]; 18. 7MM-Michael Maresca [6][$250]; 19. 32-Jim Rasey [22][$250]; 20. 20-Brett Hearn [12][$250]; 21. 21A-Peter Britten [4][$250]; 22. 23-Kyle Coffey [18][$250]; 23. 30-Ronnie Johnson [23][$250]; 24. 6D-Dillon Steuer [24][$250]; 25. 1-Billy Pauch [16][$250]; 26. 30M-JoJo Watson [21][$250]. KSE Hard Charger Award: 42P-Pat Ward[+12]

2020 Schedule Announced

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Robust 2020 Schedule Featuring Wide Variety of Car Classes and Special Events Sets Course for Volusia Speedway Park

As the DIRTcar Nationals presented by Bozard Ford winds down, the focus at Volusia Speedway Park turns to the 2020 season. Track officials announced Friday a robust schedule kicking off March 8 during Bike Week and running through Dec. 5.

There are 35 race nights scheduled, including events at Volusia’s kart track. Florida Late Models, UMP Modifieds, 602 Late Models, Street Stocks, Compact 4s, Thunder Stocks and 3/4-Modifieds make up the backbone of the 2020 schedule along with several special events throughout the year, including five appearances by the Top Gun Sprint Series.

(Click to download a printable version of the schedule)

“We are extremely proud of the schedule we’ve put together for the 2020 season,” said Volusia Speedway Park GM James Sawyer. “There is a great mix of car classes and special events every month to keep our fans and competitors excited and entertained at Volusia all year long. With our new seating and all of the improvements and investment that has gone into Volusia, I know the energy level will be at an all-time high.”

Steve Nace Racing brings the AMA National Flat Track Series back to Volusia on March 8-11 during Daytona Beach’s Bike Week, setting the stage for the Volusia Speedway Park season opener on Saturday, March 14.

Two special events — the Gator 30 for Pro Late Models on March 28 and the Florida Late Model Challenge Series with the Top Gun Sprints on April 11 — kick the season into high gear.

UMP Modifieds return April 25 followed May 9 by a special Mother’s Day Weekend Thunder Stock race.

Memorial Day Weekend, May 22-24 will be busy with special Florida Late Model and UMP Modified 30-laps Features on the half-mile while the Kart Track opens up with a two-day event complete with a DJ and party.

The special Powell Memorial June 5-6 featuring a 67-lap Pro Late Model race and the Florida Pro Truck Challenge Series on June 20 help get the summer started, while July includes a mix of events at the Kart Track as well as the Half Mile, including Top Gun Sprints on July 4 and the Summer Sizzle featuring UMP Modifieds on July 25.

A mix of Florida Late Models and Sprint Car events top the August event schedule, with a huge Labor Day Weekend event Sept. 5-7 that includes UMP Modifieds, Florida Late Models, Street Stocks, Compact 4s, 602 Late Models, Thunder Stocks and 3/4-Modifieds.

The season winds down with a 40-lap Street Stock event Sept. 19, Top Gun Sprints on Oct. 17 and 602 Late Models on Nov. 14.

Finally, two marquee race weekends close out the year. First is the two-night Reutimann Memorial Nov. 20-21 featuring the Florida Late Model Challenge Series, UMP Modifieds, the Top Gun Sprints and Street Stocks. Then, Dec. 4-5 is The Corbin 75 with Florida Late Models, Street Stocks, 602 Late Models, Compact 4s and a 75-lap Thunder Stock Feature to checker the season.

In 2020 there will be Senior Pricing for everyone. General Admission is only $10, with kids 12-and-under FREE. Pits are $25 for DIRTcar Members or $30 for Non Members.

For select special events noted on the schedule, a One-Day General Admission ticket is $20 and a Two-Day General Admission ticket is $30. Kids 12-and-under are still FREE. One-day pit prices are $30 for DIRTcar Members, $35 for Non Members. Two-day pit prices are $45 for DIRTcar Members and $55 for Non Members.

DATE EVENT
March 8 – 11 BIKE WEEK Motorcycle Event:  Speedway all days plus March 10th Kart Track Event
March 8 & 11 AMA All Star National Flat Track Series
March 9 & 10 AMA Amateur & Vintage National
  (For more information visit www.stevenaceracing.com)
 
March 13 OPEN PRACTICE
  All Classes (Gates open at 4:00 pm; Practice 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm)
  (FREE General Admission)
 
March 14 SEASON OPENER
  Florida Late Models, UMP Modifieds,602 Late Models, Compact 4s FEATURE, Street Stocks, Thunder Stocks FEATURE
 
March 28 *GATOR 30
  PRO LATE MODELS 30 laps, 602 Late Models, Street Stocks, 3/4 Mods
 
April 11 *Spring Fling
  Florida Late Model Challenge Series
  Top Gun Sprints, Thunder Stocks, Compact 4s
 
April 25      BIG DOG 30      
  UMP Modifieds 30 Laps
  602 Late Models, Street Stocks, 3/4 Mods
 
May 9 Dennis North Memorial – Mother’s Day Weekend
  Thunder Stocks 38 laps
  Florida Late Models, 602 Late Models, Compact 4s
 
May 22 – 23 *Memorial Day Weekend
  FLORIDA LATE MODELS 30 LAPS & UMP MODIFIEDS 30 LAPS
  (Friday Qualifying Heats, Saturday Features)
  FRIDAY – Thunder Stocks, Compact 4s
  SATURDAY – 602 Late Models, Street Stocks, 3/4 Mods
 
May 23 & 24 KART TRACK ALL CLASSES 2 DAY SHOW
  (Reserved Camping Available) DJ & PARTY
 
June 5 & 6 *POWELL MEMORIAL
  PRO LATE MODELS 67 Laps
  (Friday Qualifying Heats, Saturday Features)
  FRIDAY – Thunder Stocks, Compact 4s
  SATURDAY – Street Stocks, 602 Late Models
  (Reserved Parking & Camping available)
 
June 20  *FLORIDA 30
  FLORIDA PRO TRUCK CHALLENGE SERIES 30 laps
  UMP Modifieds, 602 Late Models , 3/4 Mods
 
July 3 & 4 *KARTS / CARS SHOWDOWN
  FLORIDA LATE MODEL CHALLENGE SERIES
  (Friday Qualifying Heats, Saturday Features)
  FRIDAY – Thunder Stocks, Compact 4s
  SATURDAY – TOP GUN SPRINT SERIES, Street Stocks, 602 Late Models
July 4 & 5 KART TRACK  All Classes 2 day show
 
July 25 Summer Sizzle
  UMP MODIFIED 30
  Florida Late Models, Street Stocks, 3/4 Mods
 
Aug. 8 Hot Nights FLORIDA LATE MODELS
  UMP Modifieds, 602 Late Models, Compact 4’s
 
Aug. 22 Heat Wave FLORIDA LATE MODELS
602 Late Models, Thunder Stocks, Compact 4s
 
Aug. 28 *VOLUSIA TOP GUN Shootout
  TOP GUN SPRINT SERIES
  Florida Late Models, Street Stocks , 3/4 Mods
 
 
Sept. 4 Test & Tune (FREE General Admission)
 
Sept 5 – 7 *LABOR DAY CHAMPIONSHIPS
UMP MODIFIEDS 30 LAPS
  (Friday Qualifying Heats, Saturday Features)
  FLORIDA LATE MODELS 30 LAPS
  (Friday Qualifying Heats, Saturday Features)
  FRIDAY – Street Stocks, Compact 4’s
  SATURDAY – 602 Late Models, Thunder Stocks, 3/4 Mods
  (Reserved Camping & Parking Available)
 
Sept. 7 Kart Track – All Classes, J.R.1 , J.R.2, Lights, Medium, S.-Heavy, Heavy 30 laps
 
Sept. 19 Volusia 40
  STREET STOCKS 40 LAPS,  Florida Late Models, 602 Late Models, 3/4 Mods
 
Oct. 17 *Fall Classic
  TOP GUN SPRINT SERIES, 602 LATE MODELS
   Thunder Stocks , Street Stocks, Compact 4’s
 
Nov. 14 Cool Nights
  602 LATE MODELS 30 LAPS
  UMP Modifieds, Thunder Stocks, Compact 4’s, 3/4 Mods
 
 
Nov. 19 Test & Tune (FREE General Admission)
 
Nov. 20 & 21 *Reutimann Memorial – 2 BIG Nights
  FLORIDA LATE MODEL CHALLENGE SERIES
  (Friday Qualifying Heats, Saturday Features)
  UMP MODIFIEDS 40 LAPS
  (Friday Qualifying Heats, Saturday Features)
  SATURDAY – TOP GUN SPRINT SERIES, STREET STOCKS
  (Reserved Camping & Parking Available)
 
Dec. 4 & 5 *The Corbin 75
  Florida Late Models, Street Stocks, 602 Late Models, Compact 4s
  THUNDER STOCKS 75 Laps

Owens Breaks Through, Wight Repeats

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Jimmy Owens shows off the first Gator Trophy of his career after winning on Thursday night. (Jim DenHamer photo)

Owens Finally Adds Volusia DIRTcar Nationals Gator to Trophy Case

For second consecutive night, Wight dominates Super DIRTcar Series

BARBERVILLE, FL — Feb. 13, 2020 — Jimmy Owens has won almost 600 races in his career, including nearly every big Dirt Late Model race out there, but it took until Thursday night for him to earn his first Gator Trophy at Volusia Speedway Park’s DIRTcar Nationals presented by Bozard Ford.

Owens, of Newport, Tenn., dominated the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series main event, leading all 40 laps while behind him a furious battle was on to challenge him. A caution with 9 laps to go set up a shootout to the finish, but Owens was so strong he simply pulled away. A who’s who of star racers chased Owens to the checkered flag, with Dale McDowell second followed by Josh Richards, Jonathan Davenport and Mike Marlar.

“I tell you we’ve been close all week, we’ve been steadily getting better each night here,” Owens said. “This car was just phenomenal tonight. I’ve been coming down here for years and I don’t think I’ve ever won a Late Model race, let alone I don’t think I’ve won two heats in a week.”

For the second consecutive night, Larry Wight held off Stewart Friesen to capture the Super DIRTcar Series Feature. Wight started on the outside of the front row and quickly took command of the 30-lap race on the high side of the track. With only one caution Wight, of Phoenix, N.Y., held Friesen and the rest of the field at bay to win his third Gator Trophy and second in as many days.

“This car has just been on a rail,” Wight said. “We put the same setup in as [Wednesday] night and it was still glued to the track. Hopefully we can keep it going for the rest of the week. The car is good enough to where I don’t even need to run the cushion. Any time you’ve got Stewie right behind you, you definitely don’t want to see a restart. He’s a phenomenal restarter and he’s usually able to make stuff happen. The farther I can keep him behind me the better.”

 

DIRTcar Nationals Race Report; Volusia Speedway Park; Feb. 13, 2020

World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series (40 Laps): 1. 20-Jimmy Owens [2][$10,000]; 2. 17M-Dale McDowell [4][$5,000]; 3. 14-Josh Richards [12][$3,000]; 4. 49-Jonathan Davenport [14][$2,500]; 5. 157-Mike Marlar [3][$2,000]; 6. 1-Brandon Sheppard [1][$1,700]; 7. 40B-Kyle Bronson [5][$1,400]; 8. 0M-Chris Madden [13][$1,300]; 9. 29v-Darrell Lanigan [8][$1,200]; 10. 15-Donny Schatz [9][$1,100]; 11. 7-Ricky Weiss [23][$1,050]; 12. 25-Shane Clanton [10][$1,000]; 13. 0e-Rick Eckert [21][$950]; 14. 28-Dennis Erb [24][$900]; 15. 1st-Johnny Scott [22][$850]; 16. 18-Chase Junghans [20][$800]; 17. 6T-Tyler Erb [15][$770]; 18. 12-Ashton Winger [26][$750]; 19. 0-Scott Bloomquist [17][$730]; 20. 3s-Brian Shirley [6][$700]; 21. B1-Brent Larson [29][$110]; 22. 99B-Boom Briggs [27][$110]; 23. 39-Tim McCreadie [11][$700]; 24. 97-Cade Dillard [25][$700]; 25. 4G-Kody Evans [7][$700]; 26. 66c-Matt Cosner [28][$110]; 27. 25w-Allen Weisser [16][$700]; 28. 22-Gregg Satterlee [18][$700]; 29. 6-Blake Spencer [30][$110]; 30. 5-Mark Whitener [19][$700]. KSE Hard Charger Award: 7-Ricky Weiss [+12].

Super DIRTcar Series (30 laps): 1. 99L-Larry Wight [2][$3,000]; 2. 44-Stewart Friesen [5][$1,500]; 3. 25R-Erick Rudolph [4][$1,000]; 4. 7MM-Michael Maresca [3][$800]; 5. 20-Brett Hearn [7][$700]; 6. 91-Billy Decker [12][$650]; 7. 9S-Matt Sheppard [8][$600]; 8. 44P-Anthony Perrego [10][$550]; 9. 49-Billy Dunn [18][$500]; 10. 111-Demetrios Drellos [6][$450]; 11. 98H-Jimmy Phelps [11][$400]; 12. 21A-Peter Britten [19][$375]; 13. 42P-Pat Ward [14][$350]; 14. 7-Rick Laubach [1][$325]; 15. 88-Mat Williamson [15][$300]; 16. 19M-Jessey Mueller [9][$275]; 17. 30-Ronnie Johnson [22][$250]; 18. 19-Tim Fuller [21][$250]; 19. 23-Kyle Coffey [17][$250]; 20. 46-Jeremy Smith [13][$250]; 21. 83-Brian Swartzlander [20][$250]; 22. 3-Justin Haers [16][$250]; 23. 32-Jim Rasey [24][$250]; 24. 4-Andy Bachetti [25][$250]; 25. 48T-Dave Rauscher [26][$250]; 26. 1-Billy Pauch [23][$250]. KSE Hard Charger Award: 49-Billy Dunn [+9].

 

Sheppard, Wight Winners on Wild Night

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Larry Wight celebrates after winning the Super DIRTcar Series Feature on Wednesday night. (Chris Owens photo)

Sheppard Declared World of Outlaws Winner at Volusia After Erb Penalized

Wild night at DIRTcar Nationals had everything from door-banging to late-race passes for wins

BARBERVILLE, FL — Feb. 12, 2020 — A wild night of racing Wednesday at Volusia Speedway Park’s DIRTcar Nationals presented by Bozard Ford took another strange turn afterward.

Dennis Erb Jr. raced to the checkered flag in the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series Feature after Mark Whitener and Brandon Overton knocked each other out of the race in a door-to-door battle for the lead with seven laps to go. However, after the victory lane celebration, Erb failed to report to postrace inspection and was penalized to last place, handing the win to defending champion Brandon Sheppard for his first Series victory of the season.

Whitener was on point from the drop of the green flag, but seven different drivers swapped positions two through five until Whitener and Overton started slamming into each other trying to move to the lead. First, they hit in the middle of the backstretch, then crossed over in Turns 3 and 4 with Whitener on the inside sliding up the track and knocking Overton over the cushion, bringing both cars to stop as Erb and Brandon Sheppard shot by on the bottom.

Erb rolled the low groove on the restart with Sheppard blasting around the top. Erb’s inside position was just enough to edge Sheppard by a nose at the checkered flag for what appeared to be his first win of the season until he missed going to postrace inspection and was penalized, gifting the victory to Sheppard.

All that excitement set the stage for the Super DIRTcar Series event, where Larry Wight narrowly held off Stewart Friesen.

Defending DIRTcar Nationals champion Wight found a home on the top side of the track while Friesen was moving up and down trying to close the gap. With nine laps to go in heavy traffic, Friesen closed right on Wight. With three to go Friesen peeked to the inside of Wight exiting Turn 4, but Wight had enough momentum to power off the corner and hold off Friesen to the finish.

Series champion Mat Williamson was third followed by former NAPA Super DIRT Week winners Brett Hearn and Billy Dunn.

 

DIRTcar Nationals Race Report; Volusia Speedway Park; Feb. 12, 2020

World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series (40 Laps): 1. 1-Brandon Sheppard [8][$10,000]; 2. 29v-Darrell Lanigan [7][$5,000]; 3. 14-Josh Richards [13][$3,000]; 4. 20-Jimmy Owens [6][$2,500]; 5. 3s-Brian Shirley [10][$2,000]; 6. 25-Shane Clanton [9][$1,700]; 7. 39-Tim McCreadie [5][$1,400]; 8. 49-Jonathan Davenport [12][$1,300]; 9. 40B-Kyle Bronson [17][$1,200]; 10. 18-Chase Junghans [14][$1,100]; 11. 17M-Dale McDowell [16][$1,050]; 12. 157-Mike Marlar [3][$1,000]; 13. 25z-Mason Zeigler [22][$950]; 14. 12-Ashton Winger [15][$900]; 15. 0e-Rick Eckert [26][$850]; 16. 4G-Kody Evans [23][$800]; 17. 97-Cade Dillard [19][$770]; 18. 0M-Chris Madden [20][$750]; 19. 0-Scott Bloomquist [25][$730]; 20. 7-Ricky Weiss [11][$700]; 21. 99B-Boom Briggs [21][$700]; 22. 66c-Matt Cosner [27][$700]; 23. 6-Blake Spencer [29][$110]; 24. 5-Mark Whitener [4][$110]; 25. B1-Brent Larson [28][$700]; 26. 76-Brandon Overton [2][$110]; 27. 2s-Stormy Scott [24][$700]; 28. 21-Ivedent Lloyd [30][$700]; 29. 72-Michael Norris [18][$110]; 30. 28-Dennis Erb [1][$700]. Lap Leaders: Brandon Overton – 28; Mark Whitner – 3-27, 29-32; Dennis Erb – 1-2, 33-40. KSE Hard Charger Award: 0e-Rick Eckert [+10].

Super DIRTcar Series (30 laps): 1. 99L-Larry Wight [2][$3,000]; 2. 44-Stewart Friesen [4][$1,500]; 3. 88-Mat Williamson [8][$1,000]; 4. 20-Brett Hearn [1][$800]; 5. 49-Billy Dunn [5][$700]; 6. 25R-Erick Rudolph [6][$650]; 7. 91-Billy Decker [16][$600]; 8. 44P-Anthony Perrego [9][$550]; 9. 4-Andy Bachetti [3][$500]; 10. 21A-Peter Britten [12][$450]; 11. 1-Billy Pauch [10][$400]; 12. 30-Ronnie Johnson [14][$375]; 13. 19-Tim Fuller [19][$350]; 14. 42P-Pat Ward [21][$325]; 15. 19M-Jessey Mueller [22][$300]; 16. 111-Demetrios Drellos [17][$275]; 17. 3-Justin Haers [11][$250]; 18. 98H-Jimmy Phelps [13][$250]; 19. 9S-Matt Sheppard [15][$250]; 20. 23-Kyle Coffey [24][$250]; 21. 46-Jeremy Smith [20][$250]; 22. 83-Brian Swartzlander [18][$250]; 23. 48T-Dave Rauscher [25][$250]; 24. 7-Rick Laubach [7][$250]; 25. 7MM-Michael Maresca [23][$250]; 26. 6D-Dillon Steuer [26][$250]. KSE Hard Charger Award: 91-Billy Decker [+9].

McCreadie, Williamson Win Thrillers at Volusia’s DIRTcar Nationals

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Tim McCreadie celebrates his victory on Tuesday night at the DIRTcar Nationals presented by Bozard Ford. (Chris Owens photo)

 

McCreadie Edges Sheppard in DIRTcar Late Model Thriller

Super DIRTcar Series champ Williamson holds off Rudolph

BARBERVILLE, FL — Feb. 11, 2020 — Tim McCreadie won a furious DIRTcar Late Model battle with Brandon Sheppard Tuesday night at Volusia Speedway Park’s DIRTcar Nationals presented by Bozard Ford, halting Sheppard’s five-race win streak at the event.

McCreadie and Sheppard started side-by-side on the front row and put on a wheel-to-wheel clinic for 30 laps. McCreadie wound up his machine on the top side as Sheppard kept pace on the bottom. Kyle Bronson entered the picture late to keep the pressure on Sheppard, who moved up and down on track trying to find a line past McCreadie.

A caution with 10 to go gave McCreadie clear track, but Sheppard still threw everything he had at him in the final two corners before coming up just a half-second short at the checkered flag. Bronson was third with Dennis Erb Jr. and Jonathan Davenport rounding out the top five.

The Super DIRTcar Series kicked off its portion of the DIRTcar Nationals with defending Series champion Mat Williamson holding off Erick Rudolph, who nearly pulled even with Williamson just as a caution waved on Lap 13. Williamson darted back to the lead on the restart while Anthony Perrego mounted a charge and nearly got Rudolph. Stewart Friesen charged from 19th to finish fourth with Larry Wight completing the top five.

DIRTcar Nationals Race Report; Volusia Speedway Park; Feb. 11, 2020

Super DIRTcar Series (30 laps): 1. 88-Mat Williamson [1][$3,000]; 2. 25r-Erick Rudolph [9][$1,500]; 3. 44P-Anthony Perrego [5][$1,000]; 4. 44-Stewart Friesen [19][$800]; 5. 99L-Larry Wight [10][$700]; 6. 91-Billy Decker [8][$650]; 7. 9S-Matt Sheppard [3][$600]; 8. 49-Billy Dunn [7][$550]; 9. 42P-Pat Ward [16][$500]; 10. 3-Justin Haers [13][$450]; 11. 21a-Peter Britten [11][$400]; 12. 20-Brett Hearn [2][$375]; 13. 7-Rick Laubach [6][$350]; 14. 98H-Jimmy Phelps [14][$325]; 15. 1-Billy Pauch [15][$300]; 16. 83-Brian Swartzlander [25][$275]; 17. 7MM-Michael Maresca [4][$250]; 18. 19-Tim Fuller [18][$250]; 19. 19m-Jessey Mueller [21][$250]; 20. 23-Kyle Coffey [23][$250]; 21. 30-Ronnie Johnson [12][$250]; 22. 46-Jeremy Smith [17][$250]; 23. 5-Matthew Stangle [22][$250]; 24. 48T-Dave Rauscher [26][$250]; 25. 6D-Dillon Steuer [20][$250]; 26. 4-Andy Bachetti [24][$250]. KSE Hard Charger Award: 44-Stewart Friesen [+15].

DIRTcar Late Model Feature (30 Laps): 1. 39-Tim McCreadie [1][$7,000]; 2. 1-Brandon Sheppard [2]; 3. 40B-Kyle Bronson [3]; 4. 28-Dennis Erb [4]; 5. 49-Jonathan Davenport [10]; 6. 157-Mike Marlar [16]; 7. 17M-Dale McDowell [8]; 8. 29v-Darrell Lanigan [12]; 9. 7-Ricky Weiss [9]; 10. 72-Michael Norris [11]; 11. 20-Jimmy Owens [22]; 12. 76-Brandon Overton [5]; 13. 3s-Brian Shirley [6]; 14. 0M-Chris Madden [15]; 15. 97-Cade Dillard [13]; 16. 2s-Stormy Scott [14]; 17. 18-Chase Junghans [26]; 18. 0e-Rick Eckert [18]; 19. 14-Josh Richards [23]; 20. 8-Kyle Strickler [19]; 21. 25-Shane Clanton [20]; 22. 15-Donny Schatz [21]; 23. 31-Tyler Millwood [24]; 24. 36-Logan Martin [7]; 25. 5-Mark Whitener [17]; 26. 25w-Allen Weisser [25]. KSE Hard Charger Award: 20-Jimmy Owens [+11].

Hughes, Hoffman Celebrate UMP Modified Wins; Sheppard Takes Late Model Opener

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Spencer Hughes Stuns UMP Modifieds at DIRTcar Nationals to Swipe $5K Gator

Hoffman clinches fifth consecutive event crown; Brandon Sheppard tops Late Models

BARBERVILLE, FL — Feb. 10, 2020 — On a night when Nick Hoffman and Kyle Strickler were expected to go wheel-to-wheel for the biggest UMP Modified prize in Florida, it was 19-year-old Spencer Hughes who stunned them all on a green-white-checkered finish to win the Gator Championship race Monday at Volusia Speedway Park’s DIRTcar Nationals presented by Bozard Ford.

Hoffman and Strickler, who each won their qualifying races over the weekend, wound up starting side-by-side in row five. Polesitter Jason Hughes charged out early with Spencer Hughes giving chase. A wild incident on Lap 21 saw Strickler and David Stremme try to squeeze through a tight gap between Michael Altobelli on the bottom of the track and the slowing car of Tyler Nicely at the top. Strickler got the worst of it when he made heavy contact with Nicely, damaging his front end so severely he was ultimately forced out of the race.

The Feature went green nearly the entire remaining 21 laps, but the caution flag waved again just as Jason Hughes had his eyes on the checkered flag coming off Turn 4. On the ensuing Green-White-Checkered finish, Spencer Hughes swept past Jason Hughes and held on to win the $5,000 Gator Championship race.

The event concludes the UMP Modified portion of the DIRTcar Nationals. Hoffman survived with a severely beat up car to finish fifth, which was enough for him to clinch his fifth consecutive DIRTcar Nationals UMP Modified Championship thanks to his two victories and six top-five finishes in six nights of racing.

“We had a really good week,” said Hoffman, of Mooresville, NC. “I think I jinxed myself today as we hadn’t used our spare nose all week, then we wiped it out on the last lap of the whole week. It was very eventful tonight, though. Definitely not the way we wanted it to go. Starting 10th, I probably had the best car to win the race but wasn’t able to show it. Then we bit the front-end early running into Kyle (Strickler) and then it wasn’t steering like I needed it to, so we just tried to stay out of trouble.”

For the first time in this year’s event, Dirt Late Models hit the track with Brandon Sheppard picking up right where he left off at the 2019 DIRTcar Nationals … in victory lane. Sheppard, who won the final four nights of last year’s event, dominated the kickoff to Late Model Week at the DIRTcar Nationals to lead an all-Illinois podium with Brian Shirley and Dennis Erb Jr.

Sheppard, of New Berlin, Ill., was smooth on three restarts from cautions, never allowing anyone to rattle him as he seeks his second straight DIRTcar Nationals championship this week.

DIRTcar Nationals Race Report; Volusia Speedway Park; Feb. 9, 2020

DIRTcar UMP Modified ‘Gator Championship’ (30 laps): 1. 11H-Spencer Hughes [2][$5,000]; 2. 12H-Jason Hughes [1][$2,000]; 3. 95-Michael Altobelli [14][$1,250]; 4. 23-Ryan Cripe [8][$1,000]; 5. 2-Nick Hoffman [10][$800]; 6. 18L-Michael Long [17][$700]; 7. 35-David Stremme [5][$600]; 8. 96M-Mike McKinney [12][$575]; 9. 7JA-Justin Allgaier [3][$550]; 10. K19-Will Krup [25][$525]; 11. 77-Ray Bollinger [16][$500]; 12. 36-Kenny Wallace [13][$500]; 13. 5-Curt Spalding [21][$500]; 14. 3L-Jeff Leka [6][$500]; 15. 75-Terry Phillips [22][$450]; 16. OOD-David Reutimann [23][$425]; 17. 7-Drake Troutman [18][$400]; 18. 7CT-Christian Thomas [20][$375]; 19. 99M-Mike Mullen [28][$350]; 20. 99-Hunt Gossum [11][$300]; 21. 67-Garret Stewart [19][$300]; 22. 7A-Shane Sabraski [26][$300]; 23. 52-Colin Green [24][$300]; 24. 90-Jason Beaulieu [29][$300]; 25. 88-Matt Crafton [30][$300]; 26. 12L-Lucas Lee [15][$300]; 27. 22-Dale Kelley [31][$300]; 28. 8KS-Kyle Strickler [9][$300]; 29. 25-Tyler Nicely [4]; 30. 45J-Johnny Broking [27]; 31. 49-Brian Ruhlman [7][-]; 32. 65-Todd Sherman [32][-]. KSE Hard Charger Award: K19-Will Krup [+15].

 DIRTcar Late Model Feature (30 Laps): 1. 1S-Brandon Sheppard [2][$7,000]; 2. 3S-Brian Shirley [5]; 3. 28-Dennis Erb, [8]; 4. 39-Tim McCreadie [1]; 5. 5-Mark Whitener [11]; 6. 0M-Chris Madden [4]; 7. 72-Michael Norris [3]; 8. 29V-Darrell Lanigan [14]; 9. 7W-Ricky Weiss [6]; 10. 76B-Brandon Overton [22]; 11. 97-Cade Dillard [20]; 12. 20-Jimmy Owens [17]; 13. 12-Ashton Winger [9]; 14. 15-Donny Schatz [7]; 15. 17M-Dale McDowell [10]; 16. 99B-Boom Briggs [16]; 17. O-Rick Eckert [18]; 18. 40B-Kyle Bronson [13]; 19. 21-Ivedent Lloyd, [15]; 20. 25Z-Mason Zeigler [23]; 21. 16B-Tyler Bruening [12]; 22. 6-Blake Spencer [24]; 23. OOO-Kyle Lear [19]; 24. 89-GR Smith [21]. KSE Hard Charger Award: 76B-Brandon Overton[+12].