Florida’s fastest Sprint Cars are set to test the “World’s Fastest Half Mile” one last time in 2026.
The Top Gun Sprint Car Series will return to Volusia Speedway Park on Saturday, Sept. 19, marking the final appearance of the high-horsepower machines until the American Sprint Car Series returns Feb. 4-6, 2027, for the beginning of the 57th Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals.
Joining the Sprint Cars at Volusia will be the 604 Late Models, DIRTcar UMP Modifieds, and DIRTcar Factory Stocks.
EVENT INFO
Times – Gates open at 4 p.m. (ET), with Hot Laps scheduled for 6 p.m.
Tickets – $18 General Admission / $15 Seniors, Military & First Responders / Kids 12 and under free
Looking for more info about the Battle in Barberville? Click here
DIVISIONS
Top Gun Sprints – Top Gun’s 360 c.i. powerplants will sling around Volusia for the first time since the 2025 Battle in Barberville, marking their sole track appearance of the year.
When the state-touring league visited Volusia last year, Jadan Bowling bested 2021 Series champion Tyler Clem for his first win at the 1/2-mile track in his first career Top Gun start. Bowling and Clem used their lessons from the September visit to make Feature starts in the three ASCS National Tour Features in February.
Clem is no stranger to Victory Lane in Barberville, earning Feature wins in both a Sprint Car with Smith Racing and a 604 Late Model with Big Frog Motorsports. Clem sits at the top of the points standings by 34 points ahead of three-time track winner Matt Kurtz.
Previous Top Gun Sprint Car Series Winners
Sept. 20, 2025 – Jadan Bowling
May 17, 2025 – Tyler Clem
Oct. 26, 2024 – Tyler Clem
Aug. 17, 2024 – Danny Sams III
May 11, 2024 – Mark Ruel, Jr.
April 27, 2024 – Danny Martin, Jr.
Aug. 19, 2023 – Tyler Clem
July 29, 2023 – Dustin Burtron
Aug. 6, 2022 – Danny Martin, Jr.
May 14, 2022 – Danny Martin, Jr.
Oct. 16, 2021 – Tyler Clem
May 15, 2021 – A.J. Maddox
Sept. 28, 2019 – Harley Zimmerman
Aug. 10, 2019 – Matt Kurtz
June 1, 2019 – Harley Zimmerman
April 27, 2019 – A.J. Maddox
Oct. 27, 2018 – Brandon Grubaugh
Sept. 8, 2018 – Hayden Campbell
March 24, 2018 – Harley Zimmerman
Oct. 14, 2017 – Matt Kurtz
March 25, 2017 – Mark Ruel, Jr.
Oct. 1, 2016 – Matt Kurtz
July 23, 2016 – A.J. Maddox
May 14, 2016 – Mark Ruel, Jr.
March 26, 2016 – Tony Agin
Oct. 3, 2015 – Danny Martin, Jr.
June 20, 2015 – Danny Martin, Jr.
May 9, 2015 – Danny Martin, Jr.
March 28, 2015 – Danny Martin, Jr.
604 Late Models – Two months of waiting was worth it for Garret Stewart after bagging a $2,000 payday in the Firecracker Showdown makeup Feature during Labor Day weekend.
The seven-time UMP Modified track champion is hunting his first in a 604 Late Model as he enters the Battle in Barberville ahead by 42 points over Jason Garver. Stewart is the only multi-time winner in the division, with other winners from the year including Blake Clouser and Garver.
DIRTcar UMP Modifieds – The fight for the UMP Modified track championship is wide open, with four drivers sitting within 26 points of the lead as three races remain for the division.
Through the majority of the year, Jeff Scofield has been the driver to beat as he’s brought decades of pavement racing experience to his first full-time season on dirt. However, the Firecracker Showdown makeup introduced two new points leaders as Dillon Buhr took over the top spot with Garver placed nine markers back.
Scofield fell to third place, 13 points away from the lead after finishing the Feature in 11th. With Josh Sanford 26 markers behind in fourth, the penultimate points battle for the division will mark the track title contenders after the September chapter.
Factory Stocks – Father-son duo of Patrick and Tanner Thomas have maintained prowess atop the track points as a stout field of Floridian Factory Stocks look to topple them in the final stretch of division events.
In the Thursday makeup Feature, the division added a fourth different winner to the 2026 season as Mikey Kopka took his No. 41 Factory Stock to his first career track win in Factory Stocks. In the hunt for the track title, Patrick took over the division lead, Willy Cuddy sits 19 points back in second, and the younger Thomas rides in third at a 23-point deficit after the Thursday Feature.
As the top three in the standings chase their first Feature win of the season, the Battle in Barberville has fared well for Tanner, as his last Volusia points win came in the 2025 event’s running.
If you can’t be at the track, how can you watch Volusia Speedway Park from home? Live on DIRTVision.