Twice as Nice(ly): Tyler Nicely Locks into Gator Championship with Saturday’s Victory

BARBERVILLE, FL — Feb. 10, 2018 — The first of two Gator Qualifying Nights for the DIRTcar UMP Modifieds was on Saturday, February 10th. The 79 teams that have appeared at least once during the 47th Annual DIRTcar Nationals were split up into two groups with half the field racing on the 10th, while the other half get the day off before returning to the track on Sunday, February 11th. In the first of two Big Gator Qualifying Nights to set the field for Monday’s $5,000-to-win finale, Tyler Nicely would go to victory lane and guaranteeing himself a shot at the Big Gator on Monday after scoring his second Gator in two nights

“Once Kyle (Strickler) and I got away from everybody, I figured I was going to have to hold him off, but thought, as long as I’m able to hit my marks each lap, we’d be alright,” Offered the 23-year-old from Owensboro, KY who would also record his third career feature win at Volusia Speedway Park during the DIRTcar Nationals to move him into a five-way tie for eighth all-time in career wins with Craig Thatcher, Dave Hess Jr., Clint Bowyer and Strickler. “Last night felt good, but this one feels really good, to beat the caliber of cars that are here.” The driver of his #25 Elite Chassis ride ended.

Todd Neiheiser and Mike McKinney brought the 24-car field to Chief Starter, Dave Farney’s green flag and it would be McKinney leading the opening lap. Neiheiser would regroup though and charged back out front on the next lap and brought Tyler Nicely and Kyle Strickler, both Quad-15s Feature winners from the night before, with him and the battle was on for the lead. On lap eight, Nicely and Strickler both slipper passed Neiheiser and pulled away from the rest of the pack.

Nicely and Strickler put on a battle of their own while leaving the rest of the field to fend for themselves. As the laps continued to click off, Nicely slowly but surely pulled away from Strickler and started putting lapped traffic between himself and his fellow Gator Feature winner from the night before. In the end, Nicely crossed the stripe first to score the Feature win and more importantly, a guaranteed starting spot in Monday’s $5,000 to win Big Gator finale.

Strickler settled for second for his fifth consecutive top five finish in five starts during the DIRTcar Nationals while Michael Long continues to impress with his best finish of the week in third. Two-time NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Champion, Matt Crafton recorded his best finish of the week in fourth as night number one winner, David Stremme recovered from an incident on lap nine to wrap up the top five. McKinney slipped to sixth while Ryan Ayers, Ray Bollinger, Chase Collins and Ricky Arms completed the top 10.

The DIRTcar UMP Modifieds will continued with the Gator Qualifying Nights as the second and final pivotal night of racing will be on Sunday, February 11th, the sixth straight day of racing for the ironmen of the 47th Annual DIRTcar Nationals. The teams that took Saturday off, come back Sunday for their shot at getting into Monday’s $5,000 to win finale. The top 10 finishers from Sunday’s feature will join the top 10 from Saturday’s main event and are locked in to the Big Gator Championship Feature paying $5,000 to win on Monday, February 12th.

The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series will wrap up Sprint Car Week with their third and final night of racing before the DIRTcar Late Models take over for two nights (Monday & Tuesday, February 12-13th) to kick off Late Model week. Also, on Tuesday, February 13th, the Super DIRTcar Big Block Modifieds Tour begin their stretch of five nights of racing, while on Wednesday, February 14th, the World of Outlaws Craftsman Late Model Series continue Late Model week for four nights of action to wrap up the DIRTcar Nationals.

For more information about the 47th annual DIRTcar Nationals and to order tickets, please call: 1 (844) DIRT-TIX or log onto the DIRTcar Nationals website located at: dirtcarnationals.com. You can also follow the DIRTcar Nationals by visiting the Social Media outlets. Just search for “DIRTcar Nationals” on both Facebook and Twitter for the very latest updates.

DIRTcar UMP Modifieds Results: Volusia Speedway Park, Feb. 10, 2018

Feature (20-Laps): 1. Tyler Nicely (25) 2.Kyle Strickler (8) 3.Michael Long (18L) 4.Matt Crafton (88) 5.David Stremme (35) 6. Mike McKinney (96m) 7. Ryan Ayers (6A) 8. Ray Bollinger (77) 9. Chase Collins (2×4) 10. Ricky Arms (4) 11. Garrett Stewart (67) 12. Buzzie Reutimann (00) 13. Blake Spalding (1) 14. Will Long (45) 15. Dugan Thye (11T) 16. Dave Jamison (D4) 17. Jesse Rupe (11R) 18. Frank Paladino (27) 19. Todd Neiheiser (72) 20. Jason Garver (27G) 21. Rick Conoyer (14C) 22. Craig Shaw (4s) 23.Gene Nicholas (11N) 24. Tony Anderson (22T)

Last Chance Showdown: 1. Buzzie Reutimann (00) 2. Blake Spalding (1) 3.Dugan Thye (11T) 4. Dave Jamison (D4) 5. Jesse Rupe (11R) 6. Craig Shaw (4s) 7. Brendan Rassell (01) 8. Dave Baldwin (6B) 9. Timmy Near (71x) 10. John E Baker (22J) 11. Matthew Johnson (96) 12. Jesse Strange (85E) 13. Jeff Thomas (07) 14. Will Norris (71n) 15. Todd Souza (13)

Heat 1: 1. Tyler Nicely (25) 2. Jason Garver (27G) 3. Matt Crafton (88) 4. Garrett Stewart (67) 5. Will Long (45) 6. Frank Paladino (27) 7. Blake Spalding (1) 8. Jeff Thomas (07) 9. Dave Jamison (D4) 10. Craig Shaw (4s) 11. Will Norris (71n)

Heat 2: 1. Mike McKinney (96m) 2. Michael Long (18L) 3. Kyle Strickler (8)4. Rick Conoyer (14C) 5. Ryan Ayers (6A) 6. Tony Anderson (22T) 7.Buzzie Reutimann (00) 8.Jesse Rupe (11R) 9. John E Baker (22J) 10. Timmy Near (71x) 11.Matthew Johnson (96)

Heat 3:1. Todd Neiheiser (72)2. David Stremme (35) 3. Chase Collins (2×4) 4. Ray Bollinger (77) 5. Gene Nicholas (11N) 6. Ricky Arms (4) 7. Dugan Thye (11T) 8. Dave Baldwin (6B) 9. Jesse Strange (85E) 10. Brendan Rassell (01) 11. Todd Souza (13)

Qualifying 1: 1. Tyler Nicely (25) 2. Matt Crafton (88) 3. Jason Garver (27G) 4. Garrett Stewart (67) 5. Will Long (45) 6. Frank Paladino (27) 7. Blake Spalding (1) 8. Dave Jamison (D4) 9. Jeff Thomas (07) 10. Craig Shaw (4s) 11. Will Norris (71n)

Qualifying 2: 1. Kyle Strickler (8) 2. Mike McKinney (96m) 3. Michael Long (18L) 4. Ryan Ayers (6A) 5. Buzzie Reutimann (00) 6. Rick Conoyer (14C) 7. Tony Anderson (22T) 8. Jesse Rupe (11R) 9. Timmy Near (71x) 10. John E Baker (22J) 11. Matthew Johnson (96)

Qualifying 3: 1. David Stremme (35) 2.Chase Collins (2×4) 3.Todd Neiheiser (72) 4.Gene Nicholas (11N) 5. Todd Souza (13) 6.Ray Bollinger (77) 7. Ricky Arms (4) 8.Brendan Rassell (01) 9.Dave Baldwin (6B) 10.Dugan Thye (11T) 11.Jesse Strange (85E)

By |2018-02-12T16:59:06-05:00February 12th, 2018|DIRTcar, National, Volusia Speedway Park|Comments Off on Twice as Nice(ly): Tyler Nicely Locks into Gator Championship with Saturday’s Victory

Doubling Up: Hoffman Picks Up Second Gator of DIRTcar Nationals

DIRTcar UMP Modifieds Continue Ironman Stretch of Races at Volusia Speedway Park

BARBERVILLE, FL — Feb. 8, 2018 — The 47th annual DIRTcar Nationals continued on with night number three for the DIRTcar UMP Modifieds at Volusia Speedway Park (FL). With 70 cars on hand, every position, every time the cars are on the track, is of the utmost importance. That was certainly the case on Thursday, February 9th in the final regular night of competition before the specials portion of the schedule for the Modifieds kicks in. The Thursday night 20-Lap Feature would see the first two nights’ winners, David Stremme and Nick Hoffman tied in Gator Points coming into the night. When the checkered flag flew, it’s now Hoffman standing alone on top of the points after winning his second Feature in a row.

“It doesn’t hurt to start up front that’s for sure. I’m not a huge fan of it, but it worked out tonight.” Smiled the 25-year-old originally from Belleville, IL after climbing from his #2 Fox Shocks / Elite Chassis ride. “Our program is really good right now. It all comes down to maintenance and we’ll just keep doing what we’ve been doing for the past two days. A bunch of seconds and now two wins in a row. Biggest thing tonight was getting out front and getting away from everyone and it worked out.” The Mooresville, NC resident added.

Hoffman and Tyler Nicely were scheduled to start on the front row, but Nicely didn’t answer the call for the start. So that moved up Mike McKinney to the outside of the front row. On the start, it was Hoffman who shot out to the early lead as the rest of the field jockeyed for position behind him. The battles between second through fifth was intense before Kyle Strickler finally emerged from the war, into second and set his sights on Hoffman, who had built up a big lead.

As hard as Strickler ran to try and catch the race long leader, Hoffman was able to put plenty of real estate and lapped cars between the two. Strickler was able to finally get through the traffic and tried to track down Hoffman late in the race, but the lead was too insurmountable as Hoffman took the checkered flag first by just over a second to score his second straight win and 13th DIRTcar Nationals victory of his career in a caution free event.

Strickler advanced one position from his finishes the first two nights and secured the runner-up spot ahead of McKinney who scored his highest finish of the week. NASCAR Xfinity Series star, Justin Allgaier and former NASCAR veteran, Kenny Wallace completed the top five. Allen Weisser finished sixth for his best finish of the DIRTcar Nationals and second top 10 while night number one winner, David Stremme was seventh. Zeke McKenzie grabbed eighth as Will Krup finished ninth for the second straight night and Brian Ruhlman posted his best finish of the week and finished off the top 10.

The DIRTcar UMP Modifieds continue to add to their ironman status of the 47th Annual DIRTcar Nationals on Friday, February 9th as their fourth straight night of racing will be highlighted by the Quad-15s. Four Features are on the card as every Modified driver on hand in Barberville, FL will race in a DIRTcar Nationals Feature. The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series arrive on Friday and headline the rest of the weekend with their first of three straight nights racing.

For more information about the 47th annual DIRTcar Nationals and to order tickets, please call: 1 (844) DIRT-TIX or log onto the DIRTcar Nationals website located at: dirtcarnationals.com. You can also follow the DIRTcar Nationals by visiting the Social Media outlets. Just search for “DIRTcar Nationals” on both Facebook and Twitter for the very latest updates.

Feature (20-Laps): 1.Nick Hoffman (2) 2.Kyle Strickler (8) 3.Mike McKinney (96m) 4.Justin Allgaier (7) 5.Kenny Wallace (36) 6.Allen Weisser (61) 7.David Stremme (35) 8.Zeke McKenzie (24z) 9.Will Krup (K9) 10.Brian Ruhlman (49) 11.Kc Burdette (44KC) 12.Jason Beaulieu (90) 13.Matt Crafton (88) 14.Ricky Arms (4) 15.Ken Schrader (9) 16.Larry Burkins (54) 17.Shon Flanary (98) 18.Troy Johnson (2J) 19.Ryan Cripe (23) 20.Ryan Ayers (6A) 21.Austin Holcombe (8A) 22.Josh Rice (11) 23.Chase Collins (2×4) 24.Jesse Rupe (11R) 25.Ryan Fowler (6F) 26.Dave Jamison (D4) 27.Michael Long (18L) 28.Tyler Nicely (25)

Last Chance Showdown 1: 1. Michael Long (18L) 2. Shon Flanary (98) 3. Chase Collins (2×4) 4. Justin Haley (99H) 5. Garrett Stewart (67) 6. Hunt Gossum (99) 7. Tyler Evans (17T) 8. Brad Goff (41) 9. Gary Bentley (A1) 10. Frank Paladino (27) 11. Craig Shaw (4s) 12. Lee Hobbs (22J) 13. Todd Souza (13) 14. Paul Niznik (42) 15. Matthew Johnson (96) 16. Jeff Solinger (7×7) 17. Taylor Cook (21c) 18. Jason Brookover (28B)

Last Chance Showdown 2: 1. Jason Beaulieu (90) 2. Dave Jamison (D4) 3. Ryan Fowler (6F) 4. Jesse Rupe (11R) 5. Jessie Hoskins (71) 6. Dustin Thayer (10T) 7. Steve Stevenson (3) 8. Brendan Rassell (01) 9. Will Norris (71n) 10. Jeff Thomas (07) 11. Timmy Near (71x) 12. Dave Baldwin (6B) 13. Joey Miller (15) 14. Jesse Strange (85E) 15. Ryan Beckett (58) 16. A.j. Fike (10) 17. Jason Intoppa (18i) 18. Sean Monaghan (21)

Last Chance Showdown 3: 1. Josh Rice (11) 2. Kc Burdette (44KC) 3. Matt Crafton (88) 4.Rick Conoyer (14C) 5. Jamie Carter (15c) 6. Ray Bollinger (77) 7. Michael McGee (11m) 8. Tony Anderson (22T) 9. Gene Nicholas (11N) 10. Will Long (45) 11. Todd Neiheiser (72) 12. Jason Garver (27G) 13. Dugan Thye (11T) 14.Blake Spalding (1) 15. Rick Weitekamp (89w) 16.Larry Mott (06Z)

Heat 1: 1. Tyler Nicely (25) 2. Kyle Strickler (8) 3. Ryan Ayers (6A) 4. Chase Collins (2×4) 5. Shon Flanary (98) 6. Justin Haley (99H) 7. Garrett Stewart (67) 8. Tyler Evans (17T) 9. Brad Goff (41) 10. Lee Hobbs (22J) 11. Jeff Solinger (7×7) 12. Taylor Cook (21c)

Heat 2: 1. Nick Hoffman (2) 2. Ken Schrader (9) 3. Zeke McKenzie (24z) 4. Michael Long (18L) 5. Gary Bentley (A1) 6. Paul Niznik (42) 7. Frank Paladino (27) 8. Hunt Gossum (99) 9. Todd Souza (13) 10. Craig Shaw (4s) 11.Matthew Johnson (96) 12.Jason Brookover (28B)

Heat 3: 1.Justin Allgaier (7) 2.David Stremme (35) 3.Larry Burkins (54) 4.Jason Beaulieu (90) 5.Jessie Hoskins (71) 6.Dave Jamison (D4) 7.Jesse Rupe (11R) 8.Steve Stevenson (3) 9.Jeff Thomas (07) 10.Jesse Strange (85E) 11.Ryan Beckett (58) 12.Jason Intoppa (18i)

Heat 4: 1.Allen Weisser (61) 2.Ricky Arms (4) 3.Austin Holcombe (8A) 4.Dustin Thayer (10T) 5.Ryan Fowler (6F) 6.Dave Baldwin (6B) 7.Joey Miller (15) 8.Will Norris (71n) 9.Brendan Rassell (01) 10.A.j. Fike (10) 11.Timmy Near (71x) 12.Sean Monaghan (21)

Heat 5: 1.Kenny Wallace (36) 2.Brian Ruhlman (49) 3.Ryan Cripe (23) 4.Josh Rice (11) 5.Michael McGee (11m) 6.Ray Bollinger (77) 7.Gene Nicholas (11N) 8.Will Long (45) 9.Jason Garver (27G) 10.Dugan Thye (11T) 11.Rick Weitekamp (89w)

Heat 6: 1.Mike McKinney (96m) 2.Will Krup (K9) 3.Troy Johnson (2J) 4.Matt Crafton (88) 5.Kc Burdette (44KC) 6.Rick Conoyer (14C) 7.Todd Neiheiser (72) 8.Jamie Carter (15c) 9.Tony Anderson (22T) 10.Blake Spalding (1) 11.Larry Mott (06Z)

Qualifying Group 1: 1. Kyle Strickler (8) 2. Taylor Cook (21c) 3. Ryan Ayers (6A) 4. Tyler Nicely (25) 5. Chase Collins (2×4) 6. Shon Flanary (98) 7. Garrett Stewart (67) 8. Brad Goff (41) 9. Justin Haley (99H) 10. Tyler Evans (17T) 11. Jeff Solinger (7×7) 12. Lee Hobbs (22J)

Qualifying Group 2: 1. Nick Hoffman (2) 2. Zeke McKenzie (24z) 3. Hunt Gossum (99) 4. Ken Schrader (9) 5. Michael Long (18L) 6. Gary Bentley (A1) 7. Jason Brookover (28B) 8. Paul Niznik (42) 9. Todd Souza (13) 10. Frank Paladino (27) 11. Matthew Johnson (96) 12. Craig Shaw (4s)

Qualifying Group 3: 1. David Stremme (35) 2. Jason Beaulieu (90) 3. Larry Burkins (54) 4. Justin Allgaier (7) 5. Jason Intoppa (18i) 6. Dave Jamison (D4)7. Jessie Hoskins (71) 8. Jesse Rupe (11R) 9. Ryan Beckett (58) 10. Jeff Thomas (07) 11. Jesse Strange (85E) 12. Steve Stevenson (3)

Qualifying Group 4: 1. Allen Weisser (61) 2. Ricky Arms (4) 3. A.j. Fike (10) 4. Austin Holcombe (8A) 5. Dustin Thayer (10T) 6. Ryan Fowler (6F) 7. Will Norris (71n) 8. Joey Miller (15) 9. Dave Baldwin (6B) 10. Timmy Near (71x) 11. Brendan Rassell (01) 12. Sean Monaghan (21)

Qualifying Group 5: 1. Brian Ruhlman (49) 2. Josh Rice (11) 3. Ryan Cripe (23) 4. Kenny Wallace (36) 5. Ray Bollinger (77) 6. Gene Nicholas (11N) 7. Michael McGee (11m) 8. Jason Garver (27G) 9. Will Long (45) 10. Dugan Thye (11T) 11. Rick Weitekamp (89w)

Qualifying Group 6: 1. Kc Burdette (44KC) 2. Will Krup (K9) 3. Troy Johnson (2J) 4. Mike McKinney (96m) 5. Rick Conoyer (14C) 6. Matt Crafton (88) 7. Todd Neiheiser (72) 8. Tony Anderson (22T) 9. Jamie Carter (15c) 10. Blake Spalding (1) 11. Larry Mott (06Z)

–DIRTcar PR

By |2018-02-12T16:39:36-05:00February 12th, 2018|DIRTcar, National, Racing News, Volusia Speedway Park|Comments Off on Doubling Up: Hoffman Picks Up Second Gator of DIRTcar Nationals

Nick Hoffman Adds Gator to the Pond

Hoffman Passes Night One Winner Stremme; Takes Night Two of the 47th Annual DIRTcar Nationals

Two-Time Defending DIRTcar UMP Modifieds DIRTcar Nationals Champion Scores Career Win #12

BARBERVILLE, FL — Feb. 7, 2018 — The second of seven nights of DIRTcar UMP Modified racing, part of the 47th Annual DIRTcar Nationals, was at Volusia Speedway Park (FL) on Wednesday, February 7th. A total of 71 teams, up four from opening night, from across North America, were on the property and continued their quest for the coveted Big Gator which will be handed out on Monday, February 12th.

After the first two nights of highly regarded competition, the battle for the coveted title will go down to the very last laps in a few days if the first two races were any indication. Two-time defending DIRTcar Nationals Champion, Nick Hoffman passed night one winner, David Stremme seven laps in and the driver who calls Mooresville, NC home, pulled away to his 12th career DIRTcar Nationals Feature victory.

“Second place sucks, we were talking about it last night and today. We finished second in the last two races (at North Florida Speedway) before coming here. We finished second last night. So, we made some changes and they paid off for us tonight.” The 25-year-old driver originally from Belleville, IL remarked in victory lane. “The track conditions were definitely in our favor tonight. The track is much different when the Sprint Cars race on it. Hats off to the track for giving us a nice surface to race on. Hopefully we can come back tomorrow and do this again.” He added.

Michael Long and Jamie Carter brought the massive 28-car field to the green flag and it was Long grabbing the early advantage. His lead was short-lived however as Stremme motored by on the outside from his third starting spot to take over the lead. He brought Hoffman with him and the battle was on for the top spot. On lap seven Hoffman drove around the outside of Stremme to take over the top spot and his No. 2 Elite Chassis machine started to pull away from Stremme and the rest of the pack.

Hoffman would maintain the lead the rest of the way and gave himself some breathing room by getting through traffic at a rapid rate. This left the traffic in Stremme’s way and all the while. Hoffman kept putting plenty of real estate between himself and the rest of the field en route to his 12th career DIRTcar Nationals win, the most all-time at Volusia Speedway Park

Stremme settled for second ahead of Kyle Strickler who finished third for the second straight night as Long slipped back to fourth ahead of Tyler Nicely who finished off the top five. Taylor Cook, in his first appearance of the DIRTcar Nationals, finished sixth after starting in 18th as Garrett Stewart, Ricky Arms, Will Krup from 20th and Allen Weisser would complete the top 10.

The third night of DIRTcar UMP Modifieds racing will see the third $1,000 to win show of the week on Thursday, February 8th. Also, for the second time this week, the Arctic Car All-Star Circuit of Champions Sprint Cars will be in action for their final night of competition before the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Cars race for three nights in a row starting on Friday, February 9th.

For more information about the 47th annual DIRTcar Nationals and to order tickets, please call: 1 (844) DIRT-TIX or log onto the website located at: dirtcarnationals.com You can also follow the DIRTcar Nationals throughout the off-season and into the month of February by visiting the DIRTcar Nationals Social Media outlets. Just search for “DIRTcar Nationals” on both Facebook and Twitter for the very latest updates.

Feature (20 laps): 1. Nick Hoffman (2); 2. David Stremme (35); 3.  Kyle Strickler (8); 4.  Michael Long (18L); 5. Tyler Nicely (25); 6.  Taylor Cook (21c); 7.  Garrett Stewart (67); 8.  Ricky Arms (4);9. Will Krup (K9);10. Allen Weisser (61); 11. Kc Burdette (44KC); 12. Jason Beaulieu (90); 13. Brian Ruhlman (49); 14. Hunt Gossum (99); 15. Josh Rice (11); 16. Jamie Carter (15c); 17. Shon Flanary (98); 18. Tyler Evans (17T); 19. Zeke McKenzie (24z); 20. Chase Collins (2×4); 21. Larry Burkins (54); 22. Matt Crafton (88); 23. Todd Neiheiser (72); 24. Ryan Fowler (6); 25. Austin Holcombe (8A); 26. Troy Johnson (2J); 27. A.j. Fike (10); 28. Mike McKinney (96m)

Last Chance Showdown 1:  1. Zeke McKenzie (24z) 2. Todd Neiheiser (72) 3. Shon Flanary (98) 4. Ryan Ayers (6A) 5. Kenny Wallace (36) 6. Justin Haley (99H) 7. Timmy Near (71x) 8.  Paul Niznik (42) 9. Frank Paladino (27) 10. Gary Bentley (A1) 11. Dave Jamison (D4) 12. Brendan Rassell (01) 13. Sean Monaghan (21) 14. Craig Shaw (4s) 15. Larry Mott (06Z) 16. Ryan Beckett (58) 17. Todd Souza (13)

Last Chance Showdown 2: 1. Will Krup (K9) 2. Ryan Fowler (6) 3. Matt Crafton (88) 4. Troy Johnson (2J) 5. Jessie Hoskins (71) 6. John Baker (22J) 7. Blake Spalding (1) 8. Will Norris (71n) 9. Jeff Thomas (07) 10. Dugan Thye (11T) 11. Dave Baldwin (6B) 12. Jesse Rupe (11R) 13. Dustin Thayer (10T) 14. Jason Brookover (28B) 15. Ray Ciccarelli (83) 16. Joey Miller (15)

Last Chance Showdown 3:  1. Mike McKinney (96m) 2. Hunt Gossum (99) 3. A.J. Fike (10) 4. Ken Schrader (9) 5. Ryan Cripe (23) 6. Rick Conoyer (14C) 7. Brad Goff (41) 8. Michael McGee (11m) 9. Ray Bollinger (77) 10. Tony Anderson (22T) 11. Gene Nicholas (11N) 12. Jason Garver (27G) 13. Rick Weitekamp (89w) 14. Will Long (45) 15. Jeff Solinger (7×7) 16. Jesse Strange (85E)

Heat 1: 1. Kyle Strickler (8) 2. Tyler Nicely (25) 3. Brian Ruhlman (49) 4. Zeke McKenzie (24z) 5. Shon Flanary (98) 6. Ryan Ayers (6A) 7. Kenny Wallace (36) 8. Paul Niznik (42) 9. Dave Jamison (D4) 10.  Timmy Near (71x) 11. Craig Shaw (4s) 12. Ryan Beckett (58)

Heat 2:  1. David Stremme (35) 2. Ricky Arms (4)3. Chase Collins (2×4) 4. Justin Haley (99H) 5. Todd Neiheiser (72) 6. Frank Paladino (27) 7. Gary Bentley (A1) 8. Brendan Rassell (01) 9. Sean Monaghan (21) 10. Larry Mott (06Z) 11. Todd Souza (13)

Heat 3:  1. Michael Long (18L) 2. Allen Weisser (61) 3. Austin Holcombe (8A) 4. Jessie Hoskins (71)5. Ryan Fowler (6) 6. Will Krup (K9) 7. Will Norris (71n) 8. Dustin Thayer (10T) 9. John Baker (22J) 10. Dugan Thye (11T) 11. Ray Ciccarelli (83)

Heat 4:  1. Garrett Stewart (67) 2. Larry Burkins (54) 3. Jason Beaulieu (90) 4. Troy Johnson (2J) 5. Jesse Rupe (11R) 6. Jeff Thomas (07) 7. Blake Spalding (1) 8. Matt Crafton (88) 9. Jason Brookover (28B) 10.  Dave Baldwin (6B) 11. Joey Miller (15)

Heat 5: 1. Jamie Carter (15c) 2. Josh Rice (11) 3. Tyler Evans (17T) 4. Hunt Gossum (99) 5. A.j. Fike (10) 6. Brad Goff (41) 7. Rick Conoyer (14C) 8. Ray Bollinger (77) 9. Michael McGee (11m) 10. Rick Weitekamp (89w) 11. Will Long (45)

Heat 6:  1. Nick Hoffman (2) 2. Kc Burdette (44KC) 3. Taylor Cook (21c) 4. Mike McKinney (96m) 5. Ken Schrader (9) 6. Ryan Cripe (23) 7. Tony Anderson (22T) 8. Gene Nicholas (11N) 9. Jeff Solinger (7×7) 10. Jason Garver (27G) 11. Jesse Strange (85E)

Qualifying Group 1: 98-Shon Flanary; 2. 8- Kyle Strickler; 3. 49 – Brian Ruhlman; 4. Zeke McKenzie; 5. 25- Tyler Nicely; 6. 6A – Ryan Ayers; 7. 36 – Kenny Wallace; 8. 42 – Paul Niznik; 9. 4s – Craig Shaw; 10. D4 – David Jamison; 11. 71x – Timmy Near; 12. 58 – Ryan Beckett.

Qualifying Group 2: 1 – 35 – David Stremme; 2. 2×4 -Chase Collins; 3. 4 – Ricky Arms; 4. 99H – Justin Haley; 5. 72 – Todd Neiheiser; 6. A1-Gary Bentley; 7. 01-Brendan Rassell; 8. 27-Frank Paladino; 9. 21 – Sean Monaghan; 10. 06Z- Larry Mott;11. 13-Todd Souza

Qualifying Group 3:  1. 61 – Allen Weisser; 2. K9 -Will Krup; 3. 8A – Austin Holcombe; 4. 18L -Michael Long; 5. 6- Ryan Fowler; 6. 71n – Will Norris; 7. 71 -Jessie Hoskins; 8. 10T -Dustin Thayer; 9. 11T -Dugan Thye; 10. 22J – John Baker; 11. 83 – Ray Ciccarelli.

Qualifying Group 4:  1. 2J-Troy Johnson; 2. 28B-Jason Brookover;  3. 90 -Jason Beaulieu; 4. 67 -Garrett Stewart 5. 11R-Jesse Rupe; 6. 15-Joey Miller; 7. 07 -Jeff Thomas; 8. 6B- Dave Baldwin; 9.1- Blake Spalding; 10. 54 – Larry Burkins; 11. 88-Matt Crafton.

Qualifying Group 5: 1. 11 – Josh Rice; 2. 45 -Will Long; 3. 15c- Jamie Carter; 4. 41 – Brad Goff; 5. 99- Hunt Gossum; 6. 77 – Ray Bollinger; 7. 17T – Tyler Evans; 8.14c – Rick Conoyer; 9. 10 – A.j. Fike; 10. 11m – Michael McGee; 11. 89w – Rick Weitekamp.

Qualifying Group 6:  1. 2 – Nick Hoffman; 2. 21c – Taylor Cook; 3. 23 -Ryan Cripe; 4. 44KC – Kc Burdette; 5. 96m -Mike McKinney; 6. 9 – Ken Schrader; 7. 22T – Tony Anderson; 8. 11N – Gene Nicholas; 9. 27G – Jason Garver; 10. 85E – Jesse Strange; 11. 7×7 – Jeff Solinger

By |2018-02-09T06:18:47-05:00February 9th, 2018|DIRTcar, National, Racing News, Volusia Speedway Park|Comments Off on Nick Hoffman Adds Gator to the Pond

Stremme Strong In DIRTcar Nationals Opener

Second Career Win in DIRTcar UMP Modifieds at Volusia Speedway Park

BARBERVILLE, FL — Feb. 6, 2018 — The premier drivers and teams within the DIRTcar UMP Modified ranks from across North America converged to Volusia Speedway Park (FL) for night number one of the 47th Annual DIRTcar Nationals. A stellar field of 65 teams made their way to the Sunshine State to compete in the first of seven straight nights of competition for the open-wheeled weekly warriors. David Stremme, originally from South Bend, IN and now calls Mooresville, NC home, shot out to the lead on the opening lap from his third starting spot and held off two-time defending DIRTcar Nationals Champion, Nick Hoffman to score his second career Gator.

“We were pretty good tonight, but I feel like we still have a lot of work to do. We’re just ok and we know that. Its only night one,” Offered the 40-year-old owner of Lethal Chassis after his victory. “Things will change quite a bit the rest of the week and the competition here is pretty strong. Real happy though, have to thank all the sponsors. Definitely Penske Racing Shocks. This is the first race with them on the car, so we’re pretty proud of that.” He added.

The first Feature of the DIRTcar Nationals would see NASCAR Xfinity Series star, Justin Allgaier and Hoffman lead the mammoth 28-car field to chief starter, Dave Farney’s green flag to begin their 20-lap Feature. Stremme, who started on the inside of the third row, quickly shot around the front row and grabbed the early advantage while the rest of the field jockeyed for position. Hoffman fell back to as far as fifth, before regrouping and picking off cars one by one until he got back up to second.

As the laps clicked off, Hoffman closed the gap on Stremme and caught a break when the caution flag flew with just a single lap to go. That set up a one-lap shootout between Stremme and Hoffman and on the restart, Stremme got the jump on both Hoffman and Allgaier, who was running in the third spot. Stremme would get away from both and cross the stripe first en route to his first DIRTcar Nationals Feature win since the 2015 season and second of his career.

Hoffman settled for second as Kyle Strickler, who won one of the three Last Chance Showdowns to get into the show, started 19th and completed the podium finishers. Chase Collins, who started 13th, finished fourth as Zeke McKenzie, who started 11th, finished off the top five. NASCAR Camping World Trucks Series regular, Justin Haley was sixth after starting 25th while Kenny Wallace, Michael Long, K.C. Burdette and Allgaier, who faded on the last restart, were the top 10.

Night two for the DIRTcar UMP Modifieds will see the teams return for the next $1,000 payday. The Arctic Car All-Star Circuit of Champions Sprint Cars will race for their first of two nights of action before the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Cars race for three nights in a row starting on Friday, February 9th. For more information about the 47th annual DIRTcar Nationals and to order tickets, please call: 1 (844) DIRT-TIX or log onto the website located at: dirtcarnationals.com You can also follow the DIRTcar Nationals throughout the off-season and into the month of February by visiting the DIRTcar Nationals Social Media outlets. Just search for “DIRTcar Nationals” on both Facebook and Twitter for the very latest updates.

DIRTcar Nationals UMP Modified Results: Feb. 6, 2018

FEATURE (20 Laps ) – 1. David Stremme; 2. Nick Hoffman; 3. Kyle Strickler; 4. Chase Collins; 5. Zeke McKenzie; 6. Justin Haley; 7. Kenny Wallace; 8. Michael Long; 9. Kc Burdette; 10. Justin Allgaier; 11. Ray Bollinger;12. Tyler Evans; 13. Ryan Cripe; 14. Jason Brookover; 15. Larry Burkins; 16. Paul Niznik; 17. Tony Anderson; 18. Josh Rice; 19. Mike McKinney; 20. Jason Beaulieu; 21. Shon Flanary; 22. Todd Neiheiser; 23. Troy Johnson; 24. Jason Garver; 25. Jamie Carter; 26. Brian Ruhlman; 27. Rick Conoyer; 28. Ken Schrader;

Modifieds B-Feature 1

Driver Nbr
—————————— —–
1. Kyle Strickler 8
Mooresville, Nc
2. Troy Johnson 2J
Sugar Grove, Pa
3. Justin Haley 99H
Mooresville, Nc
4. Matt Crafton 88
Mooresville, Nc
5. Allen Weisser 61
Peoria, Il
6. Frank Paladino 27
Lima, Oh
7. Hunt Gossum 99
Mayfield, Ky
8. Dugan Thye 11T
Burlington, Ia
9. Jesse Rupe 11R
Sophia, Wv
10. Gene Nicholas 11N
Lowell, Ar
11. Sean Monaghan 21
Starke, Fl
12. Jeff Solinger 7×7
Bumpass, Va
13. Ray Ciccarelli 83
Reisterstown, Md
14. Rick Weitekamp 89w
Springfield, Il
15. Austin Holcombe 8A
Elm City, Nc
16. Dustin Thayer 10T
Deleon Springs, Fl

Modifieds B-Feature 2

Driver Nbr
—————————— —–
1. Jamie Carter 15c
Jacksonville, Fl
2. Larry Burkins 54
St. Augustine, Fl
3. Tyler Evans 17T
Mineral Wells, Wv
4. Ray Bollinger 77
Kewanee, Il
5. Joey Miller 15
Lakeville, Mn
6. Dave Baldwin 6B
Perrysville, In
7. Ricky Arms 4
Moss, Tn
8. Garrett Stewart 67
Leesburg, Fl
9. Michael McGee 11m
Mayville, Ny
10. Jeff Thomas 07
Petaluma, Ca
11. Jessie Hoskins 71
Longdale, Ok
12. Dave Jamison D4
Peebles, Oh
13. Ryan Beckett 58
Osferburg, Pa
14. Todd Souza 13
Aromas, Ca
15. Will Norris 71n
Bells, Tn
16. Tyler Nicely 25
Owensboro, Ky

Modifieds B-Feature 3

Driver Nbr
—————————— —–
1. Todd Neiheiser 72
Panama City, Fl
2. Ken Schrader 9
Concord, Nc
3. Paul Niznik 42
Medford, Wi
4. Will Long 45
Clayton, Nc
5. Blake Spalding 1
Watervliet, Mi
6. Lee Hobbs 22J
Mitchell, In
7. Brad Goff 41
Zanesville, Oh
8. Craig Shaw 4s
Dexter, Mn
9. Robbie Evans 17
Mineral Wells, Wv
10. Steve Stevenson 1x
St Jacob, Il
11. Dylan Browning 6
Jacksonville, Fl
12. Will Krup K9
Mt Carmel, Il
13. Brendan Rassell 01
Woonsocket, Sd
14. A.j. Fike 10
Galesburg, Il
15. Larry Mott 06Z
Leesburg, Fl
16. Gary Bentley A1
St Charles, Mo
17. Jesse Strange 85E
Marion, In

Modifieds Heat 1

Driver Nbr
—————————— —–
1. Nick Hoffman 2
Mooresville, Nc
2. Brian Ruhlman 49
Clarklake, Mi
3. Chase Collins 2×4
Jacksonville, Fl
4. Justin Haley 99H
Mooresville, Nc
5. Troy Johnson 2J
Sugar Grove, Pa
6. Hunt Gossum 99
Mayfield, Ky
7. Dugan Thye 11T
Burlington, Ia
8. Allen Weisser 61
Peoria, Il
9. Sean Monaghan 21
Starke, Fl
10. Kyle Strickler 8
Mooresville, Nc
11. Dustin Thayer 10T
Deleon Springs, Fl

Modifieds Heat 2

Driver Nbr
—————————— —–
1. Justin Allgaier 7
Springfield, Il
2. Mike McKinney 96m
Plainfield, Il
3. Kc Burdette 44KC
Parkersburg, Wv
4. Matt Crafton 88
Mooresville, Nc
5. Frank Paladino 27
Lima, Oh
6. Gene Nicholas 11N
Lowell, Ar
7. Ray Ciccarelli 83
Reisterstown, Md
8. Jeff Solinger 7×7
Bumpass, Va
9. Jesse Rupe 11R
Sophia, Wv
10. Austin Holcombe 8A
Elm City, Nc
11. Rick Weitekamp 89w
Springfield, Il

Modifieds Heat 3

Driver Nbr
—————————— —–
1. David Stremme 35
Mooresville, Nc
2. Shon Flanary 98
Surgoinsville, Tn
3. Michael Long 18L
Fowler, Il
4. Jamie Carter 15c
Jacksonville, Fl
5. Dave Baldwin 6B
Perrysville, In
6. Ricky Arms 4
Moss, Tn
7. Larry Burkins 54
St. Augustine, Fl
8. Dave Jamison D4
Peebles, Oh
9. Joey Miller 15
Lakeville, Mn
10. Jeff Thomas 07
Petaluma, Ca
11. Tyler Nicely 25
Owensboro, Ky

Modifieds Heat 4

Driver Nbr
—————————— —–
1. Ryan Cripe 23
North Manchester, In
2. Rick Conoyer 14C
St Peters, Mo
3. Jason Garver 27G
Starke, Fl
4. Tyler Evans 17T
Mineral Wells, Wv
5. Garrett Stewart 67
Leesburg, Fl
6. Ray Bollinger 77
Kewanee, Il
7. Michael McGee 11m
Mayville, Ny
8. Jessie Hoskins 71
Longdale, Ok
9. Todd Souza 13
Aromas, Ca
10. Will Norris 71n
Bells, Tn
11. Ryan Beckett 58
Osferburg, Pa

Modifieds Heat 5

Driver Nbr
—————————— —–
1. Josh Rice 11
Verona, Ky
2. Zeke McKenzie 24z
Claypool, In
3. Tony Anderson 22T
Lima, Oh
4. Paul Niznik 42
Medford, Wi
5. Ken Schrader 9
Concord, Nc
6. Brad Goff 41
Zanesville, Oh
7. Craig Shaw 4s
Dexter, Mn
8. Lee Hobbs 22J
Mitchell, In
9. Blake Spalding 1
Watervliet, Mi
10. Brendan Rassell 01
Woonsocket, Sd
11. Larry Mott 06Z
Leesburg, Fl

Modifieds Heat 6

Driver Nbr
—————————— —–
1. Jason Beaulieu 90
Campbell River, Bc
2. Kenny Wallace 36
Imperial, Mo
3. Jason Brookover 28B
Washington, Wv
4. Todd Neiheiser 72
Panama City, Fl
5. Robbie Evans 17
Mineral Wells, Wv
6. Will Long 45
Clayton, Nc
7. Steve Stevenson 1x
St Jacob, Il
8. Dylan Browning 6
Jacksonville, Fl
9. Will Krup K9
Mt Carmel, Il
10. A.j. Fike 10
Galesburg, Il
11. Gary Bentley A1
St Charles, Mo
12. Jesse Strange 85E
Marion, In

Modifieds Qualifying 1

Driver Nbr
—————————— —–
1. Kyle Strickler 8
Mooresville, Nc
2. Brian Ruhlman 49
Clarklake, Mi
3. Nick Hoffman 2
Mooresville, Nc
4. Chase Collins 2×4
Jacksonville, Fl
5. Hunt Gossum 99
Mayfield, Ky
6. Troy Johnson 2J
Sugar Grove, Pa
7. Dugan Thye 11T
Burlington, Ia
8. Sean Monaghan 21
Starke, Fl
9. Dustin Thayer 10T
Deleon Springs, Fl
10. Allen Weisser 61
Peoria, Il
11. Justin Haley 99H
Mooresville, Nc

Modifieds Qualifying 2

Driver Nbr
—————————— —–
1. Kc Burdette 44KC
Parkersburg, Wv
2. Mike McKinney 96m
Plainfield, Il
3. Austin Holcombe 8A
Elm City, Nc
4. Justin Allgaier 7
Springfield, Il
5. Gene Nicholas 11N
Lowell, Ar
6. Frank Paladino 27
Lima, Oh
7. Matt Crafton 88
Mooresville, Nc
8. Ray Ciccarelli 83
Reisterstown, Md
9. Jeff Solinger 7×7
Bumpass, Va
10. Rick Weitekamp 89w
Springfield, Il
11. Jesse Rupe 11R
Sophia, Wv

Modifieds Qualifying 3

Driver Nbr
—————————— —–
1. Jamie Carter 15c
Jacksonville, Fl
2. David Stremme 35
Mooresville, Nc
3. Shon Flanary 98
Surgoinsville, Tn
4. Michael Long 18L
Fowler, Il
5. Tyler Nicely 25
Owensboro, Ky
6. Larry Burkins 54
St. Augustine, Fl
7. Dave Baldwin 6B
Perrysville, In
8. Dave Jamison D4
Peebles, Oh
9. Ricky Arms 4
Moss, Tn
10. Jeff Thomas 07
Petaluma, Ca
11. Joey Miller 15
Lakeville, Mn

Modifieds Qualifying 4

Driver Nbr
—————————— —–
1. Rick Conoyer 14C
St Peters, Mo
2. Garrett Stewart 67
Leesburg, Fl
3. Tyler Evans 17T
Mineral Wells, Wv
4. Ryan Cripe 23
North Manchester, In
5. Ray Bollinger 77
Kewanee, Il
6. Will Norris 71n
Bells, Tn
7. Jason Garver 27G
Starke, Fl
8. Jessie Hoskins 71
Longdale, Ok
9. Michael McGee 11m
Mayville, Ny
10. Ryan Beckett 58
Osferburg, Pa
11. Todd Souza 13
Aromas, Ca

Modifieds Qualifying 5

Driver Nbr
—————————— —–
1. Brad Goff 41
Zanesville, Oh
2. Zeke McKenzie 24z
Claypool, In
3. Paul Niznik 42
Medford, Wi
4. Tony Anderson 22T
Lima, Oh
5. Josh Rice 11
Verona, Ky
6. Ken Schrader 9
Concord, Nc
7. Blake Spalding 1
Watervliet, Mi
8. Craig Shaw 4s
Dexter, Mn
9. Brendan Rassell 01
Woonsocket, Sd
10. Larry Mott 06Z
Leesburg, Fl
11. Lee Hobbs 22J
Mitchell, In

Modifieds Qualifying 6

Driver Nbr
—————————— —–
1. Kenny Wallace 36
Imperial, Mo
2. Will Krup K9
Mt Carmel, Il
3. Jason Beaulieu 90
Campbell River, Bc
4. Jason Brookover 28B
Washington, Wv
5. Will Long 45
Clayton, Nc
6. Gary Bentley A1
St Charles, Mo
7. Dylan Browning 6
Jacksonville, Fl
8. A.j. Fike 10
Galesburg, Il
9. Steve Stevenson 1x
St Jacob, Il
10. Jesse Strange 85E
Marion, In
11. Robbie Evans 17
Mineral Wells, Wv

By |2018-02-07T18:58:56-05:00February 7th, 2018|DIRTcar, National, Racing News, Volusia Speedway Park|Comments Off on Stremme Strong In DIRTcar Nationals Opener

DIRTcar UMP Modifieds to Race 14 Times in Florida in January/February

East Bay Raceway Park, North Florida Speedway and Volusia Speedway Park to Host

CONCORD, NC — Jan. 11, 2018 — With the 2018 racing season on the horizon, the annual pilgrimage to Florida for Speedweeks traditionally begins a new campaign for a variety of drivers and teams from throughout North America. The DIRTcar UMP Modifieds are once again the busiest class with 14 dates on their calendar at three different race tracks within the Sunshine State. The DIRTcar Late Models won’t be as busy, but still get some track time with three DIRTcar-sanctioned events at two different tracks and four more races with the World of Outlaws Craftsman® Late Model Series.

The DIRTcar UMP Modifieds kick off the 2018 racing season at East Bay Raceway Park in Tampa, FL from Jan. 24-27 to kick off the track’s 42nd annual Winter Nationals. On Wednesday the 24th, the Mods go for $1,000-to-win, while on Thursday and Friday, Jan. 25-26, they’ll race for $1,500. On the final night on Saturday the 27th, the open-wheel gladiators will race for an impressive $5,000 payday — the first of two such races while down in Florida during Speedweeks for the Mods.

After four days at East Bay, it’s onto North Florida Speedway in Lake City, FL from Feb. 2-4 for the Modifieds. The first two nights, on Thursday-Friday, Feb. 2-3, they’ll race for $1,500 to win each night before vying for a $2,500 payday on Sunday, Feb. 4. Their full-fendered counterparts of the DIRTcar Late Models join the Modifieds on Sunday the 4th for a $5,000 payday and their first action of Speedweeks.

Then it’s onto the 47th Annual DIRTcar Nationals, Feb. 6-17 at Volusia Speedway Park, located west of Daytona Beach in DeLeon Springs, Florida. The DIRTcar UMP Modifieds kick things off on Tuesday, Feb. 6 and will race for seven straight nights from Feb. 6-12 with the $5,000-to-win Gator Championship wrapping up their portion of #FLinFeb on Tuesday, Feb. 12. A grand total of $24,500 in first place winnings is up for grabs in the 14 races.

The DIRTcar Late Models will race twice on Feb. 12-13 before the World of Outlaws Craftsman Late Model Series take over for the rest of the week on Feb. 14-17. The Arctic Cat All-Star Circuit of Champions Sprint Cars (Feb. 7-8) and World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series (Feb. 9-11) join the DIRTcar UMP Modifieds for those nights, while the Super DIRTcar Series Big-Block Modifieds are in action with the Late Models over five nights of racing starting on Tuesday, Feb. 13, going until Saturday, Feb. 17.

Visit DIRTcar.com to see the Florida Schedule for the DIRTcar UMP Modifieds. For more information about the 47th annual DIRTcar Nationals and to order tickets, please call 844-DIRT-TIX or visit dirtcarnationals.com. Follow DIRTcar Nationals throughout the off-season and into the month of February by visiting the DIRTcar Nationals Social Media outlets.

–DIRTcar Press Release

By |2018-01-20T16:09:17-05:00January 20th, 2018|DIRTcar, East Bay Raceway Park, North Florida Speedway, Racing News, Upcoming Events, Volusia Speedway Park|Comments Off on DIRTcar UMP Modifieds to Race 14 Times in Florida in January/February

DIRTcar UMP Modifieds Kick Off 47th Annual DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park

Nick Hoffman to go for “Three-Peat” as DIRTcar Nationals Champion Starting Tuesday, February 6

CONCORD, NC — Jan. 19, 2018 — One of the most popular divisions that race at Volusia Speedway Park during the DIRTcar Nationals are the DIRTcar UMP Modifieds. They’ve also been the busiest division during the month of February and perhaps the most competitive. With car counts averaging in the 70s and 101 feature races conducted since 2005, the DIRTcar UMP Modified division has produced 44 different Feature winners as well as 10 different champions over the past 13 years. Only three drivers have captured more than one championship, and it wasn’t done for the first time until 2013 when NASCAR legend Ken Schrader accomplished the feat.

No driver, though, has been more successful in recent years than two-time defending DIRTcar Nationals Modified Champion Nick Hoffman. The 25-year-old has ascended to the status of Best Gator at a surprising pace. Hoffman, the all-time career wins leader of the DIRTcar Nationals with 11, scored his first ever DIRTcar Nationals Feature on February 20, 2012 when he won the first of what would be three Big Gators, worth $5,000 each.

The wins didn’t stop for Hoffman after that. Single victories in 2013 and 2015 set the stage for the past two seasons of domination by the Belleville, IL-born driver. Four Feature wins each in both 2016 and 2017 propelled the driver of the No. 2 Elite Chassis entry to the last two DIRTcar Nationals titles within the DIRTcar UMP Modified division. With last year’s title, he joins Schrader (2008 & 2013) and another NASCAR shoe, Ty Dillon (2012 & 2014) as the only drivers with more than one DIRTcar Nationals title from 2005 to present time. The Modifieds have been a part of Volusia in February since 1996 and are an integral part of the track’s 50th anniversary celebration.

The 2017 championship battle was one of the most memorable. After Fairmont, WV’s Jacob Hawkins kicked off the 2017 DIRTcar Nationals with his first ever DIRTcar Nationals victory, it would be Hoffman scoring night number two. Brian Ruhlman — the DIRTcar Late Model and Modified ace from Clarklake, MI — briefly stopped Hoffman on night three before Hoffman rebounded and scored the next two nights. Will Krup, from Mt. Carmel, IL (Hoffman’s teammate), picked up his first-ever DIRTcar Nationals win on night six before Hoffman grabbed his third Big Gator, worth $5,000, to go with his 2012 and 2016 Big Gators.

The points battle for the 2017 title wasn’t done, though. It all came down to the final night and the Triple 15s. J.E. Stadler and Johnathan Taylor scored the first two Feature wins as the third Feature came down to Hoffman and Hawkins. Hawkins won the battle, his second feature win of the DIRTcar Nationals. Hoffman finished right behind him in second to seal his second consecutive DIRTcar Nationals Championship by just a single point over Hawkins (489-488).

Heading into the 47th annual DIRTcar Nationals, Hoffman leads the charge once again in 2018 and will see plenty of competition from the likes of Hawkins, who looks to advance one position higher in the final standings and capture his first career DIRTcar Nationals title. Brian Ruhlman has went to Victory Lane once in each of the past two years while Krup, Taylor and Stadler hope their first tastes of winning in 2017 will propel them to bigger asperations in 2018. Winners from 2016 who would like to return to victory lane include Tyler Nicely, Trent Young, Derrick Ramey and Ray Bollinger.

Two NASCAR stars who can never be counted out of any DIRTcar UMP Modified event at Volusia are Schrader and Kenny Wallace. Schrader has two career victories at the DIRTcar Nationals, but it’s been awhile, five years to be exact (2013) was the last time Schrader went to Victory Lane. It’s been even longer for Wallace. After his three-win year of 2012, the year he also won the Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals Championship, the St. Louis, MO veteran has gone winless at Volusia, but still ranks seventh all-time in career DIRTcar Nationals Feature wins.

One more NASCAR star, David Stremme would like to end a mini slump of sorts as the South Bend, IN driver now residing in Mooresville, NC and is the President of Lethal Chassis, has one win to his credit at Volusia. That lone checkered flag came in 2015. NASCAR Xfinity Series star, Justin Allgaier also has a single win at Volusia in 2016 and, like Stremme, would love to change that. 2017 Southeast Dirt Modified Series Champion, Billy Workman Jr., is a longtime standout at Volusia and is still in search of his first ever Volusia win and so is Stanley, NC rising star, Taylor Cook, a two-time winner in the Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals. That first Volusia victory has so far eluded him as well.

For more information about the 47th annual DIRTcar Nationals and to order tickets, please call 844-DIRT-TIX or visit dirtcarnationals.com. Follow DIRTcar Nationals throughout the off-season and into the month of February by visiting the DIRTcar Nationals Social Media outlets.

By: Matt Prieur

— DIRTcar Press Release

 

By |2018-01-20T15:24:05-05:00January 20th, 2018|Racing News, Upcoming Events, Volusia Speedway Park|Comments Off on DIRTcar UMP Modifieds Kick Off 47th Annual DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park

Volusia Speedway Park Set to Open Weekly Racing

John Allen Takes Over as Weekly Operations Promoter for the 2017 Season

CONCORD, N.C. – February 3, 2017 – DIRTcar Racing announced today that John Allen has taken over as the Weekly Operations Promoter at Volusia Speedway Park in advance of the 2017 season. Weekly racing will commence on March 12 and run through the first week of December.

Allen, a 45-year-old DeLeon Springs, Florida resident, is no stranger to Volusia Speedway Park, having spent many nights at the track with his father, who was a security guard at the track in the 1970s. Over the last three season, Allen had sponsored the track with his successful business, Allen Plumbing.

Allen has many aspirations with the speedway, including rebuilding the track’s prominence in Central Florida and putting fans back in the seats.

The DeLeon Spring speedway is a half-mile, clay oval, often referred to as the “World’s Fastest Half-Mile.” Though its name, size and style have changed throughout the years, it has consistently operated as a weekly race track.

“For me, the Speedway is my joy – to bring all these drivers and fans together,” said John Allen. “A lot of people come out of the wood-work to help out, which is huge. We try to help out the local community and just bring everyone together. I get joy out of giving people somewhere to go on a Saturday night.” (more…)

By |2017-02-03T16:29:47-05:00February 3rd, 2017|Front Page News, Racing News, Volusia Speedway Park|Comments Off on Volusia Speedway Park Set to Open Weekly Racing

Danny Martin Sweeps Volusia

EagleJetTopGunlogoBlackSmallThe Eagle Jet / Top Gun Sprints made their first visit of 2014 to Volusia Speedway Park on Saturday April 19, 2014. There were 19 cars at the track to give fans three heat races and a 25 lap feature race.

Kyle Pitts in the 7 car had the pole for the start of the BROWN & MILLER heat race. Kyle took the lead on the start, and then it was Danny Martin got around him for the win. The 02 of Gene Lasker had the pole for the start of the DMI heat race. Gene and took the race lead and led from start to finish taking the heat win. AJ Maddox in the 3A car had the pole for the start of the LUCAS OIL heat race; AJ took the lead and the heat win.

The 38 of Tony Agin had the pole for the start of the Eagle Jet feature race event, with the 24 of Danny Martin alongside. After a parade lap, the race went to green and it was Tony Agin in the 38 car that took the lead then the 24 of Danny Martin got out front and never looked backed and took the checkered flag, followed by Tony Agin in the 38 car, Matt Kurtz in the 82 car, Mark Ruel Jr. in the 83 car, and AJ Maddox in the 3A car rounding out the top 5.

The staff and racers of the Eagle Jet/Top Gun Sprints would like to thank everyone for their support and hope to see you at the next race at East Bay Raceway Park April 26, 2014

Congratulations go out to Shawn Murray for winning the KSE Hardcharger Award.  Congratulations go to Danny Martin for winning the JEFF BARFIELD MEMORIAL SWEEP of $200.

(more…)

By |2014-04-23T15:31:50-04:00April 23rd, 2014|Featured, Front Page News, Race Results, Top Gun Sprints, Volusia Speedway Park|Comments Off on Danny Martin Sweeps Volusia