by BJ Cavin- VSP Media

BARBERVILLE, FL-  As fall weather signals an end to the racing season across the United States the final national and regional rankings for UMP DIRTcar sports some names familiar to Volusia Speedway Park race fans.  Volusia racers typically feature prominently in the rankings as the racing season begins quite early in Florida, but as the season progresses and racers from northern regions get more track time under their belts, it becomes progressively more difficult for Florida racers to maintain top positions.  But some manage to do just that despite the fact that many northerners are racing three or four times a week, compared to one or two races per week for racers from Florida dirt tracks.

The UMP DIRTcar national rankings for the factory stock division, known as V8 Thunder Stock at VSP, finds Scott Mooers ranked 4th overall, with Chad Scranton holding down the 28th spot with Luke Sadler just behind in 30th place.  Regionally their numbers are even better, with Mooers in 3rd place, Scranton in 18th place and Sadler in 19th.  Scranton did not get a full season in at VSP in 2010, and were it not for his delayed charge to dominance he probably would have finished much higher.  Sadler struggled early in the season and failed to finish a number of races, and yet still managed to all but match Scranton’s final numbers.

Another Volusia racer posting impressive numbers nationally was Casey Feaster, as he wound up ranked 15th in the final UMP DIRTcar sport compact division, known as the 4 Cylinder Challengers at VSP.  Feaster’s regional ranking is even more impressive, as he drove his car to a 3rd place finish for 2010.  But Feaster had company in the regional rankings as Tony Laporta recovered from a late start and drove to a 13th place finish.

Philip Brown posted an impressive 26th place finish nationally in the UMP Stock Car rankings, better known as the Street Stocks at VSP.  The regional rankings were loaded with familiar names in 2010, as Brown posted a 3rd place ranking and Tim Hughes followed in 4th place.  Bubba Christian wound up in the 7th spot while Mike Tovet finished 10th, Marc Maresca was 11th, and Trevor Gamble was 12th.  Mick Kulak also made the poll with a 20th place showing.

The UMP DIRTcar Sportsman rankings ended with VSP’s Aaron Barsness holding down the 31st spot nationally, and 3rd in the region.  Joining Barsness in the regional rankings were Stanton Mills, Shaun Daugharty, Matt Mcgillivray, and Steve Shead, all ranked in the top ten.  Paul Shead and Dan Lane appear in the top 20, at 14th and 16th place respectively.

Other Volusia racers made their mark on the UMP regional rankings in the Modified Division, as Jeff Mathews led the way in the 1st place spot.  Mathews had plenty of local companionship at the top, as Jamie Carter, Kent Corbin, Kyle Bronson, Wayne Hammond, and Garret Stewart, all held the top six positions in the final rankings.  Larry Burkins was 9th, Jamie Smith was 11th, and Larry Mott finished in the 17th spot.

And the UMP DIRTcar Late Model regional rankings find Joe Kump holding the 11th spot, compared to Ivedent Lloyd who finished in 13th place regionally.  Donnie Chappell’s season long rise through the rankings at VSP served him well, as he topped out in 15th place on the regional chart, and despite David Clegg’s mid season disaster at Ocala that crushed his shot at a championship run, he still posted a 20th place finish in the region.

So with the 2010 racing season in the books, Volusia Speedway Park will honor these racers and others this Saturday night during the VSP Night of Champions Banquet.  The number of racers from Volusia Speedway Park posting impressive numbers both regionally and nationally is some thing to be very proud of according to VSP General Manager, Tonya Moschell, and Volusia’s fans can look forward to yet another season of top quality racing from the south’s fastest half mile in 2011.