{"id":20763,"date":"2014-01-30T19:19:16","date_gmt":"2014-01-30T19:19:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/karnac.com\/flanews\/?p=20763"},"modified":"2014-01-30T19:19:16","modified_gmt":"2014-01-30T19:19:16","slug":"devin-gilpin-ready-for-another-shot-at-dirtcar-nationals-by-summit-glory-during-feb-11-18-ump-modified-action","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/karnac.com\/flanews\/front-page-news\/devin-gilpin-ready-for-another-shot-at-dirtcar-nationals-by-summit-glory-during-feb-11-18-ump-modified-action\/","title":{"rendered":"Devin Gilpin Ready For Another Shot At DIRTcar Nationals by Summit Glory During Feb. 11-18 UMP Modified Action"},"content":{"rendered":"

Two-Time Defending UMP Modified National Champion In Search Of First-Ever Triumph At Florida\u2019s Volusia Speedway Park<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"DIRTcarBARBERVILLE, FL \u2013\u00a0Jan. 30, 2014\u00a0\u2013 Devin Gilpin\u2019s 2013 DIRTcar UMP Modified national championship season was downright spectacular, but it didn\u2019t start in especially memorable fashion.<\/p>\n

And that blemish on an otherwise impeccable campaign will serve as extra motivation for Gilpin when he returns to Volusia Speedway Park \u2013 the site of his rare \u201913 struggles \u2013 from\u00a0Feb. 11-18\u00a0to tackle the UMP Modified portion of the 43rd<\/sup>\u00a0DIRTcar Nationals Presented by Summit Racing Equipment.<\/p>\n

Yes, Gilpin, 23, of Columbus, Ind., has some unfinished business to take care of at the sprawling half-mile oval outside Daytona Beach, Fla.<\/p>\n

\u201cVolusia wasn\u2019t much fun for us last year,\u201d bottom-lined Gilpin. \u201cWe only raced two nights. We had some trouble, there were a couple rainouts and, with my grandma not doing very good (battling cancer back in Indiana), we decided to just go home (early).\u201d<\/p>\n

Gilpin, of course, had entered the 2013 DIRTcar Nationals by Summit with high hopes. Coming off a 2012 season that saw him record 36 feature wins en route to his first-ever UMP Modified national title \u2013 and with memories of a strong third-place finish in the \u201912 DIRTcar Nationals by Summit finale at Volusia adding to his confidence \u2013 he had visions of a career-first victory in the Sunshine State dancing in his head.<\/p>\n

But Gilpin\u2019s visit to Volusia was effectively a write-off. He finished 15th<\/sup>\u00a0in the meet\u2019s opener, sat through two rainouts and failed to qualify when he finally hit the track again. Then he quietly loaded up, pulled out of the pit area and made the 900-plus-mile trip home.<\/p>\n

The abbreviated DIRTcar Nationals by Summit appearance would end up being one of the few disappointments in 2013 for Gilpin, who went on to author one of the best seasons in the history of the UMP Modified division. He won an amazing 31 times in 57 starts on his way to becoming just the fourth driver to capture back-to-back national crowns.<\/p>\n

With his status as a UMP Modified superstar now firmly established, Gilpin is focused like never before on carrying the organization\u2019s torch during the ultra-competitive DIRTcar Nationals by Summit. This will be the seventh consecutive year he\u2019s raced in Volusia\u2019s mid-winter blockbuster, so there\u2019s a feeling that his time to shine has come.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know that we\u2019re capable of winning there,\u201d said Gilpin, whose career-best outing at Volusia is the third-place finish he registered in the finale of the Triple 20s that closed the 2012 UMP Modified week. \u201cThat\u2019s definitely our goal, to finally win one there. I know it would be great for my career to win at a place like that \u2013 I mean, to win with guys like the Dillons (NASCAR-driving brothers Austin and Ty) and (NASCAR veteran) Kenny Wallace there and racing with you, that would be pretty special.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gilpin understands the supreme challenge involved with reaching Victory Lane during the DIRTcar Nationals by Summit. The UMP Modified meet draws not only well-equipped professional stock-car stars like the Dillons and Wallace but also the most talented open-wheel racers from across the country.<\/p>\n

\u201cOther than the UMP Nationals at the end of the year at Eldora (Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio), there\u2019s no place where you run against more cars and more competition,\u201d said Gilpin, who will go the post at Volusia behind the wheel of the same 2012 Impressive Race Car \u2013 a machine owned and wrenched by his grandfather Don Fleetwood \u2013 that he\u2019s driven to all of his 67 victories over the past two years. \u201cThe best of the best are at Volusia for eight nights in a row, so it\u2019s tough to get a win down there.\u201d<\/p>\n

The unique Volusia Speedway Park layout adds another element to Gilpin\u2019s pursuit of a checkered flag.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s different,\u201d Gilpin said of the blazing-fast speedway. \u201cWe don\u2019t really run any place like it back home. We don\u2019t see nothing like it the rest of the year.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat backstretch there gives me fits sometimes \u2013 that D-shape and the entry into (turn) three is tough. If we can get that figured out, I feel good about our chances.\u201d<\/p>\n

This year Gilpin should be firing on all cylinders when he takes the green flag at Volusia. With Gilpin making the most ambitious Florida assault of his career \u2013 he left Indiana on Jan. 28 in order to enter UMP Modified events at East Bay Raceway Park in Gibsonton on\u00a0Jan. 29-Feb. 1\u00a0and Bubba Raceway Park in Ocala on\u00a0Feb. 6-8\u00a0\u2013 he\u2019ll have plenty of opportunities to knock off any winter rust before starting the DIRTcar Nationals by Summit.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re really looking forward to this trip,\u201d said Gilpin, whose grandmother, Sherry Fleetwood, passed away last\u00a0Sept. 1\u00a0following her long bout with cancer. \u201cI\u2019d love to win a handful of races, but most of all I just want to run good and have fun \u2013 and get out of the cold Indiana weather. It\u2019s been freezing for a while (at home).\u201d<\/p>\n

The UMP Modified portion of the DIRTcar Nationals by Summit features $1,000-to-win A-Mains onFeb. 11, 12, 13 and 14; a pair of $700-to-win preliminary events on\u00a0Feb. 15 and 16\u00a0leading into the headline \u2018Gator\u2019 championship race paying $5,000 to win on\u00a0Mon., Feb. 17; and a multiple-features-only finale ($600 to win each) on\u00a0Feb. 18.<\/p>\n

The DIRTcar Nationals Presented by Summit is a 12-night short-track spectacular that boasts nightly doubleheaders. Joining the UMP Modifieds on the schedule will be the UMP Late Models (Feb. 17-19); the World of Outlaws Late Model Series (Feb. 20-22); the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series (Feb. 14-16); the All-Star Sprint Car Series (Feb. 12-13); and the Super DIRTcar Series for Big-Block Modifieds (Feb. 19-22).<\/p>\n

Gates will open nightly at\u00a05 p.m.\u00a0with racing getting the green flag at\u00a07:30 p.m.<\/p>\n

For more information on the DIRTcar Nationals Presented by Summit \u2013 including special pricing on advance-sale tickets and details of the \u2018Free Pit Pass With Every Ticket\u2019 offer that allows fans to get up-close-and-personal with the race teams every night of the DCN \u2013 visit\u00a0www.DIRTcarNationals.com<\/a>or call 704-795-7223 or 877-395-8606 (ticket hotline).<\/p>\n

More info on DIRTcar Racing can be obtained by logging on to\u00a0www.DIRTcar.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Two-Time Defending UMP Modified National Champion In Search Of First-Ever Triumph At Florida\u2019s Volusia Speedway Park BARBERVILLE, FL \u2013\u00a0Jan. 30, 2014\u00a0\u2013 Devin Gilpin\u2019s 2013 DIRTcar […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"publish_to_discourse":"","publish_post_category":"","wpdc_auto_publish_overridden":"","wpdc_topic_tags":"","wpdc_pin_topic":"","wpdc_pin_until":"","discourse_post_id":"","discourse_permalink":"","wpdc_publishing_response":"","wpdc_publishing_error":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[22,3,70],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20763","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-featured","category-front-page-news","category-super-dirtcar-series"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/karnac.com\/flanews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20763","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/karnac.com\/flanews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/karnac.com\/flanews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/karnac.com\/flanews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/karnac.com\/flanews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20763"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/karnac.com\/flanews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20763\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20766,"href":"https:\/\/karnac.com\/flanews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20763\/revisions\/20766"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/karnac.com\/flanews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20763"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/karnac.com\/flanews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20763"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/karnac.com\/flanews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20763"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}