BARBERVILLE, FL – Jan. 19, 2010 – UMP DIRTcar Modified racers will have some well-deserved turns in the spotlight during the 39th annual DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH at Volusia Speedway Park.
Beginning with a solo engagement to kick off the DIRTcar Nationals on Feb. 2 and continuing with the second annual ‘Gator' championship on Feb. 8 and a huge multiple-feature finale on Feb. 9, the popular open-wheel division will attract plenty of attention during the mid-winter racing extravaganza outside Daytona Beach.
“We've worked hard the last couple years to make the DIRTcar Nationals more attractive for the UMP DIRTcar Modified teams and the overall response has been great,” said UMP DIRTcar director Sam Driggers. “They see that we're taking care of them and making them a big part of the DIRTcar Nationals.”
This year's 12-night meet at the sweeping half-mile oval on Route 40 will actually begin with a UMP DIRTcar Modified-only program paying $1,000 to win on Tues., Feb. 2. The Modifieds will then contest successive A-Mains for $1,000 top prizes on Feb. 3-4 (doubleheaders with the All-Star Circuit of Champions Sprint Car Series) and Feb. 5 (alongside the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series) before diving into two nights of preliminary action that lead into the ‘Gator' spectacular.
The always-massive field of UMP DIRTcar Modifieds at Volusia will be split in half for the ‘Gator' preliminaries, with one group competing on Sat., Feb. 6, and the other hitting the track on Sun., Feb. 7. Both evenings will feature A-Mains that pay $700 to win and share the bill with the WoO Sprint Car tour.
The two prelim nights will set the lineups for an ‘alphabet' series of races on Mon., Feb. 8, that culminates with the 30-lap ‘Gator' championship. A $5,000 first-place check will be handed to the winner of the second annual headline event for the UMP DIRTcar Modifieds.
Last year's inaugural ‘Gator' special was captured by Jared Landers of Batesville, Ark., who dominated the week's UMP DIRTcar Modified competition. He won five of the seven features he entered – only teenager Austin Dillon of Welcome, N.C., who won twice, managed to defeat Landers – en route to snaring the division's DIRTcar Nationals points crown.
“The ‘Gator' is only a year old but it's definitely already a race that will be considered a feather in the cap of the driver who wins it,” said Driggers. “They know that they've outrun some of the best cars in the country if they win the ‘Gator.'”
UMP DIRTcar Modified racing during the DIRTcar Nationals will end on Feb. 9 with a multi-feature program in which all drivers on hand will battle in a $700-to-win main event. At least two – and perhaps three or four – 20-lappers will be run, depending on car count. The starting fields will be determined using the DCN points standings, with the leader running in the first feature, the second-place driver in the second event, and so on.
“In the past, the fields of UMP DIRTcar Modifieds have been so big (for the DCN) that there's 30 or 40 cars that don't even see a feature,” said Driggers. “This new format will give everyone a chance to get some track time in a feature to end the week.”
Volusia's pit area will be jammed with drivers from across the country and even Canada. Landers will lead the charge to the Sunshine State with plans to defend his DIRTcar Nationals points title.
The UMP DIRTcar Modified field is also expected to include NASCAR drivers David Reutimann of Zephyrhills, Fla., and Kenny Wallace of Concord, N.C., as well as 2008 UMP DIRTcar Modified national champion Jeff Leka of Buffalo, Ill.; Devin Gilpin of Columbus, Ind., who finished second in the 2009 UMP DIRTcar Modified national points standings; 2009 American Late Model Series champion Jon Henry of Ada, Ohio, who will join Reutimann in running a UNOH-backed car; Austin Dillon and his younger brother Ty, the grandsons of NASCAR team owner Richard Childress; Peyton Taylor of Batesville, Ark.; Jesse Stovall of Galena, Mo.; and Stormy Scott of Las Cruces, N.M.
The DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH run nightly from Feb. 2-13. Joining the UMP DIRTcar Modifieds on the schedule are the Super Late Models (UMP DIRTcar-sanctioned on Feb. 8, 9, 10 and 12 and World of Outlaws Late Model Series events on Feb. 11 and 13); the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series (Feb. 5-7); the All-Star Circuit of Champions Sprint Car Series (Feb. 3-4); and the Super DIRTcar Series for big-block Modifieds (Feb. 10-13).
For tickets to the 39th Annual Florida DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH, visit www.DIRTcarNationals.com or call Volusia Speedway Park at 386-985-4402. A ticket package for all eight nights of UMP DIRTcar Modified racing is available for $200.
For the first time in DIRTcar Nationals history, all fans will have the chance to see the competitors and their teams up close during each race nightt. A FREE Fan Pit Pass is available to every ticket-buying fan who comes through the main gates every night; fans can show their grandstand and sign in to the pits at a table near the pit entrance.
For more information on UMP DIRTcar Racing, visit www.dirtcar.com.
Beginning with a solo engagement to kick off the DIRTcar Nationals on Feb. 2 and continuing with the second annual ‘Gator' championship on Feb. 8 and a huge multiple-feature finale on Feb. 9, the popular open-wheel division will attract plenty of attention during the mid-winter racing extravaganza outside Daytona Beach.
“We've worked hard the last couple years to make the DIRTcar Nationals more attractive for the UMP DIRTcar Modified teams and the overall response has been great,” said UMP DIRTcar director Sam Driggers. “They see that we're taking care of them and making them a big part of the DIRTcar Nationals.”
This year's 12-night meet at the sweeping half-mile oval on Route 40 will actually begin with a UMP DIRTcar Modified-only program paying $1,000 to win on Tues., Feb. 2. The Modifieds will then contest successive A-Mains for $1,000 top prizes on Feb. 3-4 (doubleheaders with the All-Star Circuit of Champions Sprint Car Series) and Feb. 5 (alongside the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series) before diving into two nights of preliminary action that lead into the ‘Gator' spectacular.
The always-massive field of UMP DIRTcar Modifieds at Volusia will be split in half for the ‘Gator' preliminaries, with one group competing on Sat., Feb. 6, and the other hitting the track on Sun., Feb. 7. Both evenings will feature A-Mains that pay $700 to win and share the bill with the WoO Sprint Car tour.
The two prelim nights will set the lineups for an ‘alphabet' series of races on Mon., Feb. 8, that culminates with the 30-lap ‘Gator' championship. A $5,000 first-place check will be handed to the winner of the second annual headline event for the UMP DIRTcar Modifieds.
Last year's inaugural ‘Gator' special was captured by Jared Landers of Batesville, Ark., who dominated the week's UMP DIRTcar Modified competition. He won five of the seven features he entered – only teenager Austin Dillon of Welcome, N.C., who won twice, managed to defeat Landers – en route to snaring the division's DIRTcar Nationals points crown.
“The ‘Gator' is only a year old but it's definitely already a race that will be considered a feather in the cap of the driver who wins it,” said Driggers. “They know that they've outrun some of the best cars in the country if they win the ‘Gator.'”
UMP DIRTcar Modified racing during the DIRTcar Nationals will end on Feb. 9 with a multi-feature program in which all drivers on hand will battle in a $700-to-win main event. At least two – and perhaps three or four – 20-lappers will be run, depending on car count. The starting fields will be determined using the DCN points standings, with the leader running in the first feature, the second-place driver in the second event, and so on.
“In the past, the fields of UMP DIRTcar Modifieds have been so big (for the DCN) that there's 30 or 40 cars that don't even see a feature,” said Driggers. “This new format will give everyone a chance to get some track time in a feature to end the week.”
Volusia's pit area will be jammed with drivers from across the country and even Canada. Landers will lead the charge to the Sunshine State with plans to defend his DIRTcar Nationals points title.
The UMP DIRTcar Modified field is also expected to include NASCAR drivers David Reutimann of Zephyrhills, Fla., and Kenny Wallace of Concord, N.C., as well as 2008 UMP DIRTcar Modified national champion Jeff Leka of Buffalo, Ill.; Devin Gilpin of Columbus, Ind., who finished second in the 2009 UMP DIRTcar Modified national points standings; 2009 American Late Model Series champion Jon Henry of Ada, Ohio, who will join Reutimann in running a UNOH-backed car; Austin Dillon and his younger brother Ty, the grandsons of NASCAR team owner Richard Childress; Peyton Taylor of Batesville, Ark.; Jesse Stovall of Galena, Mo.; and Stormy Scott of Las Cruces, N.M.
The DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH run nightly from Feb. 2-13. Joining the UMP DIRTcar Modifieds on the schedule are the Super Late Models (UMP DIRTcar-sanctioned on Feb. 8, 9, 10 and 12 and World of Outlaws Late Model Series events on Feb. 11 and 13); the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series (Feb. 5-7); the All-Star Circuit of Champions Sprint Car Series (Feb. 3-4); and the Super DIRTcar Series for big-block Modifieds (Feb. 10-13).
For tickets to the 39th Annual Florida DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH, visit www.DIRTcarNationals.com or call Volusia Speedway Park at 386-985-4402. A ticket package for all eight nights of UMP DIRTcar Modified racing is available for $200.
For the first time in DIRTcar Nationals history, all fans will have the chance to see the competitors and their teams up close during each race nightt. A FREE Fan Pit Pass is available to every ticket-buying fan who comes through the main gates every night; fans can show their grandstand and sign in to the pits at a table near the pit entrance.
For more information on UMP DIRTcar Racing, visit www.dirtcar.com.
