CLICK HERE FOR MORE PHOTOS FROM VOLUSIA SPEEDWAY PARK!
BARBERVILLE, Fla. – Feb. 16, 2014 – The atmosphere Sunday night at Volusia Speedway Park was electric for the finale to sprint car week of the DIRTcar Nationals presented by Summit Racing Equipment. The legendary Steve Kinser fought off Daryn Pittman in a World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series race nobody in the jam-packed grandstands will soon forget, then Austin Dillon, just a few hours after winning the pole for the Daytona 500, hopped into his DIRTcar UMP Modified and drove to victory in the final Gator Championship qualifying feature.
Kinser, 59, had the crowd on its feet when he pulled ahead of the traditional four-wide parade lap to salute the fans as he begins his final season on the road with the Outlaws, then five laps later he was out front again as he powered to the lead in the 30-lap A-main and started to pull away. A caution with eight laps to go set up a double-file restart with Kinser electing to go to the outside with defending series champion Pittman on the bottom. They raced each other hard, but clean, with breathtaking slide-jobs in each corner until Kinser finally slid to the front to take the checkered flag.
“I didn’t know where to go on the restart and I decided to take the top line and just carry some speed and just have it,” said Kinser, a 20-time series champion who won a World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series feature for the 577th time in a career that dates back to the beginning of the series in 1978. “He beat me out of there and it was a good race. You hate to lose one on the restart, I didn’t think anyone could pass me when I had a clear track. It doesn’t matter, we got the win that’s all that counts.”
Pittman held on for second with Donny Schatz, Brad Sweet and Tim Kaeding rounding out the top five. Paul McMahan was the overall sprint car week champion with three top-five’s and three quick times in four nights.
Like his brother, Ty, on Saturday, Austin Dillon raced to the front of his 20-lap Gator Championship qualifying feature, maintained the lead through several cautions, and charged to victory. Along with Dillon, top-five finishers Billy Workman Jr., Jeff Babcock, Kenny Wallace and Matt Westfall all locked themselves into the draw for Monday night’s Gator Championship, the premier event for DIRTcar UMP Modifieds during the DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia.
Austin Dillon put one “No. 3” on the pole at Daytona on Sunday and the other in victory lane at Volusia Speedway Park.
“I don’t know if there were more nerves today qualifying for the Daytona 500 or out here at Volusia to get a win because Ty has had two of them and he beat me to one,” said Dillon, who will sit on the pole of the Daytona 500 in his first season of NASCAR Sprint Cup racing. “We created a little Gator farm at Team Dillon Racing…I’ve been here seven years, I’m not a rookie here.”
With sprint car week ending at Volusia, DIRTcar Late Models invade the half-mile beginning Monday to join the DIRTcar UMP Modifieds. The Super DIRTcar Series Big-Block Modifieds roll into Volusia on Wednesday.
For more information and updates on the UNOH DIRTcar Nationals Presented by Summit Racing Equipment, clickDIRTcarNationals.com or follow on Twitter at Twitter.com/DIRTcarNats.
DIRTcar Nationals Presented by Summit Racing Equipment Statistical Report; Feb. 16, 2014; Volusia Speedway Park; Barberville, Fla.
DIRTcar UMP Modifieds
A-Main (20 Laps) – 1. (3) Austin Dillon ($700), 2. (64JR) Billy Workman Jr, 3. (7B) Jeff Babcock, 4. (36) Kenny Wallace, 5. (54) Matt Westfall, 6. (25) Tyler Nicely, 7. (9M) Dale Mathison, 8. (10) Austin Arneson, 9. (36H) Jacob Poel, 10. (9) Kenny Schrader, 11. (2G) Troy Girolamo, 12. (79) Nick Kurtz, 13. (1) Dwight Niehoff, 14. (145) Jason Davis, 15. (26) Bobby Gierke, 16. (88) Matt Crafton, 17. (O1) Mitch O’Patik, 18. (51) Justin Allgaier, 19. (4) Cody Bauman, 20. (O1X) Joel Ortberg, 21. (17JE) Jack Steilder, 22. (33) Jeff Mathews, 23. (82N) Nick Tharp, 24. (52) Jordan Bailey, 25. (O9) Rob Underwood, 26. (10G) Jim Gillenwater, 27. (20) Kody Weisner, 28. (32Z) Nate Zimmer, 29. (O7) Jeff Thomas, 30. (66) Justin Marks, DNS. (O8) Jake Griffin.
Heat 1 (8 laps) – 1. (20) Kody Weisner, 2. (25) Tyler Nicely, 3. (51) Justin Allgaier, 4. (32Z) Nate Zimmer, 5. (79) Nick Kurtz, 6. (O7) Jeff Thomas, 7. (145) Jason Davis, 8. (O1X) Joel Ortberg, 9. (82N) Nick Tharp, 10. (33) Jeff Mathews, 11. (O8) Jake Griffin.
Heat 2 (8 laps) – 1. (64JR) Billy Workman Jr, 2. (10) Austin Arneson, 3. (7B) Jeff Babcock, 4. (9) Ken Schrader, 5. (88) Matt Crafton, 6. (17JE) Jack Steilder, 7. (26) Bobby Gierke, 8. (36H) Jacob Poel, 9. (52) Jordan Bailey, 10. (O1) Mitch O’Patik.
Heat 3 (8 laps) – 1. (3) Austin Dillon, 2. (36) Kenny Wallace, 3. (9M) Dale Mathison, 4. (54) Matt Westfall, 5. (2G) Troy Girolamo, 6. (1) Dwight Niehoff, 7. (4) Cody Bauman, 8. (66) Justin Marks, 9. (O9) Rob Underwood, 10. (10G) Jim Gillenwater.
World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series
A-Main – (30 Laps) 1. 11-Steve Kinser [4] [$10,000]; 2. 9-Daryn Pittman [1] [$5,500]; 3. 15-Donny Schatz [3] [$3,200]; 4. 49-Brad Sweet [6] [$2,800]; 5. 83-Tim Kaeding [12] [$2,500]; 6. 29-Kerry Madsen [11] [$2,300]; 7. 51-Paul McMahan [2] [$2,200]; 8. 71M-Joey Saldana [8] [$2,100]; 9. 11K-Kraig Kinser [15] [$2,050]; 10. 10H-Danny Holtgraver [14] [$2,000]; 11. 1-Sammy Swindell [17] [$1,500]; 12. 83X-Christopher Bell [18] [$1,200]; 13. 24A-Rico Abreu [5] [$1,100]; 14. 98H-Dave Blaney [9] [$1,050]; 15. 24-Terry McCarl [13] [$1,000]; 16. 7S-Jason Sides [22] [$900]; 17. 9W-Jac Haudenschild [21] [$800]; 18. 33-Danny Lasoski [23] [$800]; 19. 77X-Wayne Johnson [24] [$800]; 20. 63-Chad Kemenah [20] [$800]; 21. 1Z-Lucas Wolfe [16] [$800]; 22. 27-Greg Hodnett [19] [$800]; 23. 4-Cody Darrah [10] [$800]; 24. 96-Bronson Maeschen [7] [$800] Lap Leaders: Daryn Pittman 1-4, 23; Steve Kinser 5-22, 24-30 KSE Hard Charger Award: 83-Tim Kaeding [+7]
Qualifying – 1. 51-Paul McMahan, 12.943; 2. 71M-Joey Saldana, 13.058; 3. 9-Daryn Pittman, 13.070; 4. 29-Kerry Madsen, 13.110; 5. 83-Tim Kaeding, 13.119; 6. 24-Terry McCarl, 13.122; 7. 10H-Danny Holtgraver, 13.124; 8. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 13.127; 9. 15-Donny Schatz, 13.134; 10. 1Z-Lucas Wolfe, 13.165; 11. 24A-Rico Abreu, 13.182; 12. 4-Cody Darrah, 13.202; 13. 98H-Dave Blaney, 13.205; 14. 11-Steve Kinser, 13.222; 15. 96-Bronson Maeschen, 13.224; 16. 49-Brad Sweet, 13.227; 17. 1-Sammy Swindell, 13.234; 18. 83X-Christopher Bell, 13.250; 19. 27-Greg Hodnett, 13.251; 20. 63-Chad Kemenah, 13.259; 21. 9W-Jac Haudenschild, 13.262; 22. 7S-Jason Sides, 13.285; 23. 33-Danny Lasoski, 13.324; 24. W20-Greg Wilson, 13.327; 25. 45-Tim Shaffer, 13.347; 26. 77X-Wayne Johnson, 13.378; 27. 80-Trey Gustin, 13.379; 28. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 13.410; 29. 59-David Gravel, 13.430; 30. 19M-Brent Marks, 13.445; 31. 1A-Jacob Allen, 13.475; 32. 6-Bill Rose, 13.491; 33. HO7-Justin Henderson, 13.512; 34. 17B-Steve Buckwalter, 13.806
Heat 1 – (8 Laps – Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature) 1. 15-Donny Schatz [2]; 2. 98H-Dave Blaney [1]; 3. 51-Paul McMahan [4]; 4. 83-Tim Kaeding [3]; 5. 9W-Jac Haudenschild [6]; 6. 59-David Gravel [8]; 7. 45-Tim Shaffer [7]; 8. 1-Sammy Swindell [5]; 9. HO7-Justin Henderson [9].
Heat 2 – (8 Laps – Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature) 1. 11-Steve Kinser [1]; 2. 71M-Joey Saldana [4]; 3. 1Z-Lucas Wolfe [2]; 4. 7S-Jason Sides [6]; 5. 24-Terry McCarl [3]; 6. 19M-Brent Marks [8]; 7. 83X-Christopher Bell [5]; 8. 77X-Wayne Johnson [7]; 9. 17B-Steve Buckwalter [9].
Heat 3 – (8 Laps – Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature) 1. 96-Bronson Maeschen [1]; 2. 24A-Rico Abreu [2]; 3. 9-Daryn Pittman [4]; 4. 10H-Danny Holtgraver [3]; 5. 33-Danny Lasoski [6]; 6. 27-Greg Hodnett [5]; 7. 80-Trey Gustin [7]; 8. 1A-Jacob Allen [8].
Heat 4 – (8 Laps – Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature) 1. 49-Brad Sweet [1]; 2. 4-Cody Darrah [2]; 3. 11K-Kraig Kinser [3]; 4. 29-Kerry Madsen [4]; 5. 63-Chad Kemenah [5]; 6. 6-Bill Rose [8]; 7. 1S-Logan Schuchart [7]; 8. W20-Greg Wilson [6].
Dash – (6 Laps, finishing order determined first 10 starting positions of A-feature 1. 9-Daryn Pittman [4]; 2. 51-Paul McMahan [6]; 3. 15-Donny Schatz [3]; 4. 11-Steve Kinser [8]; 5. 24A-Rico Abreu [2]; 6. 49-Brad Sweet [10]; 7. 96-Bronson Maeschen [9]; 8. 71M-Joey Saldana [5]; 9. 98H-Dave Blaney [7]; 10. 4-Cody Darrah [1].
B-Main – (12 Laps – Top 4 finishers transfer to the A-feature) 1. 1-Sammy Swindell [1] [-]; 2. 83X-Christopher Bell [2] [-]; 3. 27-Greg Hodnett [3] [-]; 4. 77X-Wayne Johnson [5] [-]; 5. 45-Tim Shaffer [4] [$200]; 6. 59-David Gravel [8] [$180]; 7. 19M-Brent Marks [9] [$175]; 8. 80-Trey Gustin [6] [$160]; 9. HO7-Justin Henderson [11] [$150]; 10. 6-Bill Rose [10] [$150]; 11. 1S-Logan Schuchart [7] [$150]; 12. W20-Greg Wilson [12] [$150]; 13. 1A-Jacob Allen [13] [$150]; 14. 17B-Steve Buckwalter [14] [$150].