BARBERVILLE, Fla. — This February, the ‘Ironmen’ of the DIRTcar Nationals will take on an all-new format and a purse increase for the 52nd edition of the historic Florida Speedweeks tradition.
Since the turn of the century, the DIRTcar UMP Modifieds have consistently brought the highest car count in any division competing to Volusia Speedway Park. With over 100 entrants in each of the past two years, and as many or more expected for 2023, a new event format is in order – one that gives even more drivers a chance to win throughout the week, start the Gator Championship on Saturday and put more money in their pockets.
The DIRTcar UMP Modifieds kick off the first week of DIRTcar Nationals, Feb. 6-11, alongside the All Star Circuit of Champions Sprint Cars and the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series.
PURSE INCREASE
Over $148,000 in prize money will be distributed to competitors over the six days of competition this February – a 118% increase from the 2022 purse – not counting the $100 check given to any driver that does not qualify for the Gator Championship Feature on Saturday night. The new format will showcase six features a night Monday through Friday and the $5,000-to-win Gator Championship race on Saturday.
On Monday, each feature will pay $600-to-win, Tuesday’s features will pay $700-to-win, Wednesday’s features will pay $1,000-to-win, Thursday’s features will pay $600-to-win, and Friday’s features will pay $1,000-to-win.
NEW FORMAT BREAKDOWN
• Feb. 6-8 – The first three days of the six-day grind are all identical in format and put emphasis on drivers gaining as many points as possible over a series of Feature events. In years past, a complete program was conducted with heats, last chance races and a single feature. This year, only qualifying and features will take place on these nights.
Drivers will pill draw at sign-in each night of competition to set the qualifying order and run three timed laps on the clock. No groups will be assigned; all drivers will qualify against each other. Each driver’s best lap will be taken to set the six feature lineups, staggered from fastest-to-slowest.
Once the lineups are set, drivers will race their 20-lap feature and earn points based on finishing position. Three-straight days of feature points collected will give everyone a total to be used to set the feature lineups for Thursday night’s events.
• Thu, Feb. 9 – Similar in style to the former “All Features Night,” drivers will not qualify and instead be lined up into one of six features based on point totals from the three previous nights. The top-15 to top-20 (depending on weeklong car count) will make up feature No. 1, the next 15-to-20 will follow in feature No. 2, and so on. The top-10 starting spots will be inverted.
• Fri, Feb. 10 – It’s time for the Gator Qualifiers. This night will start to solidify the field for the 30-lap, $5,000-to-win Gator Championship event on Saturday night.
Similar to the first three nights, Friday begins with a pill draw to set the qualifying order. However, the field will be split in half, meaning drivers will qualify and feature race against only the cars in their half. Fastest lap times will again set six feature lineups, staggered, three in each group.
The top-three finishers in each feature will be locked into Saturday’s Gator Championship; everyone else will have to try again on Saturday to transfer into the main event. The top-two finishers will take part in a redraw on Saturday to set the first 12 spots in the Gator Championship.
• Sat, Feb. 11 – Gator Championship night starts with four heat races for any driver not yet qualified for the feature. The top-two finishers will transfer to the feature; everyone else will get one final shot in one of two last chance showdown races. Two last chance races will be lined up, taking only the winners into the feature. Four additional provisionals will make up the final four spots.
Thirty-two cars will start the 30-lap, $5,000-to-win Gator Championship Feature for DIRTcar Nationals immortality. The overall DIRTcar Nationals Big Gator champion will also be crowned on Saturday, based on the driver with the most points collected throughout the entire week.