BARBERVILLE, Fla. — Nick Hoffman still has a long way to go to match his DIRTcar UMP Modified success at Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals in a late model, but he’s made plenty of inroads this week.
After collecting his first Gator of the week on Wednesday at Volusia Speedway Park in DIRTcar late model competition, “The Thrill From Mooresville” backed it up on Thursday, winning for the first time this season with the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision.
“You get that first one out of the way and it just makes these come a little easier,” Hoffman said. “Not that any of them are easy. Our car’s really good, as long as I don’t do nothing stupid, get myself qualified early in the night, it just makes the whole night a lot easier.”
The driver of the NOS Energy Drink No. 9 took control on the opening lap when Bilstein Pole Award winner Chris Madden slid too high exiting Turn 2, allowing Hoffman to cross underneath him going down the backstretch.
A pair of cautions prevented Hoffman from getting too comfortable in the first half of the race, but he stood his ground on both occasions and ultimately crossed the line more than five seconds clear of the field.
“It’s so hard to slide somebody in Turn 1 here because it leaves yourself hanging off Turn 2,” Hoffman said. “[Madden] had no choice but to try and slide me, and I anticipated that and was able to cross and have enough grip down the back straightaway. Then once you get out front, I was just trying to save my tires just a little bit just in case we get a late caution. Was able to stretch it out and just kind of cruise.”
Hoffman entered the night as the World of Outlaws points leader and maintained his spot on top by eight points over runner-up Tim McCreadie.
In the short term, he also took over the Big Gator points lead by 21 markers over Cody Overton, who was leading the weeklong points until recording a DNF on Thursday. Should Hoffman be able to hold on over the final two nights, it would be his first Big Gator in a late model to go with his seven from his modified days.
McCreadie’s second-place run didn’t come easy, as he charged forward from 22nd in the starting order to earn FOX Factory Hard Charger honors in his 500th World of Outlaws feature.
Bobby Pierce came home third for his best series finish of the young 2026 season, while Tyler Erb and Madden made up the rest of the top five.
The finish:
Feature (35 Laps): 1. 9-Nick Hoffman[2]; 2. 9M-Tim McCreadie[22]; 3. 32-Bobby Pierce[10]; 4. 1-Tyler Erb[5]; 5. 44-Chris Madden[1]; 6. 74X-Ethan Dotson[20]; 7. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[7]; 8. 1S-Brandon Sheppard[4]; 9. 22*-Drake Troutman[3]; 10. 11R-Josh Rice[19]; 11. 71-Hudson O’Neal[8]; 12. 19R-Ryan Gustin[14]; 13. 58V-Daulton Wilson[9]; 14. 58-Garrett Alberson[15]; 15. 49-Jake Timm[24]; 16. 20TC-Tristan Chamberlain[11]; 17. 14-Trey Mills[27]; 18. B1-Brent Larson[25]; 19. 1Z-Logan Zarin[26]; 20. 7-Ross Robinson[18]; 21. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[23]; 22. 19-Dustin Sorensen[21]; 23. 157-Mike Marlar[17]; 24. 16-Tyler Bruening[16]; 25. 55E-Eli Johnson[28]; 26. 19M-Brenden Smith[12]; 27. 8S-Kyle Strickler[13]; 28. 97-Cody Overton[6]
