BARBERVILLE, Fla. — The DIRTcar UMP Modifieds celebrate 20 years of competition at Volusia Speedway Park with more races than ever before at the Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals in 2025.
The two weeks of action open with three nights for the modifieds alongside the American Sprint Car Series on Jan. 30-Feb. 1. Those features count toward the overall UMP Modified Speedweeks points but do not count towards the event’s Big Gator Championship points.
Modified competitors will follow the “Every Lap Matters” format, with this Thursday’s and Friday’s feature races paying $1,200-to-win and $120-to-start. Saturday’s heat races will line up based on points accumulated from the previous night’s shows to cement the 24-car field gunning for a $2,500 payday.
Then, the hunt for the Big Gator begins on Monday, Feb. 3, and runs through Saturday, Feb. 8. Split feature races of six make up Monday-Friday, paying $1,000-to-win and $125-to-start.
In line with the 2024 event’s format, Friday’s Gator Qualifiers return with features lining up staggered according to overall weekly points with a four-car inversion. The top three in each race will clinch a spot in Saturday’s Gator Championship feature.
Championship Saturday has the UMP Modifieds set for Last Chance Showdowns, and the top 12 drivers in the feature will redraw for their starting position. The Gator Championship will be 30 laps, paying $5,000-to-win and rewarding the prestigious Big Gator title to the points champion.
High On Sunshine
Kyle Strickler began his Modified Speedweeks with a bang by winning the first night at Ocala Speedway driving a No.33S machine for Brandon, Fla., based Jeff Mathews Motorsports, then followed it up with a third-place result on Friday night.
The last night at Ocala is one that the Mooresville, N.C., driver wants to forget, with a broken left axle forcing his retirement from the Feature. However, the “High Side Tickler” sits third in Speedweeks standings — 29 markers back from current points leader Devin Dixon.
Strickler enters DIRTcar Nationals with a stacked resume at Volusia — winning 14 Golden Gators, a Big Gator title in 2023, two World of Outlaws Late Model Features, and the Emil and Dale Reutimann Memorial in November.
Nicely’s Gator Catch
Tyler Nicely reached the peak of Volusia Speedway Park accolades with his first Big Gator title in 2024 after 10 years of coming up shy of the career-defining mark.
The Owensboro, Ky., driver has had his fair share of visits to Volusia victory lane, winning 11 Golden Gators and a 2019 Reutimann Memorial win.
Nicely has one missing DIRTcar Nationals trophy piece he’s racing to add in 2025: a win in the UMP Modified Gator Championship feature.
Star-Power Galore
Volusia Speedway Park’s marquee event brings the best drivers to the “World’s Fastest Half Mile” with varying driver expertise from pavement to dirt.
Reigning NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Justin Allgaier is chasing his fourth Golden Gator trophy in 2025. In celebrating the 2021 Gator Championship winner’s groundbreaking achievement, there will be a celebration for him with an autograph session and a special opening ceremony on Tuesday, Feb. 4.
Kenny Wallace won his first career NASCAR national tour event at Volusia in 1991 driving a No. 36 Busch Series Pontiac. Fast-forward 34 years and the St. Louis, Mo., native will once again return in a Nick Hoffman-prepared Elite Chassis, one that saw “The Hermanator” win his fifth Golden Gator — the first since 2012 — last season.
Ken Schrader visited victory lane at Volusia for the first time in 11 years when he claimed his Golden Gator trophy in 2024. The Fenton, Mo., driver is back once again in his No. 9 Federated Auto Parts Modified to go after his second-career Big Gator championship.
Representing the current and former NASCAR talent that competes annually in the division includes 2019 Reutimann Memorial winner David Stremme, three-time Truck Series champ Matt Crafton, and former Truck Series racer Austin Wayne Self, among others.
McKinney’s Moment
Mike McKinney reached the pinnacle of UMP Modified racing in 2024 with his first career Summit Modified Nationals championship.
The Hell Tour campaign saw the Plainfield, Ill., native win seven Features and earn 12 top-fives and 16 top-10s for his first modified championship.
Volusia Speedway Park acts as McKinney’s Achilles heel, as the pilot of the No. 96m Longhorn Chassis has yet to score a Golden Gator trophy, or the Big Gator title. His best finish to date is two second-place results in 2021 and 2024.
