BARBERVILLE, Fla. — For the second consecutive season, Justin Stone is gaining valuable experience at Volusia Speedway Park. However, it’s not behind the No. 15x Big Block Modified fans are accustomed to.
Before the Super DIRTcar Series season begins on Feb. 11, the Middlebury, Vt., driver is getting track time driving a DIRTcar UMP Modified, which means he’ll have more laps than any other Big Block driver at Volusia when the Series makes its annual stop at Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals.
That extra track time is important, as he’s the first Big Block driver to race on the track’s new clay.
“The biggest thing is to see what the track progression does throughout the night,” Stone said. “It seems like there’s a little less grip than in previous years that I’ve been here. So, hopefully I can adjust my car and get it right so we can go out and be competitive and fast.
“I know the dirt is different, so it’s going to be different for the Big Block, too. But these UMP cars are definitely different from the Big Block Modifieds. You have to drive them differently. Hopefully, I can take some of the stuff I’m learning here and put it toward the Big Block.”
While he’s searching for his first gator trophy in his Big Block, he’s already found success in the UMP Modified. Last year, he scored his first feature win at Volusia, just days after sitting behind the wheel of the car for the first time.
However, it was still a learning curve for the third-generation driver.
“Some of the instincts on a Big Block are different,” Stone said. “Where you need to be off the gas with a Big Block, you need to be on the throttle in these, to an extent. It’s a different driving style. I guess I haven’t figured out how to describe it yet. Just trying to knock the rust off.
“To come down in a car I’d never been in before and get better throughout the week and be competitive and get lucky enough to win one was awesome. It was good for my confidence, too, just knowing I can get it done. It’s great for my crew, too. They put a lot of time and effort into it, so it’s great for everybody.”
That team will wrench on the UMP Modified for the rest of the week, before switching to the Big Block when the Beasts of the Northeast kick off the season on Feb. 11. And while none of the four races during the event will count toward the 2026 Series title, he’s still focusing on a single goal.
“We’ve messed around with some different things,” Stone said. “The biggest thing is to be comfortable and get in a rhythm and get consistent. Consistency is huge in this sport.
“I’m probably going to mess around with some different stuff, but at the end of the day, you still want to start up front and finish up front. I’m excited for it, just to see what we can do. I know in previous years we lose a motor every year, so, knock on wood that doesn’t happen. But if it does, it does, it is what it is.”
No matter what happens at Volusia, Stone is looking forward to his third full-time season with the Super DIRTcar Series. Despite finishing 16th in last year’s standings, he said he’s confident he’ll improve since he won’t be seeing many tracks for the first time.
“We have a couple of years of notes to go back to some of these tracks and hopefully come out of the box better and be more consistent,” Stone said. “I’m looking forward to the season just to see the progression between notes, and experience, and driving different places. Hopefully, I can have better, consistent finishes and qualify better.
“Once you dig yourself a hole, it’s hard to get out of. Especially against those guys on the Series. They’re really tough competitors and they’re fast out of the box.”
