Column: DIRTcar Nationals At Volusia Returns For ’25 Race Season Bigger Than Ever
Column By: NICK GRAZIANO / DIRTCAR – BARBERVILLE, FL – The 12 days of Christmas may be over, but 15 days of Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals are still to come.
Attracting hundreds of the best dirt racing drivers in the country, displaying a fair-like atmosphere in the midway and presenting nightly edge-of-your-seat racing, the massive Volusia Speedway Park event is bigger than ever in 2025, spanning Jan. 30 to Feb. 15.
Now a three-week event, Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals will kick off with the debut of the American Sprint Car Series National Tour, Jan. 30-Feb. 1 – accompanied by the DIRTcar UMP Modifieds, which will be continuing their Florida Speedweek tour.
The following two weeks will see the return of the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series, USAC Non-Wing Sprint Cars, DIRTcar Late Models, Super DIRTcar Series, World of Outlaws Late Model Series and more DIRTcar UMP Modified action.
Seven Big Gator trophies – the most sought-after symbol of triumph for dirt racers in February – will await the weekly champions. Titles will be awarded to the drivers that earn the most points during their week with the ASCS National Tour, World of Outlaws Sprint Cars, UMP Modifieds, USAC Sprint Cars, Late Models, and Super DIRTcar Series. Two Big Gator trophies will be awarded to the DIRTcar UMP Modifieds on Saturday, Feb. 8 – one for Saturday’s Gator Championship Feature winner and one for the weeklong Big Gator champion (the Jan. 30-Feb. 1 races don’t count toward the Big Gator championship but do count toward the Florida Speedweek championship).
Weekly Highlights:
WEEK 1 (Jan. 30-Feb. 1)
The best 360 Sprint Car drivers in the country will help the American Sprint Car Series National Tour make its debut at “The World’s Fastest Half Mile” with three straight days of racing. The first two nights will pay $3,000 to win, while Saturday’s finale will pay $12,000 to win.
The DIRTcar UMP Modifieds will also race all three nights to kick off a record nine-days of UMP Modified racing at Volusia Speedway Park.
WEEK 2 (Feb. 3-Feb. 8)
Year 48 for the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series will kick off with a stout field of Sprint Car drivers racing for four straight days. The first night on Wednesday, Feb. 5, will be a non-points event and then the next three nights, Thursday-Saturday, Feb. 6-8, will count toward the Series championship – all four nights will count toward the Big Gator championship.
Reigning World of Outlaws champion David Gravel earned his third Big Gator title in 2024, becoming the fourth driver to open the season with a Big Gator championship and end it with a Series championship. He joined Daryn Pittman (2013), Donny Schatz (2018) and Brad Sweet (2020).
The DIRTcar UMP Modifieds – bringing more than 100 cars – will run six Features a night Monday through Friday, building toward the 30-lap, $5,000-to-win, Gator Championship on Saturday. Among the 100-plus competitors will be Kenny Wallace, again driving a car for World of Outlaws Late Model competitor Nick Hoffman.
WEEK 3 (Feb. 10-Feb. 15)
The final week, which leads to the Daytona 500 on Sunday, Feb. 16, will showcase three racing divisions – Non-Wing Sprint Cars (USAC), Late Models (DIRTcar and World of Outlaws) and Big Block Modifieds (Super DIRTcar Series).
Non-Wing Sprint Cars will thrill fans for the first two nights (Feb. 10-11), running the wall from corner to corner, along with the DIRTcar Late Models, which will also run three Features on Wednesday. The Super DIRTcar Series will run four straight nights Wednesday through Saturday, where reigning Series champion Mat Williamson will try to go for his third-straight Big Gator crown. And the World of Outlaws Late Models will help wrap up the week with the Big Blocks, Thursday through Saturday.
