BARBERVILLE, Fla. (Feb. 13) — Updates and results from Tuesday’s opener of the 53rd annual Federated DIRTcar Nationals, featuring a 25-lap, $7,000-to-win feature for DIRTcar-sanctioned Super Late Models (results unofficial):
Feature
Inheriting the point when race-long pacesetter Bobby Pierce slowed with a broken fuel line on a lap-17 restart attempt, fifth-starting Devin Moran of Dresden, Ohio, paced the remaining circuits to win Tuesday's 25-lap opener of the 53rd annual Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park. Moran earned $7,000 for his fifth career victory at the half-mile oval and his 10th triumph all-time in Georgia-Florida Speedweeks action.
Feature lineup
(25 laps)
Row 1: Kyle Bronson, Bobby Pierce
Row 2: Chris Madden, Hudson O'Neal
Row 3: Devin Moran, Max Blair
Row 4: Jordan Koehler, Nick Hoffman
Row 5: Ricky Thornton Jr., Chase Junghans
Row 6: Ashton Winger, Cade Dillard
Row 7: Dale McDowell, Mike Marlar
Row 8: Ethan Dotson, Dennis Erb Jr.
Row 9: Tyler Bruening, Tyler Erb
Row 10: Parker Martin, Brandon Sheppard
Row 11: Drake Troutman, Brian Shirley
Row 12: Dustin Sorensen, Daulton Wilson
Consolation results
(10 laps; top two transfer)
First consolation finish: Drake Troutman, Dustin Sorensen, Tim McCreadie, Brent Larson, David Breazeale, Dylan Thompson, Jason Fitzgerald, Mike Benedum, Logan Zarin, Max McLaughlin, Tristan Chamberlain, Garrett Smith, Brian Booze. Scratched: Codee Schneider
Second consolation finish: Brian Shirley, Daulton Wilson, Mark Whitener, Blair Nothdurft, Mike Spatola, Daniel Hilsabeck, Seth Zacharias, Tim Lance, Austin Smith, Cody Overton, Todd Cooney, Amanda Robinson.
Heat race recap
Kyle Bronson led all eight laps to win the first heat race by 1.307 seconds over third-starting Devin Moran. Ricky Thornton Jr., Dale McDowell and sixth-starting Tyler Bruening join Bronson and Moran in securing a starting spot in Tuesday’s 30-lap feature. … Bobby Pierce dominated the second heat, leading all eight laps and winning by 2.514 seconds over fourth-starting Max Blair. Chase Junghans, Mike Marlar and eighth-starting Tyler Erb will join Pierce and Blair in Tuesday’s $7,000-to-win DIRTcar Nationals opener. … Second-starting Chris Madden led green-to-checkered to win heat three by 2.551 seconds over third-starting Jordan Koehler. Ashton Winger, Ethan Dotson and eighth-starting Parker Martin complete the top-five transfers. … Hudson O’Neal led the entire distance to win the fourth and final heat race by 1.075 seconds over Nick Hoffman. Cade Dillard, Dennis Erb Jr. and sixth-starting Brandon Sheppard rounded-out the top-five finishers. ... Completed without incident, the four heat races combined to last slighly longer than 10 minutes.
Heat race results
(Eight laps; top five transfer)
First heat finish: Kyle Bronson, Devin Moran, Ricky Thornton Jr., Dale McDowell, Tyler Bruening, Dustin Sorensen, Tristan Chamberlain, David Breazeale, Brent Larson, Jason Fitzgerald, Garrett Smith, Brian Booze.
Second heat finish: Bobby Pierce, Max Blair, Chase Junghans, Mike Marlar, Tyler Erb, Drake Troutman, Tim McCreadie, Max McLaughlin, Dylan Thompson, Mike Benedum, Logan Zarin. Scratched: Codee Schneider
Third heat finish: Chris Madden, Jordan Koehler, Ashton Winger, Ethan Dotson, Parker Martin, Daulton Wilson, Brian Shirley, Mike Spatola, Todd Cooney, Austin Smith, Tim Lance.
Fourth heat finish: Hudson O'Neal, Nick Hoffman, Cade Dillard, Dennis Erb Jr., Brandon Sheppard, Mark Whitener, Blair Nothdurft, Cody Overton, Daniel Hilsabeck, Amanda Robinson, Seth Zacharias.
Pre-race notes
After a thin line of heavy rain crossed the area to postpone Monday’s opening-night DIRTcar Late Model and USAC sprint car features, Tuesday has brought dry but significantly cooler conditions with an afternoon high temperature only reaching into the mid-60s. … The field for Tuesday’s $7,000-to-win Late Model program numbers 46, down one from Monday’s show and five from last year’s Tuesday DIRTcar Nationals action. … Monday entrants not competing tonight are Stacy Boles of Clinton, Tenn., and Dustin Walker of Polk, Mo., while teenager Parker Martin of Milledgeville, Ga., is making his first start of the week. … Todd Cooney of Des Moines, Iowa, who finished third in a Monday heat, is his team’s lone entrant for the second straight with his teammate Ryan Gustin of Marshalltown, Iowa, again sitting out. … Dylan Thompson of Paducah, Ky., has some high-profile mechanical assistance with former DIRTcar national champion Terry English of Benton, Ky., in his pit area. English’s son, Tanner, and his Viper Motorsports team opted to skip this year’s DIRTcar Nationals. … Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., won last year’s Tuesday feature. Still seeking his first victory of 2024 Georgia-Florida Speedweeks, the 49-year-old McCreadie owns as much — or perhaps more — Volusia experience than anyone in the field; he’s entered every Late Model edition of the DIRTcar Nationals since 2004 except ’09 when he was sidelined by a back injury suffered in the previous month’s Chili Bowl Midget Nationals, and he’s run a big-block modified in more than half-dozen installments of the event.
Time trials
Group A
Driver (car no.), hometown, time (unofficial)
1. Kyle Bronson (40B), Brandon, Fla., 15.625
2. Tristan Chamberlain (20tc), Richmond, Ind., 15.627
3. Devin Moran (99), Dresden, Ohio, 15.635
4. Ricky Thornton Jr. (20rt), Chandler, Ariz., 15.645
5. Dale McDowell (17m), Chickamauga, Ga., 15.732
6. Tyler Bruening (16), Decorah, Iowa, 15.746
7. Dustin Sorensen (19), Rochester, Minn., 15.786
8. Brent Larson (B1), Lake Elmo, Minn., 16.047
9. David Breazeale (54), Four Corners, Miss., 16.063
10. Garrett Smith (10), Eatonton, Ga., 16.179
11. Brian Booze (B2), Greencastle, Pa., 16.300
12. Jason Fitzgerald (14jr), Middleburg, Fla., 16.502
Group B
1. Bobby Pierce (32), Oakwood, Ill., 15.256
2. Mike Marlar (157), Winfield, Tenn., 15.259
3. Chase Junghans (18), Manhattan, Kan., 15.403
4. Max Blair (111), Centerville, Pa., 15.421
5. Tim McCreadie (39), Watertown, N.Y., 15.585
6. Logan Zarin (1z), Moon Township, Pa., 15.616
7. Drake Troutman (7T), Hyndman, Pa., 15.622
8. Tyler Erb (1T), New Waverly, Texas, 15.656
9. Mike Benedum (25B), Salem, W.Va., 15.738
10. Max McLaughlin (22*), Mooresville, N.C., 15.758
11. Dylan Thompson (99T), Paducah, Ky., 15.770
12. Codee Schneider (14c), New London, Ohio, no time
Group C
1. Austin Smith (11), Rome, Ga., 15.453
2. Chris Madden (44), Gray Court, S.C., 15.523
3. Jordan Koehler (114), Mount Airy, N.C., 15.538
4. Ashton Winger (12), Hampton, Ga., 15.566
5. Ethan Dotson (174), Bakersfield, Calif., 15.664
6. Daulton Wilson (18D), Fayetteville, N.C., 15.779
7. Todd Cooney (30), Des Moines, Iowa, 15.783
8. Parker Martin (6jr), Miledgeville, Ga., 15.833
9. Brian Shirley (3s), Chatham, Ill., 15.894
10. Tim Lance (48), Brimfield, Ill., 16.198
11. Mike Spatola (89), Manhattan, Ill., 16.455
Group D
1. Hudson O’Neal (1), Martinsville, Ind., 15.494
2. Nick Hoffman (9), Mooresville, N.C., 15.509
3. Cade Dillard (97), Robeline, La., 15.516
4. Blair Nothdurft (76), Renner, S.D., 15.653
5. Dennis Erb Jr. (28), Carpentersville, Ill., 15.734
6. Brandon Sheppard (B5), New Berlin, Ill., 15.759
7. Mark Whitener (5), Middleburg, Fla., 15.916
8. Daniel Hilsabeck (22), Earlham, Iowa, 15.932
9. Cody Overton (97c), Evans, Ga., 15.937
10. Amanda Robinson (4), Georgetown, Del., 16.100
11. Seth Zacharias (17z), Vestal, N.Y., 16.239
Tuesday’s schedule
(All times local)
Noon - Ticket sales, will call, pit pass sales begin
1 p.m. - Pits open
3 p.m. - Pits cleared and re-open
4 p.m. - Grandstands open
4:45 p.m. - Drivers’ meeting
5:30 p.m. - On-track activity begins
- Sprint car hot laps
- Sprint car group qualifying (2 laps)
- Late Model hot laps
- Late Model group qualifying (2 laps)
Opening ceremonies
- Sprint car heats (8 laps)
- Late Model heats (8 laps)
- Sprint car consolation (10 laps)
- Late Model consolations (10 laps)
Feature events
- Sprint cars (30 laps)
- Late Models (25 laps)
Postponed from Monday, Feb. 12
- Sprint cars (25 laps)