Austin Dillon
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS FROM VOLUSIA SPEEDWAY PARK!
BARBERVILLE, Fla. – Feb. 16, 2015 – Austin Dillon held off his brother, Ty, on Monday night at Volusia Speedway Park to win the DIRTcar Nationals Gator Championship for UMP Modifieds.
Dillon started ninth but charged forward quickly as three-time national champion Devin Gilpin and Saturday night winner Nick Hoffman showed the way. Dillon powered to the front with Hoffman giving chase. Ty Dillon eventually swept to second ahead of Hoffman and set his sights on his brother.
A late caution set up a furious rush to the checkered flag with two laps to go. Dillon put his car on the bottom to keep his brother behind him and drive off with the victory in the 12-day event’s biggest night of racing for UMP Modifieds.
“It was on a rail, it was really fast,” said Dillon, driver of the famous black #3 car in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and grandson of legendary car owner Richard Childress. “I guess Ty got to me in lap traffic, I didn’t know he was there. But that was fun, it was a heck of a race. It’s awesome for Team Dillon Racing to go one-two, and like I said I’ve been coming down here for quite a few years now and to finally win a big Gator [trophy] feels awesome. I think that will help out for the points so maybe I will take home two. Ty’s been taking the Big Gators home, he’ll be fine until next year. That was awesome, this is a special place. Coming from ninth, man I have my head on straight. When the opportunities were there I took them. The bottom just kept coming to me. I like it down there.”
DIRTcar Late Models also invaded the DIRTcar Nationals for the first of six nights of action. Shane Clanton drove past Darrell Lanigan on lap 26 to win for the first time in his career at Volusia Speedway Park. Tim McCreadie wound up third.
“This feels real good, it’s one of those things has eluded me for a long time,” said Clanton, of Zebulon, Ga. “We’ve run good down here, just haven’t had Lady Luck on our side. Right now everything’s clicking. I knew I had a good racecar early in the race and was just biding my time and just saving my tires as long as I could. When it was time to go, I went.”
Nightly doubleheaders at Volusia run Tuesday through Saturday. On Tuesday night, DIRTcar UMP Modifieds wrap up their portion of the DIRTcar Nationals with Triple 20s as the DIRTcar Late Models return for a full program on the second of six consecutive nights.
For more information and updates on the DIRTcar Nationals, click DIRTcarNationals.com or follow on Twitter at @DIRTcarNats.
DIRTcar Nationals Statistical Report; Feb. 16, 2015; Volusia Speedway Park; Barberville, Fla.
DIRTcar UMP Modified A-Main (20 Laps) – A-Main – (30 Laps) – 1. 3-Austin Dillon [9] ($5,000); 2. 41-Ty Dillon [7]; 3. 2-Nick Hoffman [3]; 4. 1G-Devin Gilpin [1]; 5. 36-Kenny Wallace [12]; 6. 40B-Kyle Bronson [10]; 7. 13-Jake Hawkins [15]; 8. 9-Ken Schrader [2]; 9. 64JR-Billy Workman Jr. [6]; 10. 8-Kyle Strickler [5]; 11. 1X-Cody Erickson [20]; 12. 35-Jason Beaulieu [4]; 13. 51G-Brandon Green [17]; 14. 51-Justin Allgaier [22]; 15. 28-Paul Miles [23]; 16. K9-Will Krup [27]; 17. 7-Evan Taylor [11]; 18. BD4-Jackie Boggs [24]; 19. 77-Ray Bollinger [21]; 20. 54B-Larry Burkins [29]; 21. 96-Cory Daugherty [25]; 22. 67-Garret Stewart [13]; 23. 88-Matt Crafton [14]; 24. 11R-Josh Rice [8]; 25. 22T-Tony Anderson [28]; 26. 25-Tyler Nicely [16]; 27. 9M-Dale Mathison [18]; 28. 16C-Josh Harris [19]; 29. 01-Todd Sherman [26].
DIRTcar Late Model A-Main (30 Laps) – 1. 25-Shane Clanton ($7,000); 2. 29-Darrell Lanigan; 3. 39-Tim McCreadie; 4. 20-Rodney Sanders; 5. 101-Casey Roberts; 6. 0-Scott Bloomquist; 7. 38-Kenny Pettyjohn; 8. 1-Josh Richards; 9. 28-Dennis Erb Jr.; 10. 5B-Brandon Sheppard; 11. 7-Ricky Weiss; 12. 7R-Kent Robinson; 13. 96-Terry English; 14. 201-Billy Ogle Jr.; 15. 16-Tyler Bruening; 16. 25Z-Mason Zeigler; 17. 1P-Earl Pearson Jr.; 18. 18-Eric Wells; 19. 99-Boom Briggs; 20. 1*-Chub Frank; 21. 16H-Mike Hammerle; 22. 21-Billy Moyer; 23. 40B-Kyle Bronson; 24. 7v-Rick Eckert.
DIRTcar Nationals Day-by-Day Schedule (Grandstands open at 5 p.m.)
Tuesday, Feb. 17 – DIRTcar Late Models & DIRTcar UMP Modifieds Triple 20s
Wednesday, Feb. 18 – DIRTcar Late Models & Super DIRTcar Series Big-Block Modifieds
Thursday, Feb. 19 – World of Outlaws Late Models & Super DIRTcar Series Big-Block Modifieds
Friday, Feb. 20 – World of Outlaws Late Models & Super DIRTcar Series Big-Block Modifieds
Saturday, Feb. 21 – World of Outlaws Late Models & Super DIRTcar Series Big-Block Modifieds
