Latest news with #DIRTcarNationals
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Kyle Larson gets his gator at Volusia. Could Daytona 500 Harley J. Earl Trophy be next?
From third place on Wednesday to runner-up Thursday, there was just one higher rung remaining for Kyle Larson, and Friday night he took it. The NASCAR star, who adds a slew of dirt-track racing to his yearly schedule, cashed in on his "hobby" Friday night, west of Daytona Beach in Barberville, holding off his current dirt rival to finally win a gator trophy at Volusia Speedway Park's annual DIRTcar Nationals. After finishing behind fellow NASCAR racer Christopher Bell in Thursday's World of Outlaws main event, Larson returned the favor Friday night in his No. 57 winged sprint car, leading all 25 laps after also comfortably winning his heat race. THE GREAT AMERICAN READ Our Daytona 500 book, High Banks & Heroes, tells colorful history of Great American Race Buy our Daytona 500 book here As he'd done after a few other cautions, and after one final yellow for a spin on Lap 23 of the 25-lap final, Larson dashed to the lead on the restart and left no doubt about this one after losing to Bell by a whisker Thursday night. It's Larson's 36th career win in the World of Outlaws but his first gator trophy at Volusia, which is the 18th different track where he has won. Maybe it's a sign of things to come. He's also never won a NASCAR Cup Series race at a track 23 miles east of Volusia — Daytona International Speedway, host to next Sunday's Daytona 500. Saturday night is the final night at Volusia for the WoO, and the final night to earn points over the four-night run and possibly win something similar yet larger than individual race trophies — the famed Big Gator trophy that goes to the driver who tops the week's point standings. Owen and Audrey join him up top!@KyleLarsonRacin gets his first @VolusiaSpeedway win with the World of Outlaws @NosEnergyDrink Sprint Cars! #FLinFeb — World of Outlaws (@WorldofOutlaws) February 8, 2025 Larson has his eyes on that one, too. 'It's a place that I feel like I've raced well,' Larson said of the half-mile Barberville layout. 'I just always start so far back. I haven't felt like that gator has been close enough. It's cool to win here at Volusia. It's cool to have a lot of our supporters here this weekend and great to see a packed house, too.' More info: or David Gravel, Brad Sweet and Ryan Timms rounded out the top five in Friday's feature. Volusia's annual DIRTcar Nationals continues Monday through next Saturday with the following series and cars scheduled: DIRTcar Late Models (Monday-Wednesday), USAC Non-Wing Sprint Cars (Monday, Tuesday), Super DIRTcar Series (Wednesday-Saturday), and World of Outlaws Late Models (Thursday-Saturday). Also on the local short-track menu, the nine-night World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing began Friday and runs through next Saturday at New Smyrna Speedway. More info: After Saturday's Volusia action, Larson and Bell have a few idle days before the start to Daytona's annual NASCAR Speedweek, with begins with Wednesday's pole qualifying and wraps up with the 67th running of the Daytona 500 next Sunday. This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Kyle Larson wins (near) Daytona on the Barberville dirt. Gets a gator
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
World of Outlaws cranks at Volusia. NASCAR star Christopher Bell aboard in Barberville
The 54th annual DIRTcar Nationals roll along at Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, and the newly unleashed Christopher Bell takes to the dirt Wednesday night when the World of Outlaws begins a four-night run on the half-mile track. As the World of Outlaws opens its 48th season, Bell continues his first season back on dirt since 2022, when his NASCAR Cup Series team — Joe Gibbs Racing — contractually prohibited their drivers from such outside work. Bell first returned to dirt-tracking last month in his native Oklahoma, at the Tulsa Shootout and the Chili Bowl Nationals. He's scheduled to run in WoO's season opener Wednesday night, and perhaps again Thursday night. Buy our Daytona 500 book here Bell will drive the No. 69 entry owned by Sprint Car Hall of Famer Don Kreitz. Bell's last laps in Barberville came in 2019, when he posted three straight top-five finishes, including a runner-up. The $12,000 winner's share of the purse is goosed to $20,000 for Saturday night's final WoO race at the banked oval dubbed 'The World's Fastest Half Mile.' Bell will have plenty of competition, including defending WoO Sprint Car champ Danny Gravel. He has five WoO wins at Volusia, and in his last 30 starts, he's recorded 20 top-five finishes. Last year, he won the four-night points battle and collected the coveted Big Gator trophy that goes along with it. Sprint Car legend Donny Schatz also returns. The 10-time series champ has 24 Volusia wins, 15 of those in the World of Outlaws. His Volusia win in last spring's Bike Week Jamboree was his 500th career Sprint Car victory. More information: and Saturday's non-wing outlaw micro sprint car feature race in the Tulsa Shootout saw Christopher Bell beat Kyle Larson by a tenth of a sec. Joe Gibbs Racing just approved dirt racing for its drivers this year and Bell made the most of his return. #ChristopherBell #TulsaShootout — Dan Snyder Motorsports (@DanMotorsports) January 6, 2025 New Smyrna Speedway adds to the local noise Friday, opening night of its annual World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing. The nine straight nights of racing will feature 13 different divisions of cars, including NASCAR's Whelen Modified Tour and the ASA Stars National Tour, both of which begin their 2025 season on the high-banked, half-mile track in Samsula. More info: This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: NASCAR | Christopher Bell back to dirt this week in World of Outlaws
