Total funds paid out now tops $175,000 with new Big Gator championship points fund

CONCORD, NC (Jan. 25, 2024) – The 53rd edition of Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals will include a purse upgrade for the UMP Modifieds as they take to Volusia Speedway Park to battle for the iconic Big Gator trophy, Feb. 5-10.

A new grand total of $176,300 is set to be distributed over the six-night stretch – an increase of over $27,000 from the 2023 purse. Following the new format implemented last year, each of the six UMP Modified Features contested nightly, Monday-Friday, will pay $1,000 to the winner and a minimum $125 to start.

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The Gator Championship program on Saturday night features a purse of $20,450 for the 32 main event starters – awarding $5,000 to the winner. Each non-transfer will receive $100 tow money. Following the main event, the Big Gator trophy will be awarded to the DIRTcar Nationals points champion of the division, in addition to the newly announced points fund checks for the top-three points-earners – $1,000 to the champion, $750 for the runner-up and $500 for third place.

See the table below for a breakdown of each night’s UMP Modified payout.

FORMAT BREAKDOWN

Mon-Wed, Feb. 5-7 – The first three days of the six-day grind are all identical in format and put emphasis on drivers gaining as many points as possible over a series of Feature events. In years past, a complete program was conducted with Heats, Last Chance races and a single Feature. This year, only Qualifying and Features will take place on these nights.

Drivers will pill draw at sign-in each night of competition to set the Qualifying order and run three timed laps on the clock. No groups will be assigned; all drivers will qualify against each other. Each driver’s best lap will be taken to set the six Feature lineups, staggered from fastest to slowest.

Once the lineups are set, drivers will race their 20-lap Feature and earn points based on finishing position. Points collected Monday through Wednesday will give everyone a total to be used to set the Feature lineups for Thursday night’s events.

Thu, Feb. 8 – Similar in style to the former “All Features Night,” drivers will not Qualify and instead be lined up into one of six Features based on point totals from the three previous nights. The top-15 to top-20 (depending on weeklong car count) will make up Feature #1, the next 15 to 20 will follow in Feature #2, and so on. The top-10 starting spots will be inverted.

Fri, Feb. 9 – It’s time for the Gator Qualifiers. This night will start to solidify the field for the 30-lap, $5,000-to-win Gator Championship event on Saturday night.

Similar to the first three nights, Friday begins with a pill draw to set the Qualifying order. However, the field will be split in half, meaning drivers will only qualify and race against the cars in their half. Fastest lap times will again set six Feature lineups, staggered three in each group.

The top-three finishers in each Feature will be locked into Saturday’s Gator Championship. Everyone else will have to try again on Saturday to transfer into the main event. The top-two finishers will take part in a redraw on Saturday to set the first 12 spots in the Gator Championship.

Sat, Feb. 10 – Gator Championship night starts with four Heat Races for any driver not yet qualified for the Feature. The top-two finishers will transfer to the Feature. Everyone else will get one final shot in one of two Last Chance Showdown races – taking only the winners into the Feature. Four additional provisionals will make up the final four spots.

Thirty-two cars will start the 30-lap, $5,000-to-win Gator Championship Feature for DIRTcar Nationals immortality. The overall DIRTcar Nationals Big Gator champion will also be crowned on Saturday, based on the driver with the most points collected throughout the entire week.

Tickets are on sale now at DIRTcarNationals.com. If you can’t be there in person, watch every lap live on DIRTVision.