Dirt on Dirt - Madden repels Hoffman to win $12,000 opener

January 22

Volusia Speedway Park,

Barberville, FL

Sanction: World of Outlaws Late Model Series (DIRTcar Sunshine Nationals) - $12,000

Information provided by: Series and track reports (last updated January 22, 11:10 pm)

Madden repels Hoffman to win $12,000 opener

DIRTcar Sunshine Nationals

Chris Madden
Nick Hoffman
Brandon Sheppard
Dennis Erb Jr.
Ricky Thornton Jr.
Dustin Sorensen
Max Blair
Tyler Erb
Bobby Pierce
Kyle Strickler
Dale McDowell
Brandon Overton
Donald McIntosh
Tim McCreadie
Brent Larson
Clay Stuckey
Ryan Gustin
Cory Hedgecock
Drake Troutman
Blair Nothdurft
Daulton Wilson
Logan Zarin
Ethan Dotson
Jake Timm
Boom Briggs
Jordan Koehler
Tristan Chamberlain
Jason Riggs

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Chris Madden (44) held off Nick Hoffman (9) to win the season opener.

What won the race: After repelling Nick Hoffman's lap-32 slide job, second-starting Chris Madden of Gray Court, S.C., survived a green-white-checkered finish to win Thursday's World of Outlaws Late Model Series opener at Volusia Speedway Park. Madden, making his debut in the Infinity Chassis house car, led all 36 laps and beat Hoffman to the line by 1.002 seconds for the $12,000 payday, his 40th series victory and first since 2024.

Quotable: "Obviously starting up front is very important. I was able to get by Nick (Hoffman) on the start there and knew he was gonna be very good," Madden said. "He got by me there (on lap 32), I got extremely way too tight and couldn’t enter where I needed to be entering. Nick caught me there and got by me and I just got up on the wheel and let ‘er rip, I was able to get back by him and just tried to do my thing out there."

Key notes: Madden's previous victory came in July at Volunteer Speedway in Bulls Gap, Tenn., for Kale Green Motorsports ... It's his fifth career Volusia triumph and first since topping a DIRTcar Nationals semifeature on Feb. 15, 2023. ... Madden's first career WoO victory came Oct. 14, 2006, at Volusia. ... Polesitter Nick Hoffman threw a turn-one slider on Madden at the start of the 32nd lap, but Madden quickly regained control with a crossover move. ... Hoffman and Brandon Sheppard traded second six times between laps 12-21 before Hoffman eventually prevailed before pressuring Madden; Sheppard finished third. ... Dennis Erb Jr. and Ricky Thornton Jr. used the low line in rounding out the top five. ... WoO returnee Tyler Erb overcame a heat race crash to finish eighth aboard a backup car after using an emergency series provisional. ... The race was slowed by two cautions, the first coming on lap 12 when Tristan Chamberlain slowed after losing an oil pump. ... Jake Timm spun out of turn four as Madden was heading towards the checkers, setting up a two-lap dash to the finish. ... The season opener lasted 16 minutes with 20 starters completing 36 laps. ... Hudson O'Neal scratched after blowing a right-rear tire while running second in the third heat race and not having enough time to repair the resulting damage. ... Clay Harris scratched after hot laps. ... Cody Overton apparently scratched for the weekend after losing two engines during Wednesday's practice.

On the move: Tyler Erb of New Waverly, Texas, started 26th and finished eighth.

Winner's sponsors: Madden’s Infinity Chassis by Wells & Sons Motorsports is powered by a Clements Racing Engine and carries sponsorship from Henderson Amusement, Milwood Plumbing, Velocity Manufacturing Group, Convenient Lube, Hardison Suspension Technologies, Eibach Springs, Penske Racing Shocks, STAKT Racing Products, VP Racing Lubricants, VP Racing Fuels and Topnotch Kustomz.

Points chase: After Volusia Thursday: 1. Chris Madden (151); 2. Nick Hoffman (147); 3. Brandon Sheppard (144); 4. Dennis Erb Jr. (142); 5. Ricky Thornton Jr. (140); 6. Dustin Sorensen (139); 7. Max Blair (136); 8. Tyler Erb (134); 9. Bobby Pierce (132); 10. Kyle Strickler (130).

Current weather: Broken Clouds, 64°F

Car count: 44

Fast qualifier: Chris Madden

Time: 15.376 seconds

Polesitter: Nick Hoffman

Heat race winners: Chris Madden, Nick Hoffman, Donald McIntosh, Dustin Sorensen

Consolation race winners: Ethan Dotson, Tim McCreadie

Provisional starters: Drake Troutman, Jake Timm, Tristan Chamberlain, Tyler Erb, Daulton Wilson, Logan Zarin

Next series race: January 23, Volusia Speedway Park (Barberville, FL) $12,000

Editor's note: Corrects note to Madden's fourth Volusia win (sted third).

From staff reports

BARBERVILLE, Fla. — Updates from Thursday’s seventh annual DIRTcar Sunshine Nationals opener, featuring a 35-lap, $12,000-to-win main event for World of Outlaws Late Model Series-sanctioned Super Late Models (results unofficial):

Feature

After repelling Nick Hoffman's lap-32 slide job, second-starting Chris Madden of Gray Court, S.C., survived a green-white-checkered finish to win Thursday's World of Outlaws Late Model Series opener at Volusia Speedway Park. Madden, making his debut in the Infinity Chassis house car, led all 36 laps and beat Hoffman to the line by 1.002 seconds for the $12,000 payday, his 40th series victory and first since 2024.

Feature lineup

(35 laps)

Row 1: Nick Hoffman, Chris Madden
Row 2: Donald McIntosh, Dustin Sorensen
Row 3: Brent Larson, Brandon Sheppard
Row 4: Kyle Strickler, Brandon Overton
Row 5: Blair Nothdurft, Dennis Erb Jr.
Row 6: Max Blair, Bobby Pierce
Row 7: Ricky Thornton Jr., Ryan Gustin
Row 8: Boom Briggs, Cory Hedgecock
Row 9: Ethan Dotson, Tim McCreadie
Row 10: Dale McDowell, Jason Riggs
Row 11: Clay Stuckey, Jordan Koehler
Row 12: Drake Troutman, Jake Timm
Row 13: Tristan Chamberlain, Tyler Erb
Row 14: Daulton Wilson, Logan Zarin

Consolation race results

(10 laps; top three transfer)

First consolation: Ethan Dotson, Dale McDowell, Clay Stuckey, Drake Troutman, Jake Timm, Josh Rice, Daulton Wilson, Logan Zarin, Jackson Hise, Matthew Larson, Allen Styck, Glenn Styres, Stacy Boles, Tyler Erb.

Second consolation: Tim McCreadie, Jason Riggs, Jordan Koehler, Tristan Chamberlain, Tyler Wyant, Mark Whitener, Kyle Bronson, Trey Mills, Beckham Malone, Eli Johnson, Todd Morrow, Michael Leach. Scratched: Hudson O'Neal, Clay Harris.

Heat race recap

Chris Madden dominated the first heat race from the pole, leading all eight laps and taking the checkers 2.558 seconds ahead of second-starting Brandon Sheppard, who passed Ethan Dotson on the opening lap and trailed Madden the entire way. Fifth-starting Blair Nothdurft and sixth-starting Ricky Thornton Jr. each improved two positions to round out the top-four finishers, punching their ticket into the night's 35-lap season opener. Dotson slipped into a battle with Drake Troutman, prevailing to finish fifth with Troutman in sixth. … Second-starting Nick Hoffman fired off from the outside front row and led the entire distance en route to winning the second heat by 1.448 seconds over polesitter Brent Larson. Max Blair started and finished third while seventh-starting Boom Briggs grabbed the fourth and final transfer spot into the $12,000-to-win main event. The night’s first caution flew when third-running Tyler Erb suffered apparent mechanical failure when his car took a sudden left turn and nosed hard into the inside wall just past the flagstand; he’ll need to utilize a backup car for the remainder of the night. … Pole-starting Donald McIntosh controlled the entire way in winning the third heat by 1.759 seconds over fifth-starting Kyle Strickler, who inherited the runner-up spot on a lap-three restart. Sixth-starting Dennis Erb Jr. utilized the low line to finish third while Gustin held on for fourth. Mark Whitener, who was slated to start second, was penalized a starting row for jumping the race’s opening start attempt; Whitener later hopped the turn-three cushion and slapped the outside wall before finishing eighth. The second caution came on the third lap when second-running Hudson O’Neal lost a right-rear tire, causing significant damage to the Rumley Engineering No. 6 Longhorn; O’Neal retired and was credited with 11th. … Polesitter Dustin Sorensen led all eight laps to win the fourth and final heat race by 0.732 of a second over fourth-starting Brandon Overton, who grabbed second from Bobby Pierce on the second lap and trailed Sorensen the rest of the way. Pierce settled for third, while Cory Hedgecock rounded out the top-four finishers. Clay Harris scratched after hot laps.

Heat race results

(Eight laps; top four transfer)

First heat: Chris Madden, Brandon Sheppard, Blair Nothdurft, Ricky Thornton Jr., Ethan Dotson, Drake Troutman, Josh Rice, Clay Stuckey, Logan Zarin, Jackson Hise, Matthew Larson.

Second heat: Nick Hoffman, Brent Larson, Max Blair, Boom Briggs, Dale McDowell, Jake Timm, Daulton Wilson, Allen Styck, Stacy Boles, Glenn Styres, Tyler Eb.

Third heat: Donald McIntosh, Kyle Strickler, Dennis Erb Jr., Ryan Gustin, Tim McCreadie, Jason Riggs, Trey Mills, Mark Whitener, Beckham Malone, Todd Morrow, Hudson O'Neal.

Fourth heat: Dustin Sorensen, Brandon Overton, Bobby Pierce, Cory Hedgecock, Jordan Koehler, Tristan Chamberlain, Tyler Wyant, Kyle Bronson, Michael Leach, Eli Johnson. Scratched: Clay Harris.

Time trials

Group A
Driver (car no.), hometown, time (unofficial)
1. Chris Madden (44), Gray Court, S.C., 15.376
2. Brent Larson (B1), Lake Elmo, Minn., 15.476
3. Brandon Sheppard (B5), New Berlin, Ill., 15.555
4. Nick Hoffman (9), Mooresville, N.C., 15.621
5. Ethan Dotson (74x), Bakersfield, Calif., 15.629
6. Max Blair (111), Centerville, Pa., 15.665
7. Drake Troutman (22*), Hyndman, Pa., 15.711
8. Tyler Erb (1), New Waverly, Texas, 15.722
9. Blair Nothdurft (76n), Renner, S.D., 15.774
10. Dale McDowell (17m), Chickamauga, Ga., 15.798
11. Ricky Thornton Jr. (20rt), Chandler, Ariz., 15.804
12. Daulton Wilson (58v), Fayetteville, N.C., 15.857
13. Clay Stuckey (15), Shreveport, La., 15.980
14. Boom Briggs (99B), Bear Lake, Pa., 16.043
15. Jackson Hise (388), Ocala, Fla., 16.109
16. Allen Styck (11s), Americus, Ga., 16.136
17. Logan Zarin (1z), Moon Township, Pa., 16.172
18. Jake Timm (49), Winona, Minn., 16.217
19. Matthew Larson (8L), Lake Elmo, Minn., 16.258
20. Stacy Boles (11B), Clinton, Tenn., 16.339
21. Josh Rice (11R), Crittenden, Ky., 16.383
22. Glenn Styres (0), Ohsweken, Ontario, 16.464
Group B
1. Donald McIntosh (7m), Dawsonville, Ga., 15.692
2. Dustin Sorensen (19), Rochester, Minn., 15.714
3. Mark Whitener (5), Middleburg, Fla., 15.727
4. Bobby Pierce (32), Oakwood, Ill., 15.735
5. Ryan Gustin (19R), Marshalltown, Iowa, 15.821
6. Cory Hedgecock (79), Loudon, Tenn., 15.834
7. Hudson O’Neal (6), Martinsville, Ind., 15.834
8. Brandon Overton (76), Evans, Ga., 15.864
9. Kyle Strickler (8), Mooresville, N.C., 15.958
10. Jordan Koehler (114), Mount Airy, N.C., 16.018
11. Dennis Erb Jr. (28), Carpentersville, Ill., 16.046
12. Tristan Chamberlain (20tc), Richmond, Ind., 16.141
13. Tim McCreadie (9m), Watertown, N.Y., 16.184
14. Kyle Bronson (40B), Brandon, Fla., 16.239
15. Trey Mills (14), St. Augustine, Fla., 16.325
16. Tyler Wyant (24), Oil City, Pa., 16.350
17. Jason Riggs (81), College Grove, Tenn., 16.375
18. Eli Johnson (55E), Clewiston, Fla., 16.439
19. Beckham Malone (23), Rock Hill, S.C., 16.498
20. Michael Leach (09), Sun River, Mont., 16.556
21. Todd Morrow (T1), Penton, Ala., 16.580
22. Clay Harris (6H), Jupiter, Fla., no time

Thursday’s schedule

(All times local)
Noon - Pits open
3 p.m. - Grandstands open
4 p.m. - On-track activity
- Super Late Model hot laps
- 602 Crate group qualifying
- Super Late Model time trials (2 laps)
- 604 Crate group qualifying
Opening ceremonies
- Super Late Model heats (8 laps)
- 602 Crate first semifeature (15 laps)
WoO redraw
- Super Late Model consolations (10 laps)
- 602 Crate second semifeature (15 laps)
- Super Late Model feature (35 laps)
- 602 Crate third semifeature (15 laps)
- 604 Crate first semifeature (20 laps)
- 604 Crate second semifeature (20 laps)
- 604 Crate third semifeature (20 laps)
- 604 Crate fourth semifeature (20 laps)