By ohnson 
Chris Madden continued his blazing start to the season as he emerged victorious in the thrilling 30-lap DIRTcar Late Model feature on Monday night. The Gaffney, S.C., driver walked away with a hefty $7,000 prize, besting Brian Shirley and Tyler Erb. This is Madden’s second win of the 2017 season, having also triumphed on Saturday night at the Screven Motorsports Complex during the World of Outlaws action.
“Starting the year off like this is truly great,” remarked Madden. “Last year, we got off to a really strong start but then faced some setbacks and had to take a bit of time off. But now we’re back and stronger than ever, picking up right where we left off. I’m extremely excited to be back racing.”
Madden’s win took place on the opening night of the DIRTcar Nationals for the Late Models. From here, the teams will compete in five more nights of intense racing, with the final three events being part of the World of Outlaws national tour schedule. This victory allows Madden to maintain his momentum and build on his success.
“It’s quite a deal,” he said. “We’ve had past success here, so it feels really good to achieve it once again.”
UMP Modified Elite Chassis Dominance
Nick Hoffman added another remarkable achievement to his Monday night tally. On lap 21, Hoffman surged past Jacob Hawkins to claim the biggest payday of the week for the Modifieds, pocketing a handsome $5,000 for the win.
Joining him on the podium was fellow Elite Chassis driver Will Krup. This has been a strong week for Hoffman and his Elite Chassis drivers.
“It’s awesome to have six out of the seven cars in the show,” stated Hoffman. “To see Will (Krup) perform as strongly as he did. This is a long-awaited moment for him. He’s had some tough luck in the past, with blown engines and accidents last year that weren’t his fault. It says a lot that these cars are on the podium. We’ll keep pushing forward.”
Krup also had his own moment of glory earlier in the week with his Elite Chassis, along with a third-place finish in the Gator Championship. The entire Elite group has been sharing notes and insights to figure out the best way to navigate Volusia Speedway Park. Right now, whatever they’re doing seems to be working, as they’ve been the dominant cars throughout the week.
“We’re all quite close within the Elite group,” said Krup about his fellow drivers. “Nick (Hoffman) is clearly the driving force behind everything. He’ll go out there and discover what works and vice versa. He always stays right at the forefront and tries to make these cars even better.”
Volusia Speedway Park Points
On Monday night, 43 Late Models signed in for action. This number is expected to increase as the week progresses, as there are well over 50 cars in the pit area.
New Yorker Tim McCreadie qualified for the feature but unfortunately had to exit the track before the conclusion. He finished in 19th place.
Chub Frank looked strong early in the night, winning a heat race. However, his fortunes took a turn during the feature when he suffered a flat right rear tire. The tire was changed, but he decided to call it a night early, finishing 21st.
Donny Schatz failed to qualify for his first feature of the week at Volusia. Schatz dominated the Sprint Car action at the speedway but just missed out on making the show in the B-Main.
Hoffman and Brian Ruhlman had a busy night, running both the UMP Modifieds and the Late Models. They were both locked into the UMP main but unfortunately failed to qualify for the Late Model feature.
Tuesday night is the final night for the UMP Modifieds, and the Late Models are also on the schedule. The big-block Modifieds have several practice sessions scheduled before they take to the track on Wednesday night.