BARBERVILLE, Fla. — The national points season has concluded, but one of the biggest DIRTcar UMP Modified events on the calendar still remains.
The eighth annual Emil & Dale Reutimann Memorial will be run Nov. 18-20 at Volusia Speedway Park.
Drivers will Hot Lap/Qualify to get Friday’s program started, then be divided into four separate Showdown Features. These Showdowns will take a number of transfers into Saturday’s feature, while everyone else will file into a Last Chance Showdown.
Once Last Chance Showdowns are complete on Saturday night, feature cars will take to the track for the 50-lap, $7,000-to-win finale.
The event is run in memory of Emil Reutimann Jr., 56, father to Dale, 17, and crew member Gordon Stone, 16. The trio was killed in a highway accident en route to a race at Golden Gate Speedway in 1973.
When the race was founded in their remembrance in 2014, the depth of its reach and prestige in the DIRTcar UMP Modified world was only a fraction of where it stands today.
The growing list of local, regional and national talent that attends every year has surprised even third-generation racing veteran David Reutimann.
“I never dreamed it could get this big,” he said of the event’s growing prestige. “It started off just as a local deal.”
Reutimann won the second and third editions of the event in 2015 and 2016, when it was held at East Bay Raceway Park. The race moved to Bubba Raceway Park in Ocala for the 2017 and 2018 seasons and has now made its home at Volusia – right where Reutimann had always hoped it would.
“Out of all the dirt tracks that I’ve been to – and I’ve raced a lot of dirt for a lot of years – Volusia’s by far my favorite place,” Reutimann said. “I always wanted it to end up at Volusia. That was kinda my vision.”
Volusia is also a favorite to defending Reutimann Memorial winner Tyler Nicely. The track was covered with new dirt for the 2021 season, which suited him well for his victorious run on the second night of competition in the 50th DIRTcar Nationals in February.
“[DIRTcar Nationals] racetrack was perfect,” Nicely said. “It got slick every night we ran on it, so hopefully it’s like that and we can stay on top.”
While Nicely, Hoffman and Allgaier bring the national talent, the local stars shine just as bright. Garret Stewart has won all but three points features over the last two season en route to dominant consecutive track championships.
Although he enters the event as the local favorite, he has yet to reach Victory Lane in the track’s marquee events. Armed with an Elite Chassis, built by Hoffman – the three-time and defending DIRTcar national champion – Stewart’s feeling more confident than ever this season.
“I’m excited to see what we got because I feel like we’ve made gains since the last time we went to Volusia,” Stewart said. “[Hoffman’s] helped me a little more this year than in years past. Hopefully that pays off.”