BARBERVILLE, Fla. A Florida tradition continues as the Super DIRTcar Series roars into Volusia Speedway Park for Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals.

The Beasts of the Northeast will be hunting gators for four nights at the Worlds Fastest Half Mile, starting with 30-lap features on Wednesday through Friday Feb. 12-14 each paying $5,000-to-win. Then, the Big Gator championship finale on Saturday, Feb. 15, brings a 50-lap Feature, paying $7,500.

The DIRTcar Late Models will join the Big Blocks on Wednesday, Feb. 12, followed by the World of Outlaws Late Model Series on the final three nights.

Here are the key storylines to watch at DIRTcar Nationals:

Aiming For Three Straight

After earning his second consecutive Big Gator trophy in 2024, reigning Super DIRTcar Series champion Mat Williamson has the chance to make history in 2025.

If he wins a third consecutive DIRTcar Nationals Big Gator title, the St. Catharines, Ont. driver will become the first to win three in a row since the trophy was first given out in 2012.

Williamson is coming off an eight-win season with his Buzz Chew Racing No. 88 team and has won three of the last six Big Block Features at Volusia. Money Mat also has 13 consecutive top 10s at DIRTcar Nationals and five straight top fives.

His next Super DIRTcar Series victory will be his 32nd, breaking a tie with Jack Johnson for ninth on the Series all-time wins list. 

All-Star List

Williamson is one of eight drivers expected to compete at DIRTcar Nationals that have won at Volusia since the Series first raced there in 2005.

Matt Sheppard, whos won two Big Gators, and Stewart Friesen will look to break a three-way tie with Brett Hearn at the top of the all-time wins list with 10 victories at the track.

Sheppard is also chasing 100 Series victories. Entering DIRTcar Nationals, the 10-time champion has 97 career Series wins. If Super Matt wins three out of four Features, hell join Hearn as the second driver to earn 100 Series victories.

Friesen, meanwhile, is only expected to compete on three of the four nights, as hell be splitting time between Volusia and Daytona Intl Speedway, taking part in another season-opening event with the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.

Joining Williamson, Sheppard, and Friesen as DIRTcar Nationals winners are Larry Wight (4), Rick Laubach (3), Justin Haers (2), Peter Britten and Jimmy Phelps.

Streaks of Consistency

Anthony Perrego and Erick Rudolph are two drivers who have knocked on the door of Victory Lane at Volusia.

Perrego enters the event with three consecutive top fives at the track and won the Super DIRTcar Series season finale at The Dirt Track at Charlotte in 2024.

Rudolph has been even more consistent than Perrego in the past two seasons, earning six consecutive top five runs, including four podiums and a second-place finish in last years DIRTcar Nationals finale.

While Perrego is the Series most recent winner, Rudolph is searching for his first win since 2023 when he defended home turf at Ransomville Speedway.

Rising Stars

A trip to Florida is a chance to keep momentum rolling for four drivers rising through the Super DIRTcar Series ranks.

Tim Sears Jr. is making his first stop at DIRTcar Nationals after his best season with the Series. The Hastings, N.Y. driver finished fifth at the end of the year with nine top fives, 11 top 10s, and five podiums.

Jack Lehner, meanwhile, is no stranger to the Worlds Fastest Half Mile, earning a second-place finish in the DIRTcar Nationals finale in 2023. Like Sears, Lehner had his best season in 2024, finishing sixth in the final standings and in the top 10 in five of the last six races.

Felix Roy, the defending DIRTcar 358 Modified Series champion, finished 2024 with nine top 10s, enough to finish ninth at the end of the season. However, the Napierville, Q.C. driver has yet to earn a top 10 finish at Volusia. Hollywood hopes to turn it around in his third trip to DIRTcar Nationals.

While Sears, Lehner, and Roy are all searching for their first Series win, 2024 Rookie of the Year Alex Payne grabbed his first Victory at Brockville Ontario Speedway in September. Now, hes aiming for his first gator at Volusia.

The Hopewell, N.Y. driver earned his first DIRTcar Nationals top five with a fourth-place finish in last years finale.