As the 2024 racing season at Volusia Speedway Park draws to a close, the Points Season Finale brought an electrifying end to a year marked by intense competition and spectacular performances.
With the final showdowns in the 602 Late Models, ¾ Modifieds, 604 Late Models, and Thunder Stocks, each race was a testament to the skill and determination of the drivers.
602 Late Model
The 602 Late Models took to the track for the first Feature race of the night with Brody Smith starting in pole position. Smith quickly took control of the race, as he managed to create some space, giving himself a significant lead early on.
Five laps in the race, Smith was pulling away to about a straightaway lead. Meanwhile, Austin Leamon, in second, was looking for any opportunity to catch and sneak past Smith.
As the laps continued to wind down, the middle of the pack saw intense competition with drivers jockeying for position. By Lap 15, Smith started to encounter lap traffic, which added an extra layer of complexity to maintaining his lead.
The race’s intensity peaked with three laps remaining when the first yellow flag of the night waved, compressing the field for a tense single-file restart. Smith capitalized on the clean air once again, shooting out in front as the race neared its dramatic conclusion.
It seemed Smith was on his way to his first victory at Volusia Speedway Park, but in a twist of fate, another yellow flag flew before the checkered flag.
On the final restart, Leamon made a valiant effort to overtake Smith by diving low. But it wasn’t enough to unseat Smith, who closed on the season with a thrilling win.
¾ Modifieds
The 15-lap 3/4 Modified Feature commenced with an exciting tussle for the lead between Dalton Hopke and Colton Lane.
On Lap 3, Lane built a head of steam off Turn 2 to overtake Hopke down the backstretch and pull away.
The excitement ramped up on Lap 6 when a yellow flag was brought out. The ensuing restart was a hotbed of action as Hopke momentarily reclaimed the lead, only for officials to determine he had jumped the restart, reinstating Lane as the official leader.
Amidst the race’s chaos, Timmy Hogan, the already crowned 2024 Track Champion, began making significant headway. Despite a slower start from third place and initially dropping back to fifth, Hogan found his rhythm post-restart. By Lap 8, he had advanced to second place, though he still trailed significantly behind Lane.
As the laps dwindled, Lane established a commanding 5.8 second lead, but a late-race yellow flag with two laps remaining compressed the field once again for a nail-biting single-file restart.
On this final restart, Hogan slung to the outside to make a decisive move, pulling up alongside Lane as they charged down the front straightaway into Turn 1. Hogan executed a masterful overtake exiting Turn 2, seizing the lead down the backstretch.
In a final twist, Lane encountered car trouble on the last lap, clearing the path for Hogan to cruise to victory, adding another win to his remarkable season.
604 Late Model
The 604 Late Model race was critical for points, especially for Donnie Chappell, who entered the finale with a 13-point lead. Unfortunately, mechanical issues forced Chappell to start from the back of the pack, and his hopes of clinching the title were dashed early after getting caught in a major pile-up on Lap 1.
The tangle up, involving five cars, set the tone for a race marked by high tension and fierce competition. After the debris was cleared and the track was set, the race restarted with Mikey Kopka in the pole position.
The race’s intensity didn’t wane, as another caution flag came out on Lap 5 due to Tim Swartz suffering a flat tire. Swartz, another contender for the season points lead, was forced to rejoin the race at the back, significantly diminishing his chances to end as the season points champion.
As the laps progressed, Kopka began to pull away from the field, steadily building a lead that peaked at 4.3 seconds, putting him in prime position to claim the track title.
Kopka’s performance was nothing short of spectacular, as he managed to avoid the chaos and build a strong lead that allowed him to cruise to the victory.
Thunder Stocks
The Thunder Stock race at Volusia Speedway Park’s Points Season Finale was a whirlwind of action and dramatic shifts that kept fans on the edge of their seats until the last lap. The race saw Justin Reynolds, Patrick Thomas, and Blake Clouser in a gripping battle for supremacy.
The race kicked off with Reynolds taking the lead, setting a brisk pace from the start. Thomas and Clouser closely followed, engaging in an intense battle for second place. Thomas initially secured the position, but the race dynamics shifted rapidly following the first yellow flag.
On the restart, Clouser made a bold move on the outside, overtaking Thomas to slot into second place behind Reynolds. The trio then began to pull away from the pack, creating a significant gap between themselves and the other competitors.
Clouser, not content with second, pressed Reynolds hard for six laps, leveraging everything in his toolbox. Their duel became even more heated as they started run into lap traffic.
A pivotal moment came on Lap 15 when a yellow flag caused the field to bunch up again.
The restart saw Reynolds defending his lead with everything he had against a determined Clouser. The battle for victory intensified with two laps remaining, following yet another caution that led to a single-file restart.
Clouser seized the moment down the back straightaway, momentarily taking the lead as Reynolds and Thomas jockeyed for position right behind him.
However, the course of the event changed drastically when Clouser and Thomas spun out in Turn 3, relegating them to fourth- and fifth-place, respectively. This allowed Reynolds to regain the lead during the final restart.
The closing laps of the race were nothing short of cinematic. Reynolds led, but Clouser and Thomas, undeterred by their spin-out, made a vigorous charge back through the field. In an incredible display of resilience, they managed to finish second and third, respectively, behind Reynolds who took the final checkered flag of the 2024 Volusia Speedway Park season.
As we close another thrilling season at Volusia Speedway Park, we reflect on the incredible moments that define this sport: the skill, the speed, and the spirit of competition. Thank you to all the drivers, teams, and fans for another memorable year of racing. We look forward to seeing what next season brings.
Stay tuned for more updates, and remember, the thrill of racing lives at the “World’s Fastest Half Mile,” Volusia Speedway Park.