Tag: big block modified

Max Mclaughlin Smokes the Field with Sizzling Win at Volusia

~ Jeff Kendrick ~ Leave a comment

Max McLaughlin led green-to-checker to take victory in the season opener for the Super DIRTcar Series at Volusia Speedway Park, holding Matt Sheppard at bay as he attempted his patented late race charge and challenge. This was McLaughlin’s third DIRTcar Nationals victory.


McLaughlin, who hails from Mooresville, North Carolina, drew outside pole for the feature race then led all 30 laps to capture the win.

McLaughlin is just 22-years-old, but he’s already familiar with Volusia Speedway Park and the victory circle there. He holds the 2021 Big Gator Championship title and has two previous DIRTcar Nationals feature wins.

Erick Rudolph drew the pole for the race, but never led a lap. McLaughlin blasted past him on lap one and everyone spent the rest of the race chasing him. Nine-time champion Matt Sheppard was the strongest contender. Sheppard started seventh but quickly made his way to second place where he finished the night.

McLaughlin made one mistake with ten to go and it almost cost him the race. He reached to pull a tear-off and accidentally tore them all off. Visibility becam a problem as clay continuously spattered on his visor. It got so bad that McLaughlin jumped the cushion in the closing laps of the race. Sheppard was able to cut into his lead but not enough.

Max McLaughlin at Volusia Speedway Park
Max McLaughlin at Volusia Speedway Park – Paul Arch Photo

“I was pretty tight there at the end,” McLaughlin said. “Definitely would have liked to be a little freer in the center. I just caught good breaks and got through lapped traffic pretty good. I was just able to stay out front. It’s pretty cool to get the first win right off the bat. First start, first win. We’ve been working hard and have a great team behind us.”

Up Next: The Big Block Modified Series will be at it again at Volusia Speedway Park on Thursday, February 16. It will be another 30-lapper paying $5000 to win.

Top Ten

  1. Max McLaughlin
  2. Matt Sheppard
  3. Stewart Friesen
  4. Erick Rudolph
  5. Demetrios Drellos
  6. Mat Williamson
  7. Ruck Laubach
  8. Danny Johnson
  9. Marc Johnson
  10. Larry Wright

SLR Nation Introduces Hot Shot Small Block 358 Modified Series

~ Jeff Kendrick ~ Leave a comment

SLR Nation, known primarily for hosting Big Block Modified Races all day every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, has intruduced a Small Block 358 Modified Series for drivers who have less experience in the iRacing simulation. Requirements for the SLR Hot Shot Small Block Modified series are:

  • Minimum D 3.0 license
  • Maximum 2500 iRating

In addition to Big Block and Small Block racing, SLR also frequently hosts Dirt Super Late Models and UMP Modified cars. Peter Neuder colors and calls all the action as it is broadcast live on the SLR Twitch channel. All of the hosted events are overseen by at least one live admin, making the racing some of the cleanest on the iRacing simulator. You can find the SLR races under Hosted sessions in the iRacing UI. Look for sessions hosted by SLR or John Salada. Join the SLR Community Discord here.