BARBERVILLE, FL - February 7, 2010 - Austin Dillon has been one of the toughest DIRTcar UMP Modified competitors at Volusia Speedway Park during the past two years of the DIRTcar Nationals by University of Northwestern Ohio events.

The teenager from Welcome, N.C., lived up to his reputation on Sunday night, capturing the division’s second 20-lap qualifying feature for Monday’s big ‘The Gator Championship’ event.

“It was awesome tonight,” Dillon said after steering his black No. 3 DIRTcar UMP Modified to a $700 triumph that was his first of the 39th annual DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH. “Shane (McDowell, his crew chief) did a great job putting our final adjustments in the car. It drove so much better tonight than the other night.”

The grandson of legendary NASCAR owner Richard Childress, Dillon’s expertise on dirt guided him to the checkered flag over a field that also featured NASCAR stars Clint Bowyer, Kenny Wallace and Ken Schrader, ageless veteran Buzzie Reutimann, former DIRTcar UMP Modified national champion Denny Schwartz and Dillon’s younger brother, Ty.

“I think we have a good as shot as anybody,” Dillon said of his chances of winning the $5,000 top prize up for grabs in Monday night’s ‘The Gator Championship’ event. “I think we want to win it just as much as anybody too.”

Dillon started outside the front row and quickly put distance between himself and Ashmore, Ill.’s Schwartz. Dillon withstood multiple restarts, including the final one in which he caught the field sleeping, putting nearly five car-lengths between himself and Schwartz entering turn one.

Schwartz finished second after withstanding early pressure from Dillon’s younger brother Ty, while Kenny Wallace of Arnold, Mo., placed third. Jason Schill of Centuria, Wis., wound up fourth and last-place starter Jacob Hawkins of Fairmont, W.Va., rallied to round out the top five.

Jason Hughes of Westville, Okla., paced the 37-car field around the half-mile Volusia oval with a quick lap of 18.680 seconds, a lap that was the quickest qualifying effort in the first four nights of DIRTcar UMP Modified action.

The top 10 finishers in Sunday night’s feature joined the top 10 drivers in Saturday night’s preliminary A-Main in transferring directly to Monday’s ‘The Gator Championship’ event.

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