Mooresville, N.C., native Hoffman is a two-time and defending Big Gator champion for the UMP Modified class at the DIRTcar Nationals where accumulated points over seven nights of racing determine the champion.

Hoffman may be a regular in the division, but he always enjoys the challenge that goes into running an extended event like the DIRTcar Nationals.

“It’s a huge test of your skills and it’s not an easy 10 days,” said Hoffman. “We’ve been blessed to have won it for two years running now, but I just have fun going down there and racing every year. I’m a racer and that’s what Volusia is really about when you get down to it. It’s just good, hard, old-school racing.

“We get to race against some cars that we don’t get to race against for the rest of the year,” Hoffman added. “I think it improves your whole program for the rest of the year … racing against that level of competition.”

The successful formula and hard-nosed style of the DIRTcar Nationals draws national-level stars such as Crafton, a two-time NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion and full-time driver for Ohio’s ThorSport Racing, out to play in the dirt in between his full-time duties and obligations down the road at Daytona Int’l Speedway.

Crafton comes out to run because, as he says, he simply “loves to race.”

“I’m a racer. There’s a reason why I run dirt races and do everything that I do, and it’s because I want to go out and race anything and everything I possibly can,” said Crafton. “That’s why I got my own dirt modified; I want to be even better at running it and I want to perfect that style of racing.

“We built a new car during the offseason and we’re hoping to compete with Nick Hoffman this time around. I love racing against those guys, man … they test you and make you better as a driver.”

And then there are drivers like Canadian Jason Beaulieu, who makes a cross-continental trip of more than 3,300 miles every February to compete in the DIRTcar Nationals.

Beaulieu says he is drawn to Volusia Speedway Park each year because of both the high quality of racing and the top-level talent that comprises the field.

“I really love going to Florida. You get to race against the best drivers around and, unless there’s a freak accident, your car comes home in one piece,” Beaulieu said. “You get a lot of professional racers in that area. A lot more guys do it for a living.”

But what makes the event truly special for the UMP Modifieds?

At the end of the day, it’s not something that can be narrowed down to any one factor. When it comes to the DIRTcar Nationals, it’s a legion of little things that all add up to a level of excitement, layer of intrigue and swath of excitement like no other.

It’s racing — and race cars — at its best.

“These are 110 percent race cars. The UMPs are not an entry-level division; it’s an affordable top-tier car,” explained Geisler. “A guy might not be able to run a 410 sprint car, but he can compete at a similar level in terms of competition within a set budget, and that’s one factor that makes our racing so tight from one feature to the next.

“There’s nothing that compares to this event,” Geisler added. “Whether it’s our sprint cars, late models, big-blocks or UMP modifieds, the DIRTcar Nationals is something unique. It’s an event that you have to experience to understand the full depth of the fun we have each February in Volusia.”

This year’s DIRTcar Nationals will feature seven nights of racing for the DIRTcar UMP Modifieds, with the class taking to the track from Feb. 6-12.

The week will be headlined by the annual Triple 20s on Feb. 9 and the Gator Championship on Feb. 12.