0
0
The Frenchtown, NJ driver returns to Volusia after making debut in 2024
Mike Warren
Photo:Dave Olson
January 17th 2025
Billy Pauch Jr. has accomplished a lot in his racing career, filling walls with winner’s checks. But there are three spots still open.
One for a win at the Freedom 76er, one for a miscellaneous win and one for a Super DIRTcar Series victory.
He’ll try to fill that last spot during his return trip to Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals with the Series in February.
The Frenchtown, NJ driver is set for another trip to Volusia Speedway Park, Feb. 12-15, in search of his first Super DIRTcar Series Feature win and first Volusia win – an accomplishment his dad, Billy Pauch, earned in a Big Block Modified and Sprint Car.
While winning one of DIRTcar Nationals’ famed gator trophies motivates his return to the “World’s Fastest Half Mile,” Pauch said he loves the track’s uniqueness.
“The place races with a lot of speed,” Pauch said. “When you actually hit the track, the speed you carry around there is faster than you think. To me, it’s even faster than Charlotte. How many places can you run the top on the fence, run the bottom, and not burn tires off?
“The uniqueness of it makes it really really cool.”
Once he got used to the speed last season, his next step was figuring out his setup. The “Kid’s Kid” started the week with back-to-back 18th-place finishes before finishing 13th in the event’s finale.
“We finally dug and dug deeper,” Pauch said. “Now, I hope I at least have something to base off of last year. I was pleasantly happy with the end of the week and the speed we showed. I felt like I should’ve run top five, and then I got up and jumped the wall and fell back at the end.
“It was what it was. I don’t really come just to run around fourth and fifth. So, it was great to get the notes to work with. If you look at anything, things take time. You look at anyone who goes to Volusia; it takes a few years to really grasp the place and how different it is from the standard places we go.”
He also had to grasp racing at Volusia on Hoosier Tires, which has been challenging since he typically races on American Racers at his home tracks.
“I felt I struggled a bit at the end of the year when I ran Super DIRTcar Series races and the program I had,” Pauch said. “But then I’d go back on American Racers (tires) and win. I won seven or eight races last year; it wasn’t like I was bad. Then, I felt like when I got on Hoosiers, I was OK, but I’m still not there.”
Even with the obstacles, he’s eager for his DIRTcar Nationals return in the same No. 1 his dad made famous.
He also said he knows the path to winning a gator in 2025.
“We have to roll out of the box better,” Pauch said. “I have to come out night one and run top 10 and then build the rest of the week.”
Pauch joins the Super DIRTcar Series when they open the 2025 season at Volusia Speedway Park during Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals, Feb. 12-15. For tickets, visit DIRTcarNationals.com.
If you can’t make it to the track, you can watch every race live on DIRTVision – either at DIRTVision.com or by downloading the DIRTVision App.
