From Pete Walton
(January 22, 2024) –The United Sprint Car Series presented by K&N Filters, is set to open its 28th season in 2024 with the 2nd Annual Germfree Southern Sprint Car Shootout on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, January 25th-27th at Volusia Speedway Park in DeLeon Springs, FL. The three-race event will be the richest in USCS history with approximately $75,000 up for grabs.
The Southern Sprint Car Nationals finale on Saturday night, January 27 will offer the largest payday in USCS history paying $10,000-to-win and $600-to-start. The first two races on Thursday night, January 25 and Friday night, January 26 will pay $2,500-to-win. The fastest overall qualifier and the A-Main Hard Charger will both collect $100 each night.
The USCS Germfree Southern Sprint Car Nationals is the fastest growing winged 360 Sprint Car race in the country, and the big purse brings out the big names. The expected entrants are led by the defending Daytona 500 Champion Ricky Stenhouse Jr. of Olive Branch, MS. Stenhouse races several times each season when his schedule allows. Stenhouse raced with the USCS series early in his career as a teenager when he won seven times.
Racing with USCS brings Stenhouse full circle in his career, as he began racing with the series as a teenager in 2004. Since then, Stenhouse’s career has blossomed into a full-time NASCAR Cup Series career. Last season, Stenhouse also picked up two USCS wins.at Talladega Short Track on the NASCAR Talladega April weekend.
The 2023 Southern Sprint Car Nationals winners Ryan Timms of Broken Arrow, OK and Tyler Clem of St. Petersburg, FL are projected to return this year. The 15-time defending USCS National Champion and National Sprint Car Hall of Fame Inductee Terry Gray of Bartlett, TN is also entered. Gray has ninety-five career USCS main event wins.
Other expected entries include National Sprint Car Hall of Fame inductee and 2021 USCS National Champion, Danny Smith from Chillicothe, Ohio and 2023 USCS National Championship runner-up Moss of Cherryville, NC, who finished second in the 2023 USCS National point standings with one win, and 2012 USCS Rookie of the Year Jeff Willingham of Ripley, MS who finished third in the 2023 USCS National point standings.
Other notable entered and expected entries include Sprint Car Hall of Famer and seven-time Knoxville Raceway 410 sprint Champion and five-time Knoxville Raceway 360 Sprint Car Nationals Champion, Terry McCarl from Altoona, Iowa. McCarl is also a previous Volusia Speedway Park winner in USCS competition. McCarl will also be accompanied by the 2023 Knoxville Raceway 410 Sprint Car Champion and his son, Austin McCarl, also from Altoona, Iowa, as an entry as well.
A number of Florida based drivers are also expected, including two-time USCS Florida State Championship race winner Danny Martin, Jr. from Sarasota, Florida who recently dominated the field in the 2023 Battle at Barbourville event at Volusia Speedway Park on the first weekend of December. As a teenager, Martin finished in the runner-up spot in the USCS Outlaw Thunder Tour National standings.
There will also be an international flavor in the 2nd Annual Germfree Southern Sprint Car Nationals as Ryan Harrison from Rothwell, England will return to the United States in 2024 for USCS action. Harrison will be joined by a strong contingent of Canadian drivers as well, with at least seven pre-entered for the first sprint car race of the season in the United States.
The entry list of pre-entered and expected drivers is approaching fifty entries for the kickoff to the sprint car racing season in the USA. Drivers are entered from at least fifteen states plus Canada and the United Kingdom for the 2nd annual Germfree Southern Sprint Car Shootout.
A fan-friendly race format will feature a Main Event Redraw among the top eight drivers that include the four Heat Race winners and the top four qualifiers finishing in a transfer position. A Joker Card will be included in the redraw. The driver that draws the Joker Card can choose their starting position in the main event, or they can elect to start eighth. Should they win after electing to start eighth, that driver will collect a $500 Bonus.
For more information on the United Sprint Car Series presented by K&N Fiters, please visit the USCS website at uscsracing.com and/or the series Facebook page USCS Racing. You may also call the series office at 770-865-6097. For more information about Volusia Speedway Park and for tickets to the 2nd Annual Germfree Southern Sprint Car Nationals visit their website at www.volusiaspeedwaypark.com.
United Sprint Car Series Marketing Partners are K&N Filters, Engler Machine & Tool, Hoosier Racing Tire, Huggins Cams, Hero Graphics, DMI/Bulldog, JJ Supply of NC, Racing Electronics, JE Pistons, DHR Suspension, Wilwood Disc Brakes, KSE Racing Products, PRO Shocks, Schoenfeld Headers, and Arizona Sport Shirts.
***Pre-entered and expected USCS Outlaw Thunder Tour driver entries for the Germfree USCS Southern Sprint Car Showdown at Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, Florida on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, January 25th, 26th, and 27th (as of 1/15/2024).
0 Glynn Styres, ONT
2c Wayne Johnson, OK
3 Dennis Misuraca, FL
3A A.J.Maddox, FL
4 Danny Smith, OH
4c Cam Martin, IA
5x Scott Baldwin, FL
5D Jacob Dykstra, ONT
5T Ryan Timms, OK
G6 Brandon Grubaugh, FL
07 Johnny Bridges, NC
7s Landon Crawley, AR
9 Lane Whittington, LA
9 Liam Martin, ONT
9D Steve Diamond, FL
10 Terry Gray, TN
10c Paulie Colagiovanni, NY
12 Corbin Gurley, IN
14 Tyler Clem, FL
15 Ryan Turner, ONT
17 Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., MS
18 Ryan Roberts, NE
20 Justin Peck, IN
23 Lance Moss, NC
24 Terry McCarl, IA
24 Danny Martin, Jr., FL
24d Danny Sams III, FL
28 Jeff Willingham, MS
28F Davie Franek, NJ
28P Jordan Poirier, QUE
41 Luke Hill, FL
43 Mark Smith, PA
44 Chris Martin, IA
47 Eric Riggins, Jr., NC
49 Lucas Smith, ONT
63 Josh Weller, PA
77 Tyeller Powless, ONT
82 Garrett Green, FL
83 Mark Ruel, Jr., FL
88 Austin McCarl, IA
91 Kyle Connery, FL
92 Matt Kurtz, FL
96s Brandon Sampson, AZ
97m Austin Martin, FL
116 Nick Snyder, FL