By Roby Helm
FAYETTEVILLE, GA – The United Sprint Car Series Presented By Hoosier Racing Tire will present the finale of the three-race 8th Annual USCS Battle at the Beach this Saturday night at Southern Raceway in Milton, FL. Over 20 drivers representing approximately 16 different states will battle it out in winged Outlaw Sprint Cars that are pound-for-pound, the most powerful short track race cars in the world.
Davie Franek of Wantage, NJ and Dale Howard of Byhalia, MS won the first two Battle At The Beach races on Friday night, February 14 and Saturday night, February 15 respectively. The Battle at the Beach is part of the USCS Winter Heat Series that annually opens the season for series that is now in it’s 29th year of competition.
Howard, who has thrown his hat in the ring for the 2025 USCS National Championship, leads the USCS point standings with 428 points. Matt Covington of Glenpool, OK is second with 406 points. National Sprint Car Hall of Fame Inductee and 2021 USCS National Champion Danny Smith of Chillicothe, OH, is third in the standings with 404 points.
Smith was running third in the February 15 race when he jumped the outside berm in turn four and flipped his race car. Smith and his crew replaced a bent front axle and the wing during a red flag period. Smith restarted the race at the tail of the field and worked his way back up in the last ten laps of the race to finish 11th.
Franek is fourth in the USCS point standings with 400 points and 2025 USCS title contender Lance Moss of Cherryville, NC is fifth with 384 points. National Sprint Car Hall of Fame Inductee and 16-time USCS National Champion Terry Gray of Bartlet, TN is eighth in the standings with 364 points, and USCS regular Jeff Willingham of Ripley, MS is ninth with 338 points.
Other top drivers expected Saturday night include Mark Smith of Sunbury, PA, who is just outside the top ten in the points chase in 11th, just two points outside the top ten. The father-son team of Bryan and Austyn Gossel of Windsor, CO, Van Gurley Jr. of Valparaiso, IN and Corbin Gurley of Hebron, IN.
The Saturday night race at Southern Raceway for the USCS Sprint Cars will be Round 5 of the Winter Heat Series. The Friday night USCS Battle At The Beach race scheduled for Friday night at Southern Raceway has been cancelled, due to cold weather.
Southern Raceway is located at 9359 Nichols Lake Road in Milton, FL and for ticket information call 850-623-2333, or visit their Facebook Page.
For more information about USCS, visit their website at uscsracing.com and the series Facebook page, or call the USCS office at 770-865-6097.
United Sprint Car Series Marketing Partners are Engler Machine & Tool, Hoosier Racing Tire, Huggins Cams, Hero Graphics, DMI/Bulldog, Racing Electronics, JE Pistons, DHR Suspension, Wilwood Disc Brakes, KSE Racing Products, PRO Shocks, Schoenfeld Headers, and Arizona Sport Shirts.