By Roby Helm
TUSCUMBIA, AL – March 21, 2025 – Davie Franek swept the United Sprint Car Series Presented By Hoosier Racing Tire Round 11 on Friday night at North Alabama Speedway. Franek won his Heat-Race, won the Hoosier Racing Tire Speed Dash, and then led all 25 laps of the Feature Race for his second USCS victory of the USCS Winter Heat 3 during the 2025 season.
Derek Hagar of Marion, AR finished second, and third went to Dale Howard of Byhalia, MS, who started 14th to earn the Wilwood Disc Brakes Hard Charger of the Race Award. Chris Martin of Ankeny, IA took the fourth spot and Hayden Martin of Olive Branch, MS was fifth.
Cameron Martin of Ankeny, IA finished sixth and Lance Moss of Cherryville, NC took the seventh spot. Mark Smith of Sunbury, PA drove to an eighth-place finish and National Sprint Car Hall of Fame Inductee and 2021 USCs National Champion Danny Smith of Chillicothe, OH was ninth. Brad Bowden of Hernando, MS rounded out the top ten.
In preliminary action, Franek won the six-lap Hoosier Racing Tire Speed Dash to earn the Pole Position for the Feature Race. The 12-Lap B-Main Race was won by Van Gurley Jr. of Valparaiso, IN.
The four eight-lap Heat Races were won by Franek in the Engler Machine & Tool First Heat, Chris Martin in the Butlerbuilt Second Heat, Cameron Martin in the Schoenfeld Headers Third Heat, and Hayden Martin in the Huggins Cams Fourth Heat.
The initial start of the race was called off after a multi=car tangle in turn-one that sidelined the cars of fourth starting Zach Pringle of Benton, AR and Matt Covington of Glenpool, OK. The complete restart saw Franek take the lead followed by Hagar, Hayden Martin, Chris Martin, and Moss. By the fifth lap, Franek had pulled out to a .507 second lead over Hagar.
Franek caught the cars on the tail end of the lead lap by the tenth lap with a 1.3 second advantage over Hagar, as Chris Martin got by Hayden Martin to move up to the third spot. The second caution flag of the race came out on lap 11 when Trey Meredith of Dade City, FL spun in turn two.
Franek led Hagar, Chris Martin, Hayden Martin, and Moss down for the restart, and Cameron Martin got by Moss to move into the top five. Cameron Martin passed Hayden Martin for the fourth spot on lap 14. The last ten laps of the race were the Dale Howard Show. After starting 14th, Howard moved into the top five on lap 16 when he got around Hayden Martin.
Howard passed Cameron Martin for the fourth spot on lap 17, and Hayden Martin drove back around Cameron Martin for fifth on lap 19. By lap 20, Franek held a .818 second advantage over Hagar. With three laps to go, Howard drove around Chris Martin to put himself on the podium, Franek drove under the checkered flag with a 1.146 second margin of victory over Hagar.
The next race for the United Sprint Car Series Presented by Hoosier Racing Tire will be the princely scheduled Round 13 of the Winter Heat Series on Saturday night, as 28 drivers from 12 different states will converge at Magnolia Motor Speedway in Columbus, MS.
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, J&J Supply of NC, Racing Electronics, JE Pistons, DHR Suspension, Wilwood Disc Brakes, KSE Racing Products, PRO Shocks, Schoenfeld Headers, and Arizona Sport Shirts.
OFFICIAL RESULTS OF THE UNITED SPRINT CAR SERIES PRESENTED BY HOOSIER RACING TIRE WINTER HEAT SERIES ROUND 8 AT NORTH ALABAMA SPEEDWAY IN TUSCUMBIA, AL ON 3/21/25:
FEATURE RACE – 30 Laps: 1. 28 Davie Franek, Wantage, NJ (1); 2. 3 Derek Hagar, Marion, AR (2); 3. 47 Dale Howard, Byhalia, MS (14); 4. 44 Chris Martin Ankeny, IA (6); 5. 67 Hayden Martin, Olive Branch, MS (5); 6. 4m Cameron Martin, Ankeny, IA (3); 7. 23 Lance Moss, Cherryville, NC (7); 8. M1 Mark Smith, Sunbury, PA (11); 9. 4 Danny Smith, Chillicothe, OH (16); 10. 8x Brad Bowden, Hernando, MS (9); 11. 13 Van Gurley Jr., Valparaiso, IN (15); 12. 12 Corbin Gurley, Hebron, IN (13); 13. 91 Chase Howard, Nesbit, MS (21); 14. 10 Terry Gray, Bartlett, MS (17); 15. 5m Max Stambaugh, Lima, OH (8); 16. 11 Trey Meredith, Dade City, FL (10); 17. 44 Ronny Howard, Nesbit, MS (21); 18. 88 Terry Easum, Broken Arrow, OK (18); 19. 9 Lane Whittington, Denham Springs, LA (12); 20. 28 Jeff Willingham, Ripley, MS (19); 21. 55 Mike Vaculik, Hot Springs Village, AR (22); 22. 4x Zach Pringle, Benton, AR (4); 23. 95 Matt Covington, Glenpool, OK (23).
B-MAIN – 12 Laps (Top 8 Transfer to Feature Race): 1. V. Gurley; 2. D. Smith; 3. Gray; 4. Easum; 5. Willingham; 6. C. Howard; 7. R. Howard; 8. Vaculik; 9. Covington; 10. 18 Paul Jones, Kokomo, MS; 11. 67 Jake McLain, Hembry Bridge, NC; 12. 45 Jan Howard, Marion, AR; 13. 71 Brady Baker, Alexander, AR DNS; 14. 23w Conner Wray, Olive Branch, MS DNS.
HOOSER SPEED DASH – 6 Laps: 1. Franek; 2. Hagar’ 3. Ca. Martin; 4. Pringle; 5. H. Martin; 6. Ch. Martin.
HEAT RACES – 8 Laps:
ENGLER MACHINE & TOOL HEAT 1: 1. Franek; 2. M. Smith; 3. Whittington; 4. C. Gurley; 5. V. Gurley; 6. Jones; 7. R. Howard DNS.
BUTLERBUILT HEAT 2: 1. Pringle; 2. Ch. Martin; 3. Bowden; 4. Covington; 5. Easum; 6. McClain; 7. Wray.
SCHOENFELD HEADERS HEAT 3: 1. Ca. Martin; 2. Moss; 3. Hagar; 4. Meredith; 5. J. Howard; 6. Willingham; 7. Vaculik.
HUGGINS CAMS HEAT 4: 1. H. Martin; 2. Stambaugh; 3. D. Howard; 4. D. Smith; 5. Baker; 6. Gray; 7. C. Howard.