By Roby Helm
FAYETTEVILLE, GA – April 1, 2025 – Dale Howard of Byhalia, MS has driven to the 2025 United Sprint Car Series Presented By Hoosier Racing Tire Winter Heat Series Championship. The USCS Winter Heat Series was scheduled for 14 events, however, weather issues cancelled five shows leaving nine races that were contested at five different tracks.
Howard totaled 1,284 points in nine races with two wins, seven top five finishes and eight top ten finishes. Howard drove to two straight victories at Southern Raceway in Milton, FL on February 15 and February 22.
Davie Franek of Wantage, NJ finished second in the USCS Winter Heat Series point standings, despite having a DNF in the feature race on night one at Hendry County Motorsports Park. Franek totaled 1,258 points with two wins, four top five finishes and seven top ten finishes. Franek picked up wins at Southern Raceway on February 14 and North Alabama Speedway in Tuscumbia, AL on March 21.
Lance Moss of Cherryville, NC tied National Sprint Car Hall of Fame Inductee and 2021 USCS National Champion Danny Smith of Chillicothe, OH for third in the Winter Heat standings, each with 1,192 points. Moss had one top five finish and five top ten finishes in nine races and Smith had one top five finish and four top ten finishes in nine races.
The 16-time USCS National Champion and National Sprint Car Hall of Fame Inductee Terry Gray of Bartlett, TN, was fifth in the USCS Winter Heat Series standings with 1,114 points. Gray had three top ten finishes in nine races. Lane Whittington of Denham Springs, LA finished sixth in the Winter Heat standings with 1,076 points with two top ten finishes in the nine races.
Matt Covington of Glenpool, OK finished seventh in the USCS Winter Heat standings with 1,054 points. In eight starts, Covington had a win at Hattiesburg Speedway in Hattiesburg, MS on February 28, four top five finishes and five top ten finishes. Jeff Willingham of Ripley, MS was eighth in the Winter Heat standings with 1,022 points in nine races.
Mark Smith of Sunbury, PA only ran seven of the nine USCS Winter Heat Series races, but he finished ninth in the standings with 1,008 points after two wins, and three top five finishes. Smith picked up Winter Heat victories on February 8 at Hendry County Motorsports Park in Clewiston, FL in the $10,000 to win King of 360 Winternationals and on March 1 at, Hattiesburg Speedway.
Corbin Gurley of Hebron, IN rounded out the top ten in the Winter Heat standings with 884 points after one top five finish and three top ten finishes in nine starts. Other 2025 USCS Winter Heat Series wins went to Tyler Clem of St. Petersburg, FL at Hendry County Motorsports Park on February 7 and Derek Hagar of Marion, AR at Magnolia Motor Speedway in Columbus, MS on March 22.
The next two events for the United Sprint Car Series Presented By Hoosier Racing Tire will be regular season races at Carolina Speedway in Gastonia, NC on Friday night, April 4 and at Cherokee Speedway in Gaffney, SC on Saturday night, April 5. 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.
FINAL 2025 USCS WINTER HEAT POINT STANDINGS:
47 Dale Howard Byhalia, MS 1,28428f Davie Franek Wantage, NJ 1,25823 Lance Moss Cherryville, NC 1,192 4 Danny Smith Chillicothe, OH 1,19210 Terry Gray Bartlett, TN 1,114 9 Lance Whittington Denham Springs, LA 1,07695 Matt Covington Glenpool, OK 1,05428 Jeff Willingham Ripley, MS 1,02243 Mark Smith Sunbury, PA 1,00812 Corbin Gurley Hebron, IN 884
2025 USCS WINTER HEAT RACE WINNERS:
2/7 Hendry County Motorsports Park, Clewiston, FL Tyler Clem, St. Petersburg, FL
2/8 Hendry County Motorsports Park, Clewiston, FL Mark Smith, Sunbury, PA
2/14 Southern Raceway, Milton, FL Davie Franek, Wantage, NJ
2/15 Southern Raceway, Milton, FL Dale Howard, Byhalia, MS
2/22 Southern Raceway, Milton, FL Dale Howard, Byhalia, MS
2/28 Hattiesburg Speedway, Hattiesburg, MS Matt Covington, Glenpool, OK
3/1 Hattiesburg Speedway, Hattiesburg, MS Mark Smith, Sunbury, PA
3/21 North Alabama Speedway, Tuscumbia, AL Davie Franek, Wantage, NJ
3/22 Magnolia Motor Speedway, Columbus, MS Derek Hagar, Marion, AR