By Roby Helm
HATTIESBURG, MS – February 28, 2026 – Davie Franek of Wantage, NJ stayed red hot in United Sprint Car Series Outlaw Thunder Tour Presented By Hoosier Racing Tire action on Saturday night with a late race pass to take his second straight win at Hattiesburg Speedway. The first six USCS races of the 2026 USCS season are part of the Winter Heat Shootout, and Franek has five wins and a second.
Franek and Zane DeVault of Plymouth, IN passed early race leader Cody Gardner of Benton, AR to take over the top two spots on lap 26 of the 30-lap Feature Race. Gardner finished third and fourth went to 16-time USCS National Champion and National Sprint Car Hall of Fame Inductee Terry Gray of Bartlett, TN. Brad Bowden of Hernando, MS was fifth.
Former USCS National Champion and National Sprint Car Hall of Fame Inductee Danny Smith of Chillicothe, OH took the sixth spot and Corbin Gurley of Hebron, IN finished seventh. Riley Goodno of Knoxville, IA drove to an eighth-place finish and Coen McDaniel of Gaffney, SC started 14th and finished ninth to earn the Wilwood Disc Brakes Hard Charger of the Race Award. Jeremy Kornbau of Hermitage, PA rounded out the top ten.
In preliminary action, Gardner won the six-lap Hoosier Racing Tire Speed Dash to earn the Pole Position for the 30-lap Feature Race. The three eight-lap Heat Races were won by Franek in the Engler Machine & Tool First Heat, Gardner in the XC Gear Second Heat, and Bowden in the Schoenfeld Headers Third Heat.
Ater the original start was called back on the first lap for a complete restart, the race went caution-free for the 30 lap distance. Gardner took the lead at the start of the race followed by Franek, DeVault, Gray and Bowden. Gardner opened up a 1.557 second lead by lap ten over Franek, who was able to close within .663 seconds in lapped traffic by lap 15.
Franek closed to within .216 seconds with five laps to go, and then took the lead from Gardner on lap 26, bringing DeVault with him into the second spot. Franek pulled away in the final four tours around Hattiesburg Speedway to take a 1.528 second margin of victory over DeVault under the checkered flag in a race that took just nine minutes and 44.589 seconds to complete.
The next two Winter Heat Shootout events for the United Sprint Car Series Presented By Hoosier Racing Tire 30th Anniversary Outlaw Thunder Tour will be Rounds 9 and 10 at Deep South Speedway in Loxley, AL on Friday night, March 6 and Saturday night, March 7. For more information about USCS, visit their website at uscsracing.com and the series Facebook page.
United Sprint Car Series Marketing Partners are Engler Machine & Tool, Hoosier Racing Tire, XC Gear, Huggins Cams, Hero Graphics, DMI/Bulldog, Racing Electronics, JE Pistons, DHR Suspension, Wilwood Disc Brakes, AR Dyno Specialties, KSE Racing Products, PRO Shocks, Schoenfeld Headers, and Arizona Sport Shirts.
OFFICIAL RESULTS OF THE HOOSIER TIRE UNITED SPRINT CAR SERIES PRESENTED BY XC GEAR EVENT AT HATTIESBURG SPEEDWAY IN HATTIESBURG, MS ON 2/28/26:
FEATURE RACE – 30 Laps: 1. 28f Davie Franek, Wantage, NJ (4); 2. 14 Zane DeVault, Plymouth, IN (2); 3. 6 Cody Gardner, Benton, AR (1); 4. 10 Terry Gray, Bartlett, TN (5); 5. 8x Brad Bowden, Hernando, MS (3); 6. 4 Danny Smith, Chillicothe, OH (8); 7. 12 Corbin Gurley, Hebron, IN (7); 8. 22 Riley Goodno, Knoxville, IA (9); 9. 48 Coen McDaniel, Gaffney, SC (14); 10. 51 Jeremy Kornbau, Hermitage, PA (10); 11. 01 Shane Morgan, Gulfport, MS (12); 12. 77 Tyeller Powless, Ohsweken, ON CAN (13); 13. 13 Van Gurley Jr., Valparaiso, IN (15); 14. 28s Rusty Sanford, Seminary, MS (16); 15. 28 Jeff Willingham, Ripley, MS (17); 16. 47 Dale Howard, Byhalia, MS (11); 17. 06 Jason Breeland, Columbia, MS (18); 18. 3 Jordon Mallett, Greenbrier, AR DNS.
HOOSIER RACING TIRE SPEED DASH – 6 Laps: 1. Gardner; 2. DeVault; 3. Bowden; 4. Franek; 5. Gray; 6. Mallett.
HEAT RACES – 8 Laps:
ENGLER MACHINE & TOOL HEAT 1: 1. Franek; 2. Mallett; 3. C. Gurley; 4. McDaniel; 5. V. Gurley; 6. Breeland DNS.
XC GEAR HEAT 2: 1. Gardner; 2. DeVault; 3. Smith; 4. Kornbau; 5. Morgan; 6. Willingham.
SCHOENFELD HEADERS HEAT 3: 1. Bowden; 2. Gray; 3. Goodno; 4. Howard; 5. Powless; 6. Sanford.