February 24, 2024 | By USCS

Terry McCarl wins USCS weekendopener at Southern Raceway

MILTON, Fla. — National Sprint Car Hall of Fame Inductee Terry McCarl of Altoona, IA drove to a convincing win Friday night in the United Sprint Car Series Presented By K&N Filters Winter Heat Round 8 25-lap Feature Race at Southern Raceway. McCarl started third, took the lead on lap four and checked out to take the victory..

The winningest USCS driver at Southern Raceway, Mark Smith of Sunbury, PA came from the fifth starting spot to finish second, and earned the Hard Charger of the Race Award. National Sprint Car Hall of Fame Inductee and 15-time and defending USCS National Champion Terry Gray of Bartlett, TN took the third spot, and fourth went to Van Gurley Jr. of Valparaiso, IN.

Brett Wright of East Chatham, NY was fifth, and Corbin Gurley of Hebron, IN finished sixth. Bradley Fezard of Bonnerdale, AR took the seventh spot, and Matt Covington of Glenpool, OK came home in the eighth spot. Bryan Gossel of Windsor, CO was ninth and 2023 National Sprint Car Hall of Fame 360 Sprint Car Driver of the Year, Jason Marton of Liberal, KS rounded out the top ten.

In preliminary action, Gray won the six-lap Hoosier Racing Tire Speed Dash to earn the Pole Position for the Feature Race, and the two eight-lap Heat Races were won by Fezard in the Engler Machine & Tool First Heat, and McCarl won the Butlerbuilt Racing Products Second Heat.

Sixteen drivers from 13 different states came down for the Feature Race green flag, and Gray took the lead from the pole position followed by McCarl, Van Gurley, Wright, and Corbin Gurley. McCarl worked to the inside on lap four to drive under Gray to take the lead coming off turn two.

Smith worked his way back into the top five on lap five, and passed Wright for fourth on lap nine. By lap ten, McCarl had a five second lead over Gray. The only caution flag of the race came out on lap 15 when Tommy Hall of Natchitoches, LA stalled in turn two. Smith got by Van Gurley on lap 17 to take over the third spot, and passed Gray for the second position on lap 22.

McCarl cruised home to take a 5.107 second margin of victory over Smith under the checkered flag with the 25 circuits being completed in a snappy ten minutes and 22.428 seconds on the 3/8-mile Florida Panhandle dirt oval.

The United Sprint Car Series Presented By K&N Filters will return to Southern Raceway on Saturday night for Round 9 of the Winter Heat Series. For more information visit the USCS website at uscsracing.com and the series Facebook page, or call the series office at 770-865-6097.

United Sprint Car Series Marketing Partners are K&N Filters, 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 K&N FILTERS WINTER HEAT ROUND 8 EVENT AT SOUTHERN RACEWAY IN MILTON, FL ON 2/23/2024:

FEATURE RACE – 25 Laps: 1. (3) Terry McCarl, Altoona, IA; 2. (5) Mark Smith, Sunbury, PA; 3. (1) Terry Gray, Bartlett, TN; 4 (2) Van Gurley Jr., Valparaiso, IN; 5. (4) Brett Wright, East Chatham, NY; 6. (8) Corbin Gurley, Hebron, IN; 7. (6) Bradley Fezard, Bonnerdale, AR; 8. (9) Matt Covington, Glenpool, OK; 9. (7) Bryan Gossel, Windsor, CO; 10. (10) Jason Martin, Liberal, KS; 11 (11) Mark Ruel Jr., Jacksonville, FL; 12. (13) Lance Moss, Cherryville, NC; 13. (12) Austyn Gossel, Fort Collins, CO; 14. (16) Todd Bliss, Baton Rouge, LA; 15. (14) Jeff Willingham, Ripley, MS; 16. (15) Tommy Hall, Natchitoches, LA.

HOOSIER RACING TIRES FAST DASH – 6 Laps: 1. Gray; 2. V. Gurley; 3. McCarl; 4. Wright; 5. Smith; 6. Fezard.

HEAT RACES – 8 Laps: ENGLER MACHINE & TOOL 1ST HEAT: 1. Fezard; 2. Wright; 3. Smith; 4. B. Gossel; 5. Ruel; 6. Martin; 7. Moss; 8. Hall.

BUTLERBUILT RACING PRODUCTS 2ND HEAT: 1. McCarl; 2. V. Gurley; 3. Gray; 4. C. Gurley; 5. Covington; 6. A. Gossel; 7. Willingham; 8. Bliss.