Column: Volusia’s Southern Sprint Car Shootout Set To Offer Largest Purse In USCS History
News Director 
Column By: ALEX NIETEN / VOLUSIA SPEEDWAY PARK – BARBERVILLE, FL – Sprint Cars are ready to invade Volusia Speedway Park for the first time in 2024 with the second annual Germfree Southern Sprint Car Shootout.
The 360 Sprint Car event will bring a strong field of drivers to the Barberville, FL oval this week to compete for the largest purse in United Sprint Car Series (USCS) history. Teams will battle three nights (Jan. 25-27) for their share of the more than $65,000 purse, capped by a $10,000-to-win finale. The race will give several drivers a tune up for the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car portion of the Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals (Feb. 7-10).
Competitors from across the country are expected to invade the “Sunshine State,” featuring some of Sprint Car racing’s best young talent, a Daytona 500 winner, legends of the sport, and more.
The USCS Sprint Cars will be accompanied by 3/4 Modifieds all three nights.
Here are the top storylines to follow:
DAYTONA 500 CHAMP RETURNS: Before claiming the 2023 Daytona 500, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. claimed two podium finishes at the Southern Sprint Car Shootout. This year, the NASCAR Cup Series star is back for more before trying to defend his 500 title.
The Olive Branch, MS native finished third both nights in 2023 with his dad on the wrenches. This time around he’ll have a trio of opportunities to take the NOS Energy Drink #17 to Victory Lane.
DEFENDING WINNERS: Last year’s inaugural Germfree Southern Sprint Car Shootout featured two nights of action with wins belonging to Ryan Timms and Tyler Clem. Both are planning to return this week with hopes to defend their triumphs.
Timms’ victory in 2023 was also his debut at the Florida half-mile. The Oklahoma City, OK native engineered an excellent drive, taking the checkered flag with more than a seven-second lead.
Clem on the other hand has plenty of laps around Volusia and is a favorite to defend his crown and take home the ultimate $10,000 prize. The St. Petersburg, FL native hasn’t finished worse than third in his last four Volusia Sprint Car starts.
LOCKED IN: The pressure to lock into the $10,000-to-win finale is off the shoulders of one driver. Danny Martin Jr. topped December’s Battle in Barberville at Volusia to punch an automatic ticket should he need it. In fact, Martin Jr. swept both nights of last month’s event.
The local powerhouse from Sarasota, FL carries plenty of momentum into the week with those two wins in his back pocket. Martin Jr. will look to top his best effort of 12th from last year’s Southern Sprint Car Shootout.
STAR-STUDDED: Along with NASCAR stars and Sprint Car champions, the prospective entry list includes more than 40 all-star names that represent 14 states and three countries.
Justin Peck, of Monrovia, IN, will trade his normal ride – the Buch Motorsports #13 – for the Sean Michael #20. Peck owns plenty of 410 laps around Volusia highlighted by top five runs with both the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars and All-Star Circuit of Champions (ASCoC).
World of Outlaws Rookie of the Year contender Landon Crawley will make his Volusia debut. He’ll pilot the Sides Motorsports #7S, the same car he’ll wheel during his inaugural World of Outlaws campaign. The 15-year-old Crawley is already a USCS winner, courtesy of topping a race at Magnolia Motor Speedway last year.
15-time and defending USCS champion – Terry Gray – plans to make the trip to Florida to kickoff 2024. The Bartlett, TN driver has accumulated dozens of USCS wins in his historic career including one at Volusia back in 2004.
The Southern Sprint Car Shootout will also welcome of pair of McCarls. Father and son duo Terry and Austin are expected to make the tow. Austin’s Volusia experience is somewhat limited, but Terry has won at the half-mile with the World of Outlaws, ASCoC, and USCS.
FROM FAR AND WIDE: Not only will the Southern Sprint Car Shootout invite plenty of talent, but the field will also be incredibly diverse with drivers coming from all regions of the country to compete.
Fourteen different states will be represented along with two Canadian provinces and the United Kingdom. Glenn Styres, Jacob Dykstra, and Tyeller Powless plan to represent Canada, while Ryan Harrison will represent the UK.
Teams will be journeying from as far west as Arizona with Brandon Sampson and Elijah Gile carrying the flag for AZ. Other distant states such as Iowa (Riley Goodno and Chris Martin), Pennsylvania (Mark Smith and Josh Weller), and Nebraska (Ryan Roberts) will also be represented.
