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McCARL BY A NOSE OVER HAFERTEPE FOR USCS NIGHT 2 VOLUSIA WIN

JANUARY 26, 2024 - Deleon Springs, FL – Austin McCarl of Altoona, IA beat Sam Hafertepe Jr. of Sunnyvale, TX by a nose at the checkered flag to win the $2,500 top prize on Night 2 of the 2nd Annual Germfree Southern Sprint Car Shootout for the United Sprint Car Series on Friday night at Volusia Speedway Park. The only caution flag of the race on lap 23 set up the dramatic finish.
McCarl, the 2023 Knoxville (IA) Raceway 410 Sprint Car Champion, took the lead at the start of the race from his outside front row starting spot, just as he did on Thursday night. But, 24 hours earlier, Hafertepe chased McCarl down to pass him for the lead and take the Night 1 win. With two laps to go on Friday night, McCarl held a one second lead over Hafertepe.
When the caution flag came out on lap 23, Hafertepe lined up on the rear bumper of McCarl for the restart. The battle was on for the win when the green flag came out. McCarl just edged Hafertepe at the checkered flag after 25 laps with a slim .072 second margin of victory,
Justin Peck of Monrovia, IN finished third and Cameron Martin of Ankeny, IA took the fourth spot. Danny Dietrich of Gettysburg, PA rallied from eighth on the lap 23 restart to claim the fifth position. Christopher Thram of Sanborn, MN was sixth and Ryan Timms of Oklahoma City, OK finished seventh.
Tyler Clem of St. Petersburg, FL took the eighth spot, and Danny Sams III of Northport, FL started 17th and finished ninth to earn the $100 Hard Volusia Speedway Park and tge Wilwood Disc Brakes "Hard Charger" Award. Wayne Johnson of Oklahoma City, OK rounded out the top ten,
In preliminary action, Martin won the $100 Fast Time Award by out-qualifying the 42-car field with a lap around the VSP ½-mile clay oval in 14.425 seconds. The four eight lap Heat Races were won by Timms, Eric Riggins Jr. of Charlotte, NC, Clem, and Liam Martin of Binbrook, ON. The two 12-lap Last Chace Showdown Races were won by Sams and Josh Weller of Mertztown, PA.
McCarl grabbed the lead at the start of the race from the outside front row followed by polesitter Cameron Martin, Thram, Riggins, and Liam Martin. On lap three, Thram moved up to second, and Lim Martin advanced to fourth. On the fourth lap, Hafertepe charged from his eighth starting spot to move up to the top five.
The fifth lap saw Hafertepe get around Liam Martin for the fourth spot, and Peck moved up to fifth, getting by Liam Martin on the ninth tour. Hafertepe pulled up to the second spot on lap 11 with McCarl two seconds up the race track in the lead.
With ten laps to go, Hafertepe shaved off nine tenths of a second to the back of the third-generation driver, followed by Cameron Martin, Thram, and Peck in the top five. On lap 20, the margin between McCarl and Hafertepe was 1.8 seconds, and on lap 22. it was one second. Just when McCarl had victory on the horizon, the caution flag came out.
The top five, when the green flag came out for the dash to the checkered flag, McCarl led Hafertepe, Cameron Martin, Thram, and Peck in the top five. Hafertepe was all over McCarl, and Peck got by Thram for fourth. On the final lap, Hafertepe made a bid for the win, but came up inches short, while Peck powered around Cameron Martin to take fourth.
The Grand Finale of the 2nd Annual Germfree Southern Sprint Car Shootout at Volusia Speedway Park on Saturday night will be the richest payout in the 28-year history of the United Sprint Car Series paying $10,000-to-win and $600-to-start. The Pit Gate opens at 3 p.m., the Grandstands open at 5 p.m., and Hot Laps are scheduled for 6 p.m. with racing to follow.
For more information visit the USCS website at uscsracing.com and the series Facebook page, or call the series office at 770-865-6097. For more information about Volusia Speedway Park and for tickets to the 2nd Annual Germfree Southern Sprint Car Shootout, visit their website at volusiaspeedwaypark.com.
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 UNITED SPRINT CAR SERIES EVENT AT VOLUSIA SPEEDWAY PARK IN DeLEON SPRINGS, FL ON 1/26/2024:

GERMFREE FEATURE RACE – 25 Laps:

1. (2) Austin McCarl, Altoona, IA;
2. (15h Sam Hafertepe Jr., Sunnyvale, TX;
3. (10) Justin Peck, Monrovia, IN;
4. (1) Cameron Martin, Ankeney, IA;
5. (12) Danny Dietrich, Gettysburg, PA;
6. (4) Christopher Thram, Sanborn, MN;
7. (7) Ryan Timms, Oklahoma City, OK;
8. (5) Tyler Clem, St. Petersburg, FL;
9. (17) Danny Sams III, Northport, FL;
10. (16) Wayne Johnson, Oklahoma City, OK;
11. (3) Eric Riggins Jr., Charlotte, NC;
12. (11) Brendan Mullen, Grand Forks, ND;
13. (6) Liam Martin, Binbrook, ON;
    14 (9) Chris Martin, Ankeney, IA;
14. (21) Landon Crawley, Benton, AR;
15. (18) Josh Weller, Mertztown, PA;
16. (19) Ryan Turner, Dunnville, ON;
17. (22) Elijah Gile, Phoenix, AZ;
18. (15) Terry Gray, Bartlett, TN;
19. (14) Sterling Cling, Tempe, AZ;
20. (24) Lance Moss, Cherryville, NC;
21. (25) Jeff Willingham, Ripley, MS;
22. (20) Davie Franek, Wantage, NJ;
23. (13) Danny Martin Jr., Sarasota, FL;
24. (23) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Olive Branch, MS DNS.

QUALIFYING – 2 Laps:
GROUP 1:

1. Christopher Thram, Sanborn, MN, 24t, 14.609;
2. Ryan Timms, Oklahoma City, OH, 5t, 14.647;
3. Chris Marton, Ankeney, IA, 44, 14.776;
4. Danny Sams III, Northport, FL, 24d, 14.799;
5. Danny Martin Jr., Sarasota, FL. 24, 14.997;
6. Corbin Gurley, Hebron, IN, 12, 15.037;
7. Mike Kiser, Cooperstown, NY, 99k, 15.098;
8. Nick Snyder, Marco Island, FL, 116, 15.171;
9. Lance Moss, Cherryville, NC, 23, 15.177;
10. Brandon Grubaugh, Ocala, FL, G6, 15.206;
11. Brandon Sampson, Mesa, AZ, 96s, NT.

GROUP 2:

1. Austin McCarl, Altoona, IA, 88, 14.505;
2. Eric Riggins Jr., Charlotte, NC, 47 14.568;
3. Justin Peck, Monrovia, IN, 20, 14.628;
4. Sterling Cling, Tempe, AZ, 34, 14.685;
5. Landon Crawley, Benton, AR, 7s, 14.770;
6. Ryan Turner, Dunnville, ON, 15, 14.836;
7. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Olive Branch, MS, 17jr, 14.845;
8. Glenn Styres, Ohsweken, ON, 0, 14.936;
9. Austyn Gossel, Fort Collins, CO, 16g, 14.974;
10. Jeff Willingham, Ripley, MS, 28, 15.642.

GROUP 3:

1. Sam Hafertepe Jr., Sunnyvale, TX, 15h, 14.475;
2. Tyler Clem, St. Petersburg, FL, 6, 14.596;
3. Mark Smith, Sunbury, PA, 43m, 14.673;
4. Danny Dietrich, Gettysburg, PA, 48, 14.683;
   5, Terry Gray, Bartlett, TN, 10, 14.870;
5. Elijah Gile, Phoenix, AZ, 13, 14.933;
6. Garrett Green, Dade City, FL, 82, 15.015;
7. Creed Kemenah, Alvada, OH, 15k, 15.036;
8. Ryan Harrison, Rothwell, NTH, 97, 15.423;
9. Dennis Misuraca, Sanford, FL, 3, 15.604;
10. Dale Blaney, Hartford, OH, 32b, NT.

GROUP 4:

1. Cameron Martin, Ankeney, IA, 4, 14.425;
2. Liam Martin, Binbrook, OH, 9, 14.539;
3. Brendan Mullen, Grand Forks, ND, 11m, 14.609;
4. Josh Weller, Mertztown, PA, 63, 14.628;
5. Davie Franek, Wantage, NJ, 28f, 14.754;
6. Wayne Johnson, Oklahoma City, OK, 2c, 14.778;
7. Ryan Roberts, Aurora, NE, 23r, 14.820;
8. Tyeller Powless, Ohsweken, ON, 77t, 15.054;
9. Lucas Smith, Brantford, ON, 49L, 15.135;
10. Scott Baldwin, Jupiter, FL, 4x, 17.738.

HEAT RACES – 8 Laps (Top 4 Transfer To Main Event):
ENGLER HEAT 1:

1. Timms; 2. Ch. Martin; 3. Thram; 4. D. Martin; 5. Sams; 6. Snyder; 7. Kiser; 8. Moss; 9. Grubaugh; 10. Gurley; 11. Sampson.

JJ SUPPLY of NCHEAT 2:

1. Riggins; 2. Peck; 3. McCarl; 4. Cling; 5. Turner; 6. Crawley; 7. Stenhouse; 8. Styres; 9. Gossell; 10. Willingham.

BUTLERBUILT HEAT 3:

1. Clem; 2. Hafertepe; 3. Dietrich; 4. Gray; 5. Blaney; 6. Gile; 7. Kemenah; 8. Harrison; 9. Green; 10. Misuraca; 11. M. Smith.

HUGGINS CAMS HEAT 4:

1. L. Martin; 2. Mullen; 3. Ca. Martin; 4. Johnson; 5. Weller; 6. Powless; 7. Roberts; 8. Franek; 9. L. Smith; 10. Baldwin.

LAST CHANCE SHOWDOWN – 12 Laps (Top 3 Transfer To Main Event):
LCS 1:

1. Sams; 2. Turner; 3. Crawley; 4. Stenhouse; 5. Grubaugh; 6. Snyder; 7. Gurley; 8. Gossel; 9. Willingham; 10. Styres; 11. Kiser; 12. Moss; 13. Sampson.
   LCS 2:
2. Weller; 2. Franek; 3. Gile; 4. Roberts; 5. Harrison; 6. Powless; 7. Green; 8. Misuraca; 9. Baldwin; 10. Blaney; 11. L. Smith; 12. Kemenah; 13. M. Smith DNS.