HATTIESBURG, MS – October 20, 2023 – Mark Smith of Sunbury, PA took the United Sprint Car Series presented by K&N Filters Fall Brawl 25-lap Feature Race on Friday night at Hattiesburg Speedway. Smith held off National Sprint Car Hall of Fame Inductee and the 2021 USCS National Champions Danny Smith of Chillicothe, OH for the entire distance as he raced past Danny Smith in turn one for the lead and held on until the contest was over. The veteran Hall of Famer (Danny Smith) had to settle for the runner-up spot.
Dale Howard of Byhalia, MS took the final podium spot on third place. 14-time USCS National Champion, current point leader, and National Sprint Car Hall of Fame Inductee Terry Gray of Bartlett, TN was fourth. Zane DeVault of Plymouth, IN drove to a fifth-place finish and sixth went to third-generation sprint car racer, Chase Howard of Nesbit, MS.
Michael Miller of Pascagoula, MS took the seventh spot, and Shane Morgan of Gulfport, MS finished eighth. Max Stambaugh of Lima, OH was ninth, and Luke Hill of Safety Harbor, FL rounded out the top ten.
In preliminary action, Danny Smith earned the K&N Filters Pole Position for the Feature Race by winning the six-lap Hoosier Racing Tire Speed Dash. The three eight-lap Heat Races were won by Dale Howard in the Engler Machine & Tool First Heat, Lance Moss of Cherryville, NC in the JJ Supply of NC Second Heat, and Lane Whittington of Denham Springs, LA in the Willbanks Heating and Air Third Heat.
The green flag to start the 25-lap Feature Race was replaced by a red flag for a multi-car tangle. On the complete restart, Mark Smith came from his outside front row starting spot to take the lead followed by Danny Smith, Moss, DeVault and Dale Howard. Danny Smith stayed close to the leader in the first five laps, but Mark Smith pulled out to a .7 second lead by lap ten.
DeVault dropped back to the sixth spot on lap 11, as Dale Howard and Gray moved up to fourth and fifth, respectively. Moss began to fade on lap 17, as Dale Howard passed him for the third spot, and Gray moved by Moss on lap 18 for the fourth position. A pair of caution flags on lap 19 and lap 22 bunched up the field, but Mark Smith cruised through the last four laps to take the win.
The United Sprint Car Series will travel to Southern Raceway in Milton, FL on Saturday night for its final event of the 2023 season. For more information visit the USCS website at www.uscsracing.com, or their Facebook page.
United Sprint Car Series Marketing Partners are K&N Filters, Engler Machine & Tool, Hoosier Racing Tire, Hero Graphics, Huggins Cams, DMI/Bulldog, J&J Supply of NC, Racing Electronics, JE Pistons, DHR Suspension, Wilwood Disc Brakes, KSC Racing Products, PRO Shocks, Schoenfeld Headers, and Arizona Sport Shirts.
OFFICIAL RESULTS OF UNITED SPRINT CAR SERIES EVENT AT HATTIESBURG SPEEDWAY IN HATTIESBURG, MS ON 10/20/23:
FEATURE RACE – 25 Laps: 1. (2) Mark Smith, Sunbury, PA; 2. (1) Danny Smith, Chillicothe, OH; 3. (4) Dale Howard, Byhalia, MS; 4. (8) Terry Gray, Bartlett, TN; 5. (3) Zane DeVault, Plymouth, IN; 6. (11) Chase Howard, Nesbit, MS; 7. (12) Michael Miller, Pascagoula, MS; 8. (14) Shane Morgan, Gulfport, MS; 9. (9) Max Stambaugh, Lima, OH; 10. (7) Luke Hill, Safety Harbor, FL; 11. (17) Jeff Willingham, Ripley, MS; 12. (18) Levi Beard, Calhoun, LA; 13. (15) Dennis Misuraca, Sanford, FL; 14. (19) Jake Brashier, Denham Springs, LA; 15. (23) Tony Higgins, Lake Comorant, MS; 16. (22) D.L. Brashier, Ethel, LA; 17. (21) Scott Craft, Purvis, MS; 18. (20) Jeffrey Dooley, Braxton, MS; 19. (5) Lance Moss, Cherryville, MS; 20. (16) Steve Diamond, Apollo Beach, FL; 21. (13) Rusty Sanford, Seminary, MS; 22. (6) Lane Whittington, Denham Springs, LA; 23. (10) Jeff Smith, Gulfport, MS; 24. (24) John Robicheaux, Gulfport, MS DNS.
HOOSIER RACING TIRE SPEED DASH – 6 Laps: 1. D. Smith; 2. M. Smith; 3. DeVault; 4. D. Howard; 5. Moss; 6. Whittington.
HEAT RACES – 8 Laps:
ENGLER MACHINE & TOOL 1ST HEAT: 1. D. Howard; 2. Hill; 3. Stambaugh; 4. C. Howard; 5. Gray; 6. Beard; 7. Craft; 8. D. Brashier.
BUTLERBUILT 2ND HEAT: 1. Moss; 2. D. Smith; 3. DeVault; 4. Miller; 5. Morgan; 6. Diamond; 7. J. Brashier; 8. Higgins.
WILBANKS HEATING & AIR 3RD HEAT: 1. Whittington; 2. M. Smith; 3. J. Smith; 4. Sanford; 5. Misuraca; 6. Willingham; 7. Dooley; 8. Robicheaux DNS.