Martin Stops the Streak for Franek with USCS HTF Southern Raceway Win

MILTON, FL - February 21, 2026 - Chris Martin of Ankeny, IA was able to find clean air late in the race, and spoil Wartage, NJ driver Davie Franek’s bid for his fourth straight Hoosier Race Tire United Sprint Car Series Outlaw Thunder Tour Presented By XC Gear win on Saturday night at Hunt The Front Southern Raceway.

Martin and Franek swapped finishing spots from Friday night in the 30-lap Feature Race on Saturday night, Round 4 of the USCS Winter Heat Shootout. Franek made a late race charge on Martin, but a late race caution was what Martin needed to seal the deal and take the $3,000 victory.

“We started the night with a Heat Race win, and then drew the outside front row starting spot in the redraw,” Martin said. “Hats off to the Hunt The Front crew that took over this track because it was just awesome. The only issue we had tonight was that we were just not that good in traffic. I was glad to see that late caution flag because I was able to get more air on the wing after the restart.”

Taking third behind Martin and Franek was Corbin Gurley of Hebron, IN and Ricky Peterson of Rawson, OH finished fourth. Max Stambaugh of Lima, OH took the fifth spot, and former USCS National Champion Jordon Mallett of Greenbrier, AR came home in sixth.

Riley Goodno of Knoxville, IA started 15th and finished seventh to earn the Wilwood Disc Brakes Hard Charger of the Race Award. Fifteen-year-old Hayden Wise of Huntersville, NC was eighth and ninth went to the 20z5 USCS Rookie of the Year, Trey Meredith of Dade City, FL. Former USCS National Champion and National Sprint Car Hall of Fame Inductee Danny Smith of Chillicothe, OH rounded out the top ten.

In preliminary action, the three eight-lap Heat Races were won by Martin in the Engler Machine & Tool First Heat, National Sprint Car Hall of Fame Inductee Terry McCarl of Altoona, IA in the XC Gear Second Heat, and Franek in the Schoenfeld Headers Third Heat.

Coen McDaniel of Gaffney, SC took the lead at the start of the Feature Race, but when he took the inside line into turn one on his second lap, the 15-year-old 2025 USCS Souther Thunder regional series Rookie of the Year hooked a rut and executed two snap barrel rolls. McDaniel was uninjured.

Martin inherited the lead for the restart followed by polesitter McCarl, Franek, Gurley and Stambaugh. Gurley gave up the fourth spot to Stambaugh on the restart, but the caution flag flew for the second time on lap seven when Mallett spun in turn two. Martin gave up a 1.175 second advantage over McCarl with the caution flag.

When the field returned to green flag action, Gurley reclaimed the fourth spot, dropping Stambaugh to fifth. The third caution flag of the event was unfurled on lap eight when Wise spun in turn two. When the green flag came back out, Martin pulled out to a 2.134 second advantage over McCarl, as the front runners claimed the high side of the race track.

McCarl jumped the cushion in turn one on lap 11, and lost the second spot to Franek. At the halfway point on lap 15, Martin began to encounter lapped traffic and held a 1,280 second advantage over Franek followed by Gurley, Peterson and Tim Shaffer of Aliquippa, PA in the top five. By lap 20, Franek had closed to within three tenths of a second behind Martin, as he faced his first challenge of the race.

Shaffer stalled in turn four on lap 24 to bring out the final caution flag of the race. With clear race track in front of him for the six-lap dash to the finish, Martin pulled away from Franek in the clean air and took a 1.227 margin of victory under the checkered flag in a race that was completed in 26 minutes.

The next two Winter Heat Shootout events for the Hoosier Race Tire United Sprint Car Series Presented By XC Gear 30th Anniversary Outlaw Thunder Tour will be at Hattiesburg Speedway in Hattiesburg, MS on Friday night, February 27 and Saturday night, February 28. 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, XC Gear, Hoosier Racing Tire, 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 RACING TIRE UNITED SPRINT CAR SERIES PRESENTED BY XC GEAR EVENT AT HUNT THE FRONT SOUTHERN RACEWAY IN MILTON, FL ON 2/21/26:

FEATURE RACE – 30 Laps: 1. 44 Chris Martin, Ankeny, IA (2); 2. 28f Davie Franek, Wantage, NJ (4); 3. 12 Corbin Gurley, Hebron, IN (7); 4. 3p Ricky Peterson, Rawson, OH (5); 5. 71 Max Stambaugh, Lima, OH (6); 6. 3 Jordon Mallett, Greenbrier, AR (9); 7. 22 Riley Goodno, Knoxville, IA (15); 8. 94 Hayden Wise, Huntersville, NC (8); 9. 11 Trey Meredith, Dade City, FL (11); 10. 4 Danny Smith, Chillicothe, OH (16); 11. 13 Van Gurley Jr., Valparaiso, IN (12); 12. 77 Tyeller Powless, Ohsweken, ON CAN (14); 13. 01m Shane Morgan, Gulfport, MS (19); 14. 01 Tim Shaffer, Aliquippa, PA (10); 15. 24 Terry McCarl, Altoona, IA (1); 16. 28s Rusty Sanford, Seminary, MS (18); 17. 88 Brandon Blenden, Gulfport, MS (17); 18. 28 Jeff Willingham, Ripley, MS (20); 19. 10 Terry Gray, Bartlett, TN (13); 20. 48 Coen McDaniel, Gaffney, SC (3); 21. 00 P.J. Reutimann, Zephyrhills, FL DNS.

HEAT RACES – 8 Laps:

ENGLER MACHINE & TOOL HEAT 1: 1. Martin; 2. Stambaugh; 3. Mallett; 4. Meredith; 5. V. Gurley; 6. Goodno; 7. Willingham.

XC GEAR HEAT 2: 1. McCarl; 2. McDaniel; 3. Peterson; 4. Gray; 5. Powless; 6. Smith; 7. Morgan.

SCHOENFELD HEADERS HEAT 3: 1. Franek; 2. Wise; 3. C. Gurley; 4. Shaffer; 5. Blenden; 6. Sanford; 7. Reutimann DNS.