EASTABOGA, Ala. — With a large field of entries expected to arrive at East Bay Raceway Park in Gibsonton, Fla., for the annual Rogers Dabbs Performance Parts Crate Racin’ USA Winter Shootout Series portion of the Florida Winternationals scheduled Jan. 24-27, 2024, at the third-mile oval, track and series officials have collaborated on an adjusted format designed to give as many competitors as possible a chance to race in a qualifying feature event on both Thursday and Friday nights.
Rather than a complete $2,500-to-win program on those nights, followed by a $5,000-to-win program on Saturday, all drivers will now compete in preliminary features both Thursday and Friday. Each preliminary feature will pay $1,000 to win with the number of prelims determined by car count. Points accumulated Thursday and Friday will be used to determine the lineups for Saturday’s B-mains, as well as Saturday’s $5,000-to-win main event.
East Bay’s 2024 Winternationals will begin with a practice session on Wed., Jan. 24, for Crate Racin’ USA 604 Late Models and Crate Racin’ USA Street Stocks, a division which made its Florida Speedweeks debut at the facility last year. The highly-competitive Street Stock class, which drew in the vicinity of 40-50 entries to the famed oval last year, will follow the same format as the 604-powerered Late Models, and also participate in qualifying features on Thursday/Friday.
On-track competition begins Thursday and continues through the Jan. 27 finale. Last season’s visit by the Crate Racin’ USA Late Models averaged well over 60 entries each night.