ADAIRSVILLE, Ga. — An early-season rainout has set the stage for a history-making event as the second annual DIRTcar Racing-presented Sunshine Nationals scheduled Jan. 14-16 at Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, Fla., will now include the very first E-Z-GO $100,000+ Challenge event in the history of the Adairsville, Ga.-based Crate Racin’ USA organization.
The opener of the nine-race “series within a series,” which is a collection of events paying at least $10,000 each to win, was slated to be Jan. 1-2 at Cochran (Ga.) Motor Speedway, but inclement weather intervened and postponed that event. The required schedule adjustments now means the series opener is Feb. 16 at Volusia, as the third night of the three-race Sunshine Nationals at the half-mile oval will pay $10,000 to the winner and serve as the inaugural event for the E-Z-GO $100,000+ Challenge.
The three-race weekend will also be part of the sixth annual Crate Racin’ USA Winter Shootout Series, which this year has been expanded to nine events, representing the largest schedule ever for the early-season circuit, which features a $2,500 championship prize for the collection of races that are held during the first three months of the year. Past Winter Shootout champions include Chase Edge (2016), Kyle Bronson (2017), Jimmy Elliott (2018, 2019) and Pierce McCarter (2020).
Combined Efforts Expands Field
Three nights of DIRTcar Racing-sanctioned Pro Late Model action in the Sunshine State will also feature many of the stars and cars of the Adam Stewart-managed Crate Racin’ USA group, bolstering an already-strong field expected to show up for the event.
Car counts for the division swelled to between 40-45 machines last year for the inaugural version of the weekend, firmly establishing the event on the winter racing calendar and allowing for even more expansion at the 2021 version.
The first of the trio of events (Jan. 14) will pay $1,500-to-win, the second (Jan. 15) offers $2,000 to the winner, and the finale (Jan. 16) pays a whopping $10,000 to the first-place prize winner.
Late Models Galore!
The entire weekend will be highlighted by the core group of DIRTcar Pro Late Models, along with 602 Crate Late Models and the Florida Late Model Challenge Series. Topping the diversified weekend for full-fendered machines will be the Most Powerful Late Models on the Planet—the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series. Each night’s event for the nationally-recognized series will pay $10,000 to win!
A practice night for all divisions will be held Wednesday, Jan. 13, preceding the hotly-contested racing action that begins on Thursday, Jan. 14.
“This weekend was promising enough last year to add the Morton Buildings World of Outlaws Dirt Late Model Series to the schedule for all three nights, and for Crate Racin’ USA to be part of such a large and successful undertaking in the Sunshine State during January is a big plus for our organization as well,” said Crate Racin’ USA series director Adam Stewart. “The DIRTCar sanctioning group is one of the top racing organizations in the country, and for us to be able to share a racing weekend with them for three nights is a huge boost to our organization.”
Kyle Bronson of Brandon, Fla., swept the three DIRTcar Pro Late Model races last year, earning $13,500 for a weekend’s worth of effort just a little over two hours from his home base. Bronson has taken extra interest in the E-Z-GO $100,000+ Challenge as well, and has expressed interest in running a few of the races during potential open weekends on his planned 2021 racing slate. Each of the nine events will pay at least $10,000 to the winner, and that has drawn interest from across the division’s broad scope of competitors.
How to Keep Pace
Gates will open each day at 5 p.m., with hot laps beginning at that time. Tickets and camping for the event will be available at the gate, and you can find tickets for the 2021 DIRTcar Nationals online.
Tickets for the DIRTcar Sunshine Nationals are now available online; only for purchase online or by calling 844-DIRT-TIX.
Additional information about Crate Racin’ USA’s involvement in the giant weekend can be accessed at www.crateracinusa.com, or by keeping up with the organization on its Facebook, Twitter and Instagram social media channels.