ADAIRSVILLE, Ga. — The inaugural appearance of the Crate Racin’ USA 602 Late Model Sportsman division scheduled Feb. 18-20 as part of the traditional Florida Winternationals at East Bay Raceway Park in Gibsonton, Fla., has been canceled due to recent inclement weather, and a prediction for more rain through the coming weekend.
The announcement cuts short a solid opportunity for both the track and the Adairsville, Ga-based sanctioning body to showcase a fast-growing division on a larger stage during the annual Florida Speedweeks festivities, but that disappointment will only be temporary. Both track officials and Crate Racin’ USA management personnel hope to reschedule the division for next year’s version of the annual speed celebration in the Sunshine State.
“It’s a decision we sure didn’t want to make, and we hope to make this class a permanent part of our annual Florida Winternationals,” track promoter Al Varnadore said. “We’ve had about five inches of rain here in the last few days, and it absolutely poured here last night after we’d already had rain for a couple days. Due to the bad weather we haven’t had a lot of time to prepare the track surface they way we’d like, and now with more rain coming in the forecast and some of these drivers locked in by cold and snow in their home regions, we felt it was best to do this early before we get too many race teams and fans heading in this direction.”
One of five different classes that are under the highly-successful sanctioning banner of the Crate Racin’ USA Weekly Racing Series, Late Model Sportsman competitors are a strong piece of the company’s weekly racing foundation, even though the division was only established four years ago, and will soon be entering its fifth campaign. Former Weekly Racing Series National Champions include Kyle Clifton (2017), Haden Duncan (2018), Bryson Mitchell (2019) and last year’s titlist Ryan King.
“This is a division we’ve been getting more and more excited about as it continues to grow beyond what we ever expected,” Crate Racin’ USA series director Adam Stewart said. “The future looks really bright for the competitors in this division, and we felt that having a chance to be part of a huge weekend during Florida Speedweeks was a huge step for the class. Unfortunately the weather isn’t going to allow us the opportunity this year, but we’ll look forward to being a part of the Florida Winternationals during the 2022 season.”
The inclement weather that has spread across the company’s home region has some race teams unable to travel, as snow and ice continues to affect the main area such as Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee.
“We’ve heard from a dozen or more teams that they’re going to be unable to attend, and we know they had been planning to make the trip,” Stewart said. “There’s also another round of bad weather coming to the region, and we don’t see where the situation is going to improve for the next few days. We’ve got to take our teams and fans into consideration, and we do not want to have them traveling in those conditions. This is something we were really looking forward to have happen for this division and its competitors, because East Bay Raceway Park is among the best tracks in the country to showcase your organization in February.
“Sometimes you’ve just got to step back and take a second glance. It’s best for all concerned to make this decision as early as possible, and to start planning for next year.”
The economical 602 Chevrolet Performance Circle Track Engine is utilized by competitors on the series. It’s in stock and available for free, next-day delivery from Newsome Raceway Parts in Hartsville, S.C.
The company gives a portion of the sales from each engine sold back to the series point funds in four different divisions. Each engine is built and sealed at the factory to prevent any expensive modifications. To place an order, call 1-877-497-3624.
For more information and rules about the division, visit the organization’s website at www.crateracinusa.com, or follow our extensive social media programs on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Article Credit: Brian McLeod