LAKELAND, Fla. — The BG Products Southern Sprint Car Shootout Series announced that the series will visit Orlando Speed World for the first time in series history September 19 as part of the Hell on Wheels Full Throttle events.
It will be the first time winged sprint cars have competed on the three-eighths-mile, semi-banked asphalt oval since 2013.
The now defunct Tampa Bay Area Racing Association (TBARA) competed at Orlando Speed World on Saturday December 7, 2013. Tommy Nichols was victorious in that final winged sprint car race at the facility.
The Southern Sprint Car Shootout Series will officially ring in the new era of winged sprint car racing at the historic facility that is in Bithlo, Florida On September 19. The speedway first opened in 1974 and has a rich history of hosting winged pavement sprint car events, most notably with TBARA.
Due to a nearly 13-year absence hosting sprint car events at Orlando Speed World, many drivers will get their first look at the facility. Until this past May 23, 2026, the facility has sat idle for over a decade.
Veteran series drivers Sport Allen, Jim Childers, Larry Brazil Jr., and Mickey Kempgens have competed at the facility in the past.
These veterans will be joined by a handful of drivers who have never competed in winged sprint cars at the track. Among them are series point leader Colton Bettis, Tyler Porter,
Jerry Paquin, Bruce Brantley, and Steven Hollinger among others.
It is expected that this event could lure northern drivers down for the weekend to compete due to the popularity of Orlando Speed World and the absence of sprint car racing at the track.
The timing of this event puts the battle for the season championship in the thick of things. After this event, there will still be at least three points races left on the 2026 schedule.
