South Carolina 400 highlighted by Dale Jr’s Bud return, 56 entries

Dale Earnhardt Jr. is going to reunite with Budweiser in the iconic stylized No. 8 but that isn’t the only highlight this weekend for the South Carolina 400 at Florence Motor Speedway.

The season ending crown jewel features 56 cars on the entry list and there are a great deal of short track superstars set to join Earnhardt in the pursuit of $10,000 and a win in the spiritual successor to the Myrtle Beach 400.

This is the fifth year that that season ending event has taken place at Florence since the bulldozing of Myrtle Beach Speedway and it has been won twice by Ty Majeski, Brenden Queen and Kade Brown. The two most recent winners are back, Brown making the transition to R&S Race Cars and Queen returning to Lee Pulliam Performance following their CARS Tour championship.

Other notable entries include SMART Modified Tour prodigy Carson Loftin making his Late Model Stock debut for three-time CARS Tour champion team Nelson Motorsports and marquee short track winners Ryan Millington, Jared Fryer, Brent Crews, Caden Kvapil, Mason Diaz, Landon Huffman, Landon S. Huffman, Treyten Lapcevich, Doug Barnes Jr., Sam Yarbrough and Michael Bumgarner.

Millington will start from the pole by virtue of winning the CARS Tour race on August 30, which also served as the Locked In event for the South Carolina 400. The race is set for 6 p.m. on Saturday and will air on FloRacing.

For his part, Earnhardt has finishes of ninth and eighth in his two starts in the race. But again, this race will be special because it’s the first time he has driven the Bud No. 8 since leaving Dale Earnhardt Inc. after the 2007 Cup Series season, only just now receiving the copyrights to the font and design from stepmother Teresa Earnhardt.  

Format

The top-20 in qualifying will lock into the main event and the top six finishers from two last chance races will determine the final 12 spots to results in a field of 32.

Broadcast

The broadcast is scheduled to start at 4:15 p.m. ET on FloRacing on Saturday. That’s when qualifying will begin for all three divisions (Street Stocks, Mini Stocks, Late Models). Pre-race ceremonies are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. ET, immediately followed by feature racing.

Twin Late Model heat races will begin the feature action, followed by the Street Stock and Mini Stock races. The 250-lap Late Model feature will close the night.

Entry list

• Jamie York
• Brandon Pierce
• Ryan Wilson
• Kade Brown
• Jake Crum
• Dexter Canipe III
• Jake Vuncannon
• Bryant Barnhill
• Tristan McKee
• Dale Earnhardt Jr.
• Cody Kelley
• Jared Fryar
• Vicente Salas
• Ryan Millington
• Jonathan Shafer
• Casey Kelley
• Josh Berry
• Alex Meggs
• Truett Miranda
• Anthony Adams
• Max Reaves
• David Roberts
• Adam Congrove
• Carson Loftin
• Matt Gould
• Ryan Glenski
• Landon Rapp
• Landon S. Huffman
• Brent Crews
• Zack Miracle
• Caden Kvapil
• Conner Jones
• Mason Diaz
• Ryley Music
• Matt Cox
• Donovan Strauss
• Mark Wertz
• Lanie Buice
• Landon Huffman
• Justin Hicks
• Stuart Ricks
• Aaron Donnelly
• Treyten Lapcevich
• Darren Krantz Jr.
• Doug Barnes Jr.
• Duncan Grant
• Bradley Means
• Jacob Heafner
• Sam Yarbrough
• Michael Bumgarner
• Austin Somero
• Chase Burrow
• Jamie Weatherford
• Brenden Queen
• Ronnie Bassett Jr.
• Riley Gentry