Florence Motor Speedway

"The Diamond of the Southeast — a 0.4-mile bullring in Timmonsville, South Carolina, fifteen miles south of Darlington Raceway. Florence Motor Speedway opened on dirt in 1982, was paved in 1988, and has spent the modern era turning Late Model Stock Cars into headlines."

Location: Timmonsville, SC (836 E. Smith Street) Track Type: Paved short oval Length: 0.4 miles Surface: Asphalt Banking: Progressive (no outside wall in either corner) Opened: 1982 (dirt) · Paved: 1988 Owner: Steve and Jacqulyn Zacharias (full ownership 2023) Operator: Speedway Plus Promotion LLC General Manager: Brian Vause Sanctioning: Ultra Racing Association (URA) · Streaming: Ultra Broadcasting

Overview

Florence Motor Speedway sits about fifteen miles south of Darlington Raceway in the Pee Dee region of South Carolina. At 0.4 miles with progressive banking and no outer wall in the corners, it is a compact, high-identity southeastern bullring that rewards tire management, patience, and long-run setup as much as outright speed. The track markets itself as "The Diamond of the Southeast" and has spent the modern era earning the line.

The current operating identity dates to July 2020, when Speedway Plus Promotion LLC took over as promoter under Steve Zacharias. The closing of Myrtle Beach Speedway that same year sent several of that property's traditions south to Florence, most notably the IceBreaker for Late Model Stocks and the Florence-era continuation of the South Carolina 400. By the end of 2023, Steve and Jacqulyn Zacharias had finalized full ownership. In 2025, Florence and Southern National publicly aligned with the Ultra Racing Association, and the 2026 schedule arrived with URA licensing, URA rules, and Ultra Broadcasting carrying the live feed.

History

The Florence story is unusually clear for a regional short track. The facility was built in 1982 as a dirt oval, originally owned by Charlie Powell Jr., and was paved in 1988. It operated continuously into the late 2010s as a NASCAR weekly-track venue.

The modern era begins in July 2020. Steve Zacharias and partners agreed to a lease-to-own arrangement with the Powell family and brought several traditions from the recently-closed Myrtle Beach Speedway to Florence. The IceBreaker, which had grown into one of the biggest Late Model Stock events on the calendar since its 2016 Myrtle Beach origin, made its first Florence appearance. The South Carolina 400 — the post-season endurance race that had defined late-season Late Model racing in the Carolinas — was rebuilt at Florence as the spiritual successor to the Myrtle Beach 400.

Zacharias finalized the purchase of the property at the end of 2023, converting the lease-to-own arrangement into full ownership for himself and his wife Jacqulyn. In 2025, Florence joined a regional realignment under the Ultra Racing Association, which now sanctions the track's racing program and supplies the rule book. Ultra Broadcasting carries the streams. The 2026 calendar was the first full season under the URA banner.

Track Plant and Geometry

Florence's geometry is unusual for a southeastern short track. The 0.4-mile oval is progressively banked, and there is no outside wall in either corner — a wall is present only in front of the grandstands along the frontstretch. That layout, plus weathered short-track asphalt, makes Florence a venue where the long run matters and where a driver who cannot manage tires through the second half of a feature gets exposed.

The fan-facing side of the property is grassroots in the best sense. The frontstretch grandstands are wood; the top row is designated "Folding Chair Alley," with additional folding-chair seating to the right of the main stands by the stage. There is a covered, air-conditioned suite at the top of the grandstands offered for weekly races, and pit access runs through the Turn 1 pit gate.

Current Sanctioning and Broadcast

Florence is sanctioned by the Ultra Racing Association. URA licensing is required for the licensed-pit pricing tier, and URA rules govern car classes. Ultra Broadcasting is the principal streaming partner; live timing and credential request paths are surfaced in the official site navigation. Track radio runs on 466.3375, and a working RACECEIVER is mandatory at the default frequency. Functioning transponders are required; cars can be black-flagged if the transponder fails to register.

Marquee Events

The IceBreaker opens the season in early February. The 2026 edition was the eleventh annual running, and the Late Model Stock feature is 125 laps. The event was transplanted from Myrtle Beach Speedway in 2020 and has grown into one of the most anticipated early-season Late Model Stock dates in the Southeast. In 2026, Keelan Harvick became the youngest IceBreaker winner in the event's history at age thirteen (Kevin Harvick Inc. recap).

The Cook Out 225 runs the Friday before the Cook Out Southern 500 at neighboring Darlington Raceway. It is the CARS Late Model Stock Tour and CARS Pro Late Model Tour double-up of the season — a Darlington-week prestige date that draws the touring late-model field to Florence for one of its biggest weekends of the year. In 2026, the Cook Out 225 runs Friday, September 4. Free-admission Thursday entertainment historically precedes the main race slate.

The Southern Showdown runs the Saturday after the Cook Out 225 and is built around Legends, Bandoleros, Allison Legacy Cars, and Street Stocks. The multi-day INEX-style format closes Sunday with a 75-lap Legend Cars feature and a 20-lap Bandolero feature. It is Florence's youth-development showpiece — the one weekend where the ladder series take the headline.

The Pee Dee 225 runs in October as the fall Late Model Stock feature. In 2026, the date is Saturday, October 10. The Late Model feature is 100 laps; the support-class slate runs Chargers, Mini Stocks, and Crown Vics.

The South Carolina 250 runs the Friday before the South Carolina 400 in mid-November. It is centered on the Limited Late Models — the Sam Scarpelli Memorial — alongside Super Trucks and the support-class ladder. In 2026, the SC 250 runs Saturday, November 14.

The South Carolina 400 is the closing event of the Florence season and the headline date of the year. Two hundred and fifty laps of Late Model Stock Cars with a mid-race break, run at the same property where the IceBreaker opens the season nine months earlier. By the track's own count, the 2025 race was the 33rd annual edition — counting both Myrtle Beach and Florence eras — making it one of the longest-running Late Model Stock crown jewels in the South. In 2026, the SC 400 runs Saturday, November 21.

South Carolina 400 — Florence-Era Winners

Key Drivers

Dale Earnhardt Jr. — The official Florence Motor Speedway announcement of the 2024 Cook Out 225 said he began his Late Model career at Florence and Myrtle Beach. Earnhardt has returned to the property for modern marquee events, which is part of why Florence's late-model weekends now command the regional spotlight.

Cale Yarborough — Timmonsville's signature racing figure. The town and the speedway sit inside Yarborough's home-county footprint, and the Cale Yarborough Highway is one of the road approaches to the track from the north.

Bobby Labonte — Holds a publicly verified Modified track record at 16.8262 seconds, which works out to roughly 85.6 mph average lap speed on the 0.4-mile oval.

Josh Berry — A recurrent SC 400 and Florence late-model presence whose career path from regional Late Model Stocks to the national NASCAR ranks tracks closely with Florence's own modern era.

Connor Hall — Listed among Cook Out 225 / CARS Tour stars expected at Florence in the official 2024 race announcement.

Doug Barnes Jr. — Frequent IceBreaker and local headline contender, tied closely to the property's modern late-model era.

Kade Brown — 2023 SC 400 winner and earlier Florence track champion. Won at the property after running competitive seasons in CARS Tour Late Model Stock.

Carson Kvapil — Frequent marquee entrant; part of the SC 400 winner-and-contender lineage that has defined the modern Florence-era field.

Caden Kvapil — 2025 SC 400 winner, track-identified as the 33rd annual winner of the race. JR Motorsports development driver.

Brenden Queen — 2022 SC 400 winner and one of the names most associated with modern Florence crown-jewel weekends.

Ty Majeski — 2020 and 2021 SC 400 winner, the only repeat winner in the Florence era to date.

Treyten Lapcevich — 2024 SC 400 winner.

Keelan Harvick — 2026 IceBreaker winner at age thirteen — the youngest in the event's history.

Visiting Florence Motor Speedway

Address: 836 E. Smith Street, Timmonsville, SC 29161

Getting there: Florence is about fifteen miles south of Darlington Raceway. The standard approach from the north is the Cale Yarborough Highway down to U.S. Route 76 east, which leads to the speedway property.

Parking: General parking on the property. Designated handicapped parking is located near the kartway by the Turn 1 pit gate; an accessibility tag is required.

Grandstands and seating: The main grandstands are wood, with traditional bench-style seating on the lower rows. The top row is designated "Folding Chair Alley" — fans bringing their own folding chairs are welcomed up top. Additional folding-chair space is allowed to the right of the main grandstands by the stage.

Suite (weekly racing only): A weekly-racing suite ticket sells for $50 and includes air conditioning, movie-chair seating, concession food and drink, and live-feed viewing. The suite is not offered for major events such as CARS Tour weekends or the South Carolina 400 — those nights are general grandstand only.

Pit access: Pit passes sell at the Turn 1 pit gate during events. A URA license drops the pit-pass price; without a license, the pit pass costs more.

Camping: Dry camping along the tree line beyond the grandstands. Generators are permitted, and there is a dump station on the property. Marked spaces are available; long weekends fill quickly.

Concessions: Cheeseburgers, hot dogs, chicken tenders, fries, drinks, bottled water. Standard short-track menu with reasonable prices.

Lodging: Track-published partner hotels sit roughly eleven minutes from the property and advertise truck and trailer parking for race teams and traveling fans.

2026 Calendar — Marquee Dates

The 2026 schedule covers a full season of Saturday-night programs, monthly truck shows, and the marquee events listed below. GNT covers the marquee dates.

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