The final season of racing at East Bay Raceway Park in Tampa, Florida begins Thursday night with Crate Week for Crate Racin' USA Late Models and Street Stocks. Three nights of racing are on tap to kick off the final running of the traditional WinterNationals. 

Previously scheduled to be the second week of racing during the WinterNationals, Crate Week will now kick things off after the opening week featuring Top Gun Sprints was canceled due to saturated grounds and a poor weather forecast. 

This year, Crate Racin' USA 604 Late Model drivers will be racing for a $1,000 top prize on Thursday and Friday leading into the $5,000-to-win finale on Saturday. 

Ashton Winger of Hampton, Georgia enters as the defending event winner after topping one of last year’s $2,500 openers before winning the $5,000 finale. Winger is expected to be back aboard a Jeff Mathews-owned Rocket Chassis.

Cory Hedgecock of Loudon, Tennessee, won the other $2,500 opener last year and led all drivers with six Crate Racin’ USA national tour wins last season

Crate Racin' USA Street Stocks will also be in action with $1,000-to-win races on Thursday and Friday setting the stage for Saturday's $2,500-to-win finale. 

All three nights of racing will be streamed live on FloRacing beginning Thursday night. If you're not already a subscriber, click here to become one today.

Following Crate Week, the WinterNationals continue with six nights of Modified racing beginning on Monday, January 29. The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series invades the Tampa, Florida for six nights of racing on Monday, February 5. Two nights of High Limit Racing 410 Sprint Car racing are on tap on February 12-13 before three nights of 360 Sprint Car racing beginning February 15. 

East Bay Raceway Park is scheduled to close its gates for good at the end of the 2024 season after being sold to The Mosaic Company, a phosphate mining company.