ALTAMAHAW, N.C. — A busy but competitive season for the Solid Rock Carriers CARS Late Model Stock Car Tour will officially be a one-third of the way completed once the checkered flag falls on Friday evening at Ace Speedway.
The four-tenths-mile short track has produced close-quarters racing and plenty of storylines since the CARS Tour’s first visit in 2018, with the most notable event taking place in 2020 when track regular Ryan Millington took advantage of two on-track skirmishes between former champions Josh Berry and Bobby McCarty for his first career victory.
With four different winners to open the year, another eventful evening of racing is in store for the CARS Tour competitors and Ace’s loyal fanbase.
Plenty of talented drivers are still looking to break their own winless droughts in Friday’s Puryear Tank Lines 125 that include McCarty and last year’s winner in Layne Riggs.
Friday’s race will be broadcast live by SPEED SPORT affiliate, CARSTour.tv.
• Carson Kvapil nearly saw his sizable points lead evaporate in the New River 125 at Goodyear All American Speedway.
After getting swept up in a multi-car accident with 43 laps remaining, Kvapil managed to maintain a 17-point advantage over Chad McCumbee by rallying for a fourth-place finish.
“I thought we had a car we could win with,” Kvapil said. “We had some clutch issues and got caught up in someone else’s mess. I was hoping we’d at least finish the race after that wreck, but we got the clutch problem solved, cut the body away on the right front and drove my way back through the field. We only ended up losing one point.”
Fresh off a championship in the CARS Super Late Model Tour, Kvapil said the full-time transition to Late Model Stock competition has been smooth with JR Motorsports.
Kvapil has yet to finish outside the top five after bagging a $30,000 paycheck in the Old North State Nationals at Caraway.
The first laps Kvapil made at Ace were in a test session during the previous week.
“I have to get the car right,” Kvapil said. “I’ve learned a lot over these last few races on what the car needs by talking to Josh (Berry) and just running races. If we don’t get caught up in anything on Friday, we should have a top-three car again.”
• Ace Speedway fans will get to see a familiar face mix it up with the CARS Tour regulars on Friday evening in the form of Trevor Ward.
A former full-time CARS Tour competitor, Ward has only made a handful of appearances in the series over the past two years, yet the Winston-Salem, N.C., native feels confident that he can break through for his first career victory driving his family-owned No. 77.
“It’s always a good time going to Ace,” Ward said. “We’ve been struggling a bit trying to get the funds to run but we’re going to put this car together as good as we can. We’ve got a decent balance at Ace, so I think everything will go pretty smooth.”
Ward has visited victory lane on plenty of occasions between Ace’s Late Model Stock and Limited Late Model divisions.
He is bringing a car that challenged for the win in Ace’s season-opener up until a cut tire ended his night.
“We’re going a little different this year,” Ward said. “Instead of bringing a new car, we’re using one that we’ve been working on all year and made some changes to. I think this will put us further ahead compared to working on a new car. We just have to make this race count where we need to for us.”
• Although there have been four different winners to open the CARS Late Model Stock Car Tour season, plenty of notable drivers have still not found their way to victory lane.
The most notable of the winless competitors is three-time champion Bobby McCarty. An uncharacteristic inconsistent start has relegated McCarty to ninth in the series standings, with his best finish only being an eighth at Hickory Motor Speedway and Goodyear All American Speedway.
McCarty’s Nelson Motorsports teammate Kaden Honeycutt also finds himself without a win through four races. Honeycutt has not finished inside the top five since his second-place run in the Old North State Nationals at Caraway Speedway.
• Several drivers have emerged as potential first-time winners. Rookie Chase Burrow is currently fourth in the standings with three top-10 finishes, while fellow rookie Andrew Grady is coming off a strong but disappointing outcome at Goodyear that saw him finish 18th after leading 55 laps.
Friday’s Puryear Tank Lines 125 at Ace Speedway will present a great opportunity for drivers still winless on the CARS Late Model Stock Car Tour this year to bring home a victory and build momentum as the series heads into a busy summer.
Keyword: CARS Tour Notes: Action Moves To Ace Speedway