KENLY, N.C. — One of the most successful drivers in the history of Southern National Motorsports Park, Deac McCaskill, captured Saturday’s season opener for the Solid Rock Carriers CARS Tour late model stock division.
Mike Hopkins claimed the Pro Late Model main event.
A four-time track champion, McCaskill put together a vintage performance in a brand new black and white livery. After conserving his tires, McCaskill took the lead from Ryan Millington on a late restart and never looked back to claim his 10th CARS LMSC Tour victory.
“This is awesome,” McCaskill said. “I’m 45 years old, so being able to run with these kids is really special. There are a lot of great teams up and down pit road, but we have great help on our side. It was one of those days where everything worked out good for us.”
McCaskill is no stranger to efficient runs at Southern National in the CARS Tour.
During the inaugural LMSC Tour race at the facility in 2015, McCaskill dominated the entire evening before he was passed for the win by Todd Gilliland with three laps remaining. McCaskill brushed off that frustration a couple of months later by leading every single lap at Southern National for his first win in the series.
Only one more of McCaskill’s LMSC Tour victories had occurred at Southern National prior to his triumph in Saturday’s Puryear Tank Lines 225, but the seasoned veteran was determined to show a stacked field of 32 cars that he could still hang with the best at the four-tenths-mile oval.
Unlike 2022, Carson Kvapil was not able to start his year on Saturday evening with another big money victory.
Despite this, the defending CARS LMSC Tour champion still had plenty to enjoy at the end of the 125-lap feature at Southern National, as he brought his car home in second place after starting on the pole, which provided him an ideal start in his pursuit of a second consecutive title.
“I’m happy with how we ran,” Kvapil said. “I honestly thought we were a little better than Deac [McCaskill] at the end, but couldn’t get around [Ryan Millington] fast enough and couldn’t work lapped traffic like he could. We were just looking to have a good run and kick off the season with some confidence, which we did.”
Kvapil intentionally let both Millington and McCaskill past him in the opening stages of Puryear Tank Lines 225 specifically to save tires and get himself in an ideal situation on restarts.
Without the assistance of a second groove up top, Kvapil did everything possible to keep his car glued to the bottom to maintain solid track position. He managed to climb back into the second position but ultimately ran out of laps to challenge McCaskill for the win.
Although he would have preferred a victory, Kvapil emphasized the importance of a strong points day in a field that consists of nearly 20 full-time entries. He added every single mistake is going to prove costly, but trusts himself and JR Motorsports to put together plenty of full weekends just like they did in 2022.
“It’s going to be about having days like this,” Kvapil said. “I got an extra point for winning the pole and leading a lap. You can’t have any races where you wreck out, so you’ve got to have consistent good finishes. If you can do that, it’ll show at the end of the year.”
Among the tracks Mike Hopkins has won at during his career include Richmond Raceway, Seekonk Speedway and Jennerstown Speedway.
The Hermon, Maine native added a CARS PLM Tour win at Southern National to that list of accomplishments on Saturday afternoon. He took the lead from Justin Crider on lap 43 of the 100-lap feature before surviving a chaotic finish to park his car in victory lane.
“This place is phenomenal,” Hopkins said. “It’s fun, it’s racy and there’s a good class of cars. [Michael Diaz] does a phenomenal job along with the CARS Tour. This is only my third CARS Tour race, but winning never gets old, especially when you race part-time like myself.”
The finish:
Deac McCaskill, Carson Kvapil, Kaden Honeycutt, Connor Hall, Ryan Millington, Jacob Heafner, Brenden Queen, Mason Diaz, Chase Burrow, Bobby McCarty, Chad McCumbee, Jared Fryar, Andrew Grady, Brandon Pierce, Landon Pembelton, Ronnie Bassett Jr., Tate Fogleman, Cameron Bolin, Cale Gale, Zack Miracle, Jonathan Findley, Mini Tyrrell, Dylon Wilson, Blake Lothian, Carson Brown, Jason Kitzmiller, Joshua Dickens, Jody Measamer, Ryan Wilson, Isabella Robusto, Brian Obiedzenski, Jessica Cann.
Keyword: McCaskill Saves Tires, Wins CARS Tour Opener