This week’s Firecracker 265 at Caraway Speedway in Sophia, N.C. promises to bring some thunder and lightning to the zMAX CARS Tour Late Model Stock Car and Pro Late Model ranks. The point battles in both divisions are tight: Connor Hall leads Brenden Queen by just three markers in the Late Model Stock Car category, and the top six are separated by just 27. In Pro Late Model, Spencer Davis has a two-point advantage on Kaden Honeycutt, with just a 19-point difference among the top four. The mid-week race also will see the addition of some firepower in the form of Daytona 500 winner (and former CARS Tour regular) William Byron from the NASCAR Cup Series and current NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series title contender Corey Heim to the LMSC field. Jared Fryar, the 2020 Late Model Stock Car series champion in the zMAX CARS Tour, is slated to make his season debut following his recovery from a non-racing injury suffered just before the 2024 season opener. Fryar is also an ace at Caraway, winning twice and posting four top-five finishes in his five starts on the quick oval.

NASCAR Cup Series star William Byron will be reuniting with JR Motorsports to compete in the CARS Tour Late Model Stock Car race at Caraway Speedway on Wednesday, July 3. JR Motorsports announced the news via a social media post on Monday morning.

The championship four has been set and now there’s one thing left to do for the NASCAR Cup Series: decide a champion at Phoenix Raceway on Sunday. We know now that the four drivers who will compete for the title are Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell, Ryan Blaney, and William Byron. All four drivers have deep roots in short track racing, whether on dirt or pavement, so let’s take a deeper look at how all four of these drivers have gotten to this point in their career.

There’s no shortage of star power entered in Tuesday’s ASA Southern Super Series race at New Smyrna Speedway. From NASCAR stars to some of the biggest names in Super Late Model racing, there’s plenty of fan-favorites running in the Clyde Hart Memorial 100.