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MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Jan. 9, 2023) – The Solid Rock Carriers CARS Tour will have new ownership when the green flag waves on its 2023 season this March. Today, NASCAR icons Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Burton, Kevin Harvick and Justin Marks announced their acquisition of the Southeast’s premier asphalt late model series.
“This is a dream come true for me,” said Earnhardt Jr., a NASCAR Hall of Famer and current NBC Sports analyst. “I’m a huge fan of the CARS Tour and local short-track racing. The competition, the tracks, and the drivers are some of the best around. These regional series are vital to the quality of racing you see at the top level. Jack (McNelly, CARS Tour founder) has done a tremendous job establishing the CARS Tour as a preeminent series, and I’m thrilled to be part of its future.”
Aside from the ownership transition from McNelly, the CARS Tour will remain unchanged. The 2023 schedule is set with 19 race weekends, and McNelly and his staff will continue to oversee operations and track events. The key addition will be the industry expertise brought by the current owners’ respective business units: DEJ Management, Jeff Burton Autosports, Inc., Kevin Harvick, Inc. and Trackhouse Racing. The contingent will collectively aim to bolster the health and longevity of the CARS Tour by providing proficiencies in brand management, business strategy and partnership acquisition and retention.
“Owning and developing the CARS Tour has been an honor and one I’m immensely proud of,” said McNelly. “Fortunately, it’s in the best of hands with this new group. They have the passion and talent to take the Tour to the next level. I can’t wait to see what this next chapter brings for everyone involved.
“I give my heartfelt thanks to all that have contributed to the success of the series over the years. It has truly been a team effort. The CARS Tour staff, officials, competitors, sponsors and fans have made this series one of the best in the country.”
Earnhardt Jr., Burton, Harvick and Marks are all former or current drivers themselves. Both Earnhardt Jr. and Burton grew up racing regionally in the Southeast while Marks was bitten by the short-track bug after competing in several high-profile late model races. Harvick cut his teeth in regional action on the West Coast.
“I grew up racing Late Model Stock Cars on the West Coast,” said Harvick, the 2014 Cup Series champion with 60 wins to his credit. “Late Model racing has always been a passion of mine and I want to ensure short-track asphalt racing and the CARS Tour continue to grow and succeed. I look forward to sharing the responsibility with this like-minded group of racers.”
Founded in 2014 as a continuation of the former Pro Cup Series, the CARS Tour enters its ninth season in 2023. Uniquely, the CARS Tour features both Pro Late Models and Late Model Stock Cars competing at the same track on the same night, becoming the first series of its kind to host two premier divisions under its banner at the same event.
“This is something I’m really excited about, not only for Trackhouse and the initiatives that we’re pursuing, but for short-track racing in general,” said Marks, who led Trackhouse Racing to a runner-up effort in the 2022 Cup Series championship. “Asphalt Late Model racing truly is the foundation of NASCAR and bringing a group like this together will serve the racer and fan. The CARS Tour is so important to the racing scene in the Southeast, and this group can bring a wealth of experience, knowledge and passion to the series that will ensure authentic and valuable growth in the years to come.”
The CARS Tour has produced a number of notable drivers who have built successful careers on the national stage, including Josh Berry, Harrison Burton, William Byron, Ty Gibbs, Sam Mayer and Myatt Snider as well as current series stars like Carson Kvapil, Deac McCaskill, Bobby McCarty and Layne Riggs.
“The opportunity to work with a group of partners that I have so much respect for in the sport that I love is amazing,” added Burton, a 2023 NASCAR Hall of Fame nominee and NASCAR analyst for NBC Sports. “Collectively, I believe we can contribute to grass-roots racing and the overall health of motorsports in the process. By building off the positive foundation Jack has built, I’m confident we can create a next-level experience for the competitors, partners and fans.”
The CARS Tour season kicks off at Southern National Motorsports Park (Kenly, N.C.) on Saturday, March 11, 2023.
ABOUT SOLID ROCK CARRIERS CARS TOUR:
Founded in the fall of 2014, the Solid Rock Carriers CARS Tour continues to be the Southeast’s premier asphalt Late Model series. Now under the ownership of motorsports icons Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Burton, Kevin Harvick and Justin Marks, the CARS Tour began as a quality pavement racing series based in the Carolinas and Mid-Atlantic region that featured both Late Model Stock Cars and Pro Late Models. Both premier series race on the same night at the same track, and this unique arrangement makes the CARS Tour the first organization of its kind anywhere in the country. Many of today’s stock car superstars got their start in the CARS Tour and it is a primary breeding ground for the racing champions of tomorrow.
