Every season, there is one event on the calendar that competitors across both zMAX CARS Tour divisions look forward to; the Spears Manufacturing Throwback Classic at Hickory Motor Speedway.
Aside from 2020, in which the event did not take place due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Throwback Classic has served as an outlet for the CARS Tour to honor motorsports history in the United States for nearly a decade. One defining feature of the Throwback Classic are the numerous special paint schemes that pay tribute to a specific driver.
Hickory has long been a fitting location for the Throwback Classic, given the track’s storied history and the fact that it has hosted more CARS Tour events than any other venue. Names like Ralph Earnhardt, Ned Jarrett, Jack Ingram, Harry Gant, Josh Berry and more have all won track titles at the place known as ‘the Birthplace of the NASCAR Stars.’
Along with the historical significance of the weekend, the Throwback Classic also kickstarts a busy closing stretch for CARS Tour competitors that will see two races each month through October. That means there will be little time to regroup as drivers seek to stay efficient through these next six races, where their objective is to just win or gain ground in the point standings.
Track Facts:
Track: Hickory Motor Speedway
Location: Hickory, North Carolina
Length: .363 mile
Laps: 125 (LMSC) / 100 (PLM)
CARS LMSC Tour races: 22
CARS PLM Tour races: 8
Hickory LMSC winners: Josh Berry (4), Bobby McCarty (3), Anthony Alfredo (2), Brayton Haws (1), Deac McCaskill (1), Justin Carroll (1), Taylor Gray (1), Ryan Repko (1), Corey Heim (1), Chad McCumbee (1), Connor Hall (1), Carson Kvapil (1), Mason Diaz (1), Connor Zilisch (1), Ronnie Bassett Jr. (1), Mini Tyrrell (1)
Hickory PLM winners: William Sawalich (2), Mike Hopkins (1), Cole Butcher (1), Kyle Campbell (1), Jimmy Renfrew Jr. (1), Keelan Harvick (1), Spencer Davis (1)
LMSC Entry List (30 cars): #04 Ronnie Bassett Jr., #06 Matt Leicht, #4 Parker Eatmon, #4G Matt Gould, #5 Chase Burrow, #5P Lee Pulliam, #6 Brandon Lopez, #7 Helio Meza, #9 Ryan Millington, #15 Jace Hale, #16 Chad McCumbee, #16J Conner Jones, #17 Kaden Honeycutt, #20 Carson Loftin, #22 Corey Heim, #28 Kade Brown, #28R Landon Rapp, #29 Landen Lewis, #37 Chase Robertson, #37H Landon Huffman, #41 TBA, #44 Dylan Newsome, #51 Michael Bumgarner, #71 Jake Bollman, #77 Treyten Lapcevich, #81 Mini Tyrrell, #84 Landon S. Huffman, #88 Caden Kvapil, #95 London McKenzie, #99 Brandon Dean
PLM Entry List (23 cars): #01 Brody Gunter, #1 T.J. DeCaire, #5 James Seeright, #6 Mason Walters, #6C Vito Cancilla, #12 Colton Hale, #13 Ben Mack, #15 Case James, #20 Evan McKnight, #25 Rodney Dowless Jr., #30 Treyten Lapcevich, #31 Brody Monahan, #33 Jack Baldwin, #43 Nick Loden, #44 Conner Jones, #47 Luke Baldwin, #49 Jeff Batten, #50 Tristan Pena, #54 Kaden Honeycutt, #55 Palmer Haag, #75 Keelan Harvick, #83 TBA, #97 Dylan Garner
Note: Fields are limited to 30 starters; 28 from qualifying plus two from 2026 CARS Tour owner points
LMSC standings:
- Caden Kvapil
- Treyten Lapcevich -28
- Conner Jones -45
- Carson Brown -50
- Chad McCumbee -64
- Parker Eatmon -64
- Chase Burrow -70
- Landen Lewis -77
- Landon Huffman -84
- Carson Loftin -92
PLM standings:
- Mason Walters
- Kaden Honeycutt -12
- Conner Jones -26
- Case James -33
- Treyten Lapcevich -36
- Brody Monahan -36
- Carson Ware -40
- Rodney Dowless Jr. -44
- Evan McKnight -48
- Dylan Garner -56
LMSC Tour points leader Caden Kvapil honoring Darrell Waltrip at Hickory
Although Caden Kvapil holds a strong 28-point advantage in the CARS LMSC Tour standings, he has not won a race in the series since April at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway.
Kvapil’s triumph in the prestigious Hampton Heat at Langley Speedway only bolstered his confidence about returning to Cook Out Victory Lane soon. In his pursuit to snap that winless drought at the Throwback Classic on Saturday, Kvapil will carry the colors of Darrell Waltrip’s No. 88 DiGard Racing car, which was suggested to him by his spotter Eric Roll.
“Hickory [Motor Speedway] is one of my favorite tracks I think,” Kvapil said. “Recently it’s been a little tough, but I got my first Late Model Stock win there last year in the Jack Ingram [Memorial]. I have a pretty good amount of laps around there and know that place pretty well, so I’m looking forward to getting back there and go for another win.”
Waltrip piloted the No. 88 Gatorade Chevrolet/Oldsmobile for DiGard from 1976 until the end of 1980 when he moved over to Junior Johnson’s team. During that time frame, Waltrip earned 25 of his 84 career NASCAR Cup Series victories and finished inside the top five each year from 1977-80.
As one of the most recognizable schemes from that era, Kvapil is hoping Waltrip’s Gatorade scheme will give him an extra jolt heading into Saturday’s race at Hickory. Consistency has been a theme for Kvapil in 2026 with only one finish outside the top 10, but he would love to extend his points lead further with more checkered flags over the final six events.
The natural challenges that come from navigating Hickory’s abrasive surface is why Kvapil loves the facility so much, as there is always heavy emphasis on race craft. Kvapil is determined to apply all the knowledge he has acquired from Hickory over the years so he can deliver one more victory for the Waltrip/DiGard No. 88.
“The Throwback [Classic] is a really cool race and it’s one I’ve been wanting to win,” Kvapil said. “I still haven’t even won a CARS Tour race at Hickory surprisingly. I’ve ran super well there in the Pro cars, so if I could get the Throwback win finally this year, especially with [Waltrip’s] throwback scheme, that would be awesome.”
Landon S. Huffman once again honoring dad Shane in Throwback Classic
Just like he did in last year’s Throwback Classic, Landon S. Huffman will fittingly pay tribute to his father, 1999 Hickory Motor Speedway track champion Shane Huffman, on Saturday evening.
The scheme the younger Huffman is utilizing this year is the one Shane carried when won his lone Hickory title; the No. 84 Galaxy Foods Late Model Stock. Landon knew he wanted to pay tribute to Shane again in his second attempt at the Throwback Classic, but he feels honored about driving one of his father’s most iconic and successful schemes.
“This year, it’s a little bit cooler for me because this is probably one of my favorite schemes [that dad] ever ran,” Landon said. “It’s one I’ve always wanted to run since I’ve known about the Throwback [Classic]. It’s really cool.”
Shane’s success at Hickory and across the short track discipline helped him carve out a path to NASCAR that ultimately led him to becoming the general manager for Pinnacle Racing Group. The accolades Shane tallied included 28 victories in the USAR Pro Cup Series, along with a national title on the platform in 2003.
As Landon started carving out his own career in motorsports, he has leaned heavily on Shane for advice, particularly when it comes to getting around Hickory. The track surface has changed drastically since Shane’s formative years, but Landon said many of the fundamentals his dad taught him are still relevant with Hickory’s current abrasive surface.
The car Landon is driving was one of the strongest in last weekend’s Jack Ingram Memorial at Hickory before a late crash while leading ended his night. If his team can carry over that efficiency into Saturday’s Throwback Classic, Landon believes he will have a great opportunity to earn his first CARS LMSC Tour victory while sporting his dad’s old colors.
“It’d be huge to [win] at a place I’ve grown up right down the road from and been to so many times,” Landon said. “The first win is always special, but it’d be a little more special to do it [at Hickory].”
Vito Cancilla paying tribute to great-grandfather Cos in PLM Tour return
In 1955, Danny Letner won what is now the ARCA Menards Series West championship in an Oldsmobile built by Cos Cancilla.
Seven decades later, the legacy of that accomplishment will be recognized by Cos’ great-grandson Vito Cancilla, who is making his first CARS PLM Tour start of 2026. Driving a car that resembles Letner’s No. 6 from 1955, Vito felt it was fitting to honor the lasting impact Cos left on his family and auto racing on the West Coast.
“My great grandfather was a builder for Oldsmobile,” Vito said. “When Oldsmobile got the newest car, they would basically give him that car and he would build it to dominate in NASCAR. Winning that West [Series] championship definitely brought him [to being] inducted into the [West Coast Stock Car/Motorsports] Hall of Fame.”
Over the past few years, Vito has begun to carve out his own path in motorsports just like his great-grandfather before him. Known as ‘The Torpedo’, Vito’s primary focus has been to gain valuable short track experience on the West Coast, but he does occasionally venture to the other side of the United States.
One of those trips was the Tar Heel 250 for the ASA STARS National Tour at Hickory Motor Speedway back in May, which saw Vito finish two laps behind race-winner Caden Kvapil. Vito admitted the evening could have unfolded much better, but he felt a lot of insight was acquired into how to manage equipment around Hickory’s worn-out surface.
With the resources and experience of a team like Rackley W.A.R. on his side, Vito believes his second visit to Hickory in 2026 will be more successful than his first. Paying tribute to his great-grandfather is fueling Vito’s motivation going into the Throwback Classic, as he wants to emulate the same determination that won him a West Series title with Letner 71 years ago.
“I’m expecting all good,” Vito said. “I feel like we’re going to have a fast car and we can make do with that. I feel like I’m better in a Pro Late Model than I am in a Super Late Model, so we’ll see how it goes. To come back 71 years later and dominate in a car that looks identical [to the one my great-grandfather built] would mean a bunch to me.”
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Kicking off the festivities for the 2026 Spears Manufacturing Throwback Classic at Hickory Motor Speedway will be the 100-lap zMAX CARS PLM Tour feature at 7 p.m. ET, with the Late Model Stock race immediately following. FloRacing is set to carry live coverage of all the on-track action Saturday evening.
For more information on the zMAX CARS Late Model Stock Tour and the zMAX CARS Pro Late Model Tour, visit www.carsracingtour.com. Be sure to stay active and social with the tour by liking “CARS Tour” on Facebook, following @CARSTour on X (formerly known as Twitter) and scrolling through photos on Instagram at cars_tour.
Additional series information can be obtained by calling the CARS Tour series office, located in Mooresville, NC at 704-662-9212.
