RALEIGH, N.C. — Prior to Saturday’s Accent Imaging 125 at Wake County Speedway, Mini Tyrrell had not won a zMAX CARS Late Model Stock Car Tour event since prevailing at Tri-County Motor Speedway on Sept. 11, 2021.
In the years since that triumph, Tyrrell has become a familiar, veteran presence on the CARS LMSC Tour despite only being 20 years old. Possessing over 70 starts to his name, Tyrrell gradually built his small program into a consistent frontrunner, with every strong showing only fueling his motivation to return to Cook Out Victory Lane.
The prolonged dry spell finally ended for Tyrrell in convincing fashion at Wake County. No one in the 27-car field could match the stellar pace established by Tyrrell, who proceeded to lead nearly the entire Accent Imaging 125 and earn his second LMSC Tour checkered flag after years of close calls.
Wake County triumph cathartic, emotional for Mini Tyrrell
Plenty of energy was emanating from Mini Tyrrell as he climbed out of his No. 81 Convenience Tire & Auto Toyota in Cook Out Victory Lane at Wake County Speedway.
Tyrrell was patiently waiting for the day where the hard work exemplified by everyone on his program would culminate into a complete day at the track. The past several years have been frustrating for Tyrrell at times, which only made his efficient Wake County performance even more rewarding.
“This one speaks volumes to this race team,” Tyrrell said. “It’s been a while since we’ve been to victory lane, but I’m just so proud of my team. This one was well-fought, well-deserved and we’ve been working so hard. We had such a great year last year but had some bad luck. I can’t thank everybody enough.”
Since making his CARS LMSC Tour debut at South Boston Speedway back in 2018, every step of Tyrrell’s journey gradually built towards where he currently stands in Late Model Stocks.
Every season, including his part-time campaign in 2022, saw Tyrrell inch closer to the front of the LMSC Tour field. The 2024 campaign was his best on the CARS Tour platform to date, which saw him emerge as an early-season contender for the Late Model Stock title before settling for third in the final standings with seven top fives.
Although Tyrrell is always making strides with his program, that positive trajectory coincides with a growing LMSC Tour field dominated by parity. Nothing has come easy for Tyrrell in his pursuit of another victory, but with Wake County proving to be one of the best drives of his career, Tyrrell is confident more triumphs are ahead in 2025.
“This is definitely like a big monkey falling off our back,” Tyrrell said. “These races are so hard. Just getting the pole this weekend was a win. That was incredible because this field is so tight. Each and every year, there’s more competition and more cars that get sent home. I’m so proud of myself and my team. I’m blessed.”
Connor Hall builds off New River victory with runner-up finish
Perseverance was the theme of Connor Hall’s second career CARS LMSC Tour visit to Wake County Speedway.
After qualifying in the 13th position, Hall had to methodically navigate his way around other competitors and the tight confines of Wake County to secure a second-place finish. Hall’s night was not without contact, but he was determined to overcome a slow start to the weekend and build momentum from his New River All American Speedway win.
“It all started with the guys,” Hall said. “Bryan Shaffer and everybody worked their butts off. They brought me a really good car. We battled some issues, but they kept working at it and gave me something good enough to drive to the front with. I think it was kind of a ‘don’t quit’ attitude.”
The damage Hall sustained on the right front on his car occurred with 52 laps remaining. Chad McCumbee checking up at the exit of turn two required Kade Brown to let off the gas, which resulted in Hall climbing over Brown’s left rear and stacking up the field behind them.
Despite this, the handling on Hall’s car was not visibly impacted by the contact with Brown and he continued his charge towards the front. A handful of late race cautions also played into Hall’s favor, as he utilized the choose cone and capitalized on competitors spinning in front of him to get within striking distance of Mini Tyrrell’s lead.
Hall’s runner-up showing at Wake County further bolstered the advantage he held in the LMSC Tour standings after New River. While he would have preferred a victory, Hall knew it was imperative for him to finish Wake County strong, especially with the next event at Cordele Motor Speedway presenting plenty of unknowns.
“It wasn’t pretty but we did it,” Hall said. “I didn’t have much for Mini [Tyrrell] at the end, but I wanted to try and steal one. By the time I got clear on the bottom [during the last restart], he was a little too far out for me to try something. They were the class of the field, but this was a big improvement from my first time here last year.”
Eventful evening for Doug Barnes Jr. ends in third place
With 56 laps remaining in the Accent Imaging 125 at Wake County Speedway, Doug Barnes Jr. was facing the wrong way in turn two after being spun from the sixth position.
Barnes did not let the setback deter him and proceeded to grind his way back towards the front of the field during the second half of the CARS LMSC Tour feature. When the checkered flag waved, Barnes had climbed back to third, but the veteran driver voiced frustration over how others, particularly winner Mini Tyrrell, raced him during the night.
“I raced [Mini Tyrrell] with respect and I clearly didn’t get that back,” Barnes said. “I didn’t have enough tire to get to him at the end, but the next time we do have tire, he’ll know we’re there.”
After an uneven debut LMSC Tour outing with Lee Pulliam Performance at New River All American Speedway translated into a seventh-place run, Barnes saw Wake County as an opportunity to regroup and move forward.
The qualifying effort from Barnes was an immediate improvement from New River, as he secured a fourth-place spot on the starting grid as opposed to 26th. Barnes’ mid-race spin meant he would have to progress from the rear again, this time with fewer laps at his disposal around a much smaller track.
Barnes found minimal solace with his solid outcome, as he knew the car provided by Lee Pulliam was strong enough to dominate the Accent Imagin 125. An irritated Barnes intends to use the disappointment from Wake County and parlay it into what he hopes is a campaign worthy of the LMSC Tour title.
“It’s frustrating,” Barnes said. “These guys work so hard and I want it more than every person in this field. I’m not taking this anymore. We’re going to win a lot of races with this Lee Pulliam crew. To come out of here with a third, you’d think it’d be a win, but we’re better than that. We don’t come here to finish third.”
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As Tyrrell celebrated his long-overdue victory with his crew, he took time to appreciate the sacrifices his family made to help make a career in motorsports a reality, especially from his father Timmy.
Without Timmy, who Tyrrell is named after, he said the first checkered flag at Tri-County would not have been possible. There were times during the drought where Tyrrell doubted himself, but having Timmy constantly in his ear was a catalyst that drove him to refine his craft and become a CARS Tour winner once again.
“I can’t say enough nice things about [my dad],” Tyrrell said. “He works hard every single day for me to be able to do this. Working with your best friend seven days a week isn’t easy, but we make it do. He’d sell his liver to get me here.”
Tyrrell will look to back up his stalwart Wake County performance during the CARS Tour’s inaugural visit to Cordele Motor Speedway on April 12, which will feature both the Late Model Stock and Pro Late Model divisions. FloRacing will have coverage of all the on-track action.
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 cars_tour.
Additional series information can be obtained by calling the CARS Tour series office, located in Mooresville, NC, at 704-662-9212.
LMSC Results:
- 81 Mini Tyrrell
- 88 Connor Hall
- 88B Doug Barnes Jr.
- 4 Kade Brown
- 29 Landen Lewis
- 04 Ronnie Bassett Jr.
- 16 Chad McCumbee
- 4S Donovan Strauss
- 2 Brandon Pierce
- 32 Dylon Wilson
- 15H Holden Haddock
- 57 Landon Huffman
- 15 Ryan Millington
- 1J Clay Jones
- 11 Buddy Isles Jr.
- 00 Chase Burrow -2
- 05 Mason Bailey -2
- 28 Landon S. Huffman -4
- 7 Tristan McKee – OUT
- 44 Conner Jones – OUT
- 03 Lanie Buice -16
- 08 Deac McCaskill – OUT
- 22 Carson Loftin -24
- 4E Parker Eatmon – OUT
- 1 Andrew Grady – OUT
- 08H Carson Haislip – OUT
- 71 Aaron Donnelly – DNS
