History of CARS Tour

The USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series launched in 1997. The series utilized steel-bodied stock cars and the schedule swelled to 20 races in 1998. The Hooters Cup Late Model Series ceased operations at the end of the 1997 season.

The series split into Northern and Southern Tours and implemented a playoff system now largely replicated by the top series in NASCAR.

Following Brooks’ death in 2006, the series was sold and became the USARacing Pro Cup Series beginning in 2009.

Jack McNelly, the series director and owner, changed the name in 2011 to Championship Auto Racing Series (CARS) Pro Cup and a new title sponsor was added in Revolution Oil. The series raced under the Rev-Oil Pro Cup Series name through 2013.

In 2014, the series began the transition to Late Model Stock Cars, and by the end of the season the CARS Tour was formed by absorbing the now-defunct UARA-STARS Late Model Series.

Super Late Models (straight-frame chassis) were added to the CARS Tour. A relationship with other sanctioning bodies in the Super Late Model universe (United Super LM Late Model Rules Alliance) helped codify common rules packages to allow CARS Tour competitors to run with other groups without significant changes. McNelly created CARS Tour TV, which gave the sanctioning body its own streaming/broadcast service. It marked the first time in asphalt Late Model series history had formed its own digital streaming service, carrying each of the series’ races.

A schedule plan that split the Late Model Stock Car and Super Late Model classes launched in 2018 to build in flexibility so that CARS Tour competitors could run in major regional and national races and prevent conflicts that would reduce car counts.

The CARS Tour elected to switch from Super Late Models to Pro Late Models in 2022 to gain more regular fields. In the Late Model Stock Car ranks, the series scheduled races at the revitalized North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway as part of Speedway Motorsports’ plan to bring racing back to one of the sport’s most legendary tracks. A crowd estimated at 20,000-plus was on hand to see Carson Kvapil win the event, with team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. a strong third at the finish. Plans were set for returns in both 2023 and 2024.

In January, CARS Tour was acquired by Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton, and Justin Marks. All have interests in developing talented racers and crew members for the future of the sport. In November, CARS Tour introduced zMAX as the entitlement sponsor of the series. FloSports returned for the second-consecutive season to live stream all CARS Tour events.

In January, the CARS Tour announced its Pro Late Model series would be split into East and West divisions, marking the first expansion from the East Coast for the new ownership group. The following month, in February, CARS Tour shared that SoundGear, the worldwide leader in hearing protection, would be the presenting sponsor, as well as the official hearing protection partner for the Southeast’s premier touring Late Model series.