It’s that time of year.
Temperatures are rising on and off the racetrack. Tracks and tours are in full swing. Every week brings big races and evolving storylines.
Summer is here, and with it comes a wealth of short track racing to enjoy. We know you want to watch it all as much as us, so we’ve set up a schedule guide so you don’t miss any major late model racing through the sport’s hottest season.
The list below contains races for the zMAX CARS Tour, zMAX CARS Tour West, ASA STARS National Tour, ASA Southern Super Series, American-Canadian Tour and a few notable unsanctioned events.
Whether you’re in the southeast, midwest, northeast or west coast, there’s late model racing to enjoy. Here’s everything you won’t want to miss over the next couple months.
zMAX CARS Tour
How could we not start with the CARS Tour? The tour is supplying arguably the most exciting racing in the country – seriously, go watch the Langley Speedway finish again. The CARS Tour Late Model Stock car field is seven races into the tour’s 17-race schedule for the 2024 season, leaving some big events on tap for your summer late model fix.
On the heels of an outstanding race at Langley Speedway, the series kicks off its summer stretch this Saturday, June 15 at Dominion Raceway – the site of arguably the race of the year in 2023.
One of the biggest events of the season for the Tour, the throwback event at Hickory Motor Speedway, is scheduled for Saturday, July 27. Much like NASCAR’s throwback weekend at Darlington Raceway, a full field of Late Model Stock cars will be decked out in throwback grassroots colors, with a $10,00 payday on the line.
Speaking of big events, the series returns to North Wilkesboro Speedway on August 3 and will feature Kevin Harvick‘s return to a Late Model Stock car. This race should have already been ran in May, but Mother Nature choosing not to play nice opened up the door for Harvick to jump back behind the wheel in a crown jewel event.
The Tour will cap off their summer stretch on a Friday night down at Florence Speedway on August 30, just south of Darlington. Serving as a prelude to the Southern 500, the winner will be locked-in to the year end South Carolina 400 at Florence in November.
CARS Tour Summer Events
June 15: Dominion Raceway, Thornburg, Va.
July 3: Caraway Speedway, Sophia, Nc.
July 27: Hickory Motor Speedway, Hickory, Nc.
Aug. 3: North Wilkesboro Speedway, North Wilkesboro, Nc.
August 9: Ace Speedway, Altamahaw, Nc.
Aug. 24: Wake County Speedway, Raleigh, Nc.
Aug. 30: Florence Motor Speedway, Timmonsville, Sc.
ASA STARS National Tour
The CARS Tour isn’t the only big name series rolling around this summer. Some of the best Super Late Model drivers in the country will be on full display throughout the summer with the ASA.
ASA kicks off its big summer this weekend with a Wisconsin doubleheader, starting at Madison International Raceway on Friday night (June 14). The series then shifts its attention to the famed Milwaukee Mile for the Father’s Day 100.
After a month-long break, the ASA field will return for one of the most prestigious events in all of short track racing – the Redbud 400 at Indiana’s Anderson Speedway. It’s an intense crown jewel event that pairs some of America’s finest short track racers against each other for 400 laps on a tight quarter-mile bullring.
This year’s Redbud 400 falls on the weekend of NASCAR’s Brickyard 400. Anderson sits just under an hour northeast of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, so if you’re in town for the race you can catch another fantastic event.
ASA STARS Summer Events
June 14: Madison International Speedway, Oregon, Wi.
June 16: The Milwaukee Mile, West Allis, Wi.
July 20: Anderson Speedway, Anderson, In.
Aug. 17: Owosso Speedway, Owosso, Mi.
zMAX CARS Tour West
What about the folks out on the west coast? Lucky for you, there’s still plenty of action this summer on the Pacific side of the U.S. Three races into the inaugural season for the CARS Tour West Pro Late Models, fans have been rewarded with a fantastic points battle.
The top six drivers in the standings are separated by just nine points. Up next? A trip to the Las Vegas Bullring for a pair of races on June 15 and July 3.
The Wednesday, July 3 event will be a part of the annual Night of Fire at the Bullring that will see track champions be crowned and conclude with an independence day firework show.
To close out the summer, CARS West will return for its second stop at the historic Irwindale Speedway as part of the track’s famous Night of Destruction. In edition to a full CARS West Pro Late Model event, fans will witness Figure 8 racing, trailer destruction races and more. Even the Cyclops Monster Truck will make its return to action.
Irwindale’s Night of Destruction truly has something for everyone, from competitive late model action for the hardcore racing fan to fireworks for the kids.
CARS West Summer Events
June 15: The Bullring at Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nv.
July 3: The Bullring at Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nv.
July 20: Stockton 99 Speedway, Stockton, Ca.
Aug. 31: Irwindale Speedway, Irwindale, Ca.
ASA Southern Super Series
The ASA Southern Super Series (SSS) will be in action three separate times this summer for a trio of marquee events: the Blizzard 100, the North South Super Late Model Challenge and the Georgia Summer Nationals.
Starting with the Blizzard 100, the SSS will return to Five Flags Speedway at the end of June with the Blizzard marking its third of four stops at Five Flags on the season.
Headlining the event will be Harvick, making his return to racing for the first time since his retirement from the NASCAR Cup Series. The 2014 Cup champ is set to pilot a Busch Light-sponsored No. 62 in the event.
The SSS then shifts to Nashville Fairgrounds, joining the ASA/CRA regulars for the North South Super Late Model Challenge in July. That event provides 100 laps of real-time tune up for the All-American 400 later in the year, with the winner leaving as a favorite for the 400 in November.
The series will cap off the summer at Crisp Motorsports Park, also known as Watermelon Capital Speedway, with the Georgia Summer Nationals.
SSS Summer Events
June 28: Five Flags Speedway, Pensacola, Fl.
July 13: Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway, Nashville, Tn.
Aug. 10: Crisp Motorsports Park, Cordele, Ga.
American-Canadian Tour
We can’t forget about the northeast. Even in the midst of Modified country, there’s still plenty of late model racing to go around. The American Canadian Tour (ACT) is the only touring late model series to not only feature drivers, but races in two different countries.
The ACT summer calendar features three major events, with the first of these being North of the border. The Can-Am 200 at Autodrome Montmagny in July will give Canada’s best homefield advantage, as the New England invaders look to steal the $10,000 top prize.
Then in August, it will be the New Englanders’ turn to defend their home turf with big money on the line. One of the newer crown jewels, the Midsummer Classic 250 at White Mountain Motorsports Park, will also pay $10,000 to the winner on August 3.
While this isn’t technically in the June-August window, we’d be remiss to not include the 46th-annual Labor Day Classic. The iconic race takes place at Thunder Road International Speedbowl on September 1 (one day past the deadline, give us a break).
The race is a classic, featuring 200 laps around the Vermont quarter-mile bullring known as The Nation’s Site of Excitement, with the winner’s name forever etched in the famed Vermont granite on quarry hill.
ACT Summer Events
June 22: Star Speedway, Epping, N.H.
July 20: Autodrome Montmagny, Montmagny, Q.C.
Aug. 3: White Mountain Motorsports Park, North Woodstock, N.H.
Aug. 24: Oxford Plains Speedway, Oxford, M.E.
Sept. 1: Thunder Road International Speedbowl, Barre, V.T.
The Crown Jewels
To cap this list off, there are four can’t miss events that take place every summer without a series banner, so we’ll group them as Crown Jewels. This isn’t to take away from any of the races listed above, but sometimes tradition doesn’t need to follow a series.
First and foremost, the Virginia Triple Crown kicks off on June 29 with the running of the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 at South Boston Speedway.
The Triple Crown also features the 16th annual Hampton Heat at Langley Speedway. Both races promise to feature the best Late Model Stock car drivers in the Mid-Atlantic.
Over in Super Late Model land, both the Battle at Berlin and the 45th Slinger Nationals are set to take place over the summer months. The 200-lap Slinger Nationals and the 250-lap Battle at Berlin feature outstanding fields of Super Late Models and offer big paydays to the winner.
Crown Jewel Dates
June 29: Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 at South Boston Speedway, South Boston, Va.
July 9: 45th Slinger Nationals at Slinger Super Speedway, Slinger, Wi.
July 20: 16th Hampton Heat at Langley Speedway, Hampton, Va.
Aug. 7: Battle at Berlin 250 at Berlin Raceway, Marne, Mi.
About the author
Chase began working with Frontstretch in the spring of 2023 as a news writer, while also helping fill in for other columns as needed. Chase is now the main writer and reporter for Frontstretch.com's CARS Tour coverage, a role which began late in 2023. Aside from racing, some of Chase's other hobbies include time in the outdoors hunting and fishing, and keeping up with all things Philadelphia sports related.
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