The upper echelon of pavement short track racing is filled with various Late Model tours, whether they be on the Late Model Stock Car side of things or the Super Late Model world.
However, various other leagues await race fans who might find themselves curious as to what other touring series pavement short track racing has to offer.
Often these tours are more regional series that don’t run Late Model machines, therefore keeping them out of the spotlight for one reason or another. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t worth your time.
With that in mind, here are three underrated pavement short track touring series that deserve a bigger audience than they currently have.
The Modifieds of Mayhem Tour
Based out of the Deep South in states such as Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee, the Modifieds of Mayhem Tour is a regional Modified series that has been in action since 2015. The series frequents historic racing venues in the region including Montgomery Motor Speedway, Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway and Five Flags Speedway.
Upon a steady decline in Gulf Coast Modified competition in the early 2010’s, the Modifieds of Mayhem series served as a revival of the division, with drivers from the Gulf Coast and beyond having competed in the series more and more over the course of the last decade.
The series draws racers from Texas to South Florida and seemingly everywhere in-between, meaning that a diverse territory of race tracks is possible if given enough growth.
It runs during perhaps the biggest short track race weekend of the year, when the Snowball Derby is contested in Pensacola, Fla. The series also runs alongside other big races like the Alabama 200 at Montgomery and various other Pro Late Model races in the area.
With the series issuing a revival of the Modified discipline in the Deep South, competing during big race weekends and having several potential audiences for its product, things look to be promising for the future. The Modifieds of Mayhem Tour is one that race fans should keep an eye out for.
Vore’s Compact Touring Series
In a similar fashion to the Modifieds of Mayhem, the Vore’s Compact Touring Series was born from the ashes of a once-struggling racing discipline. Following the Champion Racing Association’s decision to drop its Compact division in 2011, the series was officially started for the 2012 season.
Based primarily in the Midwestern United States, the tour features compact, front-wheel-drive vehicles. The series got its start at race tracks like Winchester Speedway and Shadybowl Speedway, but has expanded its reach across the Midwest to various other facilities over the years.
Things have been looking even better in recent years for the VCTS. The tour has expanded into the Southeastern United States for select events, making select starts at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway and Five Flags Speedway. These starts came during big weekends, too, including the All American 400 in Nashville and the weekend of the ASA Sunshine State 200 at Five Flags.
In a racing climate heavily impacted by modern economic trends, this comparatively budget-friendly tour has proven to be a great asset for racers looking to make their mark against skilled competition at an affordable price. Car counts for VCTS events have been exceptionally healthy, with the series routinely fielding lineups of 25 to 30 cars or more on any given race weekend.
The VCTS is one example of an economy class making it big in modern-day short track racing – and it’s safe to say the tour is on a positive trend.
CRA Street Stocks
The Champion Racing Association (CRA) Street Stocks make up just one part of the CRA family. Race fans might be more familiar with the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Pro Late Model Tour, or perhaps the ASA/CRA Super Late Model Series. Those top tours leave CRA Street Stocks as a series that can often be overlooked.
Much like the previously mentioned Vore’s Compact Touring Series, the CRA Street Stocks primarily compete in the Midwest region of the United States. The 2025 CRA Street Stock schedule features 12 events across Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee.
Most pavement short tracks across the nation have some form of a ‘Street Stock’ class. A regional sanctioning body with a reputation like CRA can provide these Street Stock racers with a larger variety of tracks where they can compete. A unified rulebook and sanctioning body between various tracks and states opens doors for competitors in a division of cars that likely don’t get to travel much.
Much like the VCTS, the CRA Street Stocks are routinely part of one of the biggest race weekends of the year – the All American 400. With big events on the schedule and a doorway for local racers to travel and build their reputation, the CRA Street Stocks serve as an underrated slice of the CRA racing family.
Late Models are flashy and dominate headlines, but the series mentioned in this story often provide a similarly-compelling racing produce. These tours often have deeper connections to grassroots racing fans, making them even more beloved in their specific sects and regions of the sport.
For fans who want to look past the marquee attractions in short track racing, these tours show that some of the most authentic and entertaining races can be found just beyond the beaten path.
