late-model-stock

Solid Rock Carriers CARS Tour Event Preview: David “Lightning” Saunders Memorial 125 – May 22, 2021 – Caraway Speedway – Sophia, NC

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (May 18, 2021) – For the first time is series history, the CARS Late Model Stock Car Tour will visit the .455 mile Caraway Speedway located in Sophia, North Carolina. A track widely known for its modified races will see the return of a major Late Model Stock event Saturday night under the lights. The event will be noted as a “wild card” race on the 2021 season schedule, as no driver on the circuit calls Caraway home on a regular basis. Momentum will be the theme of the weekend. The track features wide sweeping turns in both corners and long narrow straightaways, which leads to teams setting up a car that can maintain consistent high speeds throughout the turns. The trip to Caraway this weekend is expected produce a solid fan count with it being the final race in the tour’s home state of North Carolina during the summer months, until the series returns for the annual Throwback 276 event at Hickory Motor Speedway on July 31st.

 

EVENT NOTES

Track: Caraway Speedway

Location: Sophia, NC

Track Size: .455 mile

Event Name: David “Lightning” Saunders Memorial 125

Laps: 125L (LMSC)

Distance: 56.87 miles (LMSC)

Event Schedule: Practice: 2:15PM-3:30PM / Qualifying: 5:45PM / Green Flag: 7:00PM

Ticket Prices: ADULT $25 Advance (Call: 336.629.5803) / $25 Day of Event

TRACKSIDE $25 Advance (Call: 336.629.5803) / $25 Day of Event

KIDS (11 and Under) Free

 

PRE ENTRY LIST

LMSC Entry List (20 total)

#08 Deac McCaskill, #2 Brandon Pierce, #4 Johnathan Findley, #4H Kaden Honeycutt, #7 Dylan Ward, #14 Jared Fryar, #17 Joe Valento, #18 Jason York, #21 Connor Jones, #22 Bobby McCarty, #24 Mason Diaz, #27 Coy Beard, #44 Justin Johnson, #81 Mini Tyrrell, #81B Sam Butler, #87 Mike Looney, #88 William Cox III, #91 Johnathan Shafer, #95 Sam Yarbrough, #99 Layne Riggs

 

SOCIAL

Facebook: CARS Tour / Caraway Speedway

Instagram: cars_tour / caraway_speedway

Twitter: @CARSTour / @carawayspeedway / #ForLightning125

 

MEDIA

CARS Tour TV (carstour.tv)

Race22 (race22.com)

Short Track Scene (shorttrackscene.com)

 

QUICK HITS

A First Time Visit

Saturday night’s visit to Caraway Speedway will be the first of two new tracks during the 2021 season that the series has never visited. The central North Carolina race track has played host to multiple major modified events over the past several seasons, but this will be the facilities biggest Late Model Stock Car race it has hosted in a long time. The excitement for fans, at least, will be the lack of home track advantage. An unknown facility like Caraway could be exactly what shakes things up among the championship points standings. The potential for a first time series winner could easily be in the mix. Mini Tyrrell, Mike Looney, along with rookies Kaden Honeycutt and Sam Butler are all the leading candidates to earn their first series career win.

 

Fryar Starting to Form Championship Form

Defending series champion Jared Fryar is beginning to get into the same consistent form he did a season ago, which earned him the championship title. The driver from Trinity, North Carolina, just a short drive from Caraway Speedway, has posted three top five finishes (all 4th place finishes) in the first four races of the season. Those results have pushed him to second overall in the championship standings, just eleven markers behind leader Bobby McCarty. An advantage that Fryar has is experience at Caraway this season. While not in a Late Model Stock, Fryar did compete in the SMART Modified race at the .455 facility on March 14th finishing 7th. If Fryar can improve on his qualifying efforts, having not started better than 14th all season, he could once again return to Edelbrock Victory Lane and kick start his bid for back-to-back championships.

 

Remembering David “Lightning” Saunders

David “Lightning” Saunders was the CARS Late Model Stock Tour head technical inspector for two seasons (2018-2019). During that time, “Lightning” helped elevate the tour to a new level with his approach and appreciation to the sport and its competitors. That approach is exactly why he was respected and appreciated by everyone at a CARS Tour event. When not working at a CARS Tour event, “Lightning” was a regular at the Caraway Speedway, assisting owner Darren Hackett and company with the day to day operations and facility management. This weekend’s tribute race to “Lightning” is the perfect blend of two parties honoring a respected man’s legacy for years to come.

 

The Solid Rock Carriers CARS Tour is one of the premier short track series in the United States. Drivers compete in Late Model Stock Cars and Super Late Models at the best short tracks across the Carolinas, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Virginia. The CARS Tour can be found on Facebook at “CARS Tour”, on Twitter @CARSTour, and on Instagram as @CARS_Tour. For more information, visit www.carsracingtour.com or call their Mooresville, N.C. headquarters at 704.662.9212.