The CARS Tour will make its first of two visits this season to Sophia, North Carolina’s Caraway Speedway, a 0.455-mile oval just outside of Asheboro, on Wednesday night. Even though this race will take place in the heat of the summer, it’s arguably the second-most important race of the season with Caraway hosting the season finale in November.

Kyle Larson Making CARS Tour Debut

The CARS Tour’s championship contenders will have to fight with some big names on Wednesday at Caraway Speedway, the biggest among them being Kyle Larson who is making a rare start in a Late Model Stock Car.

Just how rare is this appearance for Larson? Well, it’s his first race in a Late Model Stock Car since 2013. In fact, it’s Larson’s first appearance in a pavement Late Model in 10 years as well. 

Larson will be racing a second JR Motorsports car with support from HendrickCars.com, his primary sponsor on his Hendrick Motorsports No. 5 Chevrolet in the NASCAR Cup Series. 

Josh Berry Wearing The Crew Chief Hat

Running a JR Motorsports car has some perks that come with it, too. Larson’s crew chief is none other than Josh Berry, the 2017 CARS Tour champion and the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series national champion of 2020. Berry has 22 CARS Tour wins to his name, though surprisingly none of those wins came at Caraway.

Watch: Larson Discusses Making His First CARS Tour Start In The High Limit Room.

Jeremy Mayfield Making CARS Tour Debut

Another big name on this week’s entry list making his CARS Tour debut is a driver that also has plenty of experience at NASCAR’s highest level. That driver is Owensboro, Kentucky’s Jeremy Mayfield.

Mayfield, a five-time winner in the Cup Series, has been making spot starts in a variety of different cars since his time in NASCAR came to an end. From Tour-type Modifieds to dirt Late Models, Mayfield has pretty much done it all over the last handful of years. Now Mayfield will get to cross a Late Model Stock Car with the CARS Tour off his list. He’ll be driving a No. 19 machine owned by Jimmy Mooring on Wednesday night at Caraway.

Layne Riggs Driving Kevin Harvick's No. 62

Wednesday night will also see the return of the Kevin Harvick Incorporated No. 62 Ford, only this time Harvick will not be behind the wheel. Instead, it will be last year’s NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series national champion, Layne Riggs. And even though Harvick won’t be driving it, his crew chief Rodney Childers will still be the one turning the wrenches for Riggs on Wednesday night.

Riggs racing for Harvick in a car prepared by Childers is a full-circle moment for everybody involved. Riggs’ father, Scott, drove for Delana Harvick’s father, John Paul Linville, in the USAR Hooters Late Model Series. Scott Riggs also had Childers as his crew chief in the Cup Series for few years as well. 

A Tight (And Fierce?) CARS Tour Championship Battle

The CARS Tour turns its attention to Caraway following an instant classic at Virginia’s Dominion Raceway a week and a half ago. With defending champion Carson Kvapil finishing fourth that night and Brenden Queen finishing second while collecting bonus points for winning the pole, leading a lap, and leading the most laps, the championship battle is now very much alive.

Kvapil heads to Caraway with a 15-point lead over Queen, and he’s heading to a track at which he and his JR Motorsports team showed a lot of speed last year. Kvapil scored a win at Caraway last year in the Old North State Nationals, taking home the $30,000 top prize. He finished third in the second trip to Caraway last year, so Kvapil is quite confident heading into Wednesday night’s race.

How To Watch CARS Tour at Caraway Speedway

Wednesday's CARS Tour event at Caraway Speedway is a doubleheader between the CARS Tour Late Model Stock Cars and the CARS Tour Pro Late Models. Race fans can watch Wednesday's race from Caraway Speedway, and every CARS Tour race, live on FloRacing with a FloRacing subscription. Race fans can subscribe by clicking here.

CARS Tour LMSC Entry List at Caraway Speedway