For the second time in the 2024 season, both divisions of the zMAX CARS Tour will visit Altamahaw, North Carolina, for a date at Ace Speedway.

Since its debut race in 2018, Ace’s 4.6km track has been a staple on the CARS Tour calendar, offering drivers plenty of challenges when it comes to gaining and maintaining position on the track. Many of the series’ best drivers have risen to the challenge and found their way to victory lane at Ace.

After a clear victory by the Kvapil brothers at Ace in May, CARS Tour competitors head into Friday’s AcceleratedGFX.com 285 with the goal of securing a late-summer victory that could give them some crucial momentum heading into the fall months.

Facts about the route

Track: Ace Speedway

Location: Altamahaw, North Carolina

Length: 0.400 miles

Laps: 125 (LMSC), 100 (PLM)

CARS LMSC Tour Races: 9

CARS PLM Tour races: 4

Ace LMSC Winners: Carson Kvapil (3), Bobby McCarty (1), Josh Berry (1), Ryan Millington (1), Layne Riggs (1), Jonathan Shafer (1), Kaden Honeycutt (1)

Ace PLM winners: Caden Kvapil (2), William Sawalich (1), Connor Zilisch (1)

Ace Speedway Schedule

CARS Tour LMSC Participant List (20 Cars)

#03 Brenden Queen, #04 Ronnie Bassett Jr., #2 Brandon Pierce, #6 Bobby McCarty, #7 Dylan Ward, #8 Caden Kvapil, #11 Buddy Isles Jr., #12W Dean Ward, #15 Ryan Millington, # 15C Blake Stallings, #16 Chad McCumbee, #22 Connor Hall, #23 Kade Brown, #29 Brent Crews, #33 Dillon Harville, #55 Isabella Robusto, #59 Heath Causey, #62 Landen Lewis, #77 Treyten Lapcevich, # 81 Mini Tyrrell

CARS Tour PLM Participant List (12 Cars)

#00 Jimmy Renfrew Jr., #6 Tristan McKee, #24 Jake Bollman, #29 Spencer Davis, #35 Caden Kvapil, #43 Nick Loden, #43H Joshua Horniman, #51 TBA, #77 Logan Jones, #88 Max Reaves , #96 TJ DeCaire, #97 Dylan Garner

CARS Tour LMSC points standings

1. Connor Hall

2. Brenden Queen -12

3. Brent Crews -20

4. Carson Kvapil -31

5. Mini Tyrell -36

6. Ryan Millington -39

7. Treyten Lapcevich -53

8. Bobby McCarty -75

9. Jacob Heafner -108

10. Ronnie Bassett Jr. -112

CARS Tour PLM Points

1. Spencer Davis

2. Kaden Honeycutt -5

3. Caden Kvapil -14

4. Jimmy Renfrew Jr. -15

5. TJ DeCaire -29

6. Tristan McKee -34

7. Jake Bollman -35

8. Conner Jones -49

9. Kyle Campbell -65

10. Dylan Garner -88

Dylan Ward brings experience and home advantage to Ace Speedway

The Ward family was a regular part of the vibrant short track culture that existed at Ace Speedway on Friday nights.

Dean Ward was a household name in the Ace fanbase before passing on his racing knowledge to his sons Dylan and Trevor. For Dylan, the AcceleratedGFX.com 285 is the perfect opportunity to continue his family’s legacy at Ace by claiming his first CARS LMSC Tour win in front of his home crowd.

“My dad grew up racing and winning championships (at Ace Speedway),” Dylan said. “When (Trevor and I) started racing, that’s where we started. Trevor and I drove limited-edition cars at Ace Speedway for years and were even crew chiefs on some of the cars. We could probably drive that track with our eyes closed.”

Dylan is a versatile driver like his father, competing in Late Model Stocks, Pro Late Models and Modifieds. Ace and Caraway Speedway are always on his schedule when the CARS Tour visits those tracks. Dylan has typically done better at Caraway, as he has earned both of his top 10 finishes on the CARS Tour at that facility.

Still, Dylan knows he has an advantage every time he visits Ace. The many laps Dylan has completed at weekly events around Ace have helped him get used to the unique facility, which requires competitors to negotiate the first two tight corners before encountering the wider turns three and four.

Thanks to the improvements he made to his program during the offseason, Dylan is confident he can establish a solid position on the circuit and properly utilize the experience he has gained over the years at Ace. Friday’s field may be strong, but Dylan wants nothing more than to prove he can beat the best in the Late Model Stock discipline.

“Winning a CARS Tour race is probably the closest I’ll ever get to winning at Martinsville (Speedway),” Dylan said. “After (Trevor) won at Martinsville, I feel like I have to get one over on him somehow, so I hope I can do that (with a win at Ace).”

Mini Tyrrell is ready to get back into the swing of things on Friday night

A solid second place at North Wilkesboro Speedway was the run Mini Tyrrell needed after a dip in form in the spring.

Tyrrell’s initial performance put him squarely in the CARS LMSC Tour championship hunt before bad luck hampered him later in the year. Although a title may now be out of reach, Tyrrell believes Saturday’s performance could give his team the push they need to get back to challenging for wins on a regular basis.

“It was a phenomenal run,” said Tyrrell. “We’re very proud of this achievement and I can’t thank all the guys in the workshop enough for getting the car to where it was on Saturday night. We were in the top three all night and finished third, so I’m happy to be back where we were at the start of the year.”

Tyrrell knew the key to success in the competitive LMSC tour was to focus on himself as a driver. He sees himself as more mature from a racing and business perspective, but also thanked his crew chief Brandon Butler, a former Late Model Stock driver, for the knowledge he brought to his program.

After some close races this year, including North Wilkesboro, Tyrrell is optimistic that he is close to ending a winless drought of nearly three years. Consistency has always been a goal for Tyrrell, who added that putting in laps and avoiding mistakes are two qualities that can get him closer to victory lane.

Tyrrell knows precision is essential for a strong finish at Ace Speedway. A slight contact with the wall at the facility in May prevented Tyrrell from achieving a better performance, but he is determined to put in a full race on Friday night so he can enjoy a superb run for the second week in a row.

“I really like (Ace),” Tyrrell said. “We haven’t got the runs we need yet, but I think we can stay up front (Friday night). A win would mean the world to my guys and show the world how much hard work we’ve put into this thing. If we don’t do that, we don’t do it, but all we can ask is to keep our car in one piece and keep trying.”

Tristan McKee hopes to build on triumph in North Wilkesboro

For 14-year-old Tristan McKee, the postponed North Wilkesboro Speedway weekend was unforgettable.

In addition to making his CARS LMSC Tour debut, McKee also earned his second 2024 CARS PLM Tour victory by fending off Corey Heim and Spencer Davis. The final laps were nerve-wracking for McKee, but he was very proud to join an elite list of drivers who have won at North Wilkesboro.

“That was probably the best moment of my career,” McKee said. “After Hickory, I told my guys I wanted to ride that lift. We had good race speed, especially on the short track, but it got interesting at the end. I was a little scared as they got closer.”

For his second PLM Tour season, McKee joined Setzer Racing & Development, which has previously supported riders such as William Sawalich and George Phillips. There were some teething issues for McKee, but he is pleased with the progress he and the Setzers have made over the past few months.

McKee praised the Setzers for teaching him important fundamentals on how to optimize his performance in a Pro Late Model. Given the efficiency of his No. 6 Chevrolet, McKee believes he can compete for wins every week through the rest of 2024 if he minimizes his mistakes on the track.

A win on Friday at Ace Speedway would be McKee’s third triumph in his last four starts. He compared Ace favorably to another track where he has a PLM Tour win, Caraway Speedway, so McKee is confident the momentum from North Wilkesboro will translate into another strong performance.

“Caraway is a tight track like Ace,” McKee said. “You need a car that corners really well there. If we can do that in practice (at Ace), I think we have a good chance. We have some notes from last time and have changed some things to my liking. There will be a lot of good cars, but we just have to get the car to my liking.”

A full schedule of racing is scheduled for Ace Speedway on Friday, with the zMAX CARS Tour events being accompanied by the track’s Mini Stock and Modified divisions, both of which will be 30 laps long. FloRacing’s live coverage of the on-track action begins at 4:30 p.m. ET with CARS LMSC Tour qualifying.

For more information on the zMAX CARS Late Model Stock Tour and the zMAX CARS Pro Late Model Tour, visit www.carsracingtour.com. Stay active and social with the tour by liking “CARS Tour” on Facebook, following @CARSTour on X (formerly known as Twitter) and scrolling through photos on Instagram cars_tour.

For more information about the series, call the CARS Tour Series office in Mooresville, NC at 704-662-9212.