North Wilkesboro CARS Tour entry list and storylines

One of the biggest weekends in North Wilkesboro Speedway’s recent history will commence with a zMAX CARS Tour doubleheader between the Late Model Stocks and Pro Late Models.

North Wilkesboro’s comeback has been well-documented amongst the motorsports community in the southeast. After laying mostly dormant for over two decades following NASCAR’s departure in 1996, North Wilkesboro’s modern era began with a month of racing festivities in August 2022 that culminated with the CARS LMSC Tour’s first visit there.

Since then, North Wilkesboro has undergone numerous renovations and hosted a plethora of marquee events that included the NASCAR All-Star Race from 2023-25. Sunday’s Window World 450 is the first points-paying NASCAR Cup Series event at North Wilkesboro in 30 years, but fans will be treated to plenty of on-track action beforehand.

The CARS Tour is one part of a busy racing docket alongside the Cup Series and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Even though the series is heading to North Wilkesboro for the fifth consecutive year, an aging surface and increased notoriety are among the challenges drivers will face as they look to take the famous elevator ride to Cook Out Victory Lane.

Track Facts:

Track: North Wilkesboro Speedway
Location: North Wilkesboro, North Carolina
Length: .625 mile
Laps: 100 (LMSC) / 75 (PLM)
CARS LMSC Tour races: 6
CARS PLM Tour races: 5
North Wilkesboro LMSC winners: Carson Kvapil (1), Brenden Queen (1), Treyten Lapcevich (1), Conner Jones (1), Landen Lewis (1), Caden Kvapil (1)
North Wilkesboro PLM winners: Kaden Honeycutt (2), Augie Grill (1), Tristan McKee (1), Keelan Harvick (1)

LMSC Entry List (35 cars): #03 Brenden Queen, #04 Ronnie Bassett Jr., #2 Brandon Pierce, #3 Kade Brown, #4 Parker Eatmon, #4H Connor Hall, #5 Chase Burrow, #5B Carson Brown, #6 Brandon Lopez, #7 Jesse Love, #8 Tate Fogleman, #8E Chase Elliott, #12 Corey Heim, #15 Jace Hale, #16 Chad McCumbee, #16C Kyle Campbell, #17 Kaden Honeycutt, #18 Max Reaves, #20 Carson Loftin, #27 Andres Perez, #29 Landen Lewis, #32 Carson Kvapil, #41 Ty Fredrickson, #44 Conner Jones, #51 Kasey Kleyn, #51B Michael Bumgarner, #57 Landon Huffman, #71 Jake Bollman, #77 Landon S. Huffman, #77L Treyten Lapcevich, #81 Mini Tyrrell, #88 Caden Kvapil, #88B Doug Barnes Jr., #95 London McKenzie, #99 Dylan Fetcho

PLM Entry List (31 cars): #2NY Colton Ingerick, #3 Kasey Kleyn, #5 James Seeright, #6 Mason Walters, #6L Brandon Lopez, #7 T.J. DeCaire, #9 Chase Elliott, #11 Jack Baldwin, #11C Dylan Cappello, #13 Brandon Marhefka, #15 Case James, #17 Mini Tyrrell, #17 Hudson Halder, #18 Mike Scorzelli, #18R Max Reaves, #20 Evan McKnight, #25 Rodney Dowless Jr., #30 Treyten Lapcevich, #31 Brody Monahan, #33 Albert Francis, #44 Conner Jones, #47 Luke Baldwin, #50 Seth Christensen, #51 Carson Ware, #54 Kaden Honeycutt, #55 Gio Ruggiero, #62 Keelan Harvick, #78 Corey Heim, #90 Joe Maruca, #95 London McKenzie, #97 Dylan Garner

Note: Fields are limited to 36 starters; 30 from qualifying plus six from 2026 CARS Tour owner points

LMSC standings:

1. Caden Kvapil
2. Treyten Lapcevich -23
3. Conner Jones -50
4. Carson Brown -52
5. Chase Burrow -55
6. Parker Eatmon -56
7. Landen Lewis -58
8. Chad McCumbee -69
9. Landon Huffman -80
10. Doug Barnes Jr. -85

PLM standings:

1. Mason Walters
2. Kaden Honeycutt -18
3. Treyten Lapcevich -21
4. Evan McKnight -21
5. Rodney Dowless Jr. -25
6. Conner Jones -26
7. Case James -27
8. Brody Monahan -31
9. Carson Ware -31
10. Chase Burgeson -42

Chase Elliott pulling double duty on Friday in CARS Tour return

The last time 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion Chase Elliott competed in a CARS Tour-sanctioned race was during the platform’s inaugural year in 2015, where he finished runner-up in a Super Late Model race at Hickory Motor Speedway.

On Friday evening, Elliott will make his formal return to the CARS Tour as he kicks off his own quadruple header weekend at North Wilkesboro Speedway that also includes the Cup Series and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. JR Motorsports is spearheading the CARS LMSC Tour effort for Elliott, who will drive his own car in the CARS PLM Tour feature.

Before making the jump to full-time Cup Series competition in 2016, Elliott was renowned for his success on short tracks at such a young age. The list of marquee Super Late Model events Elliott claimed in his formative years include the All American 400, Winchester 400, World Crown and the Snowball Derby, the latter of which he won twice.

Elliott holds the unique distinction of having raced at North Wilkesboro when the facility briefly re-opened from 2010-11. He managed to win a 200-lap Super Late Model event there in 2010 and would carry that experience over into the Cup Series, with Elliott scoring two top fives in the NASCAR All-Star Race.

While Elliott is well-versed in straight rail cars like Pro Late Models, he faces a learning curve in the Skyline National Bank 100 with only limited Late Model Stock experience to rely on. Elliott will look to quickly acclimate himself to both cars in practice on Thursday so he can score two popular victories in front of the North Wilkesboro fanbase.

Brenden Queen ready to chase another North Wilkesboro triumph

Even though 2024 CARS LMSC Tour champion Brenden ‘Butterbean’ Queen finds himself extremely busy with his rookie NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series campaign, there was no way he was going to miss Friday’s Late Model Stock race at North Wilkesboro.

Queen was among the drivers who participated in the first LMSC Tour race at North Wilkesboro back in 2022 and would take the famous elevator ride to Cook Out Victory Lane one year later. Nothing would thrill Queen more than to kick off his busy North Wilkesboro weekend by securing another checkered flag at the historic track.

“[North] Wilkesboro holds a special part in my life and my career with winning the Window World 125 and making my Truck [Series] debut there in 2024,” Queen said. “Being able to go there as a full-time Truck driver and getting to run the Late Model [Stock] race the night before is super cool. That’s what you dream of doing growing up.”

Queen still recalls the atmosphere that enveloped North Wilkesboro in 2022; a capacity crowd enamored over the facility hosting major racing events again. Although the track has undergone numerous changes since that evening, Queen admitted it still feels special every time he pulls into North Wilkesboro for a race weekend.

The repaved surface has challenged Queen over his past two LMSC Tour starts at North Wilkesboro, primarily due to an increased emphasis on maintaining track position. Despite this, Queen still qualified on the front row and finished inside the top five on both occasions, which is why he is confident a second North Wilkesboro triumph is on the horizon.

Friday’s Skyline National Bank 100 will only be Queen’s fourth Late Model Stock appearance since his 2024 LMSC Tour title, but he has not lost his cadence with the discipline. With the efficiency of Lee Pulliam Performance at his disposal, Queen is ready to end his Late Model Stock winless drought and carry that momentum over into Saturday’s Truck Series race.

“I probably couldn’t go celebrate too much because I’ve got to get up early to go race the truck,” Queen said. “The goal would be simple; try to win the Truck [Series] race and double down. It’d be nice to get back into Victory Lane, it doesn’t matter what you’re driving. It’s been a while, so it’d be nice to have that weight off and get the job done.”

Landon S. Huffman seeks redemption at North Wilkesboro

As the laps wound down during the most recent CARS LMSC Tour race at North Wilkesboro Speedway in October, Landon S. Huffman believed he had his first career victory wrapped up.

Instead, Huffman found himself managing both heartbreak and frustration after an intense, last-lap duel with Caden Kvapil ultimately did not go in his favor. With last year’s bitter defeat fueling his motivation, Huffman is eager to return to North Wilkesboro and once again show the speed that nearly guided him to Cook Out Victory Lane last fall.

“I’ve wanted to redo that race since I ran it last time,” Huffman said. “[I don’t think there’s much] I could have done in that spot but definitely wouldn’t mind having that one back. I’m just really excited to get another shot. We’re on a different tire this time, which will definitely throw a wrench into some things, but I have no doubts that we’ll be just fine.”

Despite his confidence, Huffman is also looking for any momentum to turn around what has been an inconsistent season. Huffman opened his 2026 season with an impressive eighth place finish at Southern National Motorsports Park after starting dead last, but has not finished inside the top 10 since that day.

Fortunes have been slightly better for Huffman during his first venture into the ARCA Menards Series platform. He scored top three finishes at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway and Chicagoland Speedway, but his most promising run at Elko Speedway was derailed by a mechanical issue, which relegated Huffman to 14^th after he led 130 laps.

Huffman’s time in the ARCA Menards Series has provided him with plenty of knowledge he intends to utilize at North Wilkesboro, where aerodynamics is expected to be a major factor. Every position will be fought for on Friday, but Huffman is determined to put together a great two days and earn what he believes is an overdue first LMSC Tour win.

“You’re going to have to put it out front and stay out front,” Huffman said. “That’s what I tried to do last time, but Caden [Kvapil] just happened to be a little bit better. It’ll be all about track position and taking everything you can get. That first win is always big and to do it in such a competitive series like the CARS Tour would be huge.”

Battle of the Baldwins: Luke, Jack Baldwin to tackle PLM Tour race

Luke Baldwin was not in the field when his older brother Jack Baldwin made his CARS PLM Tour debut at Caraway Speedway in April, which ended after six laps due to a crash.

The Baldwins have raced each other plenty of times in Modifieds, but the two brothers are eagerly looking forward to participating in their first PLM Tour race together. Luke is driving the No. 47 for Bryson Lopez Racing, while Jack will pilot the No. 11 LRT Motorsports Chevrolet with sponsorship from Stoke Shoes.

Possessing two PLM Tour wins on his resume, Luke is imparting as much knowledge as possible to Jack as he begins making more starts in full-bodied cars. All Luke wants on Friday is to see Jack run well and have an intense, but clean battle with his brother.

“It’s going to be pretty cool,” Luke said. “Getting to work alongside of [Jack] as he figures out the fender car side of things is going to be fun. He’s got two starts under his belt across different series so far. It’s been good to kind of be someone he can lean on for advice as he gets his feet wet in this new division with a new team.

“Hopefully we find ourselves up front together and be side-by-side. Maybe I can feed him a donut or two.”

Luke’s path in motorsports has diverged slightly from Jack’s, but the elder Baldwin still boasts his own fair share of accomplishments. Along with claiming several Crate Modified victories, Jack won the 602 Modified championship in the World Series of Asphalt at New Smyrna Speedway in 2024, one year after his brother Luke.

The transition into stock cars has featured plenty of growing pains for Jack, but he believes it is going smoother than expected. Jack feels momentum is a predominant trait in Pro Late Models just like Crate Modifieds, adding that he has also taken a liking to how much more aggressive he can be with no exposed wheels.

“With the full-bodied [car], there’s a lot more forgiveness when it comes to touching people,” Jack said. “I barely touched someone’s right rear tire at Caraway and destroyed my car in the Modified. You can be rougher and take bigger risks in the late model stuff than a Modified. It’s weird not being able to see the ground right in front of you though.”

Running last year’s SMART Modified Tour race at North Wilkesboro is something Jack hopes will allow him to find a comfort zone much quicker compared to his PLM Tour debut at Caraway. He expects the Pro Late Models to be as fast as Modifieds with how much downforce the cars have but does not know what to anticipate from a racing perspective.

No matter how long it takes to find his comfort zone, Jack has a definitive benchmark to build his expectations around; Luke. Since North Wilkesboro’s return, Luke has raced at North Wilkesboro nine times and earned one victory, so Jack knows he has an arduous task ahead if he wishes to join his younger brother at the front of the field.

“The goal is to always beat [Luke],” Jack said. “Beating him makes the race a little bit more sweeter and having that family competition makes you want it more. The goal is to walk out of [North Wilkesboro] and rub it in his face a little bit [so that] he can’t say nothing until next time. It’s going to be tough, but I got to make all the laps to have a chance at getting up a leg.”

For Luke, his goal is to add a PLM Tour checkered flag at North Wilkesboro alongside his Modified triumph from last year, but he also wants to see Jack place inside the top 10. Luke knows Jack has the talent to be successful in Pro Late Models and is optimistic the effort he, LRT and Stokes are exerting will translate into a strong outing on Friday.

“I just want to see [Jack] be competitive,” Luke said. “It’s been great to watch him and his team grow. It’s a really good group of guys over there, so I’d love to see him competitive. If he can outrun me and have bragging rights against me, it would sting, but it’d be pretty cool to watch. If he can show speed and take care of the race car, I think that’d be a good weekend for him.”