IHRA ‘champion’ Dylan Newsome set to make CARS Tour debut

Dylan Newsome had been leading the points in the IHRA Stock Car Series’ Sportsman division with hopes of clinching his first touring series championship.  Now, more than a month removed from the series’ third and final race, Newsome is set to make his debut in the zMAX CARS Tour.

The 28-year-old from Goldsboro, North Carolina, who has won championships at three different Eastern North Carolina tracks, was excited about racing in the IHRA Stock Car Series.  He had been attracted to budget-friendly rules package and the purses paid out by the series.  However, after three races, the series abruptly ceased operations.

“I’m not gonna lie, it was really heartbreaking because I felt like we’ve had race winning cars in at least two of the three races we did go to,” Newsome told Short Track Scene.  “It didn’t fall into place for us then, but we had a huge vision going back to Pulaski.  It was absolutely devastating.  I mean, good payout, we had really good competition.  I love the way those things drive.  You know, we started racing on Charger cars on scuff tires and ride height rules and they just drove awesome.”

In the wake of the series’ apparent demise, friends and family jokingly congratulated Newsome on winning the series championship – a title that has not formally or officially been designated by the series.

“It’s more of a joke thing,” Newsome stated.  “We loved every single thing about it.  There was nothing negative I could say regarding the whole thing other than it folding.”

With the IHRA Stock Car Series season in the rear-view mirror, Newsome now has to look forward, and he is doing so by making his CARS Tour debut at Hickory Motor Speedway on Saturday night.

So, what are his expectations for his first race in the country’s premier late model tour?

“Truthfully, just to make it to the end and have a competitive car,” Newsome said.  “I’ll obviously be disappointed if we don’t win but I feel like, we’re a little fish and there are some very big fish.  If we can make it to the end and, especially, finish top-three or top-five, that would just be remarkable for us.  We’ve had some great runs against great teams before, but we haven’t ran all year long, haven’t been on that tire, haven’t been on bump stops, so you never know.”

While expectations are tempered, Newsome does not count out the possibility of scoring an upset victory.

“Greg Peterson has got this thing absolutely dialed in on the old stuff and him and Zach Miracle have, I guess, worked miracles in the past.  They’ve done great, they’ve performed amazing and we’re very lucky to have him.  I mean, we’ve got big dreams.  Obviously, we try to stay humble, but you know, we want to win.”

Newsome will be running a “Victory Junction” throwback scheme, paying tribute to Kyle Petty’s early-1990s Mello Yello paint scheme.  He is hoping to raise awareness for Victory Junction and their mission.

Right now, Newsome says his team is taking things one race at a time, but they do plan on racing in the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 at Martinsville Speedway in September, and at the Thanksgiving Classic at Southern National Motorsports Park in November.  He said he would also like to get back to Coastal Plains Raceway in Jacksonville, where he has won a Late Model championship.

“We’re kind of picking and choosing our battles and if we can get somebody that would support us, we wouldn’t mind running the CARS Tour,” Newsome remarked.  “But that’s a really big step for a little fish like us.”

The zMAX CARS Tour Throwback 276 will take place at Hickory Motor Speedway on Saturday night and is being broadcast live on FloRacing, and will be available to watch at no cost on FloRacing’s FAST channel and on YouTube.