Battle of the Stars kicks off three weeks of big races in Carolinas

Late Model Stock Car racing’s 2024 season is drawing to a close with three big races coming up in the Carolinas – beginning with Saturday night’s Battle of the Stars at New River All American Speedway in Jacksonville, North Carolina.

The entry list for the renewal of the Battle of the Stars has been growing throughout the week and currently stands at 16, but is expected to surpass 20.  Names such as Conner Jones, Andrew Grady, Ronnie Bassett, Jr., Riley Neal and Ryley Music will race head-to-head with local standouts, including Chris Burns, Rusty Daniels, and Dylan Newsome on Saturday.

The event has been held in two prior instances, first in November 2021 with Josh Berry scoring the win, and then in March 2023 when Brenden “Butterbean” Queen drove away with the victory.  This year’s format is different from year’s past, however, and different from most other big Late Model Stock Car races.

New River All American Speedway is forgoing stage racing and competition cautions in favor of a 131-lap feature race which will be held straight up.  The format will provide a unique challenge given the track’s abrasive surface.

After this weekend, some of the teams competing will turn their attention to the South Carolina 400 at Florence Motor Speedway which already boasts a star-studded field with over 50 driver set to compete which includes Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Brenden Queen, Kade Brown, and many others.

Finally, the three week stretch will conclude at Southern National Motorsports Park with the Thanksgiving Classic which will be held from Friday, November 29 through Sunday, December 1.

Each of the three races will be broadcast on different streaming platforms.  The Battle of the Stars will be available as a standalone pay-per-view on BigSports.TV for $19.99, while the South Carolina 400 will be on FloRacing and the Thanksgiving Classic on Racing America.

Battle of the Stars Entry List

1. #01 – Thomas Beane
2. #04 – Ronnie Bassett, Jr.
3. #1 – Andrew Grady
4. #15 – Clay Jones
5. #16 – Rusty Daniels
6. #19 – Chris Burns
7. #42 – Chris Horton, Jr.
8. #44 – Conner Jones
9. #44A – Dylan Newsome
10. #47 – Ryley Music
11. #50 – Riley Neal
12. #51 – Gerald Benton
13. #51C – Chris Chapman
14. #54 – Adam Resnick
15. #81 – Sam Butler
16. #84 – Blaise Brinkley