CARS Tour had option to race at New Smyrna this Speedweeks

As part of a conversation about NASCAR potentially needing to move the Daytona 500 off President’s Day weekend to avoid a conflict with the Super Bowl in the coming years, Dale Earnhardt Jr. revealed on his podcast that the CARS Late Model Stock Tour explored racing at New Smyrna this year.

The race would have taken place on Super Bowl Sunday as part of Night 3 of the World Series of Asphalt because that was the only date available.

“We had an opportunity to run at New Smyrna but the only night available was Super Bowl night and I just didn’t think it made sense to send our teams down there on Super Bowl night,” Earnhardt said. “Not many people are going to tune in on Super Bowl night to watch us. It just wasn’t a good night. Nobody wants to go up against that. Nobody.”

Friday was opening night for the first handful of divisions that raced during Speedweeks. Saturday was the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour opener. Monday and Tuesday was the ASA STARS national tour so that just left the moribund Super Bowl day.

This isn’t the first time that CARS Tour, either under the stewardship of Earnhardt, Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton and Justin Marks or the previous series operator Jack McNelly explored the World Series. Nevertheless, CARS Tour is expanding southward this year to Cordele Motor Speedway.

And to Earnhardt’s point, any increased travel would come with increased start money too.