Kvapil wins at Wilkesboro, Lewis takes CARS Tour title

Landen Lewis and Kevin Harvick Inc. won the CARS Late Model Stock Tour championship while Caden Kvapil won the race at North Wilkesboro.

After a season-long battle with Connor Hall for the championship, Lewis finished seventh in the 125-lap race to claim the title.

“It just feels special, really,” Lewis said. “All the hard work, the long days at the racetrack, all the blood, sweat, tears, just makes it all worth it, right? When you can come here and not have to win, it’s definitely a lot less stressful. But I will tell you, that was probably one of the most stressful races I’ve ever raced. Just trying to manage everything and trying not to put myself in bad spots. It’s just a lot going on. So I feel like now that I truly understand why winning championships in general is so hard.”

Lewis took the lead on the opening lap, but when he lost clean air he wasn’t able to get back to the front. He felt like if they made the right adjustments at the halfway break then they could have won.

“We took the lead early,” Lewis said. “I felt pretty good about it. I was just way too free. I was fine out in clean air. But then when I got in dirty air, I didn’t have a race car that could win the race. I thought we were right there in that top three to second place range. We were definitely better than Connor. I just didn’t want to put myself in the wrong spot and have what Tri-County ended up like. 

“I just tried to put myself on offense the majority of the race. I thought at the break we probably could make it a little bit better, [but] we were just still way too free. [I] definitely didn’t have the car to win. Didn’t have the car that we had here early this year, but at the end of the day, we had just what we needed to lock up the championship. A moonshine still would look good next to the one we got at the shop. But at the same time, those two trophies, they shine up pretty good. So they mean a little bit more at this point.”

He was emotional before the race, and winning the championship made him that much more emotional.

“It just means the world to me,” a choked up Lewis said. “I knew going in this year [that] this was going to be the year that I needed to turn everything around. I put everything I possibly had into this year to make this year. My family put everything into it. My sponsors put everything into it. And I just have great people around me to be able to lean on and have guidance when I need it.

“Kevin, Delaina, Rodney, Miles, everybody that’s a part of this group, it’s pretty special to be a part of, honestly, and I’m going to miss it. I’m going to miss it a ton. I don’t think you can ever relive this moment. This is once in a lifetime. I do this, and to be in this spot as a driver, I’m just freaking a kid that’s really freaking lucky to drive this car.

“Everybody has just pushed me to be a better person, better race car driver, and just be good, right? And without them, I don’t think I’m where I need to be in life and in my career, and they just, they turn everything around, really. And that’s, I don’t want to start crying, but at the same time, it just, it means a ton to me, it does.”

Then on the other side was Hall, who for a second year in a row saw the CARS Tour championship slip from his grasp.

Hall led early, but a wrong adjustment at the halfway break set them back, and he wasn’t able to rally back to the lead and finished third, falling just short of the championship. After putting on new right side tires with the rest of the field at the halfway break, he felt like the car wasn’t where it needed to be anymore.

“[I’m] more upset about missing my halfway adjustment than the championship,” Hall said. “The championship is kind of decided coming into this week. Hard to make up 13 points in one race. [I] had a really good car the first half and just thought I needed to be just a touch tighter and just didn’t consider, I guess, how much the two tires would tighten me up versus any adjustment. So, just over relayed what I needed on my part and kind of took the speed out of it. It was a third place car from there on out.

“I definitely think if we had just left it alone, bolt on tires, and the tires kind of be the adjustment, I think we would have been in a lot better shape for sure. But like I said, it’s just a little bit of not knowing on my part. I was loose, so I relayed to my crew chief that I was loose. I guess I should have just taken into consideration what two tires might have done and just missed it on my part.”

This marks the last race for Hall and JR Motorsports. When reflecting back on the year, Hall wishes he could change just a few things to win the championship, but he also appreciates his time with the team.

“I think we had the same expectation from the very first day,” Hall said. “ Good driver, good team, got to win races. We’re in position a lot of the time this year, and just bad luck or situation or whatever it be. We were just talking about it, I was joking, I said, ‘if I go back and do one thing this year, it would be not blow that right front tire at Ace leading,’ because that was getting ready to be a really good one for us. A lot of micro-isms turning to macro-isms. Just little small things and bumps and bruises along the way ended up costing us the championship of the year. And that’s just how it works.”

Caden Kvapil earns first career CARS Late Model Stock win

While Lewis and Hall were fighting for the championship, Caden Kvapil and Landon S. Huffman dueled for the win at North Wilkesboro.

Huffman dominated most of the race, but in the last ten laps, Kvapil was able to run him down. Kvapil got to his inside a few times in the final laps, but was unable to make the pass. On the last lap, Kvapil put the bumper to Huffman in turns one and two and got inside down the backstretch. Going into turn three, he moved Huffman up the track just enough to make the pass and take the win.

Kvapil was excited to take home his first career CARS Late Model Stock win.

“It’s so awesome,” Kvapil said. “It’s a historic place. I don’t think you could ask for anywhere better to get your first win. To join my brother as one of the few that have done it, it’s really cool. This track has a lot of history, like I said. I definitely didn’t think it was going to come in a Late Model Stock race. I thought I could maybe win here in a Pro. We’ve been really good here. Every time I come here, no matter what car I’ve driven. 

“To get it at this big of a track, a lot of fans here, a lot of important people here, to prove that I have the abilities to do it is really cool. I just can’t thank my crew enough. They worked hard all weekend and gave me a really good car where I could compete for the win. We didn’t start that good. I messed up in qualifying and put us back, but we never gave up. This thing was lights out quick all night.”

Kvapil knew the hail mary on the last lap was his chance to take the win after battling with Huffman for so long.

“I kind of knew that was my only option, right?” Kvapil said. “I was definitely faster than him. Clean air was really important all night, and my [turns] one and two was amazing every time. I could pull to his inside every time. I could never get a big enough run to where I could have a nose on him going into [turn] three and kind of control him. He would always control me. He was really pinching me really hard out of turn 4, like he should. That’s how you’re supposed to do it, so it would just break all my momentum. 

“I kind of knew going into that, well, I thought I was too far back. I was a car length back coming to the white, and I was like, ‘I’m done, whatever, I’ll get second.’ But I got a really good corner through one and two and pulled to his inside once again. And at that point, that’s kind of my only option. I wanted this win so bad, and I know he did too, but going for this big of a win, I kind of had to do it. So I gave him a little door, shoved us both up the hill, and that was all she wrote. But it sucks, obviously, for him. I don’t want to be mad at me. He’s one of my good buddies, so I’m sorry to him, but, man, it’s awesome.”

Huffman once again fell just short of his first career CARS Tour win. After a great race and runner-up at Tri-County, it seemed Huffman’s dominance would carry him to the win, but it wasn’t enough

“I knew I was definitely at a disadvantage being on the top,” Huffman said. “There’s a few things I wish I would have done different now. If I could have, if I knew that I was clear  would have turned down and probably put him on the outside. And then when he drove off into three like that, I should have slammed on the brakes and drove under. Just a lot that I should have done different to prevent that from even happening. But, you know, really good night for my Pinnacle Racing Group guys. I’m super thankful to be here.”

Even though it wasn’t a win, Huffman is happy to string good runs together and believes he can continue to build momentum.

“I feel really good about it,” Huffman said. “I don’t really know what next year holds, but I hope that, you know, the last two weeks can convince some people that I deserve to be here. It’s been a rough year, and just the confidence. I feel like I’ve come on the last two weeks. It’s been huge, so, like I said, just super thankful for these guys and all their hard work, because it’s been a lot. [It’s] easy to give up halfway through when we’ve run like we had. They never quit. I’m just super thankful for that.”

The full finishing results can be viewed below

zMAX CARS Late Model Stock Tour
North Wilkesboro Speedway
October 18, 2025

1. #8 Caden Kvapil
2. #28 Landon S Huffman
3. #71 Parker Eatmon
4. #88 Connor Hall
5. #6L Brandon Lopez
6. #12 Trevor Ward
7. #29 Landen Lewis
8. #4 Kade Brown
9. #03 Lanie Buice
10. #22 Carson Loftin
11. #44 Conner Jones
12. #88B Doug Barnes Jr.
13. #50 Jamie Caudill
14. #7 Tyler Reif
15. #81 Mini Tyrrell
16. #18 Alex Meggs
17. #1 Andrew Grady
18. #00 Chase Burrow
19. #2 Brandon Pierce
20. #57 Landon Huffman
21. #9 Darrick Coomer
22. #4S Donovan Strauss
23. #01 Thomas Beane
24. #7H Blayne Harrison
25. #16 Chad McCumbee
26. #4W Dylon Wilson
27. #8F Tate Fogleman
28. #04 Ronnie Bassett Jr.