The Month of May Now Means ‘Speedweeks’ in North Carolina

Cup and Trucks at Darlington
CARS Tour and ASA at Wilkesboro
Cup and Trucks at Wilkesboro
ASA at Hickory
CARS Tour at Tri-County
Cup and Xfinity at Charlotte

While Indiana in the Month of May builds up to the Indianapolis 500 with a combination of IndyCar and USAC events, North Carolina has embraced what has essentially become a North Carolina Speedweeks but even better with the NASCAR stars actively participating in the various Late Model events across the region.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Kevin Harvick
Brad Keselowski
Chase Elliott
Erik Jones
Noah Gragson

“I think it was just nice to see the turnout, from both the competitors and the fans,” Elliott said on Fridat during a press conference promoting the All-Star Race. “We often talk about how much we like places like this and that we like short track racing and want to support those things but has been really neat to see it put to action.”

Elliott is backing up his own convictions by opening the season at Watermelon Capital Speedway in January but also racing a Super Late Model this month at Wilkesboro and Hickory. Brad Keselowski made his Snowball Derby debut in December and then his CARS Tour debut last week at Wilkesboro.

Keselowski says it’s easier to do some extracurricular racing over the past month when they haven’t needed a jet for their day jobs.

“We need to get out to people that don’t see us all the time and aren’t in our world an in our bubble, but we also need to serve the people that are close to us and that do care so much and have been a part of the heritage and history of the sport forever,” Keselowski said. “I think our schedule strikes a good balance of that with the first half of the year being more long-distance travel and things like that, and then this part of the year being closer to the areas that have really helped establish this sport at a time when the weather is good enough to really enjoy it.”

When Bubba Pollard beat Byron and Elliott on Wednesday in the ASA STARS race at Wilkesboro, it legitimized the discipline to a casual fan in a lot of ways, even if it’s a result that has happened numerous times over the past decade.

Pollard is very good, but it took racing against several Cup contenders, for the casual fan to get to know what he and his peers in the Super Late Model ranks are about. That NASCAR fan was introduced to Casey Roderick, Cole Butcher, Stephen Nasse and Matthew Craig and surely found something to make them tune into Hickory on Thursday.

Meanwhile, how could a casual fan not tune into the CARS Tour race at Wilkesboro and not immediately fall in love with Brenden ‘Buttebean’ Queen. Earnhardt said he was jealous of Queen winning the race, but also, proud to see a driver like him get recognition on a big stage on the undercard of NASCAR All Star weekend.

Queen said it was the biggest win of his career, but also put his big personality on display in Victory Lane, and in the post-race press conference.

“We’re going to Waffle House, I’m getting a chocolate milk,” Queen said. “I normally do the all star special with bacon. They have really good eggs and cheese. I got to tell you that. I usually split the waffle with my beautiful girlfriend. They have a good burger if you’re not in breakfast mood.”

Brenden Queen, everyone, the mullet rocking three-time Langley Speedway track champion usually found wearing a tee with the letters BUTTER BEAN emblemized in the Waffle House font.  But serious, these are the type of personalities on display this month in North Carolina, being provided a spotlight racing alongside the Cup Series stars.

The same can be said of Connor Hall, the longtime Langley Speedway competitors, who thought racing ARCA would be the biggest highlight of his career. But now, really, the biggest crowds he’s raced in front of has come in CARS Tour races at North Wilkesboro.

“Two years ago, we were grinding out the weekly series stuff at our home track so to come here in the CARS Tour, I already thought it was a bigger level,” Hall said. “Now, in just one year it’s grown so much. It’s insane to think about how big a deal these races are starting to become.”

Chad McCumbee splits his time across IMSA and CARS Tour but is convinced the latter is about to take off in large parts to months like this.

“It’s huge,” McCumbee said. “I anticipate, over the next few years, this CARS Tour program is going to continue to grow. We don’t know what the ceiling is. There is some anticipation, some question marks, about what that could be in terms of the schedule or whatnot.

“But people are starting to see the value in short track racing because we are as real as it gets. As you move up the ladder sometimes, drivers and owners, it changes you a little bit. Things change. But this level is starting to grow, and it’s very real right now, and I’ll be curious to see what we all become together.”

May 17, 2023: at the North Wilkesboro Speedway. (HHP/Tom Copeland)

Harvick, who co-owns CARS Tour with Earnhardt, Justin Marks and Jeff Burton is going to watch the next week of races with great interest. Can ASA and CARS Tour sustain big crowds at Hickory and Tri-County on Thursday or Saturday or have they oversaturated the market?

That’s something Harvick wants to know for the longevity of any North Carolina Speedweeks style atmosphere moving forward.

“We had conversations here in NASCAR about what happens when you clump all these tracks in this area on consecutive weeks so I wonder if the same thing can happen here,” Harvick said. “I don’t know how many events can be supported in one particular area back-to-back-to-back-to-back.

“When you look at going to Hickory on Thursday night with the Supers and Tuesday night here with the Supers and Wednesday with the CARS Tour. I mean, the short track stuff is, in my opinion, is a little bit different when it can tag onto those big events because I think, especially Hickory, has a built-in backbone of a fanbase that is going to support the event.

“I’m interested to see what everybody thinks after we get done running multiple weeks in a row.”

With that said, he is also fully bought-in to the resurgence of the discipline. In addition to co-owning the series, and a Late Model Stock Car, Harvick has also recently acquired a Super Late Model.

This is something he wants to be a part of.

“I think this month has been really good for racing in general,” Harvick said. “I think when you look at, I’ve heard for so many years about asphalt short track racing dying and I’ve paid a lot more attention to short track racing since we’ve been involved with the CARS Tour stuff.

“I think when you look at what has happened here, and I think this particular week has covered our sport pretty broadly from top to bottom. When you can involve the grassroots guys and show them that you care and make them part of your biggest event, it makes everyone feel good.”

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