Nashville Fairgrounds, Newport, Southern National & a return to South Boston for the finale highlight the 2026 CARS Tour Schedule.
By Julian Austin
Photo Credit: zMAX CARS Tour
The zMAX CARS Tour has released their 2026 schedule and it features some old favorites as well as some exciting new additions. The tour will host 15 events at 15 different facilities with the Pro Late Models having 12 races and the Late Models having 15.
The tour kicks off on February 21st at Coastal Plains Raceway in Jacksonville North Carolina just like they did in 2025 albeit a few weeks earlier.
The tour returns to Southern National Motorsports Park a week later for the first time since 2024.
Wake County Speedway returns to the schedule on March 28th with a standalone race for the Late Models.
The first new addition sees the tour roar into Music City at the Nashville Fairgrounds in Tennessee on April 11th. The tour previously ran Super Late Model Events and also hosted USAR Pro Cup races.
Caraway Speedway will transition from a midweek Fourth Of July stop to a mid-spring stop on April 25th.
Ace Speedway will once again host the tour on May 9th which is a Saturday.
The traditional Virginia road trip returns on May 30th with a stop at Langley Speedway and June 13th at Dominion Raceway for two stand alone Late Model Events.
North Wilkesboro Speedway which previously held the season finale will join the NASCAR Cup Series weekend on Friday night, July 17th for both the Pro Late Models and Late Model Stock.
The rest of the schedule will feature both divisions starting with the traditional Summertime trip to Hickory Motor Speedway for what has been their Throwback event on August 8th.
A South Carolina swing will take place beginning at Anderson Motor Speedway which returns to the schedule for the second straight year on August 22nd while Florence Motor Speedway returns on Friday, September 4th leading up to the Southern 500 which is down the road in Darlington
Tri-County moves back a few weeks to September 12th from their October date in 2025.
Newport Speedway in Tennessee will make their debut on October 3rd. The track re-opened this year lead by local businessman Chuck Ward who revitalised the facility to it's present state.
South Boston Speedway will crown champions on October 17th. This marks a return for the season finale being held at the track which previously hosted the finale in 2017, 18 and 19'.
Orange County Speedway, Cordele Motorsports Park which held events in 2025 will not host events in 2026 while North Wilkesboro will only hold the one event in 2026.
For more information on the zMAX CARS Late Model Stock Tour and the zMAX CARS Pro Late Model Tour, visit www.carsracingtour.com. Be sure to stay active and social with the tour by liking “CARS Tour” on Facebook, following @CARSTour on X (formerly known as Twitter) and scrolling through photos on Instagram cars_tour.
Additional series information can be obtained by calling the CARS Tour series office, located in Mooresville, NC, at 704-662-9212.
2026 zMAX CARS Tour schedule
- 2/21 – Coastal Plains Raceway (LMSC/PLM)
- 2/28 – Southern National Motorsports Park (LMSC/PLM)
- 3/28 – Wake County Speedway (LMSC)
- 4/11 – Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway (LMSC/PLM)
- 4/25 – Caraway Speedway (LMSC/PLM)
- 5/9 – Ace Speedway (LMSC/PLM)
- 5/30 – Langley Speedway (LMSC)
- 6/13 – Dominion Raceway (LMSC)
- 7/17 – North Wilkesboro Speedway (LMSC/PLM)
- 8/8 – Hickory Motor Speedway (LMSC/PLM)
- 8/22 – Anderson Motor Speedway (LMSC/PLM)
- 9/4 – Florence Motor Speedway (LMSC/PLM)
- 9/12 – Tri-County Speedway (LMSC/PLM)
- 10/3 – Newport Speedway (LMSC/PLM)
- 10/17 – South Boston Speedway (LMSC/PLM)
CARS Tour Amends Several Procedural Rules Leading Into Season's Final Two Races
By Julian Austin
September 26th, 2025
Competitors and teams were sent a bulletin Friday night clarifying and updating penalties for in-race infractions on the zMAX CARS Tour which will be in effect immediately leading into the final two races of the season (Tri County and North Wilkesboro)
Section 4.10.5.5 has been revised.
-Performing work on a car during a Red Flag period shall incur a minimum penalty of three or more Green Flag laps upon a return to racing.
Section 4.17.4 clarifies penalties assessed as part of Race Procedure has been added.
-Any tire changes during the race will result in a three lap penalty unless the car enters the pits with the tire flat on the rim. The only tires that may be used during the approved change are ones that were purchased at the track during the event.