CARS Tour Event Preview March 11: Circle Trackhouse 200 – Concord Speedway
CARS Tour Event Preview powered by KRC Power Steering: Circle Track Warehouse 200 – Concord Speedway
3 PM – March 11, 2017
MOORESVILLE, NC (March 7, 2017): After a short offseason, the CARS Tour kicks off their third season this weekend March 11th at Concord Speedway in Concord, North Carolina. This marks the first time in the tour’s history that another track besides Southern National will host the season opening event. Plenty of offseason changes occurred for both the competitors and the fans watching above. Kids twelve and under are now free in the grandstands, discount advance ticket options and VIP upgrades will be available each race, and more fan fest opportunities to meet the CARS Tour drivers on track and in person headline the list of fan initiatives leading into the first race. On the competition side of things, traditional single car qualifying and traditional 100-150 lap green flag races will be the standard; while group qualifying and duel races will take place at times on the 2017 schedule. The most intriguing new formats will be knockout qualifying and live pit stops for position races that will be in place to kick things off this weekend at the ultra-fast triangular shaped Concord Speedway. With more opportunities to win than ever, pit stop strategy now a factor, and some of the tightest competition to date expected throughout the year; the 2017 season has something for everyone and all the potential to be the best season to date.
Circle Track Warehouse 200 NOTES & QUOTES
NOTES:
Track/Location: Concord Speedway-Concord, NC
Track Size: .500-mile
Event Name: Circle Track Warehouse 200
Laps/Distance: 100/50 miles
Event Schedule: 10AM-11:35AM Practice, 1:15PM Qualifying, 3PM Green: LMSC-SLM
Twitter Handle/Event Hashtag: @CARSTour / @ConcordSpeedway / #CTW200
CARS SLM Tour Pre Entered Drivers: #6 Brandon Setzer, #12 Harrison Burton, #12G Joe Graff, #15 Christian Eckes, #15T Austin Thaxton, #16 Lucas Jones, #29 Spencer Davis, #34 Nolan Pope, #37 Dan Speeney, #51 Cole Rouse, #53 Jerry White, #54 Matt Craig, #55 Spencer Bayston, #56 Gus Dean, #57 Cole Timm, #57T Austin Theriault, #58 Tyler Ankrum, #77 Zane Smith (18 total)
CARS LMSC Tour Pre Entered Drivers: #08 Deac McCaskill, #06 Davin Scites, #1 Craig Moore, #2 Myatt Snider, #2H Cody Haskins, #8A Anthony Alfredo, #8 Trevor Rizzo, #11 Jeff Oakley, #12M Austin McDaniel, #14 Ryan Repko, #16 Colby Howard, #18 Evan Swilling, #23 Terry Brooks Jr., #28 Chris Hudspeth, #32 Brandon Grosso, #40 C.E. Falk, #42 Craig Stallard, #44 Justin Johnson, #57 Justin Carroll, #74 Ronald Hill, #77 Logan Jones, #88 Chris Davis, #88B Josh Berry, #88T Robert Tyler, #98 Stefan Parsons, #99 Layne Riggs (26 total)
***Official Entry Deadline: Tuesday, March 7, 2017 at 4PM***
Media Coverage:
-Speed51 (speed51.com) will provide Trackside Now Live Updates
-The Fourth Turn (www.thefourthturn.com)
-CARS Tour TV (www.carstour.tv) – LIVE Broadcast Video Coverage
-CARS Tour Facebook (facebook.com/CARSTour) / CARS Tour Twitter (@CARSTour)
QUOTES:
Don’t Knock It Till You Try It:
During the offseason several changes were implemented to qualifying and race formats for CARS Tour competitors in the 2017 season. The changes were created to add excitement and freshness to both new and old fans; while adding an overall challenge to drivers throughout the season in their quest to becoming a CARS Tour champion. Two of those new formats will be debuted this weekend at Concord when the series sets the field via Knockout Qualifying presented by Five Star Bodies. The racing will then see drivers having to make two live pit stops for position to remove items placed by officials on each side of the car. Each stop will be for position, thus making strategy and pit road execution a key part of the race like never before. Just like most things that change, some people are against it while others are looking forward to what’s ahead.
“We wanted to mix things up, we wanted to be different, and most importantly we wanted to make an effort to have a chance to gain more fans. We feel like we have some great racing with some of the most talented drivers behind the wheel of a late model, but when you’re having longer distance races and tire conservation is such a big factor we felt that sometimes the races would get stale. If you do the same things, you get the same results. Plain and simple. We needed to create a platform that produces entertaining racing, throughout the time the green flag waves, with unpredictability on who might win. I’ll be the first to say we’ve heard some negative and positive feedback but at the end of the day we can’t judge it either way until we see it in motion. That reason alone is why you should by a ticket to watch this CARS Tour race at Concord.” Chris Ragle – CARS Tour, Series Director
A Look Ahead:
With changes to qualifying and race formats on the docket; along with a $18,500 Late Model Stock championship points fund, and the first big money race attempt in CARS Tour history coming on July 22nd as part of the Mid Atlantic Classic, a short offseason kept the CARS Tour staff busy as they transitioned to 2017. Now heading into the tour’s third year of competition, a solid footprint of what one can expect may be a little different than ever before. A media partner to the upcoming 2017 CARS Tour season is Speed51.com’s Southeast Editor, Rob Blount.
““The competition in both divisions has been awesome the last two years. I enjoy going to CARS Tour events because I know I’m going to see some good racing and have some good storylines to follow at each event. I’m looking forward to Concord this weekend and seeing what the third season has to offer.” – Rob Blount – Speed51, Southeast Editor
The Perfect Fit to Grow the Late Model Industry:
Circle Track Warehouse (CTW) has partnered with the CARS Tour as the race sponsor for the season opening event at Concord this Saturday. One of the main reasons the partnerships came to fruition is CTW desire to grow their late model and grassroots new and used inventory. CTW is looking to grow its late model customer base by not only selling products to them but by also purchasing their used parts, something that most late model teams rarely see. As part of their involvement this weekend, CTW will award $500 to the highest finishing CTW customer in each division, as well as a brand new MPI steering wheel to each winner in Edelbrock Victory Lane.
“We’ve had a relationship with the CARS Tour for the last several years and this year we wanted to do something a little different. The opportunity came along to kick things off at Concord, at the same time frame we are looking to expand our reach to the late model crowd, so it worked out perfectly. We had a great response already and hope that the late model teams competing at Concord this weekend will keep us in mind when they are not only buying parts, but when they want to sell their used stuff too.” Bryan Rogers – Circle Track Warehouse, Owner
For more information and to stay up with all the latest news and information about the CARS Tour, featuring both Late Model Stock Car and Super Late Model divisions, visit www.carsracingtour.com or contact the tour’s office directly at 704-662-9212. Stay social with the tour by “liking” the CARS Tour Facebook page and following along on Twitter @CARSTour.
Sources: Chris Ragle/CARS Tour PR