NASCAR Veteran Reveals the Importance of Cup Drivers’ CARS Tour Participation With Bold Kyle Larson Claim

While the North Wilkesboro Speedway dominated the conversation surrounding the 2024 CARS Tour schedule, the NASCAR schedule was also kept in mind. Particularly when it came to the race in Florence in the very same week as the Southern 500 race in Darlington. Does that mean they are expecting participation from NASCAR drivers?

In a conversation with Frontstretch, co-owner Jeff Burton admitted it was certainly a possibility. He then recalled this year’s Tour debut by 2021 Cup Series champion Kyle Larson.

Kyle Larson gave valuable feedback in his debut CARS Tour run

With the involvement of high-profile owners like Dale Earnhardt Jr, Kevin Harvick, Justin Marks, and Jeff Burton, the 2024 CARS Tour would certainly attract more than its usual crown. But nothing gets fans more excited than watching their favorite Cup stars making a detour to hone their skills in other racing events. And no one is more enthusiastic about such a racing opportunity than Hendrick Motorsports’ #5 driver Kyle Larson. Prior to the Chicago Street Race, Larson took part in the race at Caraway Speedway. And Jeff Burton definitely wants him back.

When questioned about the importance of NASCAR’s involvement in increasing the car count as well as the fan count, Burton admitted, “Oh, it’s huge! NASCAR has been a great partner with the CARS Tour. They’ve been great to work with and we all want to build grassroots racing.” He further elaborated how their vision included NASCAR fans attending both events simultaneously, so a conscious choice was made to place some races according to the Cup schedule next year. More importantly, as Burton pointed out, “You never know who’s going to show up and run those races, too.” 

He revealed many NASCAR racers have expressed their interest in being part of the series and not only would that promote the Tour but also provide expert feedback for future improvement. Burton said, “Kyle Larson, he came, ran a race with us and it was great information that he gave us back and it makes us better. So it’s real important for us to expose ourselves to things that they can come back and say, ‘Hey I like this but I didn’t like that’. I think it’s really smart for us to do that now that we have this schedule.”

Watch this story: Kyle Larson’s Glimpse into the Future

After his debut race in the Tour this year, Larson did not dismiss the likelihood of a comeback.

Larson enjoyed his very first CARS Tour race this season

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Kyle Larson had not driven a Late Model Stock Car in 10 years before Dale Earnhardt Jr offered him a seat. As reported in Racing America, Larson confirmed, “Just Dale asking me to come help this event and have some fun.” Although he qualified 16th, Larson soon placed himself in the Top 10 and eventually finished 8th. “I enjoyed it,” he later said.

“It was honestly much more fun than I was expecting. The cars were much quicker than what I remembered them being.” When asked whether he would like to return, the #5 driver replied, “I mean, who knows. This obviously worked out because it was mid-week and close to home, so that makes things a lot easier.”

Perhaps keeping that in mind, more mid-week races were scheduled around next year’s Cup schedule. Co-owner Dale Jr might work his magic one more time and invite Kyle Larson or even other Cup Series regulars to gather their enormous fanbase at the Florence Speedway in 2024.

Read More: Kyle Larson Dominates the Off-Season Outing While Toyota’s Budding Prospect Grabs a Top 5