Changes are on the horizon for the 2024 racing season. While budding and aspiring drivers are driven by the ultimate hope of seizing a seat in the echelon series of stock car racing, the same cannot be asserted for Stephen Nasse. The driver, instead of making headway in the world of NASCAR, is contended with his stint in the world of Super Late Model Racing, where he has emerged victorious in various marquee events. As a result, it seems that the driver is ready to unravel his plans for the 2024 season.

Although the world of Super Late Model races and ARCA Menards are his forte, it seems that Nasse is ready to steer his ship in another direction for the upcoming racing season. The driver is set to join Dale Earnhardt Jr’s rebranded Late Model series, CARS Tour as a full-timer for the 2024 season. However, if one is intrigued by the sudden shift of preference, Nasse revealed the reason behind it in his interview with Matt Weaver.

Stephen Nasse spills the beans on his sudden change in his racing discipline

It was just days back that Dale Earnhardt Jr along with Kevin Harvick and two other new owners unveiled a rebranded look of the CARS Tour. After the acquisition, the series was rebranded, donning a new name after zMax. The micro-lubricant manufacturer joined as the title sponsor of the series. The series according to the owners would boost the grassroots level of racing and protect short-track racing from being endangered.

As a result, Nasse is ready to foray into the new re-branded world of racing in the 2024 series. Moreover, it is not new for Nasse to dabble in this discipline, who raced for a limited number of races in the last season after acquiring Forrest Reynolds chassis and teaming up with Chase Pistone as crew chief. Nevertheless, with bigger hopes in the 2024 season, the driver announced to veteran journalist Matt Weaver, “We’re going to do a lot more of the Late Model Stock stuff. We’re planning on running the CARS Tour, the whole tour.” Further, speaking highly of the CARS tour, he added, “It’s got the right people in place to make it even more popular. It has a really big fan base and I want to perform in front of as many fans as possible. That’s the CARS Tour right now. They are going to continue producing that product.”

However, the question that arises at this juncture, is why the sudden transition, especially after gaining a stronghold in the world of Super Late Model Stock racing to which the driver retorted, “You don’t have a lot of young punks, and there might be a few here and there, but even the young drivers race for the old school veteran guys and I just feel like it is a series of old-school racers because of it.” Moreover, this assertion may sound surprising to many as the driver himself is young and just twenty-eight years old and has numerous years of bagging records under his belt. 

Nevertheless, he also added, “Also, their Pro Late Model series really feels like a development deal for these kids to learn the right way before they get into a Late Model Stock. A lot of these kids today jump right into a Super Late, never win a race, and then they’re off to NASCAR.”

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CARS Tour announces its expansion to the West Coast

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The series which comprises 19 race weekends and begins the season on March 2 is also set to expand on the West Coast. The season opener race will be held on the newly renamed track, Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway. The expansion of the series intends to increase the base for drivers and provide the stage for the budding racers.

Tim Huddlestone, the owner of the Kern raceway is perhaps one of the few brains behind the expansion of the series on the West Coast. With a vast knowledge of West Coast racing and experience in promoting various racing series in the West, the owner is more than elated with the news. 

Speaking to FloRacing, Huddlestone expressed, “We’re excited for this partnership and to add the CARS Tour to the West Coast racing schedule for 2024. To have Kevin, Dale Jr., Justin [Marks], and Jeff [Burton] bring the CARS Tour to the West Coast and support the grassroots racing is what we need to continue to build a healthy series and showcase the next generation of drivers.”

Having said that, the stakes have assuredly risen for Stephen Nasse. While the Super Late Model Racing has proved to be fruitful for the driver, it will be interesting to see whether the same amount of success awaits him in the CARS Tour.

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