In 2023, Dale Earnhardt Jr., alongside Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton, and NASCAR team owner Justin Marks, acquired the zMAX CARS Tour, aiming to breathe new life into short-track racing — a side of racing many fans have recently written off as lackluster. However, over time, the group has pulled out all the stops to revive interest, from racing Late Model cars themselves to enlisting active NASCAR drivers to draw attention to the series and spotlight the roots of the sport.
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Now, Dale Jr. has taken another step by partnering with FloRacing to roll out a lucrative incentive for drivers, one that’s surely going to make waves across the short-track landscape.
The upcoming Throwback Classic at the Hickory Motor Speedway will raise the bar, offering the richest single night in pavement Late Model racing history, with a record-setting purse exceeding $200,000 on the line come August 2.
The event will set a new benchmark for the CARS Tour, offering the most substantial purse in its history across both divisions. It will become only the second race ever to award $50,000 to the winner of a Late Model Stock feature and the first to guarantee $2,500 just to take the green flag.
On the Pro Late Model side, the winner will walk away with $30,000. Earnhardt emphasized that the objective of the move is to raise the bar for grassroots racing, creating a more rewarding landscape that attracts and retains both drivers and teams.
With the Throwback Classic, Earnhardt is taking a page out of the playbook used by some of the sport’s most successful dirt track events.
His approach mirrors the promotional models behind marquee series/races such as the Kyle Larson-backed High Limit Racing Series, the Chili Bowl Nationals for midget cars, the World 100 for late models, and the Knoxville Nationals for sprint cars — all of which have formed a niche by pairing rich purses with tradition.
Reflecting on the development, Dale Earnhardt Jr. remarked, “This payout is simply incredible for the series, driver, and teams. Our goal is always to continue to grow the Series by putting as many eyes on it as possible…” He made it clear that he doesn’t see this as a one-off spectacle but rather hopes to turn such events into a regular fixture on the calendar.
Dale Jr. confirmed that FloRacing aimed to make a splash, much like the buzz surrounding the High Limit Racing Series. While he’s unlikely to follow Kyle Larson’s blueprint to the letter, he’s certainly not shying away from drawing inspiration. If it helps elevate the stature of late-model racing, he’s all in.
Drivers like Josh Berry have already proven that late-model racing can be a stepping stone to the big leagues. Berry recently grabbed his first NASCAR Cup Series win at Las Vegas. And with several others having taken the same route, it remains to be seen which rising star will be the next to break through and make a name at the top of the NASCAR ladder.
