2025 Season Kicks off January 25 at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway
Bakersfield, Calif. (November 15, 2024) – Following a successful first year of the CARS Tour West, the series is set for growth adding two new divisions to include Super Late Models and Limited Pro Late Models in 2025.
The CARS Tour West will continue to run its 602 Pro Late Model division but will be rebranded as the Limited Pro Late Model (LPL) division with minimal changes to the rules package switching from Hoosier’s 970 treaded racing tire to the 980 slick. The Limited Pro Late Models will run 11 events with the 10 best races counting toward the year-end championship.
“The 602 division is very important to West Coast racing,” said Tim Huddleston, CARS Tour West co-owner. “It is the staple division for many local tracks, and adding the slick tire provides a great steppingstone for our competitors who look to move up the ranks in the ladder system we are building.”
The Pro Late Model Series will run 11 events with the best 10 races counting toward the championship. The series will compete on 10-inch slick ST1, ST2 and ST3 Hoosier tires and follow the 2025 United Late Model Rules Alliance (ULRA) Pro Late Model rule book. This shift in the new Pro Late Model division on the West Coast will align the CARS Tour Pro Late Model series in the East and West.
The Super Late Model division will compete on 10-inch slick ST1, ST2 and ST3 Hoosier tires and follow the 2025 ULRA rule book with five events in 2025.
“The realignment of the West Coast divisions and rules is intended to create a clear ladder system from Legend cars to Super Late Models for the competitors under one series umbrella,” said Kevin Harvick, CARS Tour West co-owner. “With the collaboration from the competitors and local tracks, we feel like we have put West Coast racing in the most structured position for our competitors to succeed.”
The Legend cars will compete in conjunction with the CARS Tour West at every event in 2025. Fifteen of the 16 races will make up the CARS Tour West Legend Car championship based on the 12 best finishes. Not included in the CARS Tour West Legend Car championship will be the INEX Summer Nationals multi-day event at Colorado National Speedway on the weekend of August 16.
With the expansion of competition, the CARS Tour West has assembled a stellar team to oversee the operation and growth of the series.
Will Kozak continues with the organization and moves into the new role as Series Director. Kozak brings experience from most recently overseeing Irwindale Speedway and Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway.
Joey Mancari enters his second year as with the CARS Tour West as the race director. Mancari brings a plethora of experience to the organization after serving tenures with NASCAR, Red Bull Global Rally Cross and AMA Pro Racing American Flat Track.
The team has appointed NASCAR veteran Cal Northrop as the Super Late Models tech director.
West Coast Stock Car Hall of Famer and former NASCAR driver Bill Sedgwick continues his role as the tech director for the Pro and Limited Pro Late Model divisions.