SEEING BLUE – 2025 zMAX CARS Tour Throwback Classic At Hickory Motor Speedway

“But then, people usually do miss what’s right in front of them.”

Lisa Maxwell

In ancient times, you don’t find a mention of the color blue. To the contrary of what many people have come to believe about that, it’s not that they couldn’t see it, it’s that they put it in a different category of the color spectrum. To them, for the most part, it was a level of green. And when it comes to the 2025 zMAX CARS Tour Throwback Classic, with $80,000 on the line, just like in ancient times, many came in with green on their minds when they should have probably in hindsight set their minds on the modern times fully defined color of blue. Unfortunately for everyone however, whatever color was on their minds, the shade of gray had most everyone seeing red.

Early in the week, meteorologists promised lower temps and drier humidity. Well, the temps came down but the humidity increased, and for many, it just wasn’t expected. Not the ideal situation for what Dale Earnhardt Jr called “the biggest night in short track racing history.” Coming into Hickory Motor Speedway on mid Saturday morning, the skies were mostly clear and the only thing in the air was a thick essence of excitement. But it wasn’t long before the gray set in. An ominous sign of what was to come. A nagging rainy drizzle that refused to go away. Well, at least for the next 25 hours. That’s when I saw the most intriguing and inspiring display of blue. Hard working fans that brought their kids, family members, and friends to what by all means had been slated as one of the most anticipated short track racing events of the year at one of the most storied tracks in the history of short track racing. They absolutely packed the place. And the majority sat through one of the longest red flags in recent memory.

THE RACING

Before that nasty drizzle set in, everything was right on schedule. Something the zMAX CARS Tour has focused on this year and the results are showing. The surprises started though the day before as the teams qualified for their starting positions for the Pro and Late Model Stock features. On the Pro side of things, nothing stood outside of the ordinary with the top two in points last year taking the front row, Spencer Davis on the pole with defending champion Kaden Honeycutt to his outside. But for the Late Model Stocks, a couple of eye opening moments were young Tristan McKee taking the pole, a surprise to many but not so much for us who’ve been paying attention, and points leader Connor Hall having to lock himself in with a provisional. Joining him in provisional land was Kade Brown, Ronnie Bassett Jr, and Donovan Strauss. We don’t know about you, but we didn’t have that on our bingo card for this event. Everyone else that didn’t lock themselves into the race on time had to take their chances to the LCQ. A daunting task in an event of this stature with so much green on the line, leaving some like Ryan Millington and Darren Krantz Jr to opt out. As everyone knows that last chancers at an event like this gone wrong can be a setback for any team. Great for fans, not so great for aspiring Late Model Stockers’ pocketbooks. By the end of the Late Model Stock last chancer, Graham Hollar had made a statement on his Late Model Stock progression with Conner Jones the only one close as he locked up the last starting position in the feature.

PRO LATE MODEL FEATURE WITH $30,000 ON THE LINE

Kaden Honeycutt set the pace early with Spencer Davis left to hold off Casey Roderick and a charging Tristan McKee. But then the rains came. And for a long while, it looked like the true winner was going to be Mother Nature. And let’s face it, she’s been quite the contender this year. But the series and it’s fans were determined to wait her out, and that’s exactly what they did! Somewhere around 25 hours later, the Pro Late Models went back green at around 9:25 PM Sunday night. Just too much on the line to let it go. Not much was predictable after that. Kaden Honeycutt was moved to the rear of the field for the team doing work on the car under red, and Luke Baldwin made his presence known. Soon he was in a hard fought battle with Tristan McKee to see who would challenge Spencer Davis in the closing laps, and when it counted, Luke was there working hard to get by Davis who was running very consistent laps at the front of the field. He knew Luke Baldwin may have had the better car, but as Baldwin and McKee battled out behind him, he managed to save just enough to keep Luke Baldwin at bay when he was knocking on his door coming to the checkers in a photo finish!

LATE MODEL STOCK FEATURE WITH $50,000 ON THE LINE

Tristan McKee looked to build on his 3rd place finish momentum in the Pro Late Model feature and hoped to carry it to a great finish in the Late Model Stock event. With Craftsman Truck Series regulars Layne Riggs and Kaden Honeycutt starting close behind, along with 2025 points contender Landen Lewis, it wasn’t going to be an easy task. But then again, nothing comes easy on the CARS Tour, the most competitive Late Model tour in the country. McKee dominated most of the event, albeit with constant pressure from Lewis, Honeycutt, and Mini Tyrrell. Just when it seemed that McKee had it in the bag, a late race caution set up a 10 lap shootout. Just 10 laps to determine who walks away with $50,000. Honeycutt fired off with the advantage, leaving the slugfest behind. Lewis dives under McKee and Tyrrell coming out of 4 to make it three wide, contact is made, and chaos ensues for the field. Lewis and McKee take heavy damage while Carson Loftin makes heavy impact with the turn one tires. Amidst all the controversy, Honeycutt is sent to the rear for jumping said restart, prompting him to park his machine. That leaves Tyrrell and Jared Fryar to settle it between themselves. Despite a heavy charge from Fryar, Tyrrell drives away and keeps his season alive with a win in the Throwback Classic!

SEEING BLUE

With so much green on the line, a lot of people missed the blue. It’s not that they couldn’t see it. Lisa Maxwell, famous English actress and singer, probably put it best when she said years ago, “But then, people usually do miss what’s right in front of them.” And on Sunday night, with some serious green on the line, 2 blue collar racers were left to decide amongst themselves who would leave Hickory with the spoils. Jared Fryar did what he does nearly every time he comes to race with the best, he puts himself in position to contend for the win. And although it’s been a bit of an up and down season for Mini Tyrrell, it’s also been his best. Tyrell, who made his first start in the series in 2018, didn’t secure his first win until 2021 three years later. And while consistently competitive, he hadn’t won another CARS Tour race until this year. But this year he’s won 3 now and is in contention for the 2025 series title. The most improved driver on the tour, racing against highly funded and supported teams, in an extremely expensive endeavor, blue collar racer Mini Tyrrell is coming into his own. With experienced Late Model Stock winner and multi track champion Brandon Butler in his ear, Tyrrell and his family owned team are one of the best in the Late Model Stock business. For proof of his on track savy, all you have to do is look at how he won Sunday night, clearly the biggest win of Mini Tyrrell’s career thus far. In a sport that runs on green, Mini Tyrrell and others like him prove that you may overspend them, but you’ll have to go to your very limit to overwork them.

One of my favorite all time quotes comes from master warrior Sun Tzu who famously said, “In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity.” Tyrrell has learned this all too well. After starting 9th on the field, Mini Tyrrell exercised patience. Then when the chaos set in, as the field tore itself apart and respect was thrown out the window, Mini Tyrrell and Jared Fryar did what battle tested veteran short track racers do and they waited for that opportunity and rose above it. In the end, Mini had the best car and took it to the stripe in exciting fashion, with the CARS Tour on his shoulders. Fitting really as the blue collar fans that stuck it out at the track were rewarded with a blue collar winner that many didn’t expect but they truly deserved. The fans, the tour, and the track itself refused to give up, and to us, that’s what we will remember about the 2025 zMAX CARS Tour Throwback Classic at Hickory Motor Speedway. Now if that’s not a throwback to the sports humble dirt covered beginnings, we don’t know what else could be! Until Next Time, See You At The Track!