The zMAX CARS Tour has quietly evolved from a regional Late Model series into one of NASCAR’s most reliable talent pipelines, and in 2026, its influence is unmistakable on the national stage. Multiple former champions are now competing across all three of NASCAR’s National Series, and their collective progression tells a clear story: the CARS Tour is producing race-ready talent at an increasing rate.
The CARS Tour is a premier Late Model Stock and Pro Late Model championship based mainly in the southeastern United States. Since its founding in 2014, as a successor to the former Pro Cup Series, it’s quickly built a reputation as a tough proving ground for short-track racers aiming to break into the next level.
Interestingly, what sets it apart is its format, which brings both Pro Late Models and Late Model Stock Cars to the same track on the same night, making it the first series to consistently showcase two top-tier divisions in a single weekend.
Currently in its 12th season, the series has gained even more attention following its 2023 acquisition by names such as Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton, and Justin Marks, thereby strengthening its ties to NASCAR and drawing more eyes to the talent coming through the ranks.
As of now, a handful of former CARS Tour champions are spread across NASCAR’s top three divisions, with more waiting in the pipeline.
Berry, the 35-year-old short-track veteran from Tennessee, CARS Tour’s 2017 Late Model Stock champion, became the first name to break into NASCAR’s premier division with a full-time opportunity in 2024. While he was the rookie face of Stewart-Haas Racing then, he moved to Wood Brothers Racing (No. 21) the next year after SHR closed up shop.
Before that jump, he stacked up multiple wins in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and built a reputation as one of the most dependable drivers in the garage. That’s on top of a Late Model career that includes hundreds of wins. Naturally, he remains the benchmark for budding racers in the CARS Tour.
The two-time 2022-2023 CARS Tour champion is currently JR Motorsports’ No. 1 NOAPS driver in a full-time role (with some exceptions).
The 22-year-old was one of the youngest champions the series had seen at the time, backed up with multiple wins during that title run. He also won the CARS Tour Super Late Model title in 2021, before going back-to-back in Late Model Stock in the following years.
What stands out, in his case, is how quickly everything moved after that. Within two years, he was already in NASCAR equipment, continuing that upward climb.
Honeycutt exploded onto the NASCAR Truck Series after a dominant 2024 Super Late Model title campaign in the CARS Tour.
Last year, the 22-year-old landed a rather unexpected full-time journey in the Truck Series. What started as a full-time gig with Niece Motorsports, then turned to a one-off race with Young’s Motorsports at Watkins Glen, and then a playoff spot with Halmar Friesen Racing as a replacement for the injured Stewart Friesen for the rest of the season.
Despite the midseason shuffle, Honeycutt still qualified for the NCTS Playoffs and went all the way to the Championship 4, where he battled Corey Heim for the title. This season, the young gun has taken over Heim’s seat in the No. 11 TRICON Garage Toyota and is already viewed as one of the series’ top championship contenders, though he’s still searching for his first win.
Queen, another standout from the CARS Tour ranks, has started to get his opportunities in NASCAR as well. The 2024 CARS Tour Late Model Stock Tour champion is currently Kaulig Racing’s No. 12 entry in the Truck Series, piloting the team’s Ram 1500.
His performances on short tracks have made the 28-year-old something of a local hero, a reputation only boosted by his 2025 ARCA Menards Series title. Known as “Butterbean” in racing circles, he’s also made five starts in the NOAPS over the past year.
Lewis is one of the youngest names on this list, but he’s already started carving out his path. The 20-year-old has picked up part-time starts in the NCTS, driving the No. 45 for Niece Motorsports in 2026.
His move into NASCAR’s third-tier series has come in steps. He first got his shot with Roper Racing in 2023, making a couple of starts at Mid-Ohio and IRP, before landing a fill-in role with Hattori Racing Enterprises at Martinsville in 2024.
Now, with a part-time deal in place, he’s starting to settle in at the national level. It’s still early, but as the reigning CARS Tour Late Model Stock champion, he’s another example of how quickly drivers are now making the jump from Late Models to NASCAR.
Fenhaus, the 2022 CARS Tour Pro Late Model champion, has steadily worked his way into NASCAR’s national scene. After winning the title with Highlands Motorsports, he made his Truck Series debut in 2024 with ThorSport Racing, finishing an impressive 10th in his first start and backing it up with another strong run later in the season.
Since then, the 21-year-old has put together three top-10 finishes in Trucks, including a career-best third-place result after scoring his first pole in 2025. Now in 2026, he’s continuing that climb with opportunities in the NOAPS, as part of a part-time gig in the No. 5 Hettinger Racing Ford.
Despite being the youngest of the lot at 17, Maier is already getting his first taste of NASCAR. As of now, he’s competing part-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 2026, driving the No. 4 Chevrolet for Niece Motorsports, following his CARS Tour Pro Late Model title triumph last year.
His move up is still in the early stages, but his CARS Tour title was enough to put him on the radar. Right now, for the Chester, Maryland-native, it’s more about gaining experience and seat time than immediate results.
He’s run three Truck Series races to date, first hitting the track at Lime Rock in 2025 and most recently taking part in the 2026 OnlyBulls Green Flag 150 at St. Petersburg.
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