Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Announces Plans to Race at Tri-County in October
Apr 3, 2025
The third event on the 2025 zMAX CARS Tour calendar will see both divisions tackle a new venue for the series; Cordele Motor Speedway.
A cornerstone of Georgia’s short track culture since opening back in 1982, Cordele began life as a dirt track before transitioning into a paved oval shortly before the turn of the century. Now under the ownership of Greg Noland, Cordele currently finds itself amidst a revitalization with new amenities and several marquee events.
Among the events on Cordele’s schedule is the prestigious World Crown, which was revived in 2024 after previously being held at Gresham Motorsports Park. The facility also boasts a stacked weekly racing schedule that includes Legends, Bandoleros, Mini Stocks, Outlaw Late Models and other classes.
Competitors in each CARS Tour division are looking to write their own chapter in Cordele’s cherished history that features notable winners like Kyle Busch, Chase Elliott, Bubba Pollard and Scott Bloomquist. With two stacked entry lists lined up for Saturday, the CARS Tour’s maiden trip to Cordele is expected to be competitive and intense.
Track Facts:
Track: Cordele Motor Speedway
Location: Cordele, Georgia
Length: .375 mile
Laps: 125 (LMSC) / 100 PLM
Byron Outdoor Superstore 225 schedule
LMSC Entry List (28 cars): #03 Lanie Buice, #04 Ronnie Bassett Jr., #1 Daniel Webster, #2 Brandon Pierce, #2W Ryan Wilson, #4 Kade Brown, #4S Donovan Strauss, #4E Parker Eatmon, #7 Tristan McKee, #8 Dale Earnhardt Jr., #11 Buddy Isles Jr., #12 Hudson Bulger, #15 Ryan Millington, #16 Chad McCumbee, #18 Max Reaves, #22 Carson Loftin, #24 Cody Dempster, #28 Landon S. Huffman, #29 Landen Lewis, #44 Conner Jones, #54 Michael Fose, #57 Landon Huffman, #69 Michael Hinde, #71 Aaron Donnelly, #71 Jake Bollman, #81 Mini Tyrrell, #88 Connor Hall, #88B Doug Barnes Jr.
PLM Entry List (32 cars): #08 Spencer Bragg, #2 Jaxon Bishop, #6 Ben Maier, #6L Brandon Lopez, #7 Tristan McKee, #12 Brandon Brilliant, #15 Rodney Dowless, #16 Patrick Hodges, #16S Timothy Sozio, #17 Hudson Bulger, #23 Carter Whalen, #25 Isaac Kitzmiller, #31 Brody Monahan, #32 Stuart Dutton, #33 Hunter Johnson, #35 Gage Gilby, #38 Cody Haskins, #44 Logan Jones, #47 Tyler Reif, #50 Jett Noland, #51 Carson Ware, #54 Seth Christensen, #54D T.J. DeCaire, #62 Keelan Harvick, #62R Casey Roderick, #62X Luke Yarbrough, #66 Kendrick Kreyer, #67 Colin Allman, #82 Taylor Hull, #97 Dylan Garner, #97T Nick Neri, #99 Cody Martell
LMSC Standings:
- Connor Hall
- Ronnie Bassett Jr. -13
- Doug Barnes Jr. -14
- Kade Brown -15
- Mini Tyrrell -19
- Landen Lewis -20
- Donovan Strauss -21
- Ryan Millington -22
- Carson Loftin -27
- Chad McCumbee -29
PLM Standings:
- Jade Avedisian
- Tristan McKee -1
- Isaac Kitzmiller -6
- Tyler Reif -7
- Ben Maier -7
- Dylan Garner -9
- Rodney Dowless -10
- Brandon Lopez -11
- Brody Monahan -12
- Logan Jones -12
Michael Hinde teams with Lee Pulliam for CARS LMSC Tour debut
Joining the Lee Pulliam Performance roster for Saturday’s Byron Outdoor Superstore 225 is seasoned Super Late Model competitor Michael Hinde.
Having turned plenty of laps at Cordele Motor Speedway during his career, Hinde was elated when he discovered the facility would host a CARS Tour event in 2025. The high standard of success prevalent within Pulliam’s program is a quality Hinde believes will help him excel in his first Late Model Stock outing.
“We’ve been running pretty good in the Supers, but a lot of people I’ve raced against have been in some Late Model Stocks and it seems like that’s where a lot of competition comes from,” Hinde said. “Lee Pulliam always runs up front, so if I had a car to choose, that would be the one. What better race to have my Late Model Stock debut than Cordele?”
Cordele has been one of Hinde’s stronger tracks in a straight rail car. Along with claiming the SpeedFest Pro Late Model 125 at Cordele back in 2021, Hinde also took home the first World Crown held at the facility last year after leading the final 51 laps.
One aspect of Cordele that suits Hinde’s driving style is the versatility available with two functioning grooves. Although the Late Model Stocks are heavier and provide less horsepower than a straight rail car, Hinde still intends to apply the same principles on Saturday that have garnered him two prestigious victories at Cordele.
Hinde understands the CARS LMSC Tour is uncharted territory, but he has full confidence in the efficiency of the cars prepared by Pulliam. The competitive depth of the Late Model Stock field is why Hinde is keeping his expectations in check, but he still wants to put together a strong, clean performance against the best in the discipline.
“Honestly, I want to run all the laps,” Hinde said. “A top 10 would be awesome. It’s pretty cool to race against Dale Jr. and all them guys. To me, that’s some of the best competition in the country. I don’t really know what to expect, but I’m there to have a good time. If we have a good showing, you might see me in a Late Model Stock more often.”
Cordele a homecoming for Donovan Strauss
Although Saturday serves as the CARS Tour’s first trip to Cordele Motor Speedway, the complex is familiar territory for rookie Donovan Strauss.
With a resume that includes several victories in Legends events at Cordele, Strauss enters the Byron Outdoor Superstore 225 with more experience around the track than a good portion of his competition. Strauss’ comfort with Cordele’s layout has him confident he can continue a solid start to 2025.
“Ever since [the CARS Tour] announced they’re going to Cordele, it’s been something I’ve looked forward to,” Strauss said. “It’s a race where I know I can compete for the win. Not to say I can’t do that at any other track, but this is a race I’ve had circled. I can’t wait to go after that win [on Saturday].”
Strauss was amazed at how fast Cordele was when he made his first laps there in a Legends car. The high-grip nature of Cordele’s surface is why Strauss is anticipating a competitive Late Model Stock feature through all 125 laps.
Composure and efficiency will be needed from Strauss if he wants to earn his third consecutive top 10 in three CARS LMSC Tour events this year. Both New River All-American Speedway and Wake County Speedway were adventurous for Strauss in different regards, yet he overcame adversity on each occasion to bring home a strong run.
The opening two races have only validated Strauss’ belief that he can find Cook Out Victory Lane with Hettinger Racing. Cordele presents a perfect opportunity for Strauss to capitalize on his early-season momentum and prove he can not only contend for LMSC Tour Rookie of the Year, but also the series championship.
“We need to put it all together,” Strauss said. “That’s something we haven’t done yet. We’re 80 percent there, so we need that extra 20 percent. We’ve rallied and passed the most cars this year I think. My confidence is at an all-time high right now and a win [at Cordele] would set the bar for what we’re doing this year.”
Brandon Lopez hopes to shine in home state of Georgia
Nearly everything is going according to plan for Brandon Lopez as he embarks on his second season with the CARS PLM Tour.
Fresh off winning a PLM Tour championship as an owner with Kaden Honeycutt, Lopez is now focused on the series’ first trip to his home state of Georgia. Cordele Motor Speedway is where Lopez first started racing a couple of years ago, which is why he is optimistic about turning in a career-best performance on Saturday.
“It’s super exciting going to a track we know really well,” Lopez said. “I’m excited we’ve got a big series coming to our local track. It’s good for all the local fans and all the local racers who don’t get to travel into the Carolinas and Virginia with us all the time.”
Lopez was thrilled with all the success Bryson Lopez Racing experienced in their first year of competition on the PLM Tour. Earning victories in the final two races of 2024 with Honeycutt behind the wheel reinforced the confidence Lopez had in curating a successful PLM Tour program.
The 2025 season will see Bryson Lopez Racing field two full-time cars piloted by Lopez and Brody Monahan, with Tyler Reif making select appearances in a third car. All the team’s drivers are heading to Cordele this weekend, which only serves as motivation for Lopez to prepare three strong cars ahead of what he considers his hometown race.
From his experiences as a fan and driver, Lopez said a crucial component to success at Cordele is a car that can go anywhere on the track. Crafting a setup that versatile will be a tall order for Lopez against stout competition, but he feels his program has everything needed to enjoy a stellar homecoming weekend.
“We’re just going to go down there and do what we know how to do,” Lopez said. “We’re taking our cars down there with our standard setup and will tweak on them until they get faster. There’s not a series I’d want to win more in than the CARS Tour and not a better track to do it at [than Cordele].”
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Kicking off the festivities at Cordele Motor Speedway Saturday evening will be the 100-lap CARS PLM Tour feature at 7:30 p.m. ET, which will be followed by the 125-lap CARS LMSC Tour event. FloRacing will cover all the on-track action from the CARS Tour’s inaugural visit to Cordele.
For more information on the zMAX CARS Late Model Stock Tour and the zMAX CARS Pro Late Model Tour, visit www.carsracingtour.com. Be sure to stay active and social with the tour by liking “CARS Tour” on Facebook, following @CARSTour on X (formerly known as Twitter) and scrolling through photos on Instagram cars_tour.
Additional series information can be obtained by calling the CARS Tour series office, located in Mooresville, NC, at 704-662-9212.
-zMAX CARS Tour Press Release
-Photo credit: Will Bellamy
