News Owning the CARS Tour ensures racing stability

MOORESVILLE, NC (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — Dale Earnhardt Jr. and three other current and former NASCAR drivers have taken over the grassroots racing series and could have a big impact on the economy. Four NASCAR stars have taken ownership of the Mooresville-based CARS Tour.

The CATS Tour is where NASCAR drivers can start. Charlotte-owned William Byron and Ty Gibbs raced there before finding success in NASCAR. The series also gives some of the smallest towns in the Carolinas a chance for economic growth a few weekends each year.

The series is about more than just fast cars and future stars. Each season, the CARS Tour races at homegrown short tracks throughout the Carolinas. This year, 16 races will be held in North and South Carolina.

Justin Marks is already the owner of Pitbull’s NASCAR team. He can now add a CARS Tour Series title to his resume, along with Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kevin Harvick and Jeff Burton.

“Grass racing in America is the foundation for all the motorsports you see live on weekend television,” Marks said.

The CARS Tour is the definition of grassroots racing. Drivers race for the love of the sport, not the dollars.

“I liken it to high school football. My high school football coach used to tell us that it was the purest form of the game. You don’t make money, you do it because you love it,” Marks said.

Fans also enjoy the CARS Tour. Last summer, the event at North Wilkesboro Speedway sold out the series. It was the first time the track had sold out since it closed in 1996.

Of course, Dale Earnhardt Jr. was racing, which helped put fans in the seats. So, could we see Justin Marks do the same?

“I think it’s incredibly fun, I’m not really good at it,” Marks said.

Competition in the series is not the focus of the four new owners. Their racing experience will be used to help the series grow. Motorsports in general, not just NASCAR, has a $6 billion economic impact in North Carolina.

“It’s about increasing the number of teams and drivers that are racing every week in this series and just trying to give them the best opportunity to be successful,” Marks said.

The North Carolina Motorsports Association says there are 25,000 direct and indirect motorsports jobs in the Tarhill State.