“Absolutely great racing”: Mark Martin in awe of Dale Earnhardt Jr. owned CARS Tour’s racing product

Mark Martin, a NASCAR legend, recently penned a note of appreciation for the CARS Tour co-owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kevin Harvick on X. He said that a race doesn’t require 60 lead changes for it to be great.

The CARS Tour is a prominent regional stock car racing series in the United States, known especially for its focus on Late Model Stock Cars and Pro Late Models. The series debuted in 2015 and has since grown in stature and popularity for its ability to elevate drivers to the level of NASCAR.

The Series hosts races across the southeastern part of the country. Many NASCAR stars, including Josh Berry, have honed their skills in the CARS Tour. In recent years, the series has gained much more visibility than before after the consortium takeover by Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton, and Justin Marks.

Mark Martin penned on X, congratulating Kevin Harvick and Dale Earnhardt Jr. on the “great” racing that their series put on. He said that a race requires being competitive throughout, and without 60 lead changes like those seen in NASCAR, the race remained “great”. He penned:

"Everyone loved the @CARSTour race last night @FloRacing @FS1 Congratulations @DaleJr and @KevinHarvick on a great job. Absolutely great racing It just shows you don’t have to have 60 lead changes to have a great race and fans to love it."

Mark Martin is widely regarded as one of the greatest NASCAR drivers to never win a Cup Series Championship. Over his 31-year career, Martin amassed 40 Cup Series wins and finished second in the championship five times, a record for the Cup Series. Martin made 882 Cup starts, earning 61 runner-up finishes, 57 poles, and 453 top tens.

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Mark Martin lauded Kurt Busch’s ‘underrated talent’ after Kyle Larson’s second crash ahead of Indy 500

NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin recently praised Kurt Busch’s often-overlooked talent in light of Kyle Larson’s second crash during preparations for the 2025 Indianapolis 500.

Martin took to social media to remind fans and the motorsports community of how challenging it is to drive an IndyCar at high speeds, emphasizing that Busch’s 2014 Indy 500 performance-where he finished sixth as a NASCAR regular-remains “extremely underappreciated.” Martin called Busch “spectacular” and described his open-wheel adaptability as underrated, especially given his background in stock car racing.

"I think we all forget how hard it is to drive a @IndyCar FAST. I think what @KurtBusch did is extremely under appreciated. Kurt was spectacular. His talent is underrated."

The discussion was prompted by Kyle Larson’s ongoing attempt at the “Memorial Day Double”-competing in both the Indy 500 and NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 on the same day. During practice at Indianapolis, Larson spun and hit the wall, marking his second crash in IndyCar ahead of the big race. Despite these setbacks, Larson maintained a positive outlook, telling reporters that the increased speed didn’t intimidate him and that he felt confident as long as the car was repairable.