zMAX CARS Tour wrapped up its 2025 season at North Wilkesboro Speedway, where the historic .625-mile oval delivered edge-of-your-seat racing under the lights. Caden Kvapil grabbed the win for JR Motorsports in the Late Model Stock Car. Meanwhile, 13-year-old Keelan Harvick also powered himself to a win in the Pro Late Model division, holding off Luke Baldwin in a side-by-side battle. As co-owners of the tour since 2023, Kevin Harvick and Dale Earnhardt Jr. have poured their energy into building this platform for raising future stars.

Landen Lewis sealed the Late Model Stock Car championship for Harvick’s Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) team with a steady seventh-place run. Apart from the win, this weekend highlighted the deep bond and drive shared between the two owners behind the series’ success. Yet amid the celebrations, Kevin’s message to Dale Jr. really caught the spotlight in the paddock.

A shared passion fuels the crown

In a candid post-race chat captured by Racing America, Kevin Harvick opened up about the thrill of steering the CARS Tour alongside Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his sister Kelley. “I love our ownership group and working with Dale and Kelly on a weekly basis to give our short track racers,” Harvick said, whose voice carries the weight of two decades in the sport.

Championship secured. @KevinHarvick reflects on a dominant season for @landenlewis99 and KHI in the zMAX @CARSTour.

Full story: https://t.co/OScfBAc7Bs pic.twitter.com/uZT6cgitVr

— Racing America (@RacingAmerica) October 19, 2025

This isn’t just business for the trio; they bought into the series back in January 2023 with Jeff Burton and Justin Marks, aiming to revive grassroots racing at tracks like North Wilkesboro, revived in 2023 partly through Earnhardt’s advocacy. Harvick’s words hit home after KHI’s championship clinch with Lewis, a driver who’s become like family, grinding as a mechanic and racer to earn that crown.

That grind mirrors what Harvick sees in the tour’s DNA. “There’s not very many people that have the same passion for racing that I do. And Dale and especially Kelly match that in different ways,” he added, reflecting on late nights plotting strategies and scouting talent. It’s a nod to their history, Harvick’s 2014 Cup title, and Earnhardt‘s legacy intertwined through mutual respect and now by this venture.

Lewis’ title, built on seven top-fives and a mindset shift mid-season, proves the tour’s edge: as Harvick noted the importance of this car’s tour, stating, “The thing has become pretty evident is if you can win here, you can go and be competitive and park in a truck, Xfinity series.”

Caden Kvapil echoed the sentiment after his JR Motorsports win, saying, “To be able to get my first win in the Late Model Stock division here at Wilkesboro, it’s really cool. It’s one of the most historic tracks on the schedule, obviously. To be able to come back after it got revived three years ago when my brother won here and win in the exact same car—that’s really awesome.”

His brother did win here in 2022 in the same No. 8 Chevy. Caden also credited team owner Kelley Earnhardt-Miller’s support. These triumphs underscore why the co-owners stay invested; the series isn’t just races; it’s a launchpad where passion turns kids into contenders, eventually landing them in the upper levels of the racing competition.

Harvick wrapped his thoughts on the tour’s unmatched intensity. “We have the most competitive late-model series in the country. And that shows when our guys leave and go do something else,” he said, pointing to former drivers like Layne Riggs thriving up the ladder. For Earnhardt, whose JR Motorsports notched Kvapil’s upset victory, it’s personal too; short tracks were his proving ground, and now they’re paying it forward together.

This heartfelt exchange, born from a season of sweat and strategy, reminds everyone why these two keep racing’s fire alive. But Harvick’s weekend insights didn’t stop at celebrations; he turned his gaze to the Cup Series, where a teammate’s tough break called for some straight talk.

Harvick’s take on Byron’s Vegas heartbreaker

William Byron‘s Las Vegas run turned sour in a flash last weekend, dropping from the lead into a 36th-place finish after plowing into Ty Dillon’s slowing No. 10 car on Lap 237. Byron had dominated early, snagging Stage 1 and leading 55 laps, but a spotter mix-up left him unaware Dillon was pitting off-cycle. Now 15 points below the playoff cutline with Talladega looming, Byron’s title hopes hinge on a miracle run through the final rounds.

Harvick, no stranger to high-pressure wrecks, sympathized deeply on his post-race rundown. “When he was pitting, I don’t think William knew… William didn’t think he was pitting because of where they were at from the cycle, thinking it was done, and then all of that just compiled into a bad situation right there in a massive, massive wreck,” he explained.

Drawing from his own career scrapes, Harvick stressed communication basics, recalling how he’d weave his car or wave a hand out the window to signal pits. The incident echoes past Kaulig chaos, but Harvick sees growth potential, Byron’s raw speed remains, and reviewing in-car footage could sharpen his instincts for those split-second calls.