Landen Lewis is the latest promising young talent in stock car racing right now. He started go-karting when he was just four, and after climbing the Dirt Modifieds, Legend cars, and ARCA steps, he joined Kevin Harvick Incorporated (KHI) in 2024 for his late model stints.

After showing some good form since then, he finally clinched the zMAX CARS Tour Late Model Stock Car Championship on October 20, his first full-time title in the series for KHI. “These moments don’t come easily, so you just try and enjoy it while you can,” an emotional Lewis expressed from the winning stage. And his seeds bore fruit. The teen is now prepping to up his Truck game as he’s been signed by Niece Motorsports for a part-time opportunity next year.

Lewis remembers his mentors

This won’t be his first Truck rodeo, as he’s had a few trysts with Roper Racing in 2023 and Hattori Racing Enterprises in 2024. Now, after a year’s gap, he will be back as an ‘anchor driver’ for his team. Speaking to Kevin Harvick on his Happy Hour, Lewis said, “Yeah, so we actually just signed a contract two weeks ago to go Truck racing. So I’m going to go Truck racing with Niece Motorsports. I’ll have 15 races with them, and I get to share the Truck with two Cup guys, so I think that’ll be really cool for me to learn from those guys.”

“I think that’s really why I was just so emotional all day on Saturday. I’m kind of getting emotional right now, talking about it. I’m very happy, inside I’m happy but I think that was why I was so emotional at the race track. I knew that was kind of my last full-time season with you guys.”

These emotions of Lewis show how, more than the excitement of the upcoming journey, he’s emotional about cutting his past bridges. That bittersweet feeling of closing a chapter to start another.

His “you guys” shows he’s aware and appreciates the mentorship he received from his veteran mentors and CARS Tour co-owners Kevin Harvick and Dale Jr., as he expressed an emotional incident he faced with the latter.

Post the race, when Lewis got home in the wee hours, prepping to sleep, his phone went off. And just as sleep was about to take over, it vanished the moment he saw the name flash on his phone — Dale Earnhardt Jr. Lewis recalled how special that moment was for him, “He tells me ‘Good job’. I’m like ‘Man, this is so cool to live that moment because my mentor Ron, he got that phone call from Dale Sr. And I got a phone call from Dale Jr. And I’m like, ‘That’s freaking awesome to be a part of.’ I went to Ron yesterday and told him this story, and he started crying; he was so emotional.”

He added what Dale Jr. told him, “‘Landen, I want to tell you now that it’s over with. You don’t understand how hard and bad I wanted to help you get through this moment….But there’s no words that I could have told you to help you. You don’t understand until you actually live it.’ And I lived it on Saturday night. It was stressful but it was pretty cool.”

His words show what that one call from Dale Jr. meant to him. A personal call from someone of Junior’s stature reinforced his confidence in what he does, making him realize how it is only after reaching that stage that he will realize the responsibility and the weight of that glory.

Lewis can’t wait for his new Truck stint

The 19-year-old, fresh off his CARS Tour championship, expressed his excitement about the new challenge, saying, “I’m super excited to join Niece Motorsports in 2026 and look forward to having a solid year learning all I can… I can’t wait to get there and start working alongside everyone.” For Lewis, it’s all about adapting to the trucks, connecting with his crew, and learning through experience.

“Try to learn something new, again. It’s a steady work and you have to keep working and I’m excited to get over to Niece Motorsports with Cody and all the guys. Just start learning as much as possible and next process is learn how to build a Truck. That’s my next thing, I want to learn how to do that because I want to be right there with all my guys throughout this next season, learn how to fix and work on them, so super excited for that,” he added.

Lewis’ 2025 campaign had already shown what he’s capable of. Despite mid-season dips, including a tough Langley run, he bounced back to clinch the title by 13 points over Connor Hall. His consistent performances and sponsor backings helped him to prove how he’s ready to take on the next Truck challenge.

Harvick, who has guided Lewis since his early days in Legends cars, praised his determination and character. “I just don’t think there are many kids that are left like Landen,” Harvick said after his title win. “His work ethic, determination, and sacrifices are contagious—it attracts people, sponsors, and everyone who wants to support him.”

With his humility, hunger to learn, and guidance from veterans like Harvick and Dale Jr., Lewis now stands poised to turn his next chapter into his biggest leap yet.