BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — The long-term future of asphalt short-track racing is entering a new era. Today, Spears CARS Tour West, co-owned by Kevin Harvick and Tim Huddleston, and Marty Melo’s MDM Promotions announced a landmark alignment that will bring the American Speed Association (ASA), the Championship Racing Association (CRA) and CARS Tour West together under one sanctioning body.
Beginning in 2027, the unified organization will operate under the CARS Tour banner and feature seven series, including three formerly competing as the ASA and CRA, three currently functioning as the CARS Tour West, and a new CARS Pro Tour South Series.
In addition to the strategic alignment, in which all three parties now share ownership, Harvick and Huddleston will join Melo as co-owners of Track TV, the exclusive live-streaming provider of ASA, CRA, and the recently announced home of the Spears CARS Tour West beginning in 2027.
“This is a big day for short-track racing,” said Melo, who will continue in his role as owner and managing member. “I’ve had the opportunity to watch what Kevin, Tim and their team have built with the West Coast series, and we share a very similar vision for the future of our sport. Bringing these series together gives us a tremendous opportunity to create something truly special.”
Harvick and Huddleston bring extensive experience across motorsports business and competition, while Melo has built a strong and trusted reputation in marketing and operations. Together, the trio of owners will pursue sustained growth by providing greater stability and consistency for competitors, tracks, partners and fans across the country.
“We are trying to build something bigger than any one series,” said Harvick. “We all have the same goals, and partnering with Marty allows us to make grassroots racing even stronger. Consistency is what the teams and drivers want to see. That will be a point of emphasis with our rules, procedures, purse structures and operations while continuing to build on what makes each region unique.”
“Blending Marty’s success with what we’ve accomplished on the West Coast creates a lot of excitement,” Huddleston added. “We’ve seen firsthand the power of cooperation and partnership, and having Track TV as a centralized platform for all seven series is another major piece of the puzzle.”
As part of the alignment, ASA and CRA will compete under rebranded series names but continue to race in their respective regions with CARS National Tour expanding its geographic footprint west in 2027. The list of series and rebrands are as follows:
o CARS National Tour – formerly the ASA STARS National Tour.
o CARS Midwest Tour – formerly ASA Midwest Tour.
o CARS Pro Tour Midwest – formerly the CRA Pro Series.
o CARS Pro Tour South – new series with tentative details forthcoming.
o CARS Pro Tour Southwest
o CARS Pro Tour Northwest
o CARS Tour West Super Late Model
The new ownership structure is effective immediately, with the unified sanctioning body officially taking effect Jan. 1, 2027. Additional details, including the 2027 schedules, Track TV coverage with new pricing and further organizational announcements, will be released in the coming weeks.
