Landen Lewis dominates at Ace, Carson Ware earns rain-shortened first victory

ALTAMAHAW, N.C. — Participants in both divisions of the zMAX CARS Tour encountered two distinct challenges during Saturday’s Folsom Fence Supply 275 at Ace Speedway: competing against each other and contending with the weather.

As showers swept across the East Coast, the schedule was accelerated, starting with the Late Model Stock Car Tour. With uncertain time before the weather hit, the racing at Ace was fast-paced and intense, leading to significant attrition.

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Landen Lewis stood firm as ominous clouds slowly moved toward Ace from turn one, dominating the Late Model Stock feature to claim his second career win. The rain eventually came during the Pro Late Model race, concluding on lap 51 with Carson Ware celebrating his first victory in his father’s No. 51 Ford.

Kevin Harvick Inc. is well-acquainted with triumph at Ace Speedway, having secured victory in the latest CARS LMSC Tour event at the venue last August with Brent Crews driving.

Even with a different driver and manufacturer, KHI claimed their second consecutive win at Ace on Saturday evening, thanks to an outstanding performance by Landen Lewis. This event marked a refreshing change for Lewis, who was glad to demonstrate the poise that earned him his first LMSC Tour victory at Wake County Speedway last year.

“The first one will always be the special one for sure,” Lewis remarked. “Everyone talks about how competitive this series is week in and week out. The last two weeks have been a rollercoaster for sure. We qualified almost last and had to run the top every race to get into the top 10.”

Lewis’ worst finish in the first four LMSC Tour races was 11th at the season-opener at New River All-American Speedway. He knew his No. 29 Rent Source/MMI Chevrolet had plenty of speed, with the key being a strong qualifying performance.

Starting in fifth place provided Lewis with the momentum needed to demonstrate the strength of KHI’s Late Model Stock program. After LMSC Tour points leader Connor Hall suffered a tire issue early on, Lewis quickly took the lead, facing challenges mainly during the numerous restarts.

The guidance of his mentor, NASCAR Hall-of-Famer Ron Hornaday Jr., was crucial in helping Lewis handle the challenges posed by restarts and competitors. Lewis aimed to reward his KHI team for their diligent work and is hopeful about securing more victories throughout the rest of 2025.

“We came into [Ace] with a different plan,” Lewis stated. “Rodney Childers was here and brought us all together. My entire team has been working hard and showing up at the track with well-prepared cars. That’s what it takes to win the championship, and we’re going to keep pushing forward.”