zMAX CARS Tour Throwback Classic @ Hickory Motor Speedway 8/8/2026

NEWTON, N.C. -

Matthew Gould would score a huge victory Saturday night, and T.J. DeCaire would deliver a win for LowCountry Motorsports as the zMAX CARS Tour took on the Spears Manufacturing Throwback Classic at Hickory Motor Speedway.

The annual event held a 125-lap zMAX CARS Tour Late Model Stock Car (LMSC) Tour race and a 100-lap zMAX CARS Tour Pro Late Model (PLM) Tour race, and a rain-filled race-day, plus a caution filled first race, would see the night stretch into early Sunday morning at Hickory Motor Speedway.

Gould scores first CARS Tour victory:

Gould would enter the weekend with just four starts in the CARS LMSC division, and by the end of the night, he had his first series victory.

Starting in a field of 29 cars, Gould would move through the field and would stay out of trouble while much of the race’s biggest competitors would encounter problems throughout the race.

Driving the No. 4 Late Model of Neice Motorsports, Gould would find himself in a position to capitialize after a late race incident would send the front runners to the garage.

Kaden Honeycutt, Lee Pulliam, and Corey Heim were just some of those drivers to fail to finish due to crashes and damage, while Treyten Lapcevich take the lead after being involved in the late contact with Honeycutt and Pulliam with 15 laps to go.

Gould would make his move on the next restart, and would not look back, finishing first at a track not too far from his hometown, Mooresville. Lapcevich would hold on for second, which would bring him closer in points to leader Caden Kvapil. Landen Lewis came home third, Ryan Millington fourth, and Ronnie Bassett Jr fifth to round out the top five.

DeCaire wins after caution-filled PLM Race:

T.J. DeCaire would have a different challenge in the PLM race that started the night - a caution filled affair that made the 100-lap race last nearly two hours in a race that wouldn’t start until much later than scheduled due to weather delays.

Trouble for the PLM race started before a single official lap was turned - Brody Monahan would miss a shift in row two, causing a stack up that would collect eight cars in Turn 1. Drivers collected included Keelan Harvick, Mason Walters, Luke Baldwin, and more, and would end the days of Nick Loden and Tristan Pena, who was sporting a Greg Biffle “Whataburger” throwback scheme.

Interruptions would continue and as the race hit the mid-point, Monahan would miss another shift and collect another seven cars.

After many other cautions and early ends to nights, DeCaire would hold on and find his second career CARS Tour PLM win, and the first for LowCountry Motorsports.

The No. 1 of DeCaire that entered victory lane honored Mike Garvey’s 2001 ASA National Tour car - honoring the fact that Garvey is DeCaire’s Super Late Model crew chief.

Only 12 of the 24 cars in the PLM race would finish all 100 laps.

Race Results as of writing of this article are still considered unofficial. Photos by Pits to Stands. Please ask for permission and give credit when reposting photos.