Jared Fryar, T.J. DeCaire Outlast zMAX CARS Tour Competition at Tri-County

Jared Fryar outdueled Landon S. Huffman to score his third victory in just his seventh start of the zMax CARS Tour season.

Late Models

by Racing America on Oct 5, 2025

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hero image for Jared Fryar, T.J. DeCaire Outlast zMAX CARS Tour Competition at Tri-County

GRANITE FALLS, N.C. (Oct. 4, 2025) — Jared Fryar outdueled Landon S. Huffman to score his third victory in just his seventh start of the zMax CARS Tour season.

After battling Fryar for a heat race win in last week's ValleyStar Credit Union 300 at Martinsville, four-time NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series National Champion Lee Pulliam called Fryar the smartest driver in this era of Late Model Stock Car racing.

Fryar backed up those claims Saturday at Tri-County, methodically working his way through the field from his 18th-place starting position. The former series champion settled inside the top five until calamity unfolded in front of him, allowing him an opportunity at the front row, which he seized.

“Our car wasn’t really that good,” said Fryar “We obviously didn’t qualify good. These tires threw me for a loop there and obviously couldn’t make adjustments so we had what we had,” said Fryar “I felt like we put up a good race but I could tell as the laps were winding down, I couldn’t quite clear (Landon S. Huffman) but if I could clear him, I was better than him so obviously I kind of did what I had to do there to win the race.”

A savvy drive from Fryar was assisted by a late-race incident in front of him involving Chad McCumbee and Landon Huffman. McCumbee, seeking his first victory on the tour since Hickory in 2022, started from pole and dominated the night. As the laps wound down, Landon Huffman, seeking his first win on the tour since here at Tri-County in 2023, stalked McCumbee lap after lap.

Finally, Huffman was able to get alongside the No. 16 heading into turn one. However, Huffman got loose underneath and slipped up into McCumbee, causing both to crash and ultimately ending McCumbee’s night.

“Just made a mistake,” said Huffman “I take pride in not making those mistakes often or ever - I don’t think I touched a soul all night until I got to Chad, but I knew if I could get the lead it, ball game.”

“The general etiquette and general racing in our sport right now, I don’t think is good,” said McCumbee. “I felt like we raced the 12 (of Trevor Ward) really clean, top, bottom. I got loose under him multiple times, I anticipated it; that’s what you have to do. I really thought that Landon would’ve thought the same thing.”

Coming into Tri-County, the championship battle was eighteen points in Landen Lewis’ favor over Connor Hall. The two were virtually glued to each other the second half of the race, battling inside the top five. The two drivers made contact in turn four, with Lewis slipping back to ninth and Hall taking a chunk out of Lewis’ lead with a third-place finish.

“Places like here, South Boston, Orange County, when there’s two grooves, it's so hard to make passes," said Hall. "He’s on the top, trying to make all the steam he can. I’m on the bottom, trying to use up all the racetrack I can. Rubbing’s racing."

“We tried something new this weekend and it really didn’t work out for us,” said Lewis. “We were really good at Wilkesboro earlier this year, there are some things you can take from this, we’re going to finish third, fourth or whatever until it all went wrong.”

Unofficially, Landen holds the championship lead by 13 points over Connor Hall heading into the finale at North Wilkesboro

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. made his fourth and final CARS Tour start of the season, driving his now iconic green and red No. 8 to a 12th-place finish. Earnhardt is typically a fan of the abrasive tracks that produce higher tire wear, which doesn’t exactly fit Tri-County’s profile.

“Sun Drop wants to sell Sun Drop up here,” said Earnhardt. “They work around the North Carolina area and would prefer us to race around tracks like this and I was due for a little bit of a change, try some of this high grip stuff out. I liked it, I had fun."

As for the Pro Late Model event, it was TJ DeCaire getting redemption after his disqualification from the win in the opening round of the season at Coastal Plains, scoring his first CARS Tour victory.

"I can't race every week, so I try to help out the team every way that I can. I care so much for the people in the pits," said DeCaire during his post-race interview with FloRacing.

"I can't thank these guys enough. They did a phenomenal job all weekend, and now we're here."

At the end of the race, DeCaire battled with NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series competitor Bayley Currey for the win. Late-race yellows kept the two drivers bunched together, but DeCaire prevailed over Currey for the win.

"I wasn't really liking the yellows," DeCaire said. "But I knew the 44 [of Currey] would race me clean, and he did. It was great racing at the end. He had a great slide job in one and two, and I crossed him over. That's great racing in my eyes."

Currey, making his first-ever CARS Tour start, was pleased to come away with a second-place finish in the Conner Jones Racing No. 44.

"I needed to hold the brake a little more and not let him cross me over," said Currey. "I really didn't think I was going to clear him when I threw that slider.

"I hadn't run a straight-rail car in eight years. To come back and be this competitive and race for a win feels really good."

Ben Maier extends his lead yet again in the standings, virtually locking up the Pro Late Model championship.

The zMax CARS Tour will be in action for the final time of 2025 on October 18th at North Wilkesboro Speedway.

-Story by: Buddy Pulley
-Photo credit: Joshua White/CARS Tour