NASCAR‘s Most Popular Driver is providing fans a chance to see him in action right before Memorial Day Weekend’s Coca-Cola 600. Chase Elliott will be getting behind the wheel in the ASA STARS National Tour’s Tar Heel 250 at Hickory Motor Speedway. The race will take place on Tuesday, May 21, at the track in Hickory, North Carolina, about 70 miles northwest of Charlotte.
Elliott adds the short-track in a week-long gear up for the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The race week is a home game for much of NASCAR, which is widely based in the South Central North Carolina area.
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The race is one that Elliott has run for several years during Coca-Cola 600 week. A year ago, Elliott finished the event in 2nd place behind Colby Howard. The Tar Heel 250 will take place for its 4th edition. The race debuted in 2023, which Cole Butcher, now a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver, had won.
The ASA CARS National Tour
Cars race at Hickory Motor Speedway. (Photography by David Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)(Photography by David Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The Tar Heel 250 is a premier race in the ASA STARS National Tour, while racing Super Late Models. Read more about what a Super Late Model car is as compared to a NASCAR Stock Car here.
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The ASA STARS National Tour was founded back in 2022 by Track Enterprises. In the 2026 season, Carson Brown currently leads the driver standings through 2 races.
As for Chase Elliott, he returns to his roots in this event. Elliott is one of the most decorated Super Late Model drivers of recent memory. In 2011, Elliott won the CRA Super Series National Championship. In 2011-12, Elliott ran 40 races, achieving 16 victories before heading to the big stage, which was NASCAR. Elliott is now a 1-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion (2020) and the sport’s Most Popular Driver.
While no other Cup Series drivers are yet announced for the Tar Heel 250, it could very well happen. In 2023, William Byron joined Elliott for the race. Hendrick Motorsports remains a presence in North Carolina’s racing scene, never shy about having either of its racers make a midweek start.
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Elliott will attempt not only to win the Tar Heel 250 but also his 1st-ever Coca-Cola 600 win. The race, nearly 2 weeks from now, is the longest on the 36-race NASCAR schedule.
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on May 13, 2026, where it first appeared in the Racing section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
