NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. — Before NASCAR officially drops the hammer at Daytona, big-time short-track racing takes center stage Tuesday night just down the road, as the ASA STARS National Tour opens its season with the Clyde Hart Memorial 200 at New Smyrna Speedway. Call it the appetizer before the Daytona main course — and trust me, this one has plenty of bite.
The Clyde Hart Memorial stands as the first major event of the year for the ASA STARS Tour, and fittingly, it brings a star-studded field to one of the most respected short tracks in America. The 200-lap feature at the high-banked half-mile is a showcase of patience, tire management and pure short-track grit, the kind that separates wheelmen from highlight-reel heroes.
New Smyrna Speedway, a 0.5-mile asphalt oval that opened in 1967, has long been a proving ground for future NASCAR stars. With seating for roughly 7,000 fans, the place feels tight, loud and alive — especially during the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing, where tonight’s Clyde Hart Memorial serves as a marquee moment. The track’s progressive banking and long green-flag runs reward rhythm and discipline, while still leaving room for elbows-up racing when it counts.
Tristan McKee starts on the pole in his No. 5 Blaster Gunk Chevrolet, with Dawson Sutton in the No. 26 Rackley Roofing Chevrolet to his outside, rounding out the front row.
NASCAR Cup Series phenom Carson Hocevar starts 20th in his No. 77 Gunk Blaster Chevrolet, while local favorite Bubba Pollar starts 16th in the No. 26 Phoenix Racing Ford.
One of the headliners in Tuesday night’s entry list, first circulated Monday on X, is of course Carson Hocevar. The NASCAR Cup Series regular continues a marathon week of racing, adding the Clyde Hart Memorial to a schedule that already includes Trucks, O’Reilly and Cup duties at Daytona. It’s the kind of throwback workload that short-track fans love — race as much as possible, wherever there’s asphalt and a green flag. Kyle Larson, but make it asphalt, basically.
Oh, and shout out to Ryan Preece for doing the same last week, following his win at Bowman Gray Stadium. Preece has been ripping it at New Smyrna all week, too.
The full entry list is deep with proven short-track talent and national touring experience, and while we’ll roll out the complete lineup separately, the theme is clear: this race will not lack for speed or storylines.
And a quick nod where it’s deserved — Matt Weaver continues to put in absolute miles for the sport. After braving snow and cold at Bowman Gray Stadium, Weaver hustled south to New Smyrna to cover the World Series of Asphalt before NASCAR Speedweeks officially begins. That’s dedication, and it matters for grassroots racing. Go give Weaver a follow on X if you can and support his work. Truly, the best in the business.
Fans can watch every lap live on FloRacing, which has become the go-to home for asphalt short-track racing, especially during Speedweeks. If you want to understand where NASCAR talent is born, this is where you point your screen.
Tonight, New Smyrna delivers the short-track soul of Speedweeks. Tomorrow, NASCAR qualifying lights up Daytona. Thursday brings the Duels. Then it’s race weekend.
It’s NASCAR time, baby — and it all starts under the lights in New Smyrna.
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