Limited Late Model races will headline Carteret County Speedway’s United States Semiquincentennial celebrations

PELETIER, NC – Bobby Watson’s Carteret County Speedway will celebrate the United States Semiquincentennial with $5,000-to-win, $800-to-start Limited Late Model races on a Sunday night on Memorial Day Weekend and on Independence Day which falls on a Saturday night.

Both races will boast the same purse, with a higher payout throughout the field, starting at $5,000 for first place, $2,000 for second, $1,250 for third, $1,000 for fourth and $800 from fifth on back.  Both Limited Late Model races will be four tire races and will utilize the rules from the 2025 Christmas Clash.

“We’re always looking to do things big at Carteret County Speedway and we decided to celebrate the 250^th birthday of the greatest country on Earth by putting together some big races for Memorial Day and for the Fourth of July,” Carteret County Speedway owner Bob Lowery said.  “We listened to the racers after the Christmas Clash and decided to up the pay through the field for Limited Late Models.”

Carteret County Speedway’s proximity to the Crystal Coast beaches also adds to the allure of the special events.

“We’re just three miles away from the Emerald Isle bridge so it’s a great opportunity for racers to have a vacation and race at the same time,” Lowery remarked.  “We can call it a race-cation.  It’s also a perfect opportunity for people, to go to the beach during the day and then come hang out and watch a race at night.”

The first of the two events will be the Memorial Clash on Sunday, May 24, 2026.  The STARS Super Stock Tour and the Southern Ground Pounders will also be in action, along with Mini Stocks and Jr. Late Models.  There will also be a full day of practice on Saturday, May 23 followed by a live musical performance by the local Black-Eyed Daisies band in the Moonshiner’z Bar & Grill located in the speedway infield.

The band’s lead vocalist, Mackenzie Pelton, will sing the National Anthem as part of the speedway’s Tribute to America pre-race show prior to the start of the Memorial Classic on Sunday, May 24.

The Fourth of July weekend event features an expanded two-day show, with the Showdown Series in action on Friday, July 3, along with Bombers in the Prelude to the Clash.  Following the racing action, South Carolina musician Skyler Whitfield will perform at the Moonshiner’z Bar & Grill. 

The Firecracker Clash on Saturday, July 4 features the second of the two $5,000-to-win Limited Late Model races as well as the Showdown Series, U-CARs and Jr. Mini Cups.  Like Memorial Day Weekend, the Firecracker Clash will feature an expanded pre-race show to honor America, including a performance of America The Beautiful by Skyler Whitfield and the National Anthem by Dolly Witt.