Kyle Larson has a vision with new late model race he’s promoting

NASCAR Cup Series Test — CONCORD, NORTH CAROLINA - NOVEMBER 17: Kyle Larson driver of the #24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet waits in the garage area during NASCAR Cup Series Next Gen testing at Charlotte Motor Speedway on November 17, 2021 in Concord, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

Kyle Larson has a dream—or, more precisely, a prelude to a dream.

Partnering with streaming service FloSports, Larson is promoting a dirt late model race at Volunteer Speedway in Bulls Gap, Tenn., on April 14, three days before the NASCAR Cup Series is scheduled to run on dirt at Bristol Motor Speedway.

“It kind of came together late, just through my relationship with FloRacing,” Larson said on Saturday at Auto Club Speedway. “Initially, the idea of it started because I want to someday, somehow, bring back something similar to the Prelude to the Dream.”

The Prelude was a charity dirt late model event organized by Tony Stewart at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio. It preceded the annual Dirt Late Model Dream at the half-mile track and attracted drivers from a variety of racing disciplines, including an array of Cup stars.

“So, I got talking with (FloSports vice president of motorsports) Michael Rigsby about that. That kind of turned into—well, there’s no (late model) race at Bristol leading up to the Cup race like they had last year where a lot of the Cup guys went and ran. So then, Bulls Gap kind of got thrown around and we ended up putting on that event. It should be a lot of fun.”

Located roughly 50 miles southwest of Bristol, Volunteer Speedway is a .4-mile track banked at 32 degrees in the corners and should provide racing characteristics similar to those found at half-mile Bristol.