What To Know About the Upcoming 25th Thanksgiving Classic

This weekend is the 25th annual Thanksgiving Classic in Lucama, NC, and many of America’s best stock car drivers are looking to burn calories and motor oil as they battle for short-track supremacy. But that leads to a few questions. Like, who’s competing this weekend, and what’s the race format?

The Thanksgiving Classic Format

This year, the format is fun and exciting, enjoyed by all racing fans! It’s a three-day event starting Friday and ending with the main event on Sunday. That being the 50-lap Ultra Racing Association (URA) Late Model Stock Car feature, which is also the finale in the I-95 Showdown, will see eight divisions of racing in action.  

Along with that excitement, we have a near-30-car field of Late Model Stock Cars, and the Thanksgiving classic has over 50 Legends registered to compete in the fall classic and over 30 Chargers, a new Thanksgiving Classic record. Who will chase victory at the 4/10-mile track in Lucama, NC?

The Big Names Entering the Thanksgiving Classic

The most notable names heading the event are Lee Pullman, the four-time NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series National Champion, and a man who won the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 a record six times, consecutively.

But what makes him such a notable name isn’t only his incredible skill and accomplishments that make him the headliner; it’s also who he’s driving for. For the first time in his career, he’ll be driving for JRM’s late model program.

Something unthinkable after he insulted Dale Jr.’s protégé, Josh Berry, in 2013, after he called him “the biggest joke in racing.” But after years of winning race after race, Junebug decided Bygones should be bygones. And enter the Thanksgiving classic together.

Now that drivers from JRM’s late model program, like Josh Berry and Carson Kvapil, are becoming full-time drivers in NASCAR, if this goes well for Pullman, could we see him drive in Xfinity? It’s a possibility for sure.

Speaking of Josh Berry, the Cup Series winner who was in the playoffs this past season, will also be appearing at the Thanksgiving Classic, looking to take home the turkey before the 2026 NASCAR season begins.

Keelan Harvick is also making an appearance; the son of the 2014 NASCAR Champion has been carving quite the late model for himself as he tries his best to become even as great as his father was!

Already accomplishing a lot before the age of fourteen, such as becoming the 2024 INEX Young Lions Asphalt National Champion, winning twenty-seven of the forty-nine races he entered that year.

As well as winning the 2024 INEX Young Lions North Carolina Oval State Championship and the 2023 U.S. INEX Road Course World Finals Champion (Young Lion), plus the 2021 SKUSA Micro Swift Super Nationals Champion. It looks to be adding to his large trophy room with a Thanksgiving Classic cup.

The Thanksgiving Classic Schedule

But of course, you can’t catch all the awesome action if you don’t know when it’ll be, so here’s the schedule for the great event!

Friday, November 28, 2025

• 10:30 am – Pit gates open
• 12:00 pm – Late Model Practice (until 3:00pm)
• 3:30 pm – Local division practice
• 5:45 pm – Grandstands open
• 6:00 pm – Qualifying (Bandolero, Legend Car, Limited Late Model)
• 7:20 pm – Pre-race ceremonies
• 7:30 pm – Green flag
  • Bandolero (Race #1) – 15 laps
  • Any Car – 15 laps
  • Legend Car (Race #1) – 25 laps
  • Bandolero (Race #2) – 15 laps
  • Limited Late Model – 75 laps
  • Legend Car (Race #2) – 25 laps

Saturday, November 29, 2025

• 9:00 am – Pit gates open
• 11:00 am – Local division practice
• 2:45 pm – Grandstands open
• 3:00 pm – Qualifying (Mini Stock, Charger, Late Model Stock Car)
• 4:45 pm– Pre-Race ceremonies
• 5:00 pm – Green flag
  • Legend Car (B-Main #1) – 15 laps
  • Bandolero (Race #1) – 15 laps
  • Legend Car (B-Main #2) – 15 laps
  • Mini Stock – 30 laps
  • Bandolero (Race #2) – 15 laps
  • Legend Car Feature – 30 laps
  • Charger – 50 laps

Sunday, November 30, 2025

• 8:30 am – Pit gates open
• 9:00 am – LMSC work session
• 9:15 am – Stage cars for autograph session
• 9:45 am – Grandstands open
• 10:00 am – Autograph session on frontstretch (until 11:30 am)
• 12:00 pm – Southern National Vintage Series practice (until 12:10 pm)
• 12:30 pm – Late Model Stock Car Last Chance Qualifiers x2 (20 laps, top-five advance)
• Pre-race ceremonies/Driver Introductions
• Feature racing program
  • Charger – 75 laps
  • Southern National Vintage Series – 30 laps
  • Late Model Stock Car driver introductions
  • Late Model Stock Car – 250 laps