Carson Loftin announced he signed with Mike Darne Racing to continue his 2026 CARS Tour season after splitting with Nelson Motorsports earlier this week.

Loftin shared in a post to Facebook, “Excited for this next chapter with Mike Darne Racing, starting next weekend at Dominion Raceway with the CARS Tour!
I’m ready to get to work with Mike and his team and thankful for the opportunity. 🙏”

Both Nelson Motorsports and Loftin announced on Tuesday that they were splitting. Nelson Motorsports said, “Over the past few years, Carson has been an integral part of our organization, and we are grateful for the dedication, professionalism, and competitive spirit he brought to our team. Together, we celebrated many memorable achievements, including earning the 2025 CARS Tour Rookie of the Year title, securing a front-row starting position for the 2025 ValleyStar Credit Union 300, and numerous other milestones that contributed to our program’s growth and success.”

“We sincerely thank Carson for his commitment both on and off the racetrack, and we wish him continued success in his racing career and future endeavors,” the team added.

As for what the plans are for the team moving forward, it stated, “Additional announcements regarding the team’s driver lineup will be made public in the coming days, Nelson Motorsports will continue its 2026 season next weekend at Dominion Raceway, where both the No. 12 and No. 22 entries will compete for a CARS Tour victory.”

In his statement, Loftin wrote, “After a lot of thought and consideration, Nelson Motorsports and I have decided to go in different directions. I want to thank Mr. Nelson for the opportunity to drive for him and his belief in me. I wish he and the entire team nothing but the most moving forward.”

Loftin is currently 11th in the CARS Tour points after six features and 85 points behind current points leader Caden Kvapil. He was 1 Top and 2 Top 10s. That top 5 was a fifth place finish in the season opener at Southern National Motorsports Park back at the end of February. He most recently finished 6th at Langley Speedway.

Mike Darne Racing recently fielded a late model stock car for Dylan Fetcho at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway, Caraway Speedway, and Ace Speedway. Fetcho had 3 Top 10s and 2 Top 5s in those races. Fetcho finished third at Nashville, fifth at Caraway Speedway, and 7th at Ace.

NEXT: Dale Earnhardt Jr. Reveals Kyle Busch Was Planning To Compete In The CARS Tour In Touching Tribute