It’s been a while since race fans have heard the voice of Rick Allen. After calling NASCAR Cup Series races on NBC Sports from 2015 until 2024, and before that the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for many years, Allen was left on the sidelines entering the 2025 TV deals for NASCAR. But on Saturday night, fans of the CARS Tour will hear Allen’s voice alongside Blake McCandless on the FloRacing broadcast of the “Mini’s Mission 125” from Dominion Raceway.

Allen’s participation came about initially as a bit of a joke between friends when Allen made an appearance on Dale Earnhardt Jr.’'s “Dale Jr. Download” podcast back in May. While at the time they were joking together, a hole opened up for the June 14 race from Dominion as regular announcer Eric Brennan would not be able to make that event.

“(Dale) had me on and we talked about what I was doing and what I wanted to do, and I think jokingly he said, ‘I’ve got two CARS Tour races I need an announcer for,” explained Allen to FloRacing. “So I raised my hand and said I’m available. He thought I was joking, but I said I’m not joking, I’d do it for him as a favor.

“A week after the podcast he reached out to me and said, ‘Are you serious about potentially doing one of the CARS Tour races or both of them?’ I told him I’d love to look at it and see if my schedule would allow it. I said, ‘Let me do the June 14th race at Dominion and we’ll go from there.’ So for the immediate future we’re doing this one and we’ll see how it goes.”

Allen said the main goal for this week is to have fun and watch racing and talk about racing, which is something that he has not been able to do on-air since the end of the 2024 season. And even though Saturday’s race is a Late Model Stock Car race on a pavement short track, it’s allowing him to get back to his roots a little bit. Allen got his start calling races at the dirt track of Eagle Raceway in his home state of Nebraska. 

“I cut my teeth on a little short dirt track in Nebraska. I love that racing. I love that atmosphere. I had a great time doing it when I started calling races,” Allen said. “So just to get back there and have some fun and watch a little racing and see if I can add a little bit to this broadcast. And to enjoy myself and take the weekend for what it is, which is me being able to watch a race and have a little fun on the broadcast side.”

One thing that Allen is going to have to learn, and quickly, is who is driving which car. In CARS Tour competition, duplicate car numbers are allowed, which is very different from the upper levels of NASCAR where there can only be one car per car number. In the CARS Tour, it’s not strange to see multiple cars with the number 88, for example. The diehards of the Tour know that Connor Hall is in the 88, while Doug Barnes Jr. is the 88B. But for Allen, it’s the little things like that that will take some learning while he hammers through his prep work for the weekend.

“I was going through the entry list and one of my first questions for our production meeting this afternoon is, ‘Are you guys messing with me?’ Because, there are four number four cars entered in this race. What’s that all about?” Allen asked with a laugh. “I think these guys are playing a trick on me, so we’ll have to figure that out.

“But I’m definitely studying. I always like to be very prepared. I want to know as much as possible about anybody and everybody that could be part of the broadcast,” said Allen. “That means crew members, drivers, family members. I want to know as much as I can about that. That’s kind of where my studying is. The racing really presents itself, so that’s just calling the action on the track. But I like to add to the broadcast by telling people a little more about the people they are watching. Whether it’s a sporting event or a show, whatever it is, I like to learn.”

One of the added elements to this particular weekend is the meaning behind the event. “Mini’s Mission” is the foundation started by full-time CARS Tour competitor Mini Tyrrell after Tyrrell learned about his childhood friend being diagnosed with cancer. This entire weekend is meant to place a spotlight on children who are battling pediatric cancer and their families who are there alongside them every step of the way. 

For Allen, that means not just learning who the drivers are and which car they drive and their stats, but also about each child and their family that is being matched with every driver in the field, as well as their stories.

Allen explained that he’s been part of a similar foundation with a similar cause for the better part of the last decade. Allen said that a young man named Jack Hoffman from Nebraska was diagnosed with brain cancer, and Allen has been with his foundation because of how much his story touched him.

“I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for these kids that are just handed this disease, and how valiantly they fight it,” Allen said. “When I was reading about Mini’s Mission, it really touched my heart that I’ve been put into this broadcast for a reason. There’s a reason I’m here, and there’s a reason it was this one and it was Mini’s Mission that is the title of the race.

“Kids fighting this disease is something that I want to give 100-percent attention to, and that’s hopefully the way I’m going to start this broadcast out. I know as racers and as fans of racing, we tune in to watch a race. But I hope that we’re going to educate and let people know and give them a reason to look up the cause and be sympathetic to these kids that are fighting a fight that they didn’t sign up for. They’re fighting very valiantly, and their families are right there with them.”

The “Mini’s Mission 125” broadcast from Virginia’s Dominion Raceway will begin at 5 p.m. ET with qualifying. The 125-lap main event is expected to see the green flag fly at 7 pm. ET.

Fans can watch Saturday’s race and listen to Rick Allen live on FloRacing with a FloRacing subscription. Fans can join FloRacing by clicking here.