Orange County Speedway Media Day 2016 Press Release

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Welcome to Orange County Speedway. We are starting our 10th season under the current management, and are pleased to announce exciting renovations that are underway. The main office is being renovated as well as the souvenir stand. OCS will have a new walk-in souvenir stand to offer fans the opportunity to have easy access to touch and feel the products they may want to purchase. We will also be offering a better selection of merchandise to appeal to all ages.

Track owner Melvin Stanley, and Operations Manager, Terry Deal, are making several upgrades to the track to make it a place where fans will have the most enjoyable experience and competitors will appreciate and enjoy their experience as well. “We want to make it a place enjoyable for everyone and a place where everyone will want to return,” said Deal.

Many local favorites are returning in 2016, such as 2014 Late Model Champion Chris Denny. Former champions Chuck Lawson and Terry Dease will throw their hat into the mix in 2016. Also returning is former Late Model competitor Tripp Massengill. Defending champion Craig Moore will be making periodic appearances throughout 2016, along with Layne Riggs.

Chris Elliott, Daniel Schadt, Dennis Sargent, Daryl Carver, and the Gray brothers are just a few names which will be running in the Limited Sportsman division. Defending Street Stock champion Jared Gillis will be returning to run for another Street Stock championship. Other Street Stock notables are the Purnell brothers and Jeffrey Martin, who is moving up from Super Mini Trucks, along with local favorite Scoot Hayden.

The Pure Stock and Super Mini Truck classes are growing and Orange County Speedway is expecting new competitors from Virginia and North Carolina. Danny Winstead has announced that he will be defending his Pure Stock title.

OCS is pleased to announce that the Modified Four Cylinder division will be running seven races this year with series sponsorship from Smokey Dave’s BBQ.

We are also running an open-wheel modified division with series sponsorship to be announced soon.

With new divisions, sponsorships, staff members, competitors, and renovations, everyone at OCS is excited about the 2016 season.

The first race of 2016 for Orange County Speedway is this Saturday, April 9th. Qualifying begins at five, and the first race begins at seven.

VGCC to hold 32nd Benefit Golf Tournament on May 3rd

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Vance-Granville Community College’s 32nd Annual Endowment Fund Golf Tournament, presented by Union Bank, will be held at the Henderson Country Club on Tuesday, May 3, 2016. All event proceeds support the mission of the college, the Endowment Fund and student scholarships.

With the support of numerous golfers and sponsors, the annual event has raised more than $650,000 since its inception in 1985. The 2015 tournament alone generated a record-breaking $100,318.

This year’s morning and afternoon rounds will begin with shotgun starts at 8 a.m. and at 1 p.m. The afternoon round is sold out, but there are openings in the morning round.

The format is four-person “Captain’s Choice Super Ball.” Golfers can form their own teams of four, or sign up and be put on a team. Teams will be handicapped based on handicaps supplied by each player. Trophies will be awarded for first through third place teams in both rounds. Other awards will be given for “closest to the pin” and “longest drive.”

A hole-in-one on Hole 9 will be rewarded with a 2016 Toyota Avalon, courtesy of Toyota of Henderson, while a player who hits a hole-in-one on Hole 16 will win a 2016 Mahindra 1533 Tractor with Loader, courtesy of Vanco Outdoor Equipment.

Other special bonus prizes for both holes-in-one include PING golf clubs and bag (Hole 4), an iPod Touch and gift card (Hole 9) and an HDTV (Hole 11). Even if there is no hole-in-one, there will be special prizes for the golfer who comes closest to the pin on these holes.

The cost for one golfer to enter the tournament is $150. In either round, that fee includes greens fees, cart, meals, gift bag, and practice balls.

A light breakfast, lunch, and dinner (immediately following the afternoon round) will be served in the HCC clubhouse. A silent auction and door prize drawings will be held in conjunction with dinner.

Businesses and individuals can take advantage of sponsorship opportunities at various levels. Businesses may also donate products or premium items featuring the company’s logo to be placed in golfers’ gift bags, or to be given as door prizes.

For more information, contact Kay Currin at currink@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3409.

Former Dallas Cowboy addresses VGCC students

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A former NFL defensive lineman visited the Main Campus of Vance-Granville Community College on March 16 and spoke to students, faculty and staff about his experiences and the keys to success.

Greg Ellis spoke in the VGCC Civic Center for an hour-long presentation that was sponsored by the college’s Male Mentoring Program. That program’s co-coordinator, VGCC Academic and Career Coach Anthony Pope, was Ellis’ middle school football coach in Wendell, his hometown.

Ellis recalled that Pope “was the first coach who saw athletic potential in me” and that middle school was where his football career began. Ellis graduated from East Wake High School and went on to become an All-ACC player and second team All-American at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He graduated as the school’s all-time sack leader, even surpassing Lawrence Taylor. He earned a degree in communications studies at UNC.

Drafted as the eighth pick in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys, Ellis was later selected for the 2007 Pro Bowl. He suffered an Achilles tendon injury that was thought to be a career-ender, but returned to the field and was named NFL Comeback Player of the Year in 2007. Ellis played his final season with the Oakland Raiders before retiring in 2010. Today, he is the father of three children and CEO of his Texas-based multimedia production company, Play Now Enterprises.

In his remarks to VGCC students, Ellis started by focusing on “RTP,” which for him stand not for Research Triangle Park, but for “Rules, Tools and Preparation.” He explained that we all must take the time to learn the rules that govern any endeavor in order to succeed. Second come the tools. “I believe that God has put tools in all of us that will allow us to be successful,” Ellis said. “It’s up to us to figure out what those tools are, and then be willing to develop those tools. You want to become a master at whatever you are doing.” Finally, success requires preparation. “Are you willing to prepare?” Ellis asked. “That’s where most people get lost. They’re not willing to put the time and effort into becoming a good football player or a good student or a good coach or whatever it is you want to do. Most people aren’t willing to pay the price.”

Ellis went on to outline for his audience the stages of motivation, inspiration and manifestation. “Motivation is not enough,” he said. “Motivation helps us to get started, but it won’t propel us to the end.” Motivation can turn into inspiration, he explained. “Inspiration means you sacrifice and work hard, and that’s what makes you successful,” Ellis said, citing the example of Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. “Jerry functions out of inspiration,” he said. “He’s a man who’s willing to burn the midnight oil.” Only through inspiration can anyone experience the manifestation of success, Ellis maintained.

One of his recent projects has been “Carter High,” a feature film based on a true story of a high school football team in Texas. Ellis was the executive producer of the movie, which stars Charles S. Dutton, Vivica Fox and David Banner. He played the film’s trailer for the VGCC audience. “It’s not just about football, it’s about making the right choices and the consequences of the decisions you make,” Ellis explained.

Supported by a grant from the N.C. Community College System, the VGCC Male Mentoring program involves an active, intensive, and engaging process of academic coaching and case management to help male students succeed. For more information on the mentoring program, contact Anthony Pope at popea@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3395, or Greg Nash at nashg@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3305.

Bowling Sweeps South Boston Speedway Opener

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Matt Bowling had a big day in Saturday’s season-opening Danville Toyota NASCAR Whelen Late Model Twin 100’s racing program – a very big day.

The defending South Boston Speedway NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Late Model Stock Car Division champion swept both of the day’s 100-lap NASCAR Whelen All American Series Late Model Stock Car Division races on a day that saw 31 cars take the green flag for the opening race, the largest field of cars for an opening-day race in several years.

Bowling survived a dramatic three-wide battle with South Boston, Virginia resident Austin Thaxton and C.E. Falk of Virginia Beach, Virginia to claim the first race after being in third place in the running order with seven laps to go.

Bobby McCarty of Summerfield, North Carolina finished second, a scant .635-second behind Bowling, with Thaxton finishing third, Danny Willis Jr. of Cluster Springs, Virginia finishing fourth and Peyton Sellers of Danville, Virginia rounding out the top five finishers.

In the nightcap, Bowling started sixth after a drawing for an inverted start and drove through the field to challenge Thaxton after the halfway point of the race. Twice Bowling appeared to have a run on Thaxton for the lead only to have his effort thwarted by lapped traffic.

Lapped traffic ultimately was Bowling’s friend as he was able to use the car driven by Charles Barnes as a pick to help him get by Thaxton on lap 93. Defending national champion Lee Pulliam of Alton, Virginia, who started 18th in the second race after having finished 18th in the first race as the result of a late-race tangle with Falk, also took advantage of the slower car to slip past Thaxton and took over second place.

Pulliam attempted to run down Bowling at the end, but came up short, finishing .685-second behind Bowling. Thaxton finished third, Josh Oakley of Rougemont, North Carolina finished fourth and Sellers finished fifth.

Throckmorton Wins Limited Sportsman race

Joey Throckmorton of South Boston, Virginia got his 2016 season off to a good start by winning the 50-lap NASCAR Limited Sportsman Division race.

Throckmorton won the pole, lost the lead briefly to Calvin Meadows of Martinsville, Virginia, but regained the lead from Meadows on the 20th circuit and held the top spot the rest of the way.

Mason Diaz finished second, just over a second behind Throckmorton, with David Latour, Jr. of Advance, North Carolina, Tommy Peregoy of Clarksville, Virginia and Daniel Moss of Danville, Virginia completing the top five finishers.

Layne Takes Win In Budweiser Pure Stock Division

Johnny Layne of Nathalie, Virginia got a leg up on the start of his season Saturday, taking the win in the 30-lap race for the Budweiser Pure Stock Division.

Layne led all but the opening lap en-route to scoring his first victory of the season. Bruce Mayo of Halifax, Virginia took the runner-up spot, with Scott Phillips of Halifax, Virginia, Tyler Conner of Scottsburg, Virginia and Jimmy Wade of Halifax, Virginia completing the top five finishers.

Humblet Wins Modified Division Opener

Former South Boston Speedway Modified Division Champion Jimmy Humblet of Shiloh, North Carolina won the season-opening 50-lap Modified Division race.

Humblet took the lead on lap 26 and drove to a 1.485-second win over Robert Conner of Colonial Heights, Virginia. Matt Slye of Williamsburg, Virginia finished third, with Robbie Babb of Chesapeake, Virginia and Chris Humblet of Shiloh, North Carolina completing the top five finishers.

Kirstin Simmons Scores First Career Win In Hornets Division

For Kirstin Simmons of LaCrosse, Virginia, Saturday’s season-opening race at South Boston Speedway marked a milestone.

Simmons scored her first career win in the Budweiser Hornets Division, and did it in style, going flag-to-flag for the victory.

Justin Dawson finished second, with Kenny Mills, Jr. of Alton, Virginia finishing third.

Next Race At South Boston Speedway

NASCAR racing returns to South Boston Speedway Saturday afternoon, March 19, with the NASCAR Late Model 100 racing program. A 100-lap race for the NASCAR Whelen All American Series Late Model Stock Car Division highlights the seven-race program.

The afternoon’s seven-race card includes twin 25-lap races for the Limited Sportsman and Modified Divisions, a 30-lap race for the Budweiser Pure Stock Division and a 15-lap race for the Budweiser Hornets Division.

Registration opens at 9:30 a.m., pit gates open at 10 a.m. and practice runs from 11 a.m. until 12 noon. Grandstand gates open at 12:30 p.m., qualifying starts at 1 p.m. and the first race gets the green flag at 2 p.m. Adult admission is $10, with youths ages 7-12 admitted for $5. Kids ages six and under are admitted free with a paid adult.

For additional information about the NASCAR Late Model 100 racing program or any other events at South Boston Speedway, please visit the speedway’s website at www.southbostonspeedway.com or telephone the speedway at 434-572-4947 or 1-877-440-1540.

(The preceding was a press release from South Boston Speedway)

 

VGCC Vanguards to play JV Tar Heels at Dean Dome

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For the first time, the Vance-Granville Community College Vanguards men’s basketball team will soon travel to the Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill to face the University of North Carolina Tar Heels junior varsity team.

Playing against the prestigious program in one of college basketball’s most well-known arenas has been a longtime goal for VGCC head coach Michael Woody, now in his third season. The JV game is set for Saturday, Jan. 16, at 9 a.m. Later that day, the varsity Tar Heels will take on the N.C. State Wolfpack.

Henderson-based radio station WIZS 1450 AM will provide live coverage of the game starting at 8:45 a.m. Even for those outside the range of the radio station, the broadcast can be streamed online at wizs.com/listennow/ or on a smart phone with the free “TuneIn Radio” app.

The Vanguards compete in Region X of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II, which includes ten two-year colleges in North Carolina and Virginia.

The UNC JV squad has several community college teams on its schedule this year, including one of VGCC’s Region X conference rivals, Wake Tech Community College. The Tar Heels defeated the Wake Tech Eagles on Dec. 6 by a score of 83-73. Likewise, the Vanguards beat the Eagles by the same margin, 67-57, in VGCC’s season opener on Nov. 6.

VGCC is 1-1 versus the junior varsity squads from four-year schools so far this season. The Vanguards beat the University of Mount Olive JV team on Nov. 8, but lost to the St. Andrews University JV squad on Nov. 16.

Coincidentally, one of the stars of the UNC varsity team, junior Isaiah Hicks, is a former teammate of VGCC sophomore Tyrek Beverly from their days at J.F. Webb High School in Oxford.

Admission is free to the UNC JV game. Attendees must present a valid North Carolina driver’s license at Entry Gate “B” to enter. For more information, call the Smith Center at (919) 962-2296.

Beverly returns to leading role with Vanguards

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Vance-Granville Community College sophomore Tyrek Beverly of Oxford scored 23 points Jan. 5 as the Vanguards men’s basketball team faced the University of South Carolina-Salkehatchie. He and his teammates fought hard, but the visiting squad eked out a narrow win, 74-71, at Aycock Recreation Center in Henderson.

As a freshman in 2014-15, Beverly was often the team’s leading scorer, but at the beginning of this season, he was sidelined by an injury and only started to get back on the court in late November. His strong performance versus the USC Salkehatchie Indians marked a return to form for the J.F. Webb High School alumnus. Beverly had three rebounds and two steals, as well. Also scoring in double figures were Raekwon Hall of Raleigh, with 15 points, and Ty’Quon Reid of Durham, with 11. Donal Gooch of Raleigh had the most rebounds (8) for the Vanguards.

VGCC’s last three games of 2015 were also losses. On Nov. 24, the Vanguards fell to the reigning national champions, the Statesmen of Richard Bland College, by a score of 102-81 in Petersburg, Va. Hall and Reid led their team in scoring, with 27 and 25 points, respectively. Reid posted 6 rebounds to lead the Vanguards in that statistic.

On Dec. 2, VGCC returned home and played area rival Louisburg College in the second annual “Vanguard Night” game. Festivities included a DJ, prize drawings and performances by the Vanguard Spirit Pep Squad and a step team from a Granville County youth organization, “Un-Rappin’ the Gift.” After a close first half, the Hurricanes pulled away in the second, winning 89-77. Reid’s 30 points made him the Vanguards’ top scorer. Hall contributed 18 points. Gooch recorded 6 rebounds.

The calendar year ended with a 117-111 double-overtime loss to Central Carolina Community College in Sanford on Dec. 8. Hall put up 35 points, while Beverly showed improvement by scoring 22, just one more point than Reid. Gooch again led in rebounding, with 9.

Upcoming VGCC home games at Aycock Recreation Center are scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 7, at 7 p.m., versus Lenoir Community College, and Wednesday, Jan. 27, at 6:30 p.m., versus Catawba Valley Community College. Admission is free.

NV / SV BB a Dead Heat

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The Northern Vance and Southern Vance men’s varsity basketball teams are essentially tied after their two cross-town rival meetings.

Tuesday night on the Vikings’ home floor, Northern Vance defeated Southern Vance 64 to 60, behind a game-high 21 points from Kristopher Haywood.  James Alexander also scored in double figures with 10.  Marcus Harrison led three in double figures for Southern Vance with 17 points.  Justus Baldwin had 13 for the Raiders an Mark Baldwin added 10.

Just this past Friday night on the Raiders’ home floor, Southern Vance defeated Northern Vance 60 to 56, so each team has a win against the other, and the point difference is the same at four.

In Tuesday night’s game, Northern Vance led from the outset, going up by as many as 14 early in the second quarter.  The margin was 29 to 20 NV at halftime.  SV suffered from too many turnovers in the first half, 11, while NV only had 11 turnovers for the entire game.

SV shot 41 percent from beyond the three-point line, going 7 of 17 overall, and scoring 5 of the 7 threes in the second half.  SV closed to within two points a couple of times down the stretch.

The game was fast paced on the floor and exciting to watch.  WIZS broadcast the game live on 1450 AM and on wizs.com.  The stands were packed.

Just prior to the men’s game, the NV and SV women’s varsity teams fought down to the wire with NV coming from behind and winning 60 to 55.

Our next WIZS live broadcast will be Dec. 19th and will feature the local ABA team, the Coyotes.  They play, as it turns out, at the home of the SV Raiders.

UNC vs Clemson; ACC Champ

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Airtime on WIZS 1450 AM is 7:00 P.M.

The ACC Championship is tonight at 8:00 P.M. from Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte.  Top-ranked Clemson and 10th-ranked North Carolina.

With all the offensive firepower that will take the field, both head coaches are talking about defense.

Specifically Tiger Coach Dabo Swinney  says turnovers are a definite factor in the game.  He said, “You don’t want to give a team like North Carolina a short field, and they don’t want to give us a short field.  So, the turnover margin, probably which defense can get the most stops, that’s probably the difference in the game.”

A Tiger win secures Clemson’s place in the College Football Playoff.

A UNC victory will give North Carolina its first ACC championship in 35 years, and possibly open a window to the football playoffs, if Alabama loses.

Tar Heel Coach Larry Fedora, who now has a new seven year deal with UNC, clearly says Clemson is better than any other opponent Carolina has faced this season.  He said, “This is the best offense we’ve faced this year, no doubt about it, and this is the best defense we have faced this year.  This is the best football team we have faced.  They are the number one team in the country, and they’ve been that way for how many weeks?  10 weeks?  A long time, as long as you guys can remember, so they’re really good.  They’re really good.”

VGCC Vanguards lose three, look to bounce back in Vanguard Night rivalry game

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The Vance-Granville Community College Vanguards men’s basketball team came up short in three recent games, all by margins of 10 or fewer points.

Traveling to Laurinburg to take on the St. Andrews University JV squad on Nov. 16, the Vanguards lost 76-71. Raekwon Hall of Raleigh led VGCC in scoring, putting up 27 points along with 4 rebounds. Ty’Quon Reid of Durham had an impressive performance, as well, with 22 points, 4 assists, 2 steals and 2 rebounds. With 13 points, Alcyone Moore of Charlotte was the only other Vanguard scoring in double figures.

VGCC returned home to face a conference opponent, the Patriots from Patrick Henry Community College, on Nov. 18. Despite making a strong comeback in the second half, VGCC fell 68-64 to PHCC, a team that has had only one loss this season. This time, Chris Pernell of Raleigh was the top scorer for the Vanguards, with 23 points. Reid had 18 points, while Hall contributed 13 points. Donal Gooch of Raleigh had the most rebounds (5), steals (4) and blocks (3).

Back on the road, the Vanguards suffered a non-conference loss to Central Carolina Community College, 83-73, on Nov. 22. The game was played at the “Region X Blast-Off” tournament at Sandhills Community College. Hall again led the Vanguards with 27 points, while also making 5 steals, 3 assists and 3 rebounds. Reid put 13 points on the board and contributed 5 assists. Gooch led in rebounding, with 6, and scored 10 points. After being sidelined by an injury, Tyrek Beverly of Oxford made his first appearance of the season for VGCC, putting up 8 points.

After the 2-5 Vanguards travel to play the reigning national champions, Richard Bland College, on Nov. 24, they will come home to play nationally-ranked Louisburg College on Wednesday, Dec. 2, at 6:30 p.m. The annual rivalry game known as “Vanguard Night” will take place at Aycock Recreation Center (307 Carey Chapel Road) in Henderson, and admission is free. Vanguard Night festivities will include a performance from VGCC’s “Vanguard Spirit” Pep Squad, a DJ and prize drawings.

VGCC Vanguards 2-2 to start basketball season

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The Vance-Granville Community College Vanguards men’s basketball team won their first two games of the 2015-16 season before dropping the next two to nationally-ranked opponents.

VGCC kicked off the regular season with a 67-57 victory over conference rival Wake Tech Community College on Nov. 6 on the Vanguards’ home court, Aycock Recreation Center in Henderson. Sophomore Raekwon Hall led VGCC in scoring, with 25 points, while also contributing 3 assists and 4 rebounds. Freshman Chris Pernell of Raleigh put up 12 points. Another freshman, Donal Gooch of Raleigh, was the top rebounder, with 10. His fellow freshman, Antonio Adams of Oxford, was not far behind with 9.

Two days later, VGCC won on the road, dominating the JV squad at the University of Mount Olive, 101-57. Seven Vanguards scored in double figures, led by sophomore Alcyone Moore of Charlotte with 17 and freshman Aaron Robinson of Graham with 15. Moore was also the team’s top rebounder (13). Ty’Quon Reid, a freshman from Durham, led the team in assists (11) while also contributing 13 points and 5 rebounds.

The Vanguards’ first loss came at home when they hosted the Bobcats from Bryant & Stratton College of Virginia on Nov. 10. The Color Guard from J.F. Webb High School in Oxford started off the game with a salute to veterans during the playing of the National Anthem. VGCC kept it close during much of the first half, but after the break, BSC pulled away to win 97-55. The Bobcats, who, like VGCC and Wake Tech compete in Region X of NJCAA Division II, were ranked 14th in the nation at the time. Moore again was the leader in scoring, with 14 points, while Reid added 11 points. Adams put up 5 rebounds to lead in that category.

On Nov. 14, VGCC lost at home to the Storm from Davidson County Community College by a score of 107-90. Davidson County CC was ranked seventh in the nation for Division III. Reid led his teammates in scoring with 34 points. Hall added 23 points of his own. Gooch had the most rebounds (12).

Upcoming VGCC home games are set for Wednesday, Nov. 18, at 6 p.m., versus Patrick Henry Community College, and Friday, Nov. 20, at 7 p.m., versus Virginia University of Lynchburg. Both are at Aycock Recreation Center in Henderson, and admission is free.