Tag Archive for: #NASCAR

New Season, New Pavement To Greet South Boston Fans Saturday

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SOUTH BOSTON, Va. (March 21, 2017) – The wait is almost over. South Boston Speedway swings open the gates on its 60th season and a brand-new racing surface Saturday afternoon.

The green flag flies on the Danville Toyota Twin 100s, featuring five races in four divisions, at 2 p.m.

The track was repaved in the offseason, part of a $1 million capital improvement program, and drivers have given rave reviews of the new racing surface.

“It’s unreal how smooth the track is,” said Danny Willis Jr., a Late Model winner a year ago who tested at the .4-mile oval last Saturday. “The track didn’t seem to have a lot of grip early on, but it got better as the day went on. The more rubber that gets down, the better it is.”

Peyton Sellers discovered quickly during his first test that all the history he had on racing at South Boston was just that: history.

“You can throw your book on South Boston out the window,” said Sellers, former track champion and NASCAR Whelen All-American Series champion. “You’ve got to start a brand new book. We’re racing on a different compound on a different surface. It’s a whole different track. The old setups won’t work. I think first through 15 are going to be dead even when the season starts.”

Sellers added “the track is smooth as glass. I think you are going to see a lot of side-by-side racing. You aren’t going to have to manipulate the cars through the turns like we did.”

Brandon Pierce, headed into his second full season of Late Model racing, said as good as the track has been in practice sessions the last few weeks, it’s going to be even better Saturday afternoon.

“I’m looking forward to the new pavement. I think so far there are still a lot of unknowns because most of the laps turned on the new pavement have been single car runs,” said Pierce. “So, when the track goes hot Saturday for practice that will be the first time that multiple cars have been on the track. I think the track is going to be awesome then.”

Willis, who made the move up to Late Models from Limited Sportsman a year ago, won a race in 2016 and wound up sixth in the season-ending points. That move was spurred on by an increase in the Late Model purse structure that guarantees a driver $500 per race. That purse structure remains in place for 2017.

“The five-hundred to start was big last year and it’s just as big this year for us,” said Willis.

South Boston Speedway’s 60th season opens Saturday afternoon with the Danville Toyota NASCAR Whelen Late Model Twin 100s, featuring two 100-lap races for the Late Model Stock Division, a 50-lap Limited Sportsman Division race, a 30-lap Budweiser Pure Stock race and a 15-lap Budweiser Hornets race.

Grandstand gates open at 12:30 p.m. with qualifying set to start at 1 p.m. The green flag falls at 2 p.m.

Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for children seven to 12 and admission is free for children six and under.

 

 

MEDIA CONTACT: 
Mike Smith
Relevant Public Relations
423.914.3009
msmith@southbostonspeedway
msmith@prrelevant.com

Brunnhoelzl Wins NWSMT Race; Thaxton, Bowling Split LMSC Twinbill

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George Brunnhoelzl III picked up his second win of the season on the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour Saturday afternoon, winning the South Boston 150 at South Boston Speedway.

The West Babylon, New York resident took the lead from Andy Seuss with 26 laps to go and sped to a 1.237-second win over Burt Myers of Walnut Cove, North Carolina.

Seuss, of Hampstead, New Hampshire, finished third, with Kyle Bonsignore of Bay Shore, New York and Danny Bohn of Freehold, New Jersey rounding out the top five finishers.

There were six lead changes among four drivers, with Brunnhoelzl leading 68 of the race’s 150 laps.

Brunnhoelzl averaged 77.060 mph in the race that was slowed by three cautions that consumed 14 laps.

Thaxton, Bowling Top Field In Late Model Stock Car Division Twinbill

Defending South Boston Speedway NASCAR Whelen All American Series Late Model Stock Car Division Champion Matt Bowling of Ridgeway, Virginia and South Boston, Virginia resident Austin Thaxton split wins Saturday in twin 75-lap NASCAR Whelen All American Series Late Model Stock Car Division races.

Bowling now has won three of the season’s first five Late Model Stock Car Division races at South Boston Speedway, with Thaxton having won the other two.

Thaxton started fifth in the first race and took the lead from Bobby McCarty of Summerfield, North Carolina on lap 49 and survived two restarts in the last four laps to hold off McCarty for the win.

Defending NASCAR Whelen All American Series National Champion Lee Pulliam of Alton, Virginia was battling McCarty for second place on the final lap when contact between the two cars sent Pulliam’s car into a spin in the second turn, forcing the oncoming cars behind him to have to scramble to avoid hitting him.

Former NASCAR Whelen All American Series National Champion Peyton Sellers of Danville, Virginia avoided Pulliam’s spinning car and finished third, with Mark Wertz of Chesapeake, Virginia and Danny Willis Jr. of South Boston, Virginia rounding out the top five finishers.

Pulliam’s car was not damaged in the mishap, and he recovered to finish 13th.

Bowling started eighth in the second race after having finished in that spot in the opener, and threaded his way through the pack to take the lead from four-time NASCAR Whelen All American Series National Champion Philip Morris of Ruckersville, Virginia on lap 63.

With no cautions to hinder the action the rest of the way, Bowling held on and sped across the finish line .760-second ahead of Morris to take the win.

Pulliam started 13th in the nightcap and raced his way to a third-place finish, with Thaxton finishing fourth and Landon Huffman rounding out the top five finishers.

There were four lead changes among four drivers in the first 75-lap race and three lead changes among four drivers in the second 75-lap race.

Garnett Wins Hornets Division Race

Todd Garnett of Drakes Branch, Virginia took the lead from Kevin Currin of Chase City, Virginia on the fifth lap and won Saturday’s 15-lap Budweiser Hornets Division race.

Kenny Mills of Alton, Virginia finished second, with Drew Dawson of Nathalie, Virginia, Currin and Justin Dawson of Nathalie, Virginia completing the top five finishers.

Next Race At South Boston Speedway

An action-filled seven-race card will be featured when NASCAR racing returns to South Boston Speedway Saturday night, April 16, with the NASCAR Late Model 100 racing program.

A 100-lap race for the NASCAR Whelen All American Series Late Model Stock Car Division competitors headlines the seven-race card that includes twin 25-lap Limited Sportsman Division races and twin 15-lap Pure Stock Division races. Fans will also see a 50-lap Modified race and a 15-lap Hornets Division race.

Registration opens at 2:30 p.m., pit gates open at 3 p.m. and practice will start at 4 p.m. Grandstand gates open at 5:30 p.m., qualifying starts at6 p.m. and the first race gets the green flag at 7 p.m.

Adult General Admission tickets are $10 each, with youth ages 7-12 admitted for $5 and kids ages six and under being 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.

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.

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)