Tag Archive for: #southbostonspeedwaynews

Back-to-Back South Boston Speedway Championships Was Tougher Than Layne Expected

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— courtesy South Boston Speedway by Mike Smith

SOUTH BOSTON, Va. (October 30, 2017) – Johnny Layne coasted to his first track championship in 2016 behind a whopping seven wins. His second championship … well it was a little more difficult.

Layne claimed the 2017 South Boston Speedway Budweiser Pure Stock championship for back-to-back titles. This season’s win total? One. Last year’s point margin? Ninety points. This year’s championship margin? Seven. But in the end, the margin means little. What means a lot to Layne is that he captured back-to-back championships”

“That was my thing this year, to go for the championship again,” said Layne. “I wanted to win back-to-back.”

He admits, though, he thought it would be a little easier.

“We were surprised that last year didn’t help us this year,” Layne said, referring to the seven wins in 2016. “The competition was different this year. It was better. Last year was easier. This year we only had one win. But it meant more this year because of the competition.”

Layne said he and his team had a difficult time adapting to the new racing surface at South Boston Speedway this season.

“It was a surprise how tough it was for us this season. Everybody picked up a lot (of speed) on the new pavement and us not much,” said Layne.

“It was like the new track came to them and not to us. It definitely had us scratching our heads and finally we figured out the car was tight with the new track. Once we figured that, then we took off.”

Layne was also hampered by early-season engine issues.

“I had some motor problems that put us behind. It was a new motor, but we still had problems with it,” said Layne.

Once the motor issues were solved, Layne knew the only way he would be able to race his way back into the championship picture was to make the most of South Boston’s passing points system, which allows drivers to drop to the rear of the field at the start of a race and pick up additional points for each car passed.

“I went to the rear in a lot of the races to get extra points to catch up. It was tough at times,” he said.

In the final race of the season Layne was trying to get his second win of the year when he was involved in a final-lap wreck on the front stretch.

“In the last race when we figured that I had enough points to win (the championship) I tried to pass for the lead on the last lap and it didn’t come out my way,” said Layne, whose sponsors include Mills Tree Service, McBride’s Designs, Liberty Mini-Market, Hershberger Home Improvement and Wilborn Brothers Auto Repair. “I spun and backed it into the retaining wall. I had about 20 feet to go (to the start-finish line. I just made it go that far before it stopped.”

Layne isn’t exactly sure what he’s going to be doing in 2018, but don’t be surprised by another repeat performance.

“We actually have some sponsors that say they want me to go for a third championship in a row,” Layne said. “I don’t know that anyone has ever done that in Pure Stock before.”

South Boston’s 61st season will open on Saturday, March 24 with twin 100-lap races for the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Late Model Stock Division, a 50-lap Limited Sportsman event, a 30-lap Pure Stock race and a 15-lap Hornets race.

For the full 2018 South Boston Speedway schedule, visit www.southbostonspeedway.com.

(South Boston Speedway is an advertising client of WIZS.)

South Boston Speedway

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Crute Accomplished The Improbable With South Boston Speedway Hornets Division Championship

SOUTH BOSTON, Va. (Oct. 26, 2017) – Tyler Crute knew exactly what he had to do in the final Budweiser Hornets race of the season at South Boston Speedway. And he did it.

Not that it was a simple task. He entered the 10th and final Hornets race of the season trailing Kevin Currin by 14 points in the championship chase. Impossible? No. Improbable? Yes. But none of that meant anything to the 26-year-old driver from Alton.

He dropped to the rear of the field at the start of the race to pick up as many passing points as possible and proceeded to march through the field for the victory and a two-point championship margin over Currin, who finished fifth.

“Win the race. That’s all I wanted to do … to do the best I could do,” said Crute. “I was down by 14 going into the race, so that was all I could do.”

Crute wound up with five victories on the season but could never shake Currin. Crute said he had a “dry spell” in the middle of the season. It wasn’t very dry, though. He finished out of the top five only twice all season, a seventh in the third race of the year and an 11th in mid-July.

“We had a dry spell where I worried too much about points and not enough about winning,” said Crute. “The last race, I said if I’m gonna win this thing, I have to get in the right mind set and that’s what I did.”

It was Crute’s first full season in a stock car. He ran a partial schedule in 2016 after making the move from go-karts. He struggled in his debut season with three blown engines.

“I was really surprised with the season we had after last year,” said Crute. “We were a lot better this year. We had better equipment and good sponsors, really good sponsors.”

Those sponsors included Blue Wing Creek Land and Timber, JMS Volvo, Dan and Mae Trucking and Tollerson Service Center. He also credits his crew, Chris Wilkinson and Justin Bailey, for much of his success.
And of course, his wife Jessica, who Crute says offers unlimited support and patience.

Crute isn’t sure if he’ll be back to defend his championship in 2018 or not. He knows the family will be moving back to go-karts next year, not with him behind the wheel but his young son.

“I’m still undecided for next year,” Crute explained. “I know my son is going to race go-karts. That’s my number-one priority and daddy will run if he has time for it.”

South Boston’s 61st season will open on Saturday, March 24 with twin 100-lap races for the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Late Model Stock Division, a 50-lap Limited Sportsman event, a 30-lap Pure Stock race and a 15-lap Hornets race.

For the full 2018 South Boston Speedway schedule, visit www.southbostonspeedway.com.

(South Boston Speedway is an advertising client of WIZS.)

CARS Tour Championships

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— courtesy South Boston Speedway, by Mike Smith

Second Generation Drivers With South Boston Speedway Ties Gunning For CARS Tour Championships Saturday Night

SOUTH BOSTON, Va. (October 10, 2017) – Two second generation drivers with deep roots at South Boston Speedway will be gunning for championships when the CARS Tour makes its first visit to the historic Virginia track Saturday night.

Layne Riggs comes into the AutosbyNelson.com CARS Tour 250 with a four-point lead over Josh Berry in the CARS Late Model division while Brandon Setzer trails Cole Rouse by eight points in the CARS Super Late Model division. It is the final race of the season for both divisions.

Riggs is the son Scott Riggs while Setzer is the son of Dennis Setzer. Scott Riggs campaigned for more than a decade in NASCAR’s top three touring division, while Setzer spent almost 20 years in the top three series.

The older Setzer has both an Xfinity Series and a Camping World Truck Series win at South Boston, while Riggs scored a Late Model Stock win at South Boston and competed in the trucks series here, finishing third in the 2001 truck race.

Grandstand gates open at 4:30 p.m. Saturday with Late Model qualifying at 5 and Super Late Model qualifying at 5:30. An on-track fan fest is scheduled for 6 p.m. with the 125-lap Late Model race starting at 7 p.m. followed by the 125-lap Super Late Model race.

Riggs has two wins, five top-five finishes and 10 top 10s in 12 starts in 2017 to lead Berry, who drives for Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Late Model team, by four points headed into Saturday’s season finale.

“Whoever finishes in front of the other one is going to win the championship,” the 15-year-old Riggs said of his battle with Berry.

While his father had many starts at South Boston, Layne Riggs has just one: the most recent Late Model race held September 16. He finished second to Philip Morris in the 100-lapper. That appearance wasn’t a coincidence.

“We ran the last race at South Boston. That was part of the strategy, to go and test and get some laps on a track we hadn’t raced on,” said Riggs. “We’ve definitely been testing more and we’ve gone over the car with a pretty fine-tooth comb to make sure it is perfect.”

Setzer faces a more difficult task than Riggs. Rouse’s eight-point lead isn’t insurmountable, but it is formidable.

“We’re still in the game,” said Setzer, who has two wins and three poles this season. “It’s gonna be tough, but we can catch him. We have to have a really good weekend and him not so good.”

Unlike Riggs, Setzer has South Boston experience. He’s competed in three Pro All-Stars Series (PASS) Super Late Model races on the 4/10ths-mile oval including one earlier this season. His best finish is third.

Riggs will be racing against more drivers than usual with a home-track advantage. At least five South Boston Speedway regulars … Bobby McCarty, Philip Morris, Brandon Pierce, Timothy Peters and Mike Jones … have entered the 125-lap CARS Tour Late Model event.

“There are definitely going to be more regulars than ever at South Boston. Normally only two or three show up and sometimes none,” said Riggs. “And normally the CARS guys run up front, but I expect them (South Boston drivers) to be running up front. The South Boston competition is the best I’ve ever seen. When they go to big races, they are the ones running strong.”

Advance adult general admission tickets to the AutosbyNelson.com 250 are on sale in advance for $10 each. Adult general admission tickets on race day will be $15. Youth ages 7-12 will be admitted for $5 with children six and under admitted free.

Advance tickets can be purchased daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. by calling 877.440.1540.

(South Boston Speedway is an advertising client of WIZS.)

Drivers Not Sure What To Expect In First South Boston Night Race Of Season

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SOUTH BOSTON, Va. (April 6, 2017) – Like the difference between night and day. That’s what drivers are saying about South Boston Speedway’s new racing surface heading into Saturday’s night race … the first race under the lights this season.

The new surface debuted two weeks ago as an unknown to the teams and wound up producing record speeds and classic close racing. Drivers say questions abound headed into Saturday night’s Virginia State University Twin 75s presented by the Kappa League of Petersburg.

“I feel like there is going to be a big difference,” Bobby McCarty said of his expectations for Saturday night. “The track seems to be weather sensitive so I feel like it might be a little slick when the temperature drops. I’m also curious to see how it reacts to taking the rubber without the sun baking it.”

It will be the first time teams and fans alike have been under the track’s upgraded lighting system, part of the track’s $1 million capital improvement program.

When the season opened two weeks ago, track qualifying records fell in every division. Philip Morris, who wound up sweeping both ends of the Late Model Stock doubleheader, blew away the old track record with a time of 14.731 seconds around the .4 oval. The old track record was 15.314 seconds. His speed was 100.197 mph, the first time the 100-mph barrier had been broken in a Late Model. Half of the Late Model field broke the old mark in qualifying.

And even though drivers expect the track to be much different Saturday night under the lights, it doesn’t mean they believe speeds will drop.

“Honestly, I think the second groove should take rubber better at night,” said veteran driver Peyton Sellers, who finished 11th in the first 100-lapper in the season-opener but bounced back for a fourth in the second. “I think the track should be faster than the first race which is always good for the fans.”

Austin Thaxton, who had a pair of top-10 finishes in the opener, expecst to see a change in the track Saturday.

“I think it’s going to be a lot different at night,” said Thaxton. “Hopefully it will go in our favor.”

Regardless of track changes with the season’s first night race, McCarty is excited to be racing on new pavement this season.

“I’d like to say: ‘good job’ to everyone who had a hand in the repaving,” said McCarty, who had a third and a 10th on opening day and challenged for the win in the first 100-lapper. “The second groove really came in good as the day went on and it turned into some great side-by-side battles.”

South Boston Speedway will turn on the lights for the first time this season Saturday night for the Virginia State University Twin 75s presented by the Kappa League of Petersburg.

There will be twin 75-lap races for the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Late Model Stock Car Division, a 50-lap Limited Sportsman race, a 30-lap Budweiser Pure Stock race and a 15-lap Budweiser Hornets race.

Registration and pit gates open at 2:30 p.m. with practice from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. Grandstand gates open at 5:30 p.m., qualifying is set for 6 p.m. and the green flag flies at 7 p.m.

Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for youth ages 7-12. Kids ages six and under are admitted free with a paid adult.

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

Kenneth Bullock Named South Boston Speedway Race Director

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SOUTH BOSTON, Va. (March 20, 2017) – Veteran race official Kenneth Bullock has been named race director at South Boston Speedway, track officials announced today.

Bullock brings 27 years of experience working at weekly race tracks in many different capacities from his first job on a clean-up crew to almost three decades of experience as a technical inspector in many different divisions. He has also served as race director at other tracks.

“The new asphalt at South Boston provides a unique challenge to the competitors across all divisions this year,” said Bullock. “It is a huge honor to have this opportunity at one of the top weekly race tracks in the country. I will strive to be as fair and consistent as possible in my duties as race director.

Bullock, who is from Oxford, North Carolina, said over the years he “has had every job at South Boston but flagman, pace car driver and working the back gate.”

“We’re very excited to have Kenneth as our race director here at South Boston Speedway,” said Cathy Rice, the track’s general manager. “Kenneth has worked with us here so he is familiar with the track, our competitors and staff. With his knowledge and reputation, I think it’s going to be a great year for our competitors and the track.”

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