Tag Archive for: #southbostonva

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.)

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.

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)