By Joe Chandler
Director, Public Relations
South Boston Speedway
South Boston, Va. (Aug. 21, 2012)… Peyton Sellers swept the pair of 75-lap NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Late Model Stock Car Division races that headlined Saturday night’s Italian Delight Family Restaurant Night at the Races presented by Southside Disposal event at South Boston Speedway, virtually locking up his sixth career South Boston Speedway championship in the process.
“Honestly, anybody could have driven this car tonight,” Sellers remarked after scoring his third win in a row and his eighth win this season at South Boston Speedway. “It was on rails. The first race the car was a handful. It was loose, it was sideways, but everybody else was too. To come back and make some adjustments to the car and be so good at the end of the second race is hats off to H.C. (his brother and crew chief H.C. Sellers) and all of the guys on my team.”
The Ringgold, Virginia resident started third in the opening 75-lap race and muscled his way past leader Landon Pembelton of Amelia, Virginia on the 27th circuit to take the lead. Once in front Sellers stayed in command the rest of the way, edging runner-up Mike Looney of Catawba, Virginia by 1.185 seconds.
Pole winner Carter Langley of Zebulon, North Carolina finished third with Jacob Borst of Elon, North Carolina and Trey Crews of Halifax, Virginia rounding out the top five finishers in the 22-car field.
Despite having to start the second race at midfield in 11th position as a result of having won two races in a row Sellers was able to get to the front of the field just as quickly as he did in the first race.
Deftly picking up positions, Sellers worked his way around Crews on the 20th lap to take the lead. As was the case in the opener, once he got in front Sellers never relinquished the lead.
Borst took the runner-up spot in the nightcap with Crews finishing third. Pembelton finished fourth and former Halifax County, Virginia resident Chris Throckmorton of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina rounded out the top five finishers in the 20-car starting field.
The second race saw the lead change hands twice among three drivers with Sellers leading the final 56 laps. Three caution periods slowed the action.
Jason Myers Wins 50-Lap Limited Sportsman Race, Takes Third Straight Win
Jason Myers of Hurt, Virginia had not won a Limited Sportsman Division race until he swept a twin-race event at South Boston Speedway on August 7. Saturday night, he made it three wins in a row.
Myers took the win the hard way, electing to start at the rear of the 13-car field in an attempt to collect extra points toward the track’s Limited Sportsman Division title and driving to the front to score his third career victory.
“I knew we had a good car,” Myers remarked. “I also knew it was going to be tough. As you come up through the field the cars get harder and harder to pass. Luckily there was a caution that bunched us back up and I was able to pick off a few cars quickly. I got an opportunity when I needed it.”
Myers said the three wins in a row is a family milestone, and one he hopes to break.
“My dad (former South Boston Speedway Limited Sportsman Division champion Billy Myers of Hurt, Virginia) told me before I came to the track the most races he has won consecutively is three in a row,” Myers said. “I at least have tied him, now I want to try to beat him.”
He took the lead from Daniel Crews of Long Island, Virginia with 11 laps to go and held on to edge Crews by .599-second for the win. Daniel Moss of Danville, Virginia finished third, Drew Dawson of Nathalie, Virginia took fourth place and J.D. Eversole of North Chesterfield, Virginia finished fifth.
The race was a highly competitive one, with the lead changing hands three times among four drivers.
The race was slowed by two caution periods.
Scott Phillips, Nathan Crews Split Budweiser Pure Stock Division Twinbill
Scott Phillips of Halifax, Virginia broke a lengthy win drought Saturday night, starting on the pole and scoring a flag-to-flag win in the first of Saturday night’s pair of 15-lap Budweiser Pure Stock Division races.
Phillips finished .394-second ahead of Justin Dawson of Nathalie, Virginia. Division points leader Nathan Crews of Long Island, Virginia finished third with Johnny Layne of Halifax, Virginia and Bruce Mayo of Halifax, Virginia rounding out the top five finishers.
Crews started third in the second race, grabbed the lead on the opening lap, and scored a flag-to-flag win. The win was Crews’ 10th win in 12 starts at South Boston Speedway this season.
Mayo took the runner-up spot 2.729 seconds behind Crews in the caution-free race. Layne finished third, Dawson finished fourth and Phillips completed the top five finishers.
Josh Dawson Scores Seventh Win Of The Season In The Budweiser Hornets Division
Josh Dawson started at the rear of the field, sped past pole starter Jason DeCarlo of Chase City, Virginia to take the lead with two laps to go and held on to win Saturday night’s 15-lap Budweiser Hornets Division race.
The win was the seventh victory for Dawson in his nine starts at South Boston Speedway this season.
DeCarlo hung on to take the runner-up spot. Former division champion Kevin Currin of Chase City, Virginia finished third, Steven Layne of Nathalie, Virginia finished fourth and Kendall Milam of Keeling, Virginia rounded out the top five finishers in the caution-free race.
Next Race At South Boston Speedway
South Boston Speedway will wrap up its regular-season schedule of NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series points events on Saturday night, September 4, with Danville Toyota Championship Night presented by Ad Nerds Media.
The track’s four division champions will be crowned during the event.
A 100-lap race for the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Late Model Stock Car Division competitors will headline the night’s five-race program. Also slated are a 50-lap Limited Sportsman Division race, a 30-lap race for the Budweiser Pure Stock Division and a 15-lap race for the Budweiser Hornets Division.
In addition to races for the track’s four regular racing divisions the regional touring Southern Ground Pounders Vintage Racing Club will make its second visit of the season to “America’s Hometown Track.” The Modified and Sportsman cars of the Southern Ground Pounders Vintage Racing Club will be featured in a 25-lap race.
Registration and pit gates will open at 2 p.m. Practice will begin at 3:45 p.m. and grandstand gates will open at 5:30 p.m. Qualifying begins at 6 p.m. and the first race of the night will get the green flag at 7 p.m.
Advance adult general admission tickets for the Danville Toyota Championship Night presented by Ad Nerds Media event are priced at $10 each and may be purchased online on South Boston Speedway’s website, www.southbostonspeedway.com, through Friday night, September 3. Adult general admission tickets online and at the gate on race day are priced at $15 each. Kids ages 12 and under will be admitted free when accompanied by a paying adult.
For the latest news and information about the speedway and its events fans and competitors are urged to visit the South Boston Speedway website and the speedway’s social media channels.
