By Joe Chandler
Director, Public Relations
South Boston Speedway
SOUTH BOSTON, Va. (Jan. 5, 2022) — It’s a new year and new milestones are on the horizon as South Boston Speedway celebrates its 65th anniversary throughout 2022.
South Boston Speedway kicks off a new era with a change in leadership, the addition of new first-time events, new ticketing opportunities for fans, a bigger push into digital marketing and livestreaming of events and a month-long celebration of the track’s 65th anniversary celebration in August.
After having served as South Boston Speedway’s general manager for the past 21 years and having been involved in the speedway’s operation for over three decades, Cathy Rice retired from the post at the end of 2021. Helen Barksdale, the track’s long-time office manager, also retired at the end of the 2021.
Chase Brashears is taking the reins of South Boston Speedway, stepping into the general manager’s role, and his wife, Carly Brashears, will serve as director of marketing and administration for the speedway.
“South Boston Speedway’s history and tradition of being one of NASCAR’s premier short tracks is well-known across the nation,” said Chase Brashears.
“Our goal is to take the speedway to the next level, continuing to build upon South Boston Speedway’s tradition of providing fans the best in racing at a quality facility with a family-friendly atmosphere.”
Brashears is bringing some new events to South Boston Speedway in 2022. Drifting, a different form of motorsports, will be featured at “America’s Home Track” on March 5. The fastest cars on asphalt, 410-winged sprint cars, will visit the track for a two-night event on April 29-30.
“These are new, first-time events for South Boston Speedway, and each offers its own unique brand of excitement,” Brashears pointed out.
Last year South Boston Speedway implemented an online ticketing system that enabled fans to purchase advance tickets as well as race-day tickets on the speedway’s website. In December of this past year, for the first time ever, fans had the ability to purchase tickets for the track’s 2022 events prior to the Christmas holidays. Fans can purchase tickets for the 2022 season events at any time using the online ticketing system. The online ticketing system offers convenience and provides a contactless method for fans purchasing tickets to the speedway’s events.
“We are pleased to be able to offer advance tickets for all of our 2022 events for sale at this early date,” Brashears said. “Our ticketing system provides a great convenience for fans that like to plan ahead and avoid lines at the ticket booth on race day.”
South Boston Speedway is looking to expand its livestreaming platform heading into the 2022 season. The speedway began livestreaming events in May 2021 and looks to grow the platform for 2022. Fans across the country tuned into different events across the course of the 2021 season.
While the track’s 65th anniversary will be touted throughout 2022, the speedway will stage a month-long celebration in August that will include vintage races by drivers in the Southern Ground Pounders Vintage Racing Club on August 6 and the East Coast Flathead Ford Racing Association on August 20.
The first of four special events will take place on Saturday, April 2 when the SMART Modified Tour returns for the second straight year. Last season’s SMART Modified Tour race at South Boston Speedway was a thriller as Ryan Preece held off Chuck Hossfeld and Burt Myers in a seven-lap dash to the finish to win the 99-lap race.
The Sentara Healthcare American Sprint Car Weekend on Friday, April 29 and Saturday, April 30 marks the second special event of the season with the track hosting winged 410-sprint cars for the first time ever.
A full slate of racing featuring the winged 410-sprint cars, the fastest cars on asphalt, will be held both nights. South Boston Speedway’s Limited Sportsman, Budweiser Pure Stock and Budweiser Hornets Division competitors will compete as part of the Friday night action. The track’s NASCAR Late Model Stock Car Division teams and the drivers of the Southern Ground Pounders Vintage Racing Club will be featured on Saturday night along with the winged 410-sprint cars.
South Boston Speedway will hold its pre-Fourth of July showcase event – the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 presented by Grand Atlantic Ocean Resort– on Saturday, July 2. Along with the 200-lap Late Model Stock Car Division race, the first race of the Virginia Late Model Triple Crown, fans will see the track’s Limited Sportsman Division, Budweiser Pure Stock Division and Budweiser Hornets Division competitors in action. A practice day and fan fest are slated for the day before on Friday, July 1.
The track will kick off a month-long celebration of its 65th anniversary on Saturday night, August 6 with Davenport Energy Night at the Races. As part of that event, fans will get a glimpse back in time as competitors in the Southern Ground Pounders Vintage Racing Club will hit the track in their Modified and Late Model Sportsman cars. Drivers in all four of the track’s regular NASCAR racing divisions will also be in action that night.
South Boston Speedway’s month-long 65th anniversary celebration continues with the Italian Delight presents South Boston Speedway’s 65th Anniversary Celebration on Saturday night, August 20. A full night of racing highlighted by twin 65-lap NASCAR Late Model Stock Car Division races, a 65-lap Limited Sportsman Division race and a race for East Coast Flathead Ford Racing Association will be featured at that event.
South Boston Speedway will close out its 2022 season of NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series points races with Championship Night on Saturday night, September 4.
In another special event, the CARS Tour will return to South Boston Speedway on Saturday, October 22 featuring its Late Model Stock Car Division competitors in a 125-lap race and its Pro Late Model divisions teams in a 100-lap race.
South Boston Speedway will also be hosting a drifting event on Saturday afternoon March 5 with the possibility of additional events being added later in the season.
South Boston Speedway’s 2022 season schedule, ticket information, and the latest news and updates can be found on the South Boston Speedway website and through the speedway’s social media channels.
