By Joe Chandler
Director, Public Relations
South Boston Speedway

SOUTH BOSTON, Va. (Nov. 2, 2021) — Jared Dawson had no idea he would win Rookie of the Year honors in South Boston Speedway’s Budweiser Pure Stock Division. Dawson originally planned to continue to compete in the Budweiser Hornets Division and add a sprinkling of races in the Budweiser Pure Stock Division into the mix.

Plans changed quickly for Dawson. Right after the season began, he decided to regularly compete in the Budweiser Pure Stock Division as well – a choice that led to him earning Rookie of the Year honors in the Budweiser Pure Stock Division.

“We were just planning on bringing the Pure Stock car every other race,” Dawson explained. “As the season started, we saw I could compete with the guys in Pure Stock, and we started bringing our Pure Stock car every race. It proved to be a real good decision.”

Dawson says winning the Rookie of the Year title in the Budweiser Pure Stock Division is a big accomplishment.

“It’s a great honor,” Dawson said. “Racing in the Pure Stock Division was the best racing I’ve ever done. It’s real competitive out there. It means a lot to me.”

Dawson had no idea it would be possible to win Rookie of the Year honors.

“I didn’t think I had a shot for it, just because it was my first year and I was trying to learn and trying to compete against the guys in the division,” Dawson pointed out.

Dawson compiled a solid record while competing in the Budweiser Pure Stock Division, a division that was top-heavy with experienced drivers. He finished eighth in the final division point standings with four Top-Five finishes and never finished outside of the Top-10.

“Racing in the Pure Stock Division was a big learning experience for me,” Dawson remarked. “It’s really tough in that division trying to race with the 3 car (division champion Nathan Crews), the 9 car (division runner-up Johnny Layne), and my brother (Justin Dawson). It’s real tough racing those guys.”

Winning the Rookie of the Year title in the Budweiser Pure Stock Division was a big honor but Dawson’s 2021 season accomplishments went beyond that. Dawson finished the 2021 season as the runner-up in the Budweiser Hornets Division point standings with two wins, eight Top-Five finishes and Top-10 finishes in all starts.

That is a stellar record considering he was racing different cars each race night, going back and forth between the front-wheel drive Hornets Division car and the rear-wheel-drive Pure Stock Division car.

“I learned a lot going from a front-wheel drive car in the Hornets Division to a rear-wheel drive car in the Pure Stock Division,” Dawson said. “There is a lot of difference going from a front-wheel drive car to a rear-wheel drive car. There are a lot of adjustments that you’ve got to make going from one car to the other. You also have to remember to do the same routine in going from one car to the other.

“It took me a lap or two to adjust to the different car,” added Dawson.
“After a lap or two I could get into my groove and race the race.”

Dawson enjoys racing and the competition. However, the big thing for him is the time spent with his family at the speedway. One of his two brothers, Justin Dawson, competed in the Budweiser Pure Stock Division. His other brother, Drew Dawson, competed in the Limited Sportsman Division. His cousin, Josh Dawson, competed in the Budweiser Hornets Division.

“I really wanted to go out there and race my brother in the Budweiser Pure Stock Division,” Jared Dawson said. “That’s what we’re out here for – racing each other. I like racing my brother, my cousin, and everybody. It’s the family going out here racing and having fun. This really is the only quality time we get together. The main reason we are out here is to have fun and spend quality time with our family.”

The 2022 season will be another season of learning for Dawson as he plans to move up the racing ladder.

“I was going to race in Pure Stock for a couple of years but we ran across a really good deal on a Late Model car,” Dawson explained. “We ended up selling the Pure Stock car got a Late Model, and I’m going to run that some next year.”

South Boston Speedway will celebrate its 65th anniversary season in 2022 with a tentative 14-event schedule. The 2022 season opener is set for Saturday, March 19 featuring the track’s four regular racing divisions, the Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Late Model Stock Car Division, the Limited Sportsman Division, the Budweiser Pure Stock Division and the Budweiser Hornets Division.

Special events on the tentative 2022 season schedule include an event on April 2 for the SMART Modified Tour and the recently announced Sentara Healthcare American Sprint Car Weekend on April 29-30 featuring the first-ever races for 410-winged sprint cars at South Boston Speedway.

The track’s showcase 200-lap Late Model Stock Car race on July 2, the official celebration of the track’s 65th anniversary on August 6, and an event for the Solid Rock Carriers CARS Tour on October 22 featuring the series’ Late Model Stock Car and new Pro Late Model divisions are also among the special highlight events for the 2022 season.

The tentative 2022 South Boston Speedway schedule can be found on the speedway’s website, www.southbostonspeedway.com.

The latest news and information about South Boston Speedway can be found on the South Boston Speedway website and through the speedway’s social media channels.

(Cypress, CA, November 1, 2021) Brody Roa will be making his last 2021 Southern California racing appearances this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday in the “25^th Anniversary Oval Nationals” at Perris Auto Speedway.  Spectator gates will open at 5:00 p.m. with racing at 7:00 all three nights.

The Garden Grove, California driver will return to the popular Riverside, County racetrack just two weeks after he turned a dramatic drive from the back of the pack to finish fourth on October 23^rd.  After running in the top five most of the first half of that race, Roa took evasive action to stay out of a wreck in front of him on lap 16.  As he stopped on the track to try and avoid hitting a flipping car, he had to go to the rear for the restart.  From there he drove forward and had come all the way back to eighth in 10-laps.  In dramatic fashion, he picked off four more cars in just two laps to take a hard fought and well deserved fourth place finish. 

Perris Auto Speedway was also the site of the biggest win thus far in Roa’s career.  On November 9, 2017, Roa finished third in the opening night preliminary for the “Oval Nationals” which features the best drivers from the West Coast vs the best from the Midwest.  Twenty-four hours later he started on the pole in the “Evelyn Pratt Memorial” and led every inch of the way for not only his first ever win at Perris, but also his first USAC National Sprint Car victory. 

“This is the biggest one by far,” the happy victor told the crowd after that win.  “To win a national is pretty incredible and to get our first Perris win after being so close  so many times, that just takes it to another level. I am almost speechless after this one.  I do not know how to react, what to do or what to say.” 

Despite being plagued by a car issue the next night, Roa still started and finished sixth in the 40-lap finale.  

Two years ago at the last “Oval Nationals,” Roa was not in his own car and his performance was not up to its usual standards.  In the preliminary mains he finished 13^th and 14^th.  In the Saturday night finale, a blown engine forced him out early with a frustrating 26^th place finish.

Roa will arrive at this week’s “Oval Nationals” second in the USAC/CRA Series standings, 72-points out of the lead with five races to go in the season. This year at Perris he has wins in the “Salute to Indy” and the “California Racer’s Hall of Fame Night.”  In the other five races he has contested on the Riverside County oval this year, he has been in the top five four times with second, third, fourth, and fifth-place finishes.  The only time the 30-year-old finished out of the top five was when he broke while running second at the season opener on April 24^th.  In the six races he has completed, he has an average finish of 2.66.  

In addition to the three nights of racing, there will be a practice session for Oval Nationals entered cars that will be free for spectators on Wednesday, November 3^rd.  The practice will begin at 5:00 p.m. and $2.00 pizza, beer and soda will be available to the fans.

Fans who would like to attend this week’s race can find Perris Auto Speedway on the Lake Perris Fairgrounds at 18700 Lake Perris Drive in Perris, California (92571).  Tickets will be available all three nights at the tracks ticket office.  The race will not sell out.  Fans who would like to purchase tickets in advance can do so 24 hours a day online at https://www.tix.com/ticket-sales/pas/7 or by phone at 1-800-595-4849.  The track website is http://www.perrisautospeedway.com/ and the office phone number is (951) 940-0134.

After this week’s Perris event, Roa and the crew will cross the desert for the final race of 2021, the “54^th Annual Western World Championships,” at the Arizona Speedway on November 12^th and 13^th.  

Brody Roa merchandise will make great Christmas gifts for his fans.  You can see it all in his online store that is packed with great items including t-shirts, sweatshirts, caps, beanies, baby onesies, plush blankets, jigsaw puzzles, stickers, notebooks, tote bags, wine tumblers, mugs, bandana pet collars and more.  To see check it out, please visit the following website https://www.brodyroa.com/shop/. 

Roa and the team would like to thank the following for being part of the 91R’s 2021 campaign.  HD Industries, Biker Bruce Fischer, Inland Rigging, Burris Racing, Sander Engineering, ALR Virtual Services, Caltrol, Competition Suspension, K-1 Race Gear, Molecule, Rod End Supply, Baldwin Filters and Jambo BBQ Pits.  In addition, the veteran driver offers thanks to Fastenal, Coopers Propane, Total Lubricants, Marina Pools, TJM Oilfield Distribution, Certex, and Biker Bruce for sponsoring the #8M. 

If you or your company would like to jump on board and receive recognition throughout the year, please give the two-time USAC champion racer a phone call or drop him a note at the contact information at the top of this release.  You can also contact him if you would like to put him in your car in a USAC National Series race when his west coast schedule permits.

To view Roa’s online portfolio and learn more about the team, please click on the following link https://www.teamwithbrody.com/.  Fans can also check out the team website at  https://www.brodyroa.com/ and Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/br91r/.  To keep up with May Motorsports, please check out and “like” its Facebook page.  https://www.facebook.com/MayMotorsports8M

2021 Results

3-12             Kern County Raceway Park                  USAC/CRA Sprint Cars                    7^th A Main

3-13             Kern County Raceway Park                  USAC/CRA Sprint Cars                    2^nd A Main             

3-26             Thunderbowl Raceway                          USAC/CRA Sprint Cars                    13^th A Main  

4-10             Keller Auto Speedway                           USAC West Coast Sprint Cars   3^rd A Main

4-10             Keller Auto Speedway                           King Of The Wing Sprint Cars   22^nd A Main

4-16             Kern County Raceway Park                  Open 360 Sprint Cars                    1^st A Main

4-17             Thunderbowl Raceway                          USAC West Coast Sprint Cars   1^st A Main

4-24             Perris Auto Speedway                           USAC/CRA Sprint Cars                     20^th A Main

5-8               Bakersfield Speedway                           USAC/CRA Sprint Cars                    3^rd A Main

5-22             Perris Auto Speedway                           USAC/CRA Sprint Cars                    1^st A Main

6-12             Keller Auto Speedway                           King of Thunder Bandits                   2^nd A Main

6-19             Perris Auto Speedway                           USAC/CRA Sprint Cars                     3^rd A Main

6-26             Ventura Raceway                                 USAC West Coast Sprint Cars   5^th A Main

7-3               Santa Maria Raceway                           USAC/CRA Sprint Cars                    2^nd A Main

7-17             Perris Auto Speedway                           USAC/CRA Sprint Cars                    2^nd A Main

8-21             Perris Auto Speedway                           USAC/CRA Sprint Cars                    1^st A Main

9-4               Silver Dollar Speedway                         USAC/CRA Sprint Cars                    6^th A Main

9-5               Silver Dollar Speedway                         USAC/CRA Sprint Cars                    3^rd A Main

9-6               Petaluma Speedway                             USAC/CRA Sprint Cars                    3^rd A Main

9-18             Perris Auto Speedway                           USAC/CRA Sprint Cars                    5^th A Main

10-2             Arizona Speedway                                USAC/CRA Sprint Cars                    3^rd A Main

10-23           Perris Auto Speedway                           USAC/CRA Sprint Cars                    5^th A Main