Denny Hamlin won the NASCAR Cup Series Southern 500 in a thrilling finish at Darlington Raceway to capture the first victory of the series Playoffs.
It was Hamlin’s first win of the year and his 45th career Cup Series victory. He led 146 laps in his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota and held off a hard-charging Kyle Larson who put the pedal to the floor and didn’t back off.
“Yeah, it was a matter of time,” Hamlin said about finally being able to finish strong and get to victory lane. “We can’t just keep leading inside 10 laps to go every week and not get a win.
“He drove it in past the limit of the car and tires. I knew he was coming. I was a little conservative on that last lap because I had that four-car-length lead.”
Larson kept his foot on the gas, scrapping the wall and the side of his No. 5 Hendricks Motorsports Chevrolet. But he could not make the pass and had to settle for second place after leading a race-high 156 laps. It was his 19th top-10 finish this season.
Larson explained his final attempt to pass Hamlin.
“We got to the white (flag), and I was like, ‘Well, I haven’t been able to gain on him now, I’m going to try something.’
“Honestly, got to his bumper too quick. I was hoping he was going to run that diamond to kind of be safe and I could skirt to his outside but gave everything I had. I didn’t want to wreck him. I just wanted to try to get to his outside there, but he did a great job not really making any mistakes during the last run, and I was having to push really hard in second to try and just stay with him.”
Ross Chastain finished third, earning his first top-10 finish in five races at Darlington Raceway with Martin Truex Jr. in fourth and Kevin Harvick rounding out the top five
Harvick was pleased with the top-five and said, “I think it’s a good start. I think just a little bit of balance here and there to get ourselves to compete for the win, but I think as you look at the overall speed, it was fairly good.”
Chase Briscoe, in 19th, was the highest-finishing rookie.
There were no issues during the post-race inspection.
The next Cup Series race will be at Richmond Raceway on Saturday, Sept. 11 at 7:30 p.m. ET. and will be broadcast live on NBCSN.
Notable:
Kyle Busch – After contact with the No. 3 of Austin Dillon, Bush hit the wall and was unable to finish the race, relegating him to a 35th place finish. He placed the blame on his team, saying, “It wasn’t the 3’s (Dillon’s) fault. Just take our lumps, you know. We were running like (crap), and that’s what you get when you run like (crap). Shouldn’t be there.”
Alex Bowman – Bowman scraped the wall on Lap 14 and the team decided to wait and make repairs during the competition caution. But they waited too long and he hit the wall in Turn 4 and also made contact with his teammate William Byron. Bowman was able to recover but finished 26th.
William Byron – Byron also recovered and ran in the top ten but on Lap 200 he cut a left front tire and crashed into the Turn 1 wall and was unable to finish the race, placing 34th.
Chase Elliott – Elliott finished in 31st place after he hit the outside wall on Lap 327 while racing Bubba Wallace and Christopher Bell.
Michael McDowell – McDowell hit the wall in Turn 2 on Lap 31 and then spun into the SAFER barrier, ending his day early.
Sheldon Creed, No. 2 LiftKits4Less Chevrolet Silverado
START: 1st
FINISH: 1st
POINTS: 1st
Sheldon Creed entered Darlington with one goal: earn Playoffs points and win. Having locked himself into the Round of 8 with a win in Gateway, the No. 2 team had no stress about Sunday’s In It To Win It 200.
Creed led the field to the green from the pole position, but had to overcome adversity early as his Silverado received heavy rear end damage on the lap 21 restart. The crew went to work on fixing as much of the damage as possible, and miraculously, the truck never skipped a beat.
Pure domination by the GMS Racing team resulted in Creed’s third win of the season. An incredible drive by Sheldon, as he led a total of 104 of 147 laps. Notably, Creed swept both of the Darlington races this season. Perfect momentum to start the Playoffs!
Back2Back: Sheldon Creed is the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship points leader after his win at Darlington Raceway. Creed looks to continue to build on his momentum and go for a clean sweep of the Round of 10 next time out at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Quote: “Gosh, what a tough race! We certainly earned that one, even though my truck wasn’t handling great early on, the crew kept working on it and we got better each time out. I drove super hard to stay in the clean air, that damage really hurt us early on. Pit crew was phenomenal all race long, best they have been all year. It feels so great to go back to back and open up the Playoffs with two wins!”
Zane Smith, No. 21 Chevy Accessories Chevrolet Silverado
START: 10th
FINISH: 9th
POINTS: 9th
Zane Smith entered Darlington on the outside looking in for the Playoffs picture, as a disappointing early end at Gateway put the No. 21 behind the eight ball. Early on, it was evident that Smith would stand a fighting chance at competing for the win at Darlington.
Smith finished an impressive third place in Stage 1, and backed it up with a sixth place finish in Stage 2. With bonus points at a premium, the two stage finishes assisted his Playoffs bid. The No. 21 team fought through adversity on pit road multiple times, forcing Smith to drive through the field twice.
Ultimately, Smith rebounded to a ninth place finish in the South Carolina heat. Though the results might not show the entire story, it is undeniable the fight that his team brought to the table.
21in21: Zane Smith continues to find himself below the cutline entering the final race of the Round of 10 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Smith needs to gain five points on his nearest competition to advance to the Round of 8, a task that is very doable.
Quote: “More mistakes today. Jack failed on the second stop, then I made a big mistake trying to maximize pit road trying to get around the 88 and spun myself. We came from the back three times to finish ninth. Just five points out heading into Bristol.”
Chase Purdy, No. 23 Bama Buggies Chevrolet Silverado
START: 17th
FINISH: 15th
POINTS: 19th
Chase Purdy returned to Darlington with a vengeance after he did not receive the finish he deserved in May due to contact with a lapped truck. Riding the high of his best-career finish at Gateway, Purdy was eager to have two solid finishes in a row. A 17th place starting spot meant that Chase would have to dig deep from the drop of the green flag.
The No. 23 Bama Buggies Silverado fought hard from start to finish, running 17th in Stage 1 and 14th in Stage 2. Towards the end of the race, Purdy made up even more spots as he continued to tame the historic track, even breaking into the Top 10 at one point.
Purdy brought his Chevrolet home with a respectable 15th place finish at Darlington, and heading into the series’ next event at Bristol, the No. 23 team has some solid momentum behind them. Purdy is thirty points behind his nearest competitor in the standings.
Quote: “We had a fast Silverado today! I spun the tires on a late restart that cost our team some valuable track position, and ultimately, our chances at a solid Top 10 finish. Regardless, it was a great effort from my No. 23 guys today, onto Bristol in less than two weeks!”
Jack Wood, No. 24 Chevy Accessories Chevrolet Silverado
START: 15th
FINISH: 30th
POINTS: 29th
Jack Wood made his first ever start at Darlington Raceway in Sunday’s In It To Win It 200. As a rookie with no previous track time and minimal experience, Jack faced a tough battle ahead of himself with the Lady in Black.
Wood faded back early on as he learned the track layout, but kept his nose clean through Stage 1, where he finished 24th. In Stage 2, the No. 24 was on the move, as it began to pick up spots one by one. Unfortunately for Jack, however, disaster struck on lap 67, as he was forced into the wall by another competitor. With major front, rear, and side damage, Jack was knocked out of contention for the remainder of the race.
Wood and the No. 24 crew continued to fight and never gave up, but their day resulted in a disappointing 30th place finish. Jack will return to NCWTS competition in Las Vegas Motor Speedway on September 24th, as Doug Coby takes over the reigns next time out at Bristol for his series debut.
Quote: “Man, what a wild first race at Darlington. It was tough to get all of that damage in Stage 2, but it was still a good learning experience as we were able to run all the laps today. We will move onto the next one!”
Tyler Ankrum, No. 26 LiUNA! Chevrolet Silverado
START: 25th
FINISH: 18th
POINTS: 13th
Tyler Ankrum raced his heart out at Darlington, starting deep in the field in 25th. As the No. 26 LiUNA! Chevrolet passed several trucks through the pack, it appeared as if Ankrum was going to have a good finish.
Early on, Ankrum found out pretty quickly why the track is labeled “Too Tough to Tame”, as he made contact with the wall in turn 3 and earned his first Darlington stripe. The damage was enough to hinder Ankrum’s Silverado in a significant way, as he was not able to recover. Stage 1 had the No. 26 positioned in 16th, but by Stage 2, he had dropped to 19th.
Officially, Ankrum was scored with an 18th place finish. Not the finish that he was looking for, but with all things considered, it could have been worse. The team will try to rebound in the series’ next outing at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Quote: “We started off decently today, made up a good amount of spots in Stage 1, but that was unfortunately the highlight of my day. Our truck really never had the long run speed needed to contend up at the front. Definitely not the finish we were looking for, but we will move onto the next one and keep on working.”
ABOUT GMS RACING:
GMS Racing competes full-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with drivers Sheldon Creed, Zane Smith, Tyler Ankrum, Chase Purdy and Jack Wood. The team also competes in the ARCA Menards Series with Daniel Dye. Since the team began in 2014, GMS Racing won the 2016 and 2020 Camping World Trucks Championship, the 2015 ARCA Menards Series championship as well as the 2019 & 2020 ARCA East championship. GMS has grown to occupy several buildings located in Statesville, N.C. The campus also includes operations for GMS Fabrication. More information can be found at https://gmsracing.net
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Sheldon Creed made it two for two, winning the second race in Round 1 of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoffs at Darlington Raceway Sunday afternoon.
Creed, the series’ current champion, started on the pole for the In It To Win It 200 and led 104 of the 147 laps to claim the checkered flag for his third victory and ninth top-10 finish of the year.
“We’ve had a tough season, but we’re finding it at the right time,” Creed said. “It feels so good to go back-to-back wins … Got to put the pressure on the other guys. I had really nothing to lose coming in, and we’ve got fast trucks.”
It was a repeat of the first race in the series Playoffs on August 31 at World Wide Technology of Racing, with the same result – Creed celebrating in victory lane.
John Hunter Nemechek won Stage 1, led 39 laps and earned a second-place finish. It was his 13th top-10 result this season. He also scored enough points to lock him into the next round of the Playoffs.
“Overall, a solid performance, Nemechek said. “Our Toyota Tundra was fast. Just needed a little bit more. It definitely stings knowing we had the dominant truck here in the spring, gave that one away. Then to come back and run second, it hurts. We’ll take the momentum, not going to dwell on this. Just one race of the Playoffs and now we’re focused on the next round.”
Stewart Friesen, Todd Gilliland and Parker Kligerman rounded out the top-five finishers as Grant Enfinger placed sixth followed by Chandler Smith, Johnny Sauter, Zane Smith and Matt Crafton, in sixth – 10th.
“Great day for the Halmar team – thanks to Chris Larson for everything. He’s always been there for me in my career. It was cool –- our best run for HFR, proud of that. Another good day for us,” said Friesen.
The series heads to Bristol Motor Speedway on September 16th for the UNOH 200 presented by Ohio Logistics at 9 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race Number 17 Race Results for the 2nd Annual In It To Win It 200 – Sunday, September 5, 2021 Darlington Raceway – Darlington, SC – 1.366 – Mile Paved Total Race Length – 147 Laps – 200.802 Miles
Sunday, September 5 Track: Darlington Raceway, 1.366-mile oval Race: 17 of 22 Event: In It To Win It 200 (147 laps, 200 miles)
Hailie Deegan, No. 1 Built Ford Tough F-150
Start: 14th Finish: 29th
During the competition caution on lap 15, Deegan reported her truck had no grip on the front tires. She stayed out during the caution and restarted 14th.
As the laps clicked off in the stage, Deegan reported her F-150 was snappy loose on exit and she closed the stage out in 21st. During the break she pitted for fuel, four tires and adjustments.
Deegan started Stage 2 from the 20th position. Another caution was displayed on lap 67 and the California native reported the balance of her truck was much better and she stayed on the racing surface. She restarted 15th.
Late in the second stage, Deegan made an incredible save in her F-150 and ultimately ended it in the 19th spot.
The Ford driver pitted during the break and restarted 17th for the final stage. On lap 106, the caution came out after a competitor spun and Deegan attempted to dodge the spinning truck, but was struck by it in the right-rear which resulted in damage forcing her to pit from 18th.
Another caution was displayed on lap 111 after another competitor made contact with Deegan which caused her left-rear tire to go down. She received service on pit road and restarted 27th.
With seven laps to go in the event, Deegan radioed that she thought she had a right-side tire going down and made an unexpected pit stop for service which sent her a multiple laps down. The team confirmed the tire was losing pressure and Deegan ended up finishing 29th.
Tanner Gray, No. 15 Ford Performance F-150
Start: 22nd Finish: 24th
Tanner Gray started the event from the 22nd spot and was 14th when the competition caution came out on lap 15. Gray remained on the track and restarted eighth. Throughout two more quick cautions, Gray continued to stay on the racing surface and restarted 14th after the lap-27 caution.
The Ford Performance driver completed Stage 1 in 18th and reported his truck was too free on entry. He pitted for service and started the second stage from 15th.
A caution on lap 67 brought Gray down pit road for fuel, four tires and adjustments to help with his loose-handling issues. He restarted 25th.
With two laps to go in Stage 2, the New Mexico native took over the 10th position. At the stage break, he pitted for service and restarted the final stage from seventh.
On lap 104 in the final stage, Gray made contact with the outside wall while running in the top-10. The damage forced him to pit for repairs which sent him one lap down. Gray remained one lap down for the duration of the race and ended it 24th.
Next event: UNOH 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee on September 16 at 9 p.m. ET.
RUNNER-UP FINISH FOR NEMECHEK LOCKS HIM INTO ROUND TWO OF PLAYOFFS Tundras Tally Six Top-10 Finishes at Darlington
DARLINGTON, S.C. (September 5, 2021) – John Hunter Nemechek finished second in Sunday afternoon’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at South Carolina’s historic Darlington Raceway. The finish locked the Tundra driver into round two of the NASCAR Playoffs as he pursues the series championship. Fellow Tundra drivers Stewart Friesen (third), Grant Enfinger (sixth), Chandler Smith (seventh), Johnny Sauter (eighth) and Matt Crafton (10th) also claimed top-10 results.”
Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Darlington Raceway Race 17 of 23 – 147 Laps, 200.1 Miles
TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS 1st, Sheldon Creed* 2nd, JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK 3rd, STEWART FRIESEN 4th, Todd Gilliland* 5th, Parker Kligerman* 6th, GRANT ENFINGER 7th, CHANDLER SMITH 8th, JOHNNY SAUTER 10th, MATT CRAFTON 12th, AUSTIN HILL 16th, DEREK KRAUS 19th, CLAY GREENFIELD 20th, DANNY BOHN 22nd, SPENCER DAVIS 25th, JOSH REAUME 31st, DYLAN LUPTON 34th, BEN RHODES 37th, RYAN ELLIS *non-Toyota driver
TOYOTA QUOTES
JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK, No. 4 Mobil 1 Toyota Tundra, Kyle Busch Motorsports
Finishing Position: 2nd
What more did you need to catch Sheldon Creed in the closing laps?
“Clean air. Just super hard to pass. Same thing as last fall, same thing we fight in the Truck Series every week. I don’t know, we have to do a little bit better – think we could have controlled the race. They weren’t going to get by us. We made a last ditch effort. Proud of all the KBM (Kyle Busch Motorsports) guys – Mobil 1, Toyota, TRD and everyone who helps. Just have to say thank you. This one hurts. We had the dominant truck here in the spring and came back and ran second here today. On to Bristol. We should be starting first or second. Hopefully we can go get a win there. The only thing that matters is that we locked ourselves into the next round today. That’s all it is. The eyes are set on the prize. We want to win every single week, but there is a big trophy at the end of the year that means the most.”
What did you take away from this race?
“We just needed track position. We needed clean air. We addressed it, I felt like the right way and had a truck to contend. What mattered today if we couldn’t win was locking ourselves into the next round and advancing. We were able to do that by a pretty good margin I felt like. Overall, a solid performance. Our Toyota Tundra was fast. Just needed a little bit more. It definitely stings knowing we had the dominant truck here in the spring, gave that one away. Then to come back and run second, it hurts. We’ll take the momentum, not going to dwell on this. Just one race of the Playoffs and now we’re focused on the next round. Bristol doesn’t mean anything to us other than to go out there and try to win. Then the next round starts and all that focus is on those three races to make it to Phoenix. Eyes on the big trophy at the end of the year.”
STEWART FRIESEN, No. 52 Halmar International Toyota Tundra, Halmar Friesen Racing
Finishing Position: 3rd
Did you have anything for the lead two trucks in the closing laps?
“Great day for the Halmar team – thanks to Chris Larson for everything. He’s always been there for me in my career. It was cool –- our best run for HFR, proud of that. Another good day for us. We got off sequence and we just fought a loose condition all day. Got off sequence and got those tires and we thought we might have something. They just kind of equalized at the end and I could just chameleon the guys in front of me and not really do anything more with it. Proud of my guys, good momentum for us.”
CHANDLER SMITH, No. 18 JBL Toyota Tundra, Kyle Busch Motorsports
Finishing Position: 7th
How was the race today and how do you feel heading into the final race of this Playoff round?
“Overall, I felt like we had a really solid day. We were inside the top-10, top-five most of the day. Fell back there at the very end. Just started to lack a little lateral grip up the hill and I couldn’t really run the top due to just way too free right when I would touch the throttle. I couldn’t keep my momentum up at all. Overall, we had a really fast JBL Audio Toyota Tundra and I’m really happy heading to Bristol.”
How do you feel about your chances at Bristol?
“It’s Bristol, that’s the thing about it. You can be really good and then the lapped car can screw you, kind of like they were doing today a little bit and you’re out of it. I feel like we’ll be good, we just have to stay out of trouble.”
MATT CRAFTON, No. 88 Ideal Door/Menards Toyota Tundra, ThorSport Racing
Finishing Position: 10th
How was your race today and how do you feel heading into Bristol next week?
“I don’t know where we are, but I think we should have a little bit of a cushion and be able to just go to Bristol and race and not have to worry about stage points and all that, just go there and win. I’m sure that’s what a lot of them are going to do. If you’re stuck in that box where you have to stay out and get stage points, that’s not ideal. All in all, we had a lot better truck than a 10th place truck. On the first pit stop, we broke a brake line and had no brakes the rest of the race. It wasn’t fun.”
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in the U.S. and North America for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands. During that time, Toyota has created a tremendous value chain as our teams have contributed to world-class design, engineering, and assembly of more than 40 million cars and trucks in North America, where we have 14 manufacturing plants, 15 including our joint venture in Alabama (10 in the U.S.), and directly employ more than 47,000 people (over 36,000 in the U.S.). Our 1,800 North American dealerships (nearly 1,500 in the U.S.) sold nearly 2.8 million cars and trucks (nearly 2.4 million in the U.S.) in 2019.
Through the Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyotanewsroom.com.
Max Verstappen launched himself back into the lead in the championship standings after claiming a dominating win in the Dutch Grand Prix at Circuit Zandvoort on Sunday, September 5, and to the delight of his home crowd.
Verstappen, who started on pole position and who won last weekend’s bizarre, rain-shortened Belgium Grand Prix at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, led all 72 scheduled laps and crossed the finish line by nearly 21 seconds ahead of Sir Lewis Hamilton to grab his seventh Grand Prix victory of the season and the 17th of his career at his home track, which sent the crowd overjoyed and lighting up orange smoke to celebrate with the Dutchman.
The 2021 Dutch Grand Prix was a first for the event since 1985, which was last won by the late three-time F1 champion Niki Lauda. Verstappen’s victory all but elevated him back to the lead in the drivers’ standings over Hamilton as he continues his pursuit for his first F1 championship.
“Incredible feeling, of course,” Verstappen said. “I know the fans expect a lot going into the weekend, but it’s never easy to fulfill that. This weekend has been great. Also the race, Lewis was putting on the pressure a lot. It was basically 72 laps of pushing to try and stay ahead. It was a good one with all the people and fans here supporting you. It was just an incredible sight.”
Hamilton, who pitted late for fresh tires, settled in second place for his ninth top-two result of this season as he claimed the fastest lap of the race followed by teammate Valtteri Bottas, who did not pursue the fastest lap on soft tyres in the final laps but moved up to third place in the drivers’ standings.
“Today was [a] killer,” Hamilton said. “[Verstappen and Red Bull] were so fast today. That’s the quickest, I think, they’ve been all year. But I gave it everything, anyways. I think today, being that we weren’t quick enough, we needed everything to really work out for us like traffic, which didn’t. We needed pit stops to be perfect, which wasn’t. We needed strategy to be on point, and it wasn’t quite perfect. Even then, if all that was perfect, it would’ve still been hard to get by [Verstappen]. We gave it everything. Long way to go.”
“I committed to one stop [pit stop] quite early on in the race,” Bottas said. “It meant I definitely had to more [tyre] management that Lewis and Max were doing. I think one stop was quite a way off of two stop today. The tyre wear and the vibrations were quite tricky. In the end, I still stopped just for safety. It was like a mix of one or two stop for me, not early.”
Pierre Gasly came home in a strong fourth place followed by Charles Leclerc. Fernando Alonso overtook fellow Spaniard Carlos Sainz on the final lap to place in sixth followed by Sergio “Checo” Perez. Esteban Ocon, winner of the Hungarian Grand Prix in early August, finished ninth while Lando Norris claimed the 10th and final points-paying result.
Daniel Ricciardo was the first competitor to finish outside of the points in 11th followed by Lance Stroll, Sebastian Vettel, Antonio Giovinazzi and Robert Kubica, who returned to F1 since 2019 and filled in for Kimi Räikkönen after the Finnish competitor tested positive for COVID-19 earlier in the weekend.
Nicholas Latifi finished 16th while George Russell, who is coming off his maiden podium result at Spa, retired in 17th. Rookie Mick Schumacher concluded his race in 18th followed by Yuki Tsunoda and Nikita Mazepin, both of whom retired in 19th and 20th.
Results:
1. Max Verstappen, 25 points, 72 laps led
2. Lewis Hamilton, 19 points
3. Valtteri Bottas, 15 points
4. Pierre Gasly, 12 points, +1 lap
5. Charles Leclerc, 10 points, +1 lap
6. Fernando Alonso, eight points, +1 lap
7. Carlos Sainz, six points, +1 lap
8. Sergio Perez, four points, +1 lap
9. Esteban Ocon, two points, +1 lap
10. Lando Norris, one point, +1 lap
11. Daniel Ricciardo, +1 lap
12. Lance Stroll, +2 laps
13. Sebastian Vettel, +2 laps
14. Antonio Giovinazzi, +2 laps
15. Robert Kubica, +2 laps
16. Nicholas Latifi, +2 laps
17. George Russell – Retired
18. Mick Schumacher, +3 laps
19. Yuki Tsunoda – Retired
20. Nikita Mazepin – Retire
Verstappen leads the drivers’ standings by three points over Hamilton. Meanwhile, Mercedes leads the constructors’ standings by 12 points over Red Bull while Ferrari trails by 163 points.
Next on the 2021 Formula One schedule is Monza Circuit for the Italian Grand Prix, which will occur on Sunday, September 12.
David Thorndyke in the #67 Thorsons EVT Chevrolet Camaro racing at CTMP. Credit: Matthew Manor
September 4, 2021. David Thorndyke and the #67 Thorsons EVT Chevrolet team were thrilled to be back doing what they love, racing, Saturday afternoon on the famed 10-turn road course at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP) in round five of the 2021 NASCAR Pinty’s Series. Despite an overheating issue early in practice the team rallied and had a solid day during the 30-lap race.
An overheating problem surfaced during practice and the #67 Thorsons EVT Chevrolet only completed a handful of laps. With repairs made, Thorndyke would qualify with the 21st fastest time for the afternoon race.
Thorndyke’s steady and consistent approach in the #67 Thorsons EVT Chevrolet would allow him to pick up two spots during the race for a 19th place result. “Well, we didn’t have hardly any practice because of the overheating, and we haven’t been able to compete for two years” explained David Thorndyke. “So having the car run perfectly during the race and only need a little maintenance for Sunday’s race, we’re pretty happy.
Next up David Thorndyke and the #67 Thorsons EVT Camaro team are back on track tomorrow (Sunday) afternoon with another race at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. Green flag is scheduled for 1:30PM. Watch the live stream on the TSN app, TSN.ca or through Trackpass on NBC Sports Gold in the US.
Race fans can follow David Thorndyke and the #67 Thorsons EVT Chevrolet Camaro team on their official social media platforms:
Mark Dilley in the #64 Leland Industries / RGC Sports / NTN Chevrolet. Credit: Matthew Manor
(September 4, 2021) Wight Motorsports Inc (WMI) was back in action Saturday afternoon for round number five of the 2021 NASCAR Pinty’s with the first of two races at the famed 10-turn road circuit at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. The race Saturday was a shorter than usual 30-laps and two of the WMI drivers, Mark Dilley and JF Laberge each overcame difficult circumstances to gain positions during the race.
Mark Dilley’s #64 Leland Industries / RGC Sports / NTN Chevrolet suffered an oil pan leak and while the WMI crew did make repairs in time, by rule Dilley forfeited his starting position and started the race at the back of the field. Dilley powered his way forward and claimed 13th place result, a strong effort.
JF Laberge also had mechanical gremlins during practice and qualifying, but the WMI team dug in and Laberge pushed his #80 Dagobert Chevrolet Camaro forward three positions to a 14th place finish.
Driver TJ Rinomato struggled at times in his #2 RGC Sports / IHL Chevrolet Camaro and finished 23rd.
Quotes from David Wight, WMI Principal “Great job by the team to make the repairs needed today, and well done by Mark and JF to pick up as many positions as they did in a short race”.
“Tomorrow with a longer 51-lap race we’ll have pit stops; we’ve definitely got some strategy that we’re going to use. Weather could play a factor, we’ll be on our game and look for a strong showing”.
RACE ONE PERFORMANCE DRIVER STARTED FINISHED Mark Dilley 24 13 TJ Rinomato 23 23 J. F. Laberge 17 14
The 2021 NASCAR Pinty’s Series will consist of 11 total races in Ontario and Quebec with a mixture of oval tracks, road and street courses.
Next up The WMI drivers are right back in action (Sunday) afternoon with another race at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. Green flag is scheduled for 1:30PM. Watch the live stream on the TSN app, TSN.ca or through Trackpass on NBC Sports Gold in the US.
Race fans can get the latest information regarding WMI and the drivers on these social media channels:
September 4, 2021. Once again DJ Kennington didn’t put a wheel wrong in the #17 Castrol Edge Dodge during round five of the NASCAR Pinty’s Series at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP) on Saturday afternoon. Maintaining a strong, steady pace and taking advantage of opportunities ahead of him Kennington moved from up three positions from his ninth starting spot on the grid to claim another sixth-place finish.
Saturday’s race was only 30-laps in length, so it was hustle from the beginning. Kennington maneuvered the #17 Castrol Edge Dodge forward at every opportunity. “I wasn’t as patient today because of the shorter than normal race distance. When we had a chance to pick up a spot, I jumped on it,” said Kennington.
Kennington also believes there’s even greater success ahead for the #17 Castrol Edge Dodge. “The car was a little bit tight” explained Kennington. “That effects how you get through the corner, we think we’ve made the right adjustments so we’re expecting a stronger car for tomorrow’s race.
Next up DJ Kennington and the Castrol Edge Dodge team are right back at it tomorrow (Sunday) afternoon with another race at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. Green flag is scheduled for 1:30PM. Watch the live stream on the TSN app, TSN.ca or through Trackpass on NBC Sports Gold in the US.
Race fans can follow DJ Kennington and the #17 Castrol Edge Dodge team on their official social media platforms:
Peyton Sellers (second from the left) is congratulated in Victory Lane by South Boston Speedway General Manager Cathy Rice (left), South Boston Speedway Assistant General Manager Chase Brashears (third from the left) and Kevin Nevalainen, NASCAR Senior Director of Weekly Racing Operations, after capturing the South Boston Speedway NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Late Model Stock Car Division championship Saturday night. Photo Courtesy Joe Chandler/South Boston Speedway
By Joe Chandler Director, Public Relations South Boston Speedway
SOUTH BOSTON, Va. (Sept. 4, 2021) — Saturday was a night of double celebration for Peyton Sellers at South Boston Speedway.
The Ringgold, Virginia resident checked off one of his goals for the 2021 season, capturing the South Boston Speedway NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Late Model Stock Car Division title and capped the South Boston Speedway points season with a victory in the 100-lap NASCAR Late Model Stock Car Division race that headlined Saturday night’s Danville Toyota Championship Night presented by Ad Nerds Media event at South Boston Speedway.
The win, Sellers’ fourth straight win and his ninth victory in 17 starts this season at “America’s Hometown Track, gives him an opportunity to extend his lead in the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series national point standings and inch closer to capturing his second career NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series national championship.
“To cap off a championship night with a win is unbelievable,” Sellers said after winning the race and scoring his 21st victory of the NASCAR national points season. “It’s a good thing, that’s for sure.”
This is the fourth season in a row that Sellers has won the South Boston Speedway NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series track championship at South Boston Speedway.
“To win four straight championships here at South Boston Speedway is something I am very proud of,” Sellers remarked. “Knowing how many names that have won championships here at South Boston Speedway and how many legends have won championships here, to be in that same list now is pretty special to me.”
Sellers has won six career South Boston Speedway NASCAR track championships, leaving him one title shy of tying seven-time track champion David Blankenship of Moseley, Virginia for the most career NASCAR track championships at South Boston Speedway.
There was no easy path to victory for Sellers in Saturday night’s 100-lap NASCAR Late Model Stock Car Division race. He led twice for a total of 65 laps, taking the lead from Jacob Borst of Elon, North Carolina on the 76th lap after muscling his way out of a tense four-car battle that followed the race’s final restart with 28 laps to go.
Borst hung on to finish second, 1.695 seconds behind Sellers, with Chris Denny of Timberlake, North Carolina finishing third. National rookie points leader Landon Pembelton of Amelia, Virginia finished fourth and John Goin, a regular competitor at Dominion Raceway in Thornburg, Virginia, rounded out the top five finishers in the 18-car field.
There were three lead changes between Sellers and Borst in the race that was slowed by four caution periods and one red flag.
Daniel Moss Wins SBS Limited Sportsman Division Championship In one of the closest championship points battles South Boston Speedway has had in its NASCAR Limited Sportsman Division, Daniel Moss of Danville, Virginia won his first career NASCAR track championship, edging Jason Myers of Hurt, Virginia by a slim two-point margin for the title.
Entering Saturday’s 50-lap Limited Sportsman Division race, Moss held a narrow 13-point edge over Drew Dawson of Nathalie, Virginia and a 22-point margin over Myers, who had rallied up to third place in the points chase on the strength of three straight wins.
Moss got off to a good start in Saturday night’s race only to have his car start fading just past the midway point of the race. He hung on to finish seventh, but both Myers and Dawson finish ahead of him.
Eric Winslow of Pelham, North Carolina took the lead from Ryan Joyner of Lucama, North Carolina on the 14th lap and led the final 36 circuits to win the race and earn his third victory of the season at South Boston Speedway this season.
Winslow edged J.D. Eversole of North Chesterfield, Virginia by .403-second in taking the win with Myers, who started at the rear of the 15-car field, finishing third. Dawson finished fourth and Daniel Crews of Long Island, Virginia rounded out the top five finishers.
There were two lead changes in the race between Winslow and Joyner.
Nathan Crews Wins Budweiser Pure Stock Division Title Nathan Crews had double reason to celebrate following Saturday night’s 30-lap Budweiser Pure Stock Division race.
The Long Island, Virginia resident took the lead from teammate Daniel Shelton of Hurt, Virginia with three laps to go as the engine in Shelton’s car soured and won the 30-lap race and the 2021 South Boston Speedway Budweiser Pure Stock Division championship.
This marks the second straight Budweiser Pure Stock Division championship for Crews and the third straight title for his family-owned race team. Shelton won the title in 2018 driving Crews’ car.
Saturday night’s win was his 11th victory in 13 starts this season at South Boston Speedway. It was his fourth win in his last five starts. He edged runner-up Bruce Mayo of Halifax, Virginia by 5.867 seconds, with Shelton limping his ailing car home for a third-place finish. B.J. Reaves finished fourth in his Budweiser Pure Stock Division debut and Jimmy Wade of Halifax, Virginia rounded out the top five finishers.
Josh Dawson Captures Budweiser Hornets Division Championship Josh Dawson of Halifax, Virginia was among the trio of drivers to enjoy double celebrations Saturday night as he won the 15-lap Budweiser Hornets Division race and also captured the 2021 South Boston Speedway Budweiser Hornets Division title.
It was Dawson’s first career NASCAR championship, with Dawson topping his cousin, Jared Dawson of Nathalie, Virginia for the title.
Josh Dawson started at the rear of the 11-car field and grabbed the lead from Andrea Ruotolo of South Boston, Virginia with two laps to go to take the victory. The win was Josh Dawson’s eighth victory in 10 starts this season at South Boston Speedway.
Ruotolo finished second in what was his best outing of the season. Former division champion Kevin Currin of Chase City, Virginia finished third with Kendall Milam of Keeling, Virginia and Jared Dawson of Nathalie, Virginia completing the top five finishers.
Stacy Puryear, Danny Bond Score Wins In Southern Ground Pounders Race Stacy Puryear of South Boston, Virginia won the Sportsman Division trophy while Danny Bond of Dinwiddie, Virginia won the Modified Division trophy in Saturday night’s race for the Southern Ground Pounders Vintage Racing Club.
Chris Werner of Mooresville, North Carolina was the runner-up in the Sportsman Division and Dennis Werner of Southport, North Carolina took the runner-up spot in the Modified Division.
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.
South Boston Speedway Results | Sept. 4, 2021 Finishing Position | Car Number | Name | Laps Completed Late Model Stock Car (100 Laps)
