The final Commonwealth Tour Battle of 2024: We preview the zMAX CARS Tour AutosByNelston.com 280.
By Julian Austin
The zMAX CARS Tour Presented by Sound Gear makes its final stop in the Commonwealth of Virginia on Saturday at historic South Boston Speedway. The AutosByNelson.com 280 is a pivotal stop on the tour and a great showing at the four tenths of a mile Virginia short track may go a long way in deciding who will hoist the championship trophy in North Wilkesboro five weeks from now.
But that is five weeks from now. The focus this week is at South Boston Speedway. For the Late Model Stock Division, it is the seventh event at this speedway since 2017. From 2017-2022 the facility saw six different winners. Deac McCaskill broke the streak in 2023 by becoming the first repeat winner at the facility which saw the veteran engage in a classic duel with former track champion and current NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series star Layne Riggs. Layne had multiple opportunities to rough up McCaskill but at the end of the night, that did not happen. The respect level between the two stars was very evident in their post race comments.
For Layne Riggs, he doesn't race on the zMAX CARS Tour very often with his NASCAR commitments. This is an off weekend for the Truck Series and as any racer would tell you, what better way to spend your off week than being at the race track. Riggs will be competing for Tom Usry Racing which will have an alliance with R&S Race Cars. Two years ago, Riggs had just clinched a national championship in the Late Model Stock Division for NASCAR and had came to South Boston to grab another CARS Tour win. Him and former Valley Star 300 at Martinsville winner Landon Pembleton were the class of the field in 2022. The two made contact late in the race which derailed any chance of a victory. Riggs will be looking for redemption on Saturday.
The driver who took advantage in 2022 was Carson Kvapil. The two time defending CARS Tour Champion will not make it a trifecta this year as he has focused on making the best of his opportunities in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for JR Motorsports and has missed a total of four tour events. Despite this, he has two wins this season and along with the 2022 win at SoBo, had a fifth place in 2023. Kvapil also crossed the finish line first in the Thunder Road 200 Late Model event in 2023 before NASCAR officials took the win away. The point is, Kvapil knows his way around South Boston and he can't gain anything on the drivers side, the JR Motorsports team is only 14 points out of the top five in the owners standings.
Connor Hall holds on to a slim three point lead over Brenden "Butterbean" Queen coming into South Boston. For his Nelson Motorsports team, this is considered a home game for the team based in nearby Henry County Virginia. Connor claimed one of the biggest wins of his career back in July in the Thunder Road 200 and leads the tour with 10 top five finishes. However, in the last four races, his best finish is a fourth at Florence and has two finishes of 11th or worse in that stretch. He has only led 8 laps during this stretch which has kept Queen in the hunt for the title. Queen has not won a race in nearly three months going back to Dominion but a streak of five consecutive top five finishes has made up for the lack of wins.
If you compare Queen and Hall's stats at South Boston here is what you get.
Brenden Queen has one start at South Boston on the CARS Tour and that resulted in a fourth place finish last season.
Connor Hall has two starts at South Boston and has a third and fourth place finish plus a pole position.
So who has the edge? It is hard to say. Judging on recent experience at SoBo, you have to go with Hall but not by much so we expect both competitors to be near the front if not bumper to bumper headed to the checkered.
On the Pro Late Model side, the scene is wide open. William Sawalich and Nick Loden are former winners. Loden is expected to defend his race winning run this weekend. It has been a tough season for Loden. He showed glimpses of success early in the season with a third and a second at Hickory and Orange County respectively but ever since Orange County, his best finish is 15th due to multiple accidents and mechanical issues which has derailed him from making a full time run.
Spencer Davis heads to South Boston fresh off his first tour win at Florence and a slim four point lead over Kaden Honeycutt. He has only finished out of the top ten once all year and leads the tour with seven top five finishes. Not too bad for someone in their rookie year on the tour.
Kaden Honeycutt has finished in the top ten in all races but has one less top five than Davis and one less podium finish. That is the difference with three to go. Honeycutt has a top ten in Tour Late Model competition at South Boston but swept the first two stages in the July 4th Thunder Road 200 at South Boston before settling for a third place finish.
Cameron Bolin had an impressive fifth place finish at Florence in his debut Pro Late Model event for Conner Jones. That run has gained Bolin another race this weekend at South Boston.
Kyle Campbell won the first two races of the season but a hard crash during practice at Hickory sidelined him for the last several events. Campbell makes his return to competition this weekend and will be looking to grab his third win of the season.
Event Schedule for Saturday (Subject to Change)
Saturday, September 14, 2024
8:00AM—11:00AM US Legend / VA Mini Cup Registration and Parking
10:00AM Additional Trailer Parking
10:00AM Front Grandstand Gates Open
10:15AM Pits Opens
11:05AM—11:25AM LMSC Practice
11:30AM--11:55AM PLM Practice
12:00PM--12:20PM LMSC Practice
12:25PM--12:45PM PLM Practice
1:00PM MANDATORY LMSC/PLM Crew Chief, Driver, and Spotter Meeting
1:30PM US Legend / VA Mini Cup Drivers Meeting
1:30PM MANDATORY Pre-Qualify Tech LMSC
After LMSC Tech MANDATORY Pre-Qualify Tech PLM
2:00PM----2:30PM Virginia Mini Cups Practice/Qualifying
2:30PM----3:00PM US Legends Practice/Qualifying
3:00PM Backstretch/Turn 4 Gates Open
3:00PM----3:15PM Chapel Service (CARS Trailer)
4:00PM LMSC Single Car Qualifying
4:35PM PLM Single Car Qualifying
5:05PM PRO LATE MODELS GRIDDED ON FRONT STRAIGHTAWAY
5:20PM----6:05PM Fan Fest/Autograph Session on Front Straightaway
6:30PM Pre-Race Ceremonies Begin
6:35PM Driver Introductions
6:45PM Invocation
6:51PM National Anthem
6:57PM Command to start PLM engines
7:00PM AutosbyNelson.com 280 Features Begin
7:00PM CARS Tour PLM (100 LAPS)
8:15PM Virginia Mini Cups (25 LAPS)
8:40PM CARS Tour LMSC gridded on front straightaway
8:45PM CARS Tour LMSC (125 LAPS)
Following US Legend Cars (25 LAPS)
Oak River Realty Race Night at South Boston Speedway Preview
By Julian Austin
June 7th, 2024
After a three week break, action returns to South Boston Speedway for Oak River Realty Race Night on Saturday night. This event marks the halfway event of the season and the last stop on the road to the upcoming Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 Virginia Triple Crown event on June 29th.
Sentara Health Late Model Stock Division
The 2023 season was dominated by Carter Langley and Peyton Sellers. The two combined to steal most of the headlines and the wins. The two waged battle each week during the season exchanging wins and the points lead. Langley ended up winning the championship over Sellers in one of the closest battles in all of Late Model Stock Racing last season.
This season would see Sellers return to South Boston looking to win another title as Langley focuses his efforts to run at Wake County Speedway in Raleigh North Carolina thus opening the doors for other drivers to come and try to make their mark.
One of those drivers is Craig Moore. Moore who is a former CARS Tour winner at South Boston had never won in the Sentara Health Late Model Division. This was until the opening weekend of the season. Moore borrowed a car from fellow racer Jay Fogleman just two weeks before the event.
Trevor Ward won the pole for the opening event of the season back on March 23rd. Ward led the opening 55 laps and appeared to be on his way to picking up a win before contact was made with Mike Looney battling for the lead ending his day early. Moore would take advantage of this and make his move past Looney shortly after this to pick up his first career Sentara Health Late Model Stock Division victory.
The following event would see another first time winner in Blake Stallings who would take his R&S Race Cars machine to victory lane. Jacob Borst would take the second of the night's twin races marking three drivers to win in three events.
Roanoke Virginia's Kyle Dudley would become the third different first time winner in four events back on April 20th while Peyton Sellers would become the fifth different winner of the season on May 11th by sweeping the twin races that night.
Kyle Dudley poses in Victory Lane following his first career win at the track back on April 20th.
Sellers started off the season with a sixth place finish back in March but it didn't take long for him to get into championship mode. He hasn't finished worse than third since and after the two wins, he has a twelve point lead over Dudley. To show you how tough the competition is this season, only seven points separate Dudley in second to Stacy Puryear in sixth with Stallings, Borst and Looney in-between.
Matt Waltz had a top five finish last Saturday at Langley Speedway in the zMAX CARS Tour event. He will be making the trip to Halifax County to compete in this weekend's event in a possible tune up for the first leg of the Virginia Triple Crown on June 29th. Also expected to race is former Valley Star 300 Top ten finisher Justin Hicks, Ryan Wilson and Jamie York along with most of the familar faces that have graced the front of the field this season.
Budweiser Limited Sportsman
Jason Myers (Not the modified stand out) won the 2023 championship and most expected him to do the same in 2024. Myers started off the season with a bang by winning the season's longest (75 laps) and richest Budweiser Limited Sportsman event. He would bag a total of $2,000 that included the $1,500 prize posted for the winner and a $500 award from Sellers Racing for winning the pole for the event.
Eric Winslow who is back full time this year swept the twin races back on April 20th reminding everyone that this division may run through him this season.
Neither Winslow or Myers would win the last time out back on May 11th. Nathan Crews and Drew Dawson split the two events the last time out on May 11th.
Cory Dunn who has run at Pulaski County Motorsports Park before that track was temporarily shut down, has made a name for himself on the track. He is third in points and has not finished any worse than seventh.
Southside Disposal Pure Stocks
Johnny Layne won the 2023 championship in the Pure Stock Division and started 2024 just as he left off with last season by winning the first two poles and the first races. Zach Reaves was able to break through during the last event by being the second different winner in three events. The win by Reaves and a third place by Layne inched Reaves closer to the points lead as he trails Layne by only four points with B.J. Reaves only three points behind Zach in third.
Hornets to make history.
The VSP Heat Hornets Division will make history on Saturday as they will run twin 15 lap features for the first time ever. This will give the competitors an extra chance at a victory which has only featured two drivers this season. Cameron Goble has led 50 out of a possible 65 laps this season and has captured three wins this season. The only blemish on his record this season occurred on Vinny's Italian Restaurant and Delight Night back on April 20th. During post-race tech inspection, officials determined the rear steer of the car to be out of compliance. The track rules state that all components must remain stock unless otherwise listed. Goble's win that night was taken away and he was awarded no points in what otherwise would've been a 4 for 4 sweep in the division. Jason DeCarlo was awarded the win that night. Goble was determined to put that behind him and did just that by going back to victory lane during the last event on May 11th.
DeCarlo heads into this week's event as the points leader. He has displayed a model of consistency by being the only Hornet to place in the top five in the final finishing order for each of the four events in 2024 by finishing no worse than fourth all season.
Oak River Realty Race Night Schedule
2:00 PM Registration/Pit Gate/Tire Building/Tech Opens
3:10 PM Track Services Meeting (Turn 2)
3:25 PM Practice Begins
3:25-3:35 PM Southside Disposal Pure Stock Practice 1
3:35-3:50 PM Budweiser Limited Sportsman Practice 1
3:50-4:05 PM Sentara Health Late Model Stock Car Practice 1
4:05-4:15 PM VSP HEAT Hornets Practice 1
4:15-4:25 PM Southside Disposal Pure Stock Practice 2
4:25-4:40 PM Budweiser Limited Sportsman Practice 2
4:40-4:55 PM Sentara Health Late Model Stock Car Practice 2
4:55-5:00 PM VSP HEAT Hornets Practice 2/Qualifying (Group 1)
5:00-5:05 PM VSP HEAT Hornets Practice 2/Qualifying (Group 2)
3:30 PM Front Grandstand Gates Open
5:15 PM Drivers’ Meeting (Tech Building)
5:30 PM Backstretch & Turn 4 Gates Open
6:00 PM Qualifying (Group)
Southside Disposal Pure Stock
Budweiser Limited Sportsman
Sentara Health Late Model Stock Car
6:45 PM Pre-Race Ceremonies
7:00 PM Racing Begins
VSP HEAT Hornets – Race 1 (15 Laps)
Sentara Health Late Model Stock Car – Race 1 (75 Laps)
Southside Disposal Pure Stock – (25 laps)
Budweiser Limited Sportsman – (50 laps)
VSP HEAT Hornets – Race 2 (15 laps)
Sentara Health Late Model Stock Car – Race 2 (75 Laps)