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)
Kyle Dudley: Winning the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 would be massive for us. It would prove (to the world) what I already know.
By Julian Austin
6/28/24
Kyle Dudley of Roanoke VA poses with the trophy in Phillip Morris Victory Lane at South Boston Speedway on April 20th, 2024.
Second generation racer Kyle Dudley has been racing for 17 years as of 2024. The Roanoke Virginia native has won races at some of the toughest bull rings in North Carolina such as Orange County, Ace and Caraway while taking home wins at Motor Mile Speedway (Pulaski County Motorsports Park), Franklin County Speedway and at Lonesome Pine Motorsports Park in the commonwealth of Virginia. He's a five time track champion at Franklin County Speedway and in 2022, he won the Late Model Stock track championship in which he had to defeat one of the best to ever do it in Mike Looney.
Kyle's team is known as Dream Team racing and perhaps that is an appropriate name for this team. This team admittingly is not clean cut like some of the bigger teams that show up at the same places Kyle has been known to run well at in the past. His crew consists of good ole boys who aren't afraid to get down and dirty at the track and throw back a few cold ones.
"We may not be as clean cut and professional as some of them (some of the bigger teams that run the Virginia Triple Crown) but we can beat them on the track" stated Kyle in a direct message on Facebook.
Kyle has shown that him and his team can run with the big boys. He won the pole in his very first zMAX CARS Tour race at Motor Mile Speedway in 2021 and nearly won a tour race in 2022 at Franklin County Speedway by coming home in second place. He backed that months later at Motor Mile by running up front most of the night before succumbing to motor problems and ended the season sixth at Caraway.
He has two top ten finishes in the Valley Star Credit Union 300 at Martinsville in the past and he comes to South Boston this weekend with a top ten in this race back in 2022.
Kyle won the biggest race of his entire career back in April during a NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Racing Series event at South Boston. It was his first win at this historic track but he achieved something that no one else will ever match. He became the 100th driver to win a Sentara Late Model Stock event at the track since they started running the division in 1983.
A collage of winners celebrating those who have won a Sentara Late Model Stock event at South Boston Speedway since 1983.(Photo from South Boston Speedway.)
With a historic win under his belt, what would a win on Saturday mean to Kyle?
"This race has been such a big crown jewel event for as long I can remember. I remember watching it and seeing Phillip and Lee and those guys battle and it was awesome. Winning it would be absolutely massive for us. It will prove what I already know which is that our program and team can compete with an beat the best teams out there. We've been strong before and I'm ready and hungry and I feel better about it this year than ever before. You better believe the after party is going to be f**ing awesome"
Landon Pemelton driving the 0 machine competing in a recent CARS Tour race at Dominion Raceway.
Pembelton went to South Boston that fall and won the pole for his third CARS Tour race and had the dominant car. It was at this race where him and track champion Layne Riggs would engage in some intense side by side racing before finishing third once again after an incident between him and Riggs.
These two third place finishes would lead him to try the CARS Tour full time in 2023. but after no top ten finishes and a DNQ in the spring race at Hickory, his team decided to scale back starting at Dominion Raceway where he was able to grab another top ten run there in 2023. He would only run one more event the rest of the season.
Landon was able to run one ARCA Menards Series race for Willie Mullins at Bristol. He was able to get another top ten finish there before grabbing a win at South Boston in weekly competition.
2023 was a bit of a struggle and if there was anything Landon learned in 2023 it was patience and humble pie stated Landon in a direct message on X. "No type of racing is easy, no matter what racetrack, what series, what type of car, it's all hard." said Landon in a recent phone conversation. "I've learned to appreciate the successful nights more, which makes me work harder and concentrate on the craft because I enjoy those successful nights a lot more than the ones where I leave disappointed or frustrated."
The 2024 season has seen Landon already pick up multiple wins at Dominion Raceway in weekly NASCAR Competition and was leading the points standings as of last weekend's event. It's been nearly three full years since Landon won at Martinsville. When asked about what a win in the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 would mean, Landon was quick to answer. "This is next on my bucket list to win. I've been going to that race since I was a little kid and always dreamed of being able to win that race. I would say it would propel my career forward and would a huge win for me."
What a Thunder Road Harley Davidson 200 win would mean: Brandon Pierce
By Julian Austin
June 27th, 2024
The Masters, US Open, PGA Championship & the Open Championship make up professional golf's four majors. Tennis has Wimbleton and the Australian, French and US Open as their majors. Even the WWE has the Royal Rumble, Wrestlemania, Summer Slam and Survivor Series Premium Live Events are known as the big four. Late Model Racing in the state of Virginia has the Virginia Triple Crown.
This Saturday, the 2024 Virginia Triple Crown gets under way with the 18th running of the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 at South Boston Speedway. Traditionally, this is the first leg of the Virginia Triple Crown. The Hampton Heat at Langley Speedway in Hampton and the traditional Valley Star 300 at Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville complete the triple crown. During the trifecta of races each season, the driver with the best average finish in the three races receives $7,000. The driver with the second best average finish gets $2,000 and the third place average finisher pockets a thousand.
The Virginia Triple Crown has been run every summer and fall since 2012. Only in 2016 when Langley Speedway was temporarily closed and the Covid-19 Pandemic of 2020 did the Virginia Triple Crown not take place.
In the previous 17 runnings, only nine drivers have won the opening race of the crown at South Boston Speedway. Lee Pulliam has not only six of those wins but they all came in a row. This feat may never ever be touched again. So much has to go right for this to take place once much less six in a row. Pulliam also has an additional win with current NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series perennial winner Corey Heim back in 2022.
Other winners include Drew Herring, Adam Barker, Nick Smith, Phillip Morris with Deac McCaskill who is making his return to the crown and the driver who won the event in 21' and 23', Bobby McCarty.
The hardware and the check that goes to this year's Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 winner. (Photo courtesy of South Boston Speedway)
Who will add their name to this list? With nearly 30 cars entered of a who's who in Late Model Racing, we asked some drivers who will be in the field on Saturday what it would mean to the perspective careers to grab a win in the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 at South Boston.
For Brandon Pierce, it's the biggest race of his season
Brandon Pierce pilots his number 2 Crossroads Harley Davidson Chevrolet during opening weekend of the 2024 zMAX CARS Tour at Southern National Motorsports Park in Lucama North Carolina
2024 has been a season of change for Brandon Pierce. Coming off of a five year partnership with Lee Pulliam Performance, Pierce joined the Carroll Speed Shop Organization for the 2024 zMAX CARS Tour season and the Virginia Triple Crown among other events at the end of the 2023 racing season. The season was looked at as a fresh start for the Late Model Stock veteran. The season has a lot of ups and downs so far with mostly downs but that is not going to stop Pierce and his new team from working to get the ship righted in the right direction.
Just what would a win in the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 mean to Brandon?
"A win for me in my career right now would be huge." said Brandon. "I've been in a slump and we have been working really hard to get better. A win in this race could definitely give us the momentum to turn our season around."
Brandon has tasted a win before at South Boston and is definitely not a stranger to this place. The pride of Oak Ridge North Carolina won his first career Late Model Stock Car Division race at South Boston Speedway in May of 2018 after competing full time at the track in 2016 and 2017. In 2018 he had his best finish in this event with a fourth place run and in 2019 he bagged a sixth place.
Brandon Pierce is all smiles before he gets into the car before a zMAX CARS Tour race at Langley Speedway in June of 2024.
"This race for me is the biggest one of the year for me." explained Pierce. "I was coming to this race as a kid when Thunder Road was sponsoring this race years before I started racing. We have a lot of family and staff members that come to this race and it's always great to see them. I take a lot of pride in this race and always want to have a good run and obviously the end goal is to win it"
Brandon's father Vann Pierce co-owns Thunder Road Harley-Davidson which serves as the namesake for this event. That may bring added pressure to most drivers but Brandon doesn't see it that way.
"As far as carrying the sponsor on the side, I'm just super blessed to be able to do it. It doesn't add any pressure on me but it definitely makes me work harder and try to be as accurate as I can be with the changes I want made on the car to give us the best chance possible at putting ourselves in position to win."
Brandon placed ninth in this event last season but it always comes down to what every driver in the field wants to do and that is pick up the $10,000 check and trophy.
"A win for me in this race would be a huge accomplishment." said Brandon. "It's been a goal of mine since I've started racing and I've come close a couple of times. To win this race would be a bucket list accomplishment for my career. It is a great deal of pride to carry Thunder Road Harley Davidson on the side of this Carroll Speedshop #2 Camaro and we hope to park it in victory lane Saturday night.
Recently, I spoke with three hungry Virginia natives and one of Toyota's biggest prospects and they shared their thoughts on what a Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 would mean to them. Stay tuned!
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)