Matt Bowling of Ridgeway, Virginia survived a tough battle with William Byron and two-time NASCAR Whelen All American Series National Champion Lee Pulliam over two late-race restarts to win Saturday’s Southern Virginia Higher Education Center NASCAR Late Model 150 at South Boston Speedway.
The win was Bowling’s first of the season, and it came in South Boston Speedway’s final event prior to the April 23 Denny Hamlin Short Track Showdown celebrity charity NASCAR Late Model Stock Car Division race which will pit NASCAR stars against the best-of-the best Late Model drivers in the country.
Bowling was on the outside of the front row on both of the double-file restarts, took the lead on both, and, on the final one, which created a green-white-checker finish, was able to clear his challengers just before Byron made a tough move to the inside to muscle his way past Pulliam to grab second place.
Bowling, who led twice in the race for a total of 61 laps, sped under the checkered flag .396-second ahead of Byron, with Juan Garcia of Bogata, Columbia edging Pulliam for third place. Josh Berry finished fifth.
Quin Houff of Weyers Cave, Virginia, Myatt Snider of Charlotte, North Carolina, Bruce Anderson of South Boston, Virginia, Eddie Johnson of Midlothian, Virginia and Austin Thaxton of South Boston, Virginia rounded out the top 10 finishers.
Bowling averaged 67.748 mph in the race that was slowed by four cautions that consumed 23 laps.
Throckmorton Scores Win In Limited Sportsman Division
Joey Throckmorton of South Boston, Virginia started on the pole and led flag-to-flag in winning the 50-lap Limited Sportsman Division race.
The win in the caution free race was the first of the season for Throckmorton, who finished 1.265 seconds ahead of runner-up Mack Little III, who was making his first start at the track in several years.
Trey Crews of Halifax, Virginia finished third with defending division champion, Danny Willis Jr. of Cluster Springs, Virginia, and Calvin Meadows of Martinsville, Virginia rounding out the top five finishers.
Throckmorton averaged 85.547 mph in winning the race that took 14 minutes and one second to complete.
Next Race at South Boston Speedway
The country’s biggest star-studded celebrity charity NASCAR Late Model Stock Car Division race of the season – the Denny Hamlin Short Track Showdown – comes to South Boston Speedway on Thursday night, April 23.
An all-star contingent of drivers that will include NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stars Denny Hamlin, David Ragan, Jeb Burton and Hermie Sadler, along with 2014 NASCAR XFINITY Series Champion Chase Elliott, NASCAR XFINITY Series competitor and former NASCAR Whelen All American Series National Champion Peyton Sellers and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series standout Timothy Peters will face off against the best-of-the-best in the NASCAR Whelen All American Series Late Model Stock Car Division ranks in a 200-lap feature race that will pay $10,000 to win.
Fans will be treated to a special fireworks show sponsored by Danville Toyota following the 200-lap feature race. There will also be a military flyover performed by U.S. Marine airmen from the Little River, North Carolina Air Force Base.
A prelude to the weekend’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series races at Richmond International Raceway, the Denny Hamlin Short Track Showdown features an all-star field of drivers racing for pride and to raise awareness and funding for the Denny Hamlin Foundation, which supports Cystic Fibrosis research and new therapies in the region.
Grandstand gates will open and ticket sales will start at 10 a.m. The first of the day’s three practice sessions will start at 11 a.m. Qualifying is set for5:20 p.m., with heat races set for 6 p.m. Pre-race activities are slated for 7:15 p.m., and the 200-lap feature race is scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. start.
Adult General Admission tickets on race day are priced at $25 each. Kids ages 6 and under will be admitted free with an adult ticket purchase. South Boston Speedway 2015 Season Passes will not be honored for this special charity event.
For additional information about the April 23 Denny Hamlin Short Track Showdown or any other events at South Boston Speedway, please visit the speedway’s website at www.southbostonspeedway.com or telephone the speedway at 434-572-4947 or 1-877-440-1540.
