If you’ve been following along in the recent weeks, no doubt about the hot start we have going on in the 2016 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Late Model Stock Car race season. Already there’s controversy coming out of the tech sheds. Already there are grumblings of rough driving and many of our local short tracks haven’t even begun their race season yet.
So far, what’s not being talked much about is how were seeing some of the most fierce racing in some time. Obviously if you were at South Boston Speedway last weekend, this race date alone is worthy of a three page article in itself. Many of our dear race fans were found standing up when typically you would see the masses sitting down waiting for the next big thing to happen in the race. Plenty of race cautions set up some of the best and most intense restarts forcing the leaders to pull out every trick in the book to get the separation needed to secure the lead.
Also happening in the NWAAS Late Model series is the continuing surge of young race talent where fourteen year old rookie Ryan Millington grabbed Hickory Motor Speedways season opener. At a track where JR Motorsports protégé Josh Berry dominates, one of the great things about the intent of Late Model Stock Car racing is discovering new talent in the entry levels stock car racing. Ryan Millington wants in and has already proved to be a viable contender in the series adding to the list of names of having early success such as the likes of Todd Gililand, Tyler Ankrum and Brayton Haws.
Lets not forget already what fifteen year old Chase Purdy has going on out there at Greensville Pickens already this year scoring three wins in 2016 including both of the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Late Model Stock Car events held this season. Though being in that fourteen to fifteen year old age group and trying to establish themselves don’t overlook many of these kids as most are coming well coached, well-funded and ready to win.
Making news in surprising fashion but none so hot by any means is the slow start our three-time NASCAR Whelen All-American Series National Champion Lee Pulliam has had. After disappointing beginnings at Myrtle Beach Speedway and Caraway Speedway, some believe for Pulliam that it’s already time to hit the panic button. But, after last weeks South Boston Speedway season opener where he was caught up in a late race spin battling for the lead. Pulliam rebounded nicely salvaging respectable finishes and establishing himself once again as a threat to win.
Talk about hot, Tommy Lemons, Jr. is making his presence known early in the NWAAS Late Model race season to everyone. Well, unless you sought the opinion of Late Model Stock Car standout Myatt Snider who might have different point of view after his late race incident with Lemons at Caraway. Lemons has already picked up wins at Myrtle Beach and Caraway. I think once you stop and consider Lemons success in 2015 and as a two-time winner at Martinsville, a conversation about a serious NWAAS National title run is not out of the question for this race team.
Also hot in the news in recent weeks and even since last year has been the tech shed out at Greenville Pickens Speedway. Track officials are once again sending the message that the games and trickery will not be tolerated. Whether a hardline in officiating is the way to go in creating the best product out there on the race track or not, it certainly puts everyone out there racing on notice that this is who we are and that we are going to have a strict tech shed at Greenville Pickens. It wouldn’t be surprised either if other tracks start to take the hard-line at their respected tech sheds as well. With tracks constantly making amendments to NASCAR’s governing body of rules, it only makes sense to enforce the rules and for race teams who travel each week to make sure they know them.
This is just some of the beginning storylines that’s going down already proving just how hot it is in the Mid Atlantic NWAAS Late Model Stock Car region. With so much excitement coming from Anderson Speedway, Kingsport Speedway, Motormile just to name a few. The likes of East Carolina Speedway, Southern National, Lonesome Pine and forgive me if I failed to mention your home track but I can’t express enough why you should make the trip to your local short track for the very best in short track racing.
I also can’t express that if you cant be there then to check out your friends here at RACE22.com for the absolute best in comprehensive coverage of the entire Late Model Stock Car racing scene. All season long we look forward to providing the weeks racing recaps, thrilling post race video interviews and exciting photography you have always come to find right here at RACE22.com.
Talk about hot, our friends and fans are what’s hot. Thank you for trusting me and the rest of the RACE22.com Crew and we hope to see you at a local short track soon.
