For someone so young, Matt Bowling has a unique ability to keep things in perspective. For example, the announcement last week that he was leading the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national points race.
“It was pretty neat to see,” the 22-year-old Bowling said. “But it’s way too early to be studying on it too hard. We’ll just have to race as hard as we can and everywhere we can and see how it goes.”
Even though it is very early in the season, so far it’s gone very well for South Boston Speedway drivers in the national standings. Four South Boston drivers are in the top 10 nationally, and a fifth is one spot out in 11th.
Bowling, with four South Boston wins, tops the standings with a 19-point lead over Chase Purdy, who races at Greenville-Pickens Speedway in South Carolina. Two-time South Boston winner Austin Thaxton is fifth, Lee Pulliam seventh, Mark Wertz 10th and Peyton Sellers is 11th.
“You can’t get wrapped up in too early. You really aren’t going to know where you stand until everyone gets to 18 races. Mid-July is the time to see where you are,” said Bowling.
The key to the national title is to win at home and on the road because NASCAR uses a driver’s top 18 finishes to determine final points. Bowling can check off the first part of that equation. And he’ll be hitting the road every chance he gets when South Boston doesn’t have an event scheduled. He plans on racing twice this weekend at other tracks in the region.
High car counts are the key behind South Boston drivers doing so well in the national points so far this season. Part of the points equation is centered around a full field of cars. A driver who wins receives maximum points if there are 18 or more cars in the field. South Boston is averaging over 25 cars per race.
Sellers is a former national champion and understands exactly how the system works. He credits the track for helping drivers score so well in the national points.
“It all goes back to the track making the right call to make racing more affordable for the racers,” said Sellers, who won the 2005 NWAAS title. “Now you have smaller teams competing for wins like (Danny) Willis and (Bobby) McCarty. The veterans are showing up for the car count and the money as well. It’s a win-win for the fans and the teams.”
Bowling said the large field of cars at South Boston makes life easier for him.
“We getting a full field at South Boston every time and that really helps with the national deal. I’m glad my home track gets a full field and we don’t have to worry about the car count. But it’s really hard to win at South Boston. There are so many good teams,” said Bowling. “But it’s still a long way to go. I think it’s going to take at least 10 full-field wins. We’ll try to win everyone we can. That’s the mentality we have to keep.”
