The lights will go on at South Boston Speedway Saturday night for the first time this season with a strong field of Late Model cars expected.
The Twin 100s will roll off at 7 p.m. Saturday with a strong field of cars anticipated to take the green flag.
Drivers expected for the Late Model field include defending track champion and former NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national champion Peyton Sellers, former track champion and four-time NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national champion Philip Morris, Danny Willis Jr., Brandon Pierce, Bobby McCarty, Mike Jones, Austin Thaxton, Bruce Anderson, Eric Winslow, Quincy Adkins, Charles Barnes, Thomas Scott, Blake Stallings, Mark Kesee Jr. and Jason Barnes, among others. Entries are not finalized until teams sign in Saturday afternoon.
Pierce is coming off one of his best runs ever, finishing second in the CARS Tour event at Orange County Speedway last Saturday night after winning the pole with a new track record. The young driver believes his team is loaded with positive energy headed to South Boston this week.
“We’re absolutely bringing a lot of momentum into the race and really look forward to getting to the track,” said Pierce, who finished fifth in South Boston Speedway’s championship points last year. “It’s really a confidence booster when you run so well like we did over the weekend and then you know your next race is at a track that you are familiar with and have laps on. We’re looking forward to it.”
Pierce’s Nelson Motorsports teammate McCarty finished one spot behind him over the weekend in third, and also believes he brings momentum into Saturday’s South Boston race. He finished second in the South Boston points race last year.
“I feel we have been strong all year long and any time we go to South Boston Speedway, there’s always more excitement and motivation because we consider it our home track,” said McCarty.
Thaxton, who made his CARS Tour Late Model debut last week, is just as excited as Pierce and McCarty about coming back home to South Boston this week, but he may have a longer week than them.
“I’m ready to get back over there to South Boston,” said Thaxton, who won on his home track last year. “It’s going to be a long week, though. I had a run in with the wall last week.”
The Martinsville Speedway offer will remain in place for the Twin 100s. Anyone presenting a ticket stub from either the Alpha Energy Solutions 250 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race or the STP 500 NASCAR Monster Energy Series race earlier this spring at Martinsville Speedway will be admitted free.
Saturday’s season-opener will feature twin 100-lap Late Model Stock races, twin 25-lap Limited Sportsman Division races, a 30-lap Budweiser Pure Stock race, a 15-lap Budweiser Hornets race and a 30-lap Mod 4 Division race.
Gates open at 5:30, qualifying is at 6 at the first race rolls off at 7 Saturday night. Tickets are just $10 for adults, and new for 2018, children 12-and-under will be admitted free with a paying adult.
