SOUTH BOSTON, VA :: On a hot afternoon at South Boston Speedway, give it up to a passing thunderstorm that literally developed over the speedway. What many thought would pass on through, the storm dumped heavy rains that forced the hand of General Manager Cathy Rice to cancel qualifying for all divisions on the schedule. Extensive efforts by track personnel to dry the track took place and soon after the lights came on, the stage was set for Late Model race action and a $500 bounty on the head of track series points leader Lee Pulliam. With a green race track, could it put a wrinkle in how Pulliam’s hot rod would perform?
The race’s starting grid was determined by the series points standings, with a full field of Late Models, Lee Pulliam was on pole. On tap for the night was 150 laps of Late Model racing, which translates to plenty of time for Pulliam to use up his stuff and plenty of time for the others to run him down. No doubt that Lee Pulliam has been stellar at South Boston Speedway, but with a posted 500 bonus at stake, could it be the motivation piece missing for the series regulars like Bobby McCarty, Dustin Storm, Peyton Sellers, Ronald Hill, Bruce Anderson, Josh Oakley and Austin Thaxton?
Pulliam would lead a field of 21 Late Models to the green flag. It wasn’t long as going into turn one, Pulliam had secured the lead. It also wasn’t long before the race’s first caution either as Bob Davis, Chuck Lawson and Quin Houff were all involved with Houff getting the worst of it. Action resumed right after and on this restart, Bobby McCarty, like a shot from a canon, took off leaving Pulliam to deal with the others. Once everyone sorted themselves out single file, McCarty was well in the lead, Lee Pulliam, Bruce Anderson, Peyton Sellers and Austin Thaxton were the races five best at this point.
Several laps went by with nothing much going on other the lead McCarty had accumulated over Pulliam. Seven car lengths was the distance between the leaders with McCarty showing a tick faster each lap. Just as impressive was the leader’s huge lead from third place on back. Question here is, was McCarty’s race pace just too fast for Pulliam’s liking or was McCarty really that good early on here in the race? Halfway point in the race saw little change up front, McCarty convincingly in command with a lead of near a half a straight away on Pulliam, Anderson, Sellers and now Josh Oakley made up the races best at the halfway point.
For the next segment of the race and caution free saw Lee Pulliam reeling in McCarty lap by lap. As the century mark clicked on the board, Pulliam was a matter of car lengths behind the race leader and closing. Series regular Josh Oakley who was having a decent night suddenly goes behind the wall after reaching as high in the grid as fourth. After replacing a flat right front, Oakley returned to competition but back up front, Lee Pulliam has now caught McCarty. With just a 3 car length advantage, the leaders encounter heavy lap traffic and Pulliam is just as good as McCarty getting through.
Approaching the latter part of this race, by lap 120 it’s as if McCarty had said to himself, “that’s close enough Lee Pulliam”. The race leader took off, sporting a six car length advantage and suddenly the many race fans realized, McCarty in this #6 car is for real. But then the second caution flag of the race fell and so did McCarty’s lead. Dustin Storm, who had a solid run going, saw what appeared to be something breaking on the front of his ride sending his hot rod into the turn two wall. Storm would be ok from the incident but for Lee Pulliam, fortunes in his favor as he now had a chance to cool off his F-45’s and make once last attempt at McCarty.
With McCarty electing the outside this time and Pulliam going low, it was go time and the price of that 10 dollar ticket was worth every penny of what happen next. Green flag waved and the leaders went into turn one. Pulliam and McCarty made contact sending the leader up the hill a bit. Pulliam got the advantage out of turn two but back came McCarty to retake the point. The next lap, Pulliam was back underneath and with him came Bruce Anderson. Pulliam would then slip and Anderson took the lead with Peyton Sellers and Austin Thaxton in the mix. Then, Pulliam regrouped getting back underneath of Anderson securing the point bringing Sellers with him.
In the closing laps, Lee Pulliam is finally in the lead and in control. Peyton Sellers, the crafty veteran he is let it all fall in his lap posting up second, Bruce Anderson survived the battle in third. Austin Thaxton made a race winning move in the battle but had to settle for fourth and all alone was Bobby McCarty, who led all those many laps, riding fifth. That’s how they would finish as Lee Pulliam crossed the stripe first collecting his 11th victory at South Boston Speedway in 2013. On back was Ronald Hill, along with Thomas Scott in sixth and seventh in the grid. Lee Pulliam and the $500 bounty is safe and sound for this week.
The green racetrack, courtesy of a late afternoon thunderstorm, may have upset Pulliam’s rocket, but he was still every bit as stout as he always is at South Boston Speedway. Peyton Sellers turned things around by getting the best possible finish from his car by some really crafty decision making. Bruce Anderson was solid all night, running laps as fast as Pulliam. Austin Thaxton, who was also solid, made some bold moves of his own at the races final restart. But for Bobby McCarty, after leading all those many laps, fifth place and feeling he been done wrong. It may have just created the next South Boston Speedway superstar.
