Matt Bowling kicked off the 2016 season exactly like he ended the 2015 season winning a pair of twin races at South Boston Speedway’s Danville Toyota Twin 100’s.

However the story of the day was the number of entries that showed up to South Boston Speedway. 31 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Late Model Stock Cars entered the twin 100-lap races. A great field of cars who all came to South Boston to be a part of the excitement of the changes that took place in the off-season including a new two-tire rule as well as passing points to settle the championship.

Austin Thaxton posted the quickest time of the day with three-time NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Late Model Stock Car champion Lee Pulliam flanking the outside of the front row. Sellers Racing entries Bowling, Peyton Sellers and Philip Morris made up the top five starters. Thaxton held the lead until lap 18 when Pulliam took over the top spot but Thaxton quickly regained the lead and began to pull away until lap 24 when Morris and Sellers got together with Morris spinning out.

Pulliam would take the lead on the ensuing restart and held it until lap 34 when Thaxton took the top spot back. A lap 40 restart saw Pulliam get a great jump on the outside to take the lead with CE Falk now jumping up on the outside to take second from Thaxton. Bowling and Bobby McCarty, who started tenth, now completed the top five runners.

A debris caution on lap 52 would enable Falk to take the lead on the restart. Justin Johnson and Kyle Barnes made contact on lap 68 to bring out the caution once again. Falk would take the outside line as it appears the outside line was the best place to restart as Pulliam takes the inside. Falk would retain the lead on the restart and remained there as the caution waved again on lap 78 when rookie Brandon Pierce and Nathan Crews got together.

Pulliam takes the lead on the next restart despite Falk taking the high line but it was short-lived as Falk moves Pulliam up and around as they were racing for the lead. Pulliam and Falk had to hit pit road and would finish two laps down as Bowling took the lead and held off a crazy three wide battle for the lead. Bowling would take the win in race one over McCarty, Thaxton, Danny Willis Jr. and Sellers, who remained on the track despite heavy damage from the contact with Morris earlier in the race.
Josh Oakley, Mark Wertz, Justin Carroll, Morris and Holdren would complete the top ten finishers. Following the race Pulliam had a heated discussion with Falk but it ended there. Pulliam would finish 20th and Falk in 19th following their late race exchange while leading.

Six cars would be inverted for race number two putting Oakley on the point with Sellers flanking his outside. The green flag waved but by turn three the caution was waving once again as Thaxton and Willis made contact. A lap would be recorded and Oakley would show the way on the restart and remained in the lead to lap 28 as Morris and Charles Barnes would make contact to bring out another caution.

Thaxton would take the top spot on the restart with Oakley in tow. Lap 37 would see another caution wave over the field as Blake Stallings, Wertz, McCarty and Trey Crews are all involved. Upfront Thaxton leads Bowling, Oakley, Justin Carroll and now Pulliam has raced to fifth. Thaxton would remain in the lead until lap 92 when Bowling used lapped traffic to take the lead. Pulliam took over second from Thaxton as he slipped to third.

Pulliam would make a hard charge for the lead but to no avail as Bowling would take his second win of the day. Pulliam finished second after starting 20th with Thaxton finishing third after leading many laps. Oakley would finish fourth ahead of Sellers, Carroll, Holdren, Wertz and Brenden Queen.

RACE22.com will have more on the races today including a Photo Gallery, Video Interviews and analysis from today’s Late Model Stock Car races.

Race #1
1 – Matt Bowling #83
2 – Bobby McCarty #6
3 – Austin Thaxton #12
4 – Danny Willis, Jr. #23
5 – Peyton Sellers #26
6 – Josh Oakley #8
7 – Mark Wertz #55
8 – Justin Carroll #91
9 – Philip Morris #01
10 – Dennis Holdren #12
11 – Blake Stallings #77
12 – Trey Crews #9
13 – Justin Ellington #14
14 – Eric Winslow #22
15 – Charles Barnes #64
16 – Jason Barnes #28
17 – Wayne Groome #00
18 – Maddy Ryan Mulligan #10
19 – CE Falk #40
20 – Lee Pulliam #5
21 – Brandon Pierce #2
22 – Nathan Crews #3
23 – Terry Carroll #90
24 – Kyle Barnes #15
25 – Justin Johnson #44
26 – Raymond Pittman III #50
27 – Brian Pembelton #00
28 – Brenden Queen #03
29 – Thomas Scott #8
30 – Alex Brock #9
31 – Chris Denny #8
DNS – Chuck Lawson #42

Race #2
1 – Matt Bowling #83
2 – Lee Pulliam #5
3 – Austin Thaxton #12
4 – Josh Oakley #8
5 – Peyton Sellers #26
6 – Justin Carroll #91
7 – Justin Johnson #44
8 – Dennis Holdren #2
9 – Mark Wertz #55
10 – Brenden Queen #03
11 – Eric Winslow #22
12 – Nathan Crews #3
13 – Justin Ellington #14
14 – Raymond Pittman #50
15 – Brian Pembelton #00
16 – Bobby McCarty #6
17 – Jason Barnes #28
18 – Brandon Pierce #2
19 – Maddy Ryan Mulligan #10
20 – Charles Barnes #64
21 – Alex Brock #9
22 – Trey Crews #9
23 – Blake Stallings #77
24 – Philip Morris #01
25 – CE Falk #40
26 – Thomas Scott #8
27 – Danny Willis, Jr. #23
28 – Terry Carroll #90