Southern National Motorsports Park last weekend hosted twin 40’s on its high banked corners with two very hot story lines going into the evenings racing.

One being the track championship which has turned out to be a very contested battle as series points leader Tyler Matthews (15th Nationally) and Ricky Jones battle it out. Should things go wrong for either of the two competitors, Michael Fose (13th Nationally) sits third in points and looking forward to a great weekend. The other storyline is the NWAAS National Points Division One Series battle which has been as hot as the Carolina sun. This weekends racing features seven different drivers all within the top thirty in the series points. Two in particular is the series leader Matt Bowling who has stayed on top through much of the year and giving chase is the three time National champion Lee Pulliam who sits fifth in the series.

Also in the field and in a hot battle of his own in the North Carolina State Championship points race is Brenden Queen (8th Nationally) who comes in as the series points leader. Louis White (12th Nationally) is second to Queen in that series and would compete in this weekends racing as well. Also in the field was Justin Carroll ranked 29th in NWAAS Division One Series and without question, Southern National had many of the best Late Model competitors in the series on this night. With just a month of racing left to decide track, state and national points championships. Winning is all that stands in between those who get to celebrate in Charlotte NC and those who go home to reevaluate the year. But for now, its twin 40’s at Southern National Motorsports Park.

Afternoon qualifying took place in a five lap, five car group, best lap shootout to decide the pole. Matt Bowling laid down the quickest lap at 15.670 seconds or at 91.895 mph to win the race pole. Brenden Queen was sharp in his lap just eighteen thousandths of a second off the pole sitters lap and earned the right to start outside of the front row. Tyler Matthews, Andrew Grady and Jonathan Findley rounded out the five best with Lee Pulliam off just a bit starting eleventh in the grid.

Green flag would wave as twenty one hot rods rushed into turn one and leading the first circuit was Matt Bowling. Matthews battled hard to chase down the leader was second followed by Findley, Grady and Jones but as those positions were being decided, Bowling had established a five car lead. Queen was hung on the outside and would finally get in line showing sixth.

Several laps into the feature and at the halfway, Bowling continued to lead. Matthews would cut into the lead set by Bowling but three lengths was as close as Matthews could get. That was until the race experienced its first caution on lap twenty eight when Jonathan Findley spun in turn two and collected the wall ending his hopes for a win. Gearing up for the restart to the race, Andrew Grady made his appearance known when he took the cone to start to the leaders outside.

Green flag waved and wasn’t long before race officials called for another restart as the games at the front began between Bowling and Grady. Two more restarts took place before the games at the front ended and officials were satisfied with the restart. Bowling would get the race lead again with Grady in tow but lap thirty we were back under caution.

After a long clean up session, the field was back to green flag racing and once again, Bowling was not to be denied the race lead. Andrew Grady could only watch as the leader pulled away him as Matt Bowling motored his way to the checkered flag for the race win. Grady would finish second, Matthews third, Pulliam from the eleven spot finished fourth and Queen finished fifth. In the night cap, huge twist to the race action for the second feature as an eight car invert was added forcing race winner Bowling to start eighth in the grid.

Benefitting from the invert was Tim Allensworth who would start on the pole for the second feature. Green was in the air and taking full advantage of the invert, Allensworth wasted no time in securing the race lead. But soon after, Louis White makes a charge for the lead which would get interrupted by a race caution on lap four of the event.

Lap four restart and Allensworth once again has the point, but this time Chris Chapman wants in on the lead but soon settles single file in second. Now making his charge to the front was Lee Pulliam who would make quick work Grady, then Chapman and by lap fourteen did away with Allensworth for the race lead. From there, Pulliam left the field and accumulated a race lead that no one was going to close in on.

In a great effort from Allensworth and Grady keeping Pulliam within their sights, both needed a caution to have a chance at the race win. But the caution never came for the two as Lee Pulliam would go on to win the second race feature of the evening. Allensworth, Grady, Chapman and White were solid in performance as the five best in the race. Anticipation builds as championships are on the line, next race date at Southern National is on September 10th for the NWAAS Late Models.

Race Results #1
1 #83 Matt Bowling
2 #1 Andrew Grady
3 #63 Tyler Matthews
4 #5 Lee Pulliam
5 #03 Brenden Queen
6 #51 Chris Chapman
7 #7 Louis White
8 #21 Tim Allensworth
9 #91 Justin Carroll
10 #19 Cameron Bowen
11 #24 Kenneth Mercer
12 #24 Mason Diaz
13 #29 Melvin Langley
14 #19 Brandon Hobbs
15 #15 Omar Juardo
16 #77 Paul Williamson
17 #90 Terry Carroll
18 #38 Ricky Jones III
19 #4 Jonathan Findley
20 #54 Michael Fose
21 #44 TJ Barron

Race Results #2
1 #5 Lee Pulliam (winner)
2 #21 Tim Allensworth
3 #1 Andrew Grady
4 #51 Chris Chapman
5 #7 Louis White
6 #91 Justin Carroll
7 #03 Brenden Queen
8 #63 Tyler Matthews
9 #83 Matt Bowling
10 #19 Cameron Bowen
11 #44 TJ Barron
12 #54 Michael Fose
13 #24 Mason Diaz
14 #24 Kenneth Mercer
15 #15 Omar Jurado
16 #90 Terry Carroll
17 #29 Melvin Langley
18 #19 Brandon Hobbs
19 #77 Paul Williamson