Danny Willis Jr who is a multi year Limited Late Model Champion at South Boston Speedway made the jump in 2016 to the Late Model division. While SOBO’s two tire rule and its five hundred dollar guaranteed purse was a influence, Willis knew his opportunity at a full race season in the division was now. Sporting one pole award and coming into the nights racing with several top fives already to his credit. Willis along with his race team not only wanted to compete against South Boston Speedways best, but wanted to beat them all.

Rains would limit practice to a single round before the afternoon time trials began. It was Danny Willis Jr in his second pole of the season who turned in the fastest lap clocked in at 15.827 sec or 90.984 mph. Matt Bowling’s lap just forty three thousandths of a second off earned his way to a share of the front row. The efforts of Peyton Sellers, Austin Thaxton and Bobby McCarty would round out the five best with notable efforts from past race winners Josh Oakley (7th) and CE Falk (8th) on the grid.

Before race action began, ninth place qualifier Mark Wertz declared himself eligible to earn bonus series points for starting seventeenth in the grid. Last time out, Wertz’s gamble proved big as every position gained was worth one extra point for each spot, Wertz finished fourth just two weeks ago. He gambled again this week, just how well did he do? Green flag waved and Danny Willis Jr showed an impressive twenty seven car field into turn one and securing the point soon after.

Bobby McCarty was the early man on the move showing third leaving Sellers and Thaxton to decide the four spot on the grid. Wasn’t long before McCarty got around Bowling and soon set his sights on the leader. Lap ten leader change and Bobby McCarty is on point. The race went caution on lap twenty nine when Rev Racing prospect Maddie Crane brought out the yellow flag but soon we were back to the green. McCarty once again has the race lead as this time, CE Falk makes his presence known by making his way into the top five.

Soon after, caution is back on the track and the charge of CE Falk was over as engine failure ended his efforts on the night. Lap fifty seven restart and McCarty would show the way. After starting seventeenth, Mark Wertz made his way into the top five and still moving forward in the effort. While McCarty lead, Willis Jr this time around kept pace with the leader before making a bold move on lap sixty nine and clearing McCarty for the race lead. Two more caution periods would involve in the outcome of this race before the checkers flew.

The last one setting up a four lap sprint with Danny Willis Jr, Bobby McCarty, Austin Thaxton, Matt Bowling and Mark Wertz ready to battle for this race win. Green flag waves as Willis Jr would get a great jump, Thaxton would follow and give chase but couldn’t gain ground on the leader as the checkered flag waved for race winner Danny Willis Jr in his first Late Model victory at South Boston Speedway. Thaxton, McCarty, Wertz and Bowling were the races five best but what a night for Danny Willis Jr as the emotional tears fell in Victory Lane. Race action picks up once again on June 4th for twin 75’s at South Boston Speedway.

Race Results:
1 #23 Danny Willis Jr
2 #12 Austin Thaxton
3 #6 Bobby McCarty
4 #55 Mark Wertz
5 #83 Matt Bowling
6 #8 Josh Oakley
7 #42 Chuck Lawson
8 #26 Peyton Sellers
9 #91 Justin Carroll
10 #2 Brandon Pierce
11 #6A Enrique Baco
12 #3 Nathan Crews
13 #4 John Moore
14 #22 Eric Winslow
15 #14 Dusty Ellington
16 #9 Alex Brock
17 #50 Raymond Pittman III
18 #64 Charles Barnes
19 #28 Jason Barnes
20 #33 Macy Causey
21 #29 Stuart Crews
22 #51 Jason Pittman
23 #2 Maddie Crane
24 #10 Maddy Ryan Mulligan
25 #90 Terry Carroll
26 #0 Justin Snow
27 #40 CE Falk