When the checkered flag drops on the “I Dig Pigs 100” portion of next Sunday’s Jerry Moody Memorial at Southern National Motorsports Park in Lucama, North Carolina, the winner of the event will pocket $2,500 for their triumph.
The “I Dig Pigs 100” will be the 100 lap Late Model feature that headlines Jerry Moody Memorial, a race honoring legendary car owner and Southern National Motorsports Park icon Jerry Moody. “I Dig Pigs” was a logo synonymous with Moody, who was a pig farmer along with being a car owner, and with Late Model racing all over the region in general.
Moody owned cars driven by current NASCAR Sprint Cup Series crew-chief Matt McCall, who plans to compete in the headline race, and former track champions Jamey Caudill and Scott Riggs. He was also the father of 2014 Limited Late Model champion Haley Moody, who will also compete in the race.
“This is going to be a big event,” Southern National Motorsports Park track promoter Langley Austin said. “My phone has been ringing a lot with drivers from all over the region wanting to come and race with us for this event. Many want to honor Jerry Moody and others are wanting to win one of the biggest spring races in the region.”
Along with a $2,500 payday, the winner off the 100 lap marquee feature will also take home a unique, one-of-a-kind trophy which will be unveiled next week.
“We want to make this a marquee event,” Austin stated. I want Late Model racers all over to want to win this race. The winner’s share of the purse will help make it a top-shelf event but the trophy will be one that everyone will want to win.
Jerry Moody was an icon in Late Model racing known most for being Matt McCall’s car owner when McCall won the 2009 United Auto Racing Association (UARA) touring series championship. Moody, born on April 18, 1942, was 71-years-old when he passed away on November 24, 2013 after a battle with cancer. In an almost storybook final chapter to his life, his passing came two days after watching his daughter Haley, then 18, score her first Limited Late Model win in a memorable and emotional exhibition at Myrtle Beach Speedway in South Carolina.
Langley Austin, now the promoter of Southern National Motorsports Park, was a reporter and photographer for the UARA series, when Moody owned cars competing in the tour, for many years.
“Winning a race in honor of Jerry Moody will mean a lot to competitors,” Austin remarked. “He was a great man and a huge part of racing at Southern National and throughout the region. I think you will see a lot of racers here to pay tribute to his life.”
The Jerry Moody Memorial will be held on Sunday, April 26th at Southern National Motorsports Park with the green flag flying at 3pm. More information about the Jerry Moody Memorial will be announced over the coming days.
