Lee Pulliam got a good launch on the final restart with 10 laps to go and pulled away to edge Peyton Sellers in Saturday night’s Italian Delight Family Restaurant Presents “National Night Out” NASCAR Late Model 100.
The Alton, Virginia resident won the pole and led all 100 laps en route to his third win of the season at South Boston Speedway.
Pulliam and Sellers restarted together on the front row for the last restart. While Pulliam got a good launch, Sellers lost third gear, opening the door for Pulliam to pull away over the closing laps and take the win.
Sellers, of Danville, Virginia, finished 1.270-seconds behind Pulliam, with Jeb Burton of Halifax, Virginia finishing third in a team car to Sellers. Daniel Silvestri of Great Falls, Virginia finished fourth and Austin Thaxton of South Boston, Virginia rounded out the top five finishers.
Burton was Pulliam’s primary challenger for most of the race, with Sellers putting himself into contention for the win over the final 25 circuits. The last of the race’s three caution periods came on lap 90 and appeared to set up a thriller of a finish.
The combination of Pulliam’s good launch on the final restart and Sellers losing third gear gave Pulliam the margin he needed to secure the win.
Danny Willis Jr. of South Boston, Virginia sped past pole winner Jacob Borst of Elon, North Carolina to take the lead on lap 24, and held on the rest of the way to win Saturday night’s 50-lap Limited Sportsman Division race.
The win was the fourth of the season for Willis, who moved into a tie with Daniel Moss of Danville, Virginia for the most wins in the division.
J.D. Eversole of North Chesterfield, Virginia followed Willis past Borst on lap 24 to take second place, and stayed there the rest of the way, taking the runner-up spot .859-second behind Willis. Borst finished third with Jason Myers of Hurt, Virginia, and Moss rounding out the top five finishers.
Nathan Crews of Long Island, Virginia and Bruce Mayo of Halifax, Virginia split wins in Saturday night’s twin 15-lap races for the Budweiser Pure Stock Division.
Crews, the pole winner, started at the rear of the field in order to gain passing points, took the lead from Jarrett Milam of Keeling, Virginia with four laps to go, and edged Milam for the win. Mayo finished third with Jordan Pickrel of Keeling, Virginia and Scott Phillips of Halifax, Virginia completing the top five finishers.
Mayo took the lead on the opening lap in the nightcap and edged a fast-closing Crews by .442-seconds to win the second 15-lap race. Pickrel finished third with Justin Dawson of Nathalie, Virginia, and Phillips rounding out the top five finishers.
Crews’ win in the first race was his sixth win of the season. Mayo’s win was his first victory of the season and his first win in three years.
Josh Dawson of Halifax, Virginia started on the front row and scored a flag-to-flag win in Saturday night’s 15-lap Budweiser Hornets Division race.
The win was the second of the season for Dawson.
Andrea Ruotolo Sarnataro of South Boston, Virginia finished second to score his best finish of the season. Jared Dawson of Nathalie, Virginia, Kevin Currin of Chase City, Virginia and Tyler Stanley of South Boston, Virginia completed the top five finishers.
A full night of action is on tap when NASCAR racing returns to South Boston Speedway on Saturday night, August 10, with the 7 p.m. running of the Davenport Energy NASCAR Late Model Twin 75s racing program.
Twin 75-lap races for the NASCAR Whelen All American Series Late Model Stock Car Division competitors will highlight the five-race program. Also included in the night’s action is a 50-lap race for the Limited Sportsman Division, a 30-lap race for the Budweiser Pure Stock Division and a 15-lap race for the Budweiser Hornets Division competitors.
