Austin Thaxton of South Boston scored his first win of the season Saturday night, slipping past Mike Jones on lap 46 following a restart and fending off a late bid from Trey Crews to win the Halifax Insurance Presents Whelen NASCAR Late Model 100 at South Boston Speedway.

The win, Thaxton’s 10th career NASCAR Whelen All American Series Late Model Stock Car Division victory at South Boston Speedway, came by a margin of 1.429-second. With the victory, Thaxton became the fifth different winner in the NASCAR Whelen All American Series Late Model Stock Car Division at South Boston Speedway this season.

Crews, of Halifax, Virginia, finished second with Thomas Scott of Efland, North Carolina, Chad McCumbee and Stuart Crews of Long Island, Virginia rounding out the top five finishers.

There were five lead changes among four different drivers in the 100-lap race that was punctuated by eight caution periods and some intense three-wide racing among the race leaders twice during the first half of the race.

Thaxton saw a relatively comfortable lead over Crews evaporate with the race’s final caution flag with 12 laps left. The South Boston, Virginia native chose to restart the race on the outside of the front row, got a good start, and quickly pulled away from Crews to seal the win.

Former NASCAR national champions Lee Pulliam of Alton, Virginia and Peyton Sellers of Danville, Virginia was in the hunt early, but incidents in the race took them out of contention for the win. Sellers hung on to finish seventh. Pulliam finished last in the 16-car field.

Jacob Borst of Elon, North Carolina and Daniel Moss of Danville, Virginia split wins in Saturday night’s twin 25-lap Limited Sportsman Division races. Borst earned his second win of the season with a flag-to-flag win in the opening race. The North Carolinian dominated the action, speeding across the finish line 5.206 seconds ahead of runner-up Danny Willis Jr. of South Boston, Virginia. Moss finished third, with Eric Winslow of Pelham, North Carolina and Drew Dawson of Nathalie, Virginia rounding out the top five finishers.

Moss picked up his fourth win of the season in the nightcap, and like Borst did in the opener, earned the win by going flag-to-flag. Moss pulled away from Winslow in a 10-lap dash to the finish following the last of the race’s three caution periods, winning by almost a full second. Willis, Dawson, and Landon Pembelton of Amelia, Virginia rounded out the top five finishers.

Nathan Crews of Long Island, Virginia continued his winning ways in the Budweiser Pure Stock Division by sweeping the night’s pair of 15-lap races. The two wins by Crews gives him five wins in the eight races that have been run in the division thus far this season.

Crews went flag-to-flag in both races, edging Jordan Pickrel of Keeling, Virginia by 4.973 seconds in the opener, with Halifax, Virginia residents Randy Hupp, Bruce Mayo and Scott Phillips rounding out the top five finishers. In the nightcap, Crews drove to a 2.6-second win over Mayo, with Pickrel, Hupp and Phillips completing the top five finishers.

Steven Layne of Nathalie, Virginia grabbed the lead from Donald Clay on the second lap and drove to victory in the 15-lap Budweiser Hornets Division race. The win was Layne’s third of the season at South Boston Speedway. Justin Dawson of Nathalie, Virginia finished second with Josh Dawson of Halifax, Virginia, Kevin Currin of Chase City, Virginia and Aaron Cash of South Boston, Virginia rounding out the top five finishers.

South Boston Speedway will stage one of its biggest events of the 2019 season on Saturday night, June 29, as America’s Hometown Track hosts its annual Pre-Fourth of July extravaganza, the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson Presented by Grand Atlantic Ocean Resort NASCAR Whelen Late Model 200 racing program.

A 200-lap race for the region’s NASCAR Whelen All American Series Late Model Stock Car Division competitors paying $10,000 to the winner headlines the night’s four-race card.

The night’s schedule also includes a 75-lap Limited Sportsman Division race, a 40-lap race for the Budweiser Pure Stock Division and a 20-lap race for the Budweiser Hornets Division.

At the conclusion of the night’s racing action, fans will be treated to a dazzling and colorful Fourth Of July fireworks show to round out the night.

Advance tickets priced at $15 each will be available at the South Boston Speedway office until 5 p.m. on Friday, June 28. Tickets at the gate on race day will be $20 for adults. Kids ages 12 and under will be admitted free with a paid adult.

For additional information about the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson Presented by Grand Atlantic Ocean Resort NASCAR Whelen Late Model 200 racing program or any other events at South Boston Speedway, please visit the speedway’s website at www.southbostonspeedway.com or telephone the speedway at 434-572-4947 or 1-877-440-1540.

Results:

Late Model Stock Cars
1 – Austin Thaxton
2 – Trey Crews
3 – Thomas Scott
4 – Chad McCumbee
5 – Stuart Crews
6 – Ryan Millington
7 – Peyton Sellers
8 – Mike Jones
9 – Stacy Puryear
10 – Raymond Pittman
11 – Bob Saville
12 – Dusty Ellington
13 – Craig Moore
14 – Daniel Silvestri
15 – Jordan Pickrel
16 – Lee Pulliam

Limited Sportsman Race #1
1 – Jacob Borst
2 – Danny Willis, Jr.
3 – Daniel Moss
4 – Eric Winslow
5 – Drew Dawson
6 – Landon Pembleton
7 – Jason Myers
8 – Brent Younger
9 – Kenny Daniel

Limited Sportsman Race #2
1 – Daniel Moss
2 – Eric Winslow
3 – Danny Willis, Jr.
4 – Drew Dawson
5 – Landon Pembleton
6 – Kenny Daniel
7 – Jason Myers
8 – Brent Younger
9 – Jacob Borst