Austin Thaxton can’t help but think what could have been. He’s not being greedy. He’s being realistic.
After three races at South Boston Speedway this season, his average finish is 2.3. He doesn’t think it’s a stretch to believe it could be 1. He was thinking about that as he drove to victory lane Saturday night after besting a potent field filled with former national champions, state champions, track champions and about the best competition you can find on a Saturday night in the Southeast.
“I was pretty happy, but at the same time it was a pretty tough pill to swallow because I felt like that (three wins) was what it should be right now,” Thaxton said after winning Saturday night’s Late Model Stock 100-lap feature at South Boston. “Hopefully we’ll make up for it through the rest of the season.”
A week earlier the 23-year-old Thaxton won the pole and led the most laps on the way to finishing third in the pair of season-opening 100-lappers. Instead of his No. 12 sitting in victory lane twice, it was the No. 83 of Matt Bowling.
“Last week … I was very disappointed. I felt like we were in contention to win both races, really. Matt had a little better car than we did, but we were in front of him in both races. He was going to have to wreck us or pass us in the second race, but then he played his cards right and got by with the help of a lap car,” recalled Thaxton.
“The first race he kind of moved me out of the way getting into turn one. It was just hard racing. I hope when the shoe is on the other foot, he says ‘it’s just hard racing’.”
Thaxton was leading Lee Pulliam and Peyton Sellers, both NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national champions, on the final lap this past Saturday night. He was within sight of the checkered flag when the racing action picked up behind him. Pulliam and Sellers took each other out and Thaxton got to celebrate in victory lane. But there were some late-lap concerns for the South Boston native.
“We had a green-white-checkered. When the caution came out I said ‘this is not what I want to see,’ but when I realized Lee was running second, I figured it was going to be a good race. When we got to three and four, my spotter said ‘they’re wrecking behind you, come on to me’.”
Thaxton’s solid start to the season may have raised a few eyebrows, but he’s not surprised. At the end of the 2015 season he promised himself 2016 would be better.
“I felt like I let a lot of people down last year,” said Thaxton, who is sponsored by Fallen Trucking, Italian Delight Family Restaurant, A & E Race Cars, Kowalsky Motors and Minceys Graphics. “I’ve been racing long enough I should be winning races. I didn’t want to let the team down anymore. This winter I said this is what we are going to do and how we are going to do it. Now I’ve got to keep it rolling in this same direction.”
Action returns to South Boston Speedway under the lights on Saturday, April 9 with the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour 150 racing program. A 150-lap NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour race will headline the night’s action with the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Late Model Stock Car Division being featured in twin 75-lap races. The four-race program will be capped by a 15-lap race for the Budweiser Hornets Division.
The first of the night’s four races will get the green flag at 7 p.m.
Advance tickets are on sale for $10 each, with advance tickets being available until 5 p.m. on Friday, April 8. Adult general admission tickets on race day will be priced at $15. Youth ages 7-12 will be admitted for $5 each with a paying adult. Kids ages six and under will be admitted free with a paying adult.
