DANVILLE, VA :: Peyton Sellers called South Boston Speedway’s integrity in to question after he felt the track should have stripped Austin Thaxton of his first career win on Saturday.  Sellers cited past examples of drivers being disqualified when talking about brake rotors he said track officials confiscated in post-race inspection.

“I was informed on Monday that the part they confiscated was an illegal advantage and they were going to disqualify Thaxton,” Sellers said.  “That was the only thing they could do based on previous Late Model rulings.  They always disqualify whoever it may be.  It’s no different than going across the scales 10 pounds too light.  Brake rotors are black and white and underlined in rule book that you can’t run slotted brake rotors and it’s no gray area.  There’s no judgment to be made.  It’s black and white.  Based on all previous hearings, that would’ve been a no-brainer disqualification right on the spot.  Justin Snow got disqualified for a part on his carburetor at Southern National and it wasn’t a performance advantage but it wasn’t stock.  This is a performance advantage they don’t let us run being a higher cost rotor.”

Sellers said the parts were confiscated and sent to NASCAR.  He said that process was unusual since it was, in his words, “cut and dry”.

“In this situation, it’s unusual because it’s so cut and dry,” Sellers remarked.  “There’s no judgment to be passed.  The part was wrong and they confiscated the brake rotors off his car.  CE Falk was disqualified from a race at South Boston at the end of 2010 for a set of front shocks that were wrong and that was a visual inspection that came up and they disqualified him on the spot that night.”

Sellers then called the integrity of the track in to question over the entire process.

“I question the procedure,” Sellers explained.  “What do they do moving forward?  They have officials to make calls.  Will we have to wait three days for results from now on or not and if we’re giving mulligans out, when do we say it’s a big enough advantage to let him keep it or small enough that we don’t?  I don’t understand the reasoning behind it.  In the upper levels, they hand out fines and points penalties.  At this level, they disqualify you.  It was illegal when it was confiscated and they didn’t have to send it to NASCAR.  It is black and white and an easy decision to make.  He beat me by four feet after a 48 lap run so who’s to say it was a big enough advantage or not after 50 laps of green flag racing.  I think anything would be an advantage.  We’re looking at little things to win races.”

When contacted, Austin Thaxton declined to comment and deferred to NASCAR Whelen All American Series Director Lynn Carroll, only saying that the whole issue was blown out of proportion.  Carroll deferred to South Boston Speedway.  South Boston Speedway Race Director Alan Moore declined to comment, saying he didn’t know anything at all about the issue, and repeated phone calls to South Boston Speedway General Manager Cathy Rice have not been returned.