MYRTLE BEACH, SC – Sam Yarbrough surged past Jamie Weatherford late in Saturday night’s 75-lap NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Racing Series feature at Myrtle Beach Speedway to score the victory as the track’s final season begins to wind to a close.
Weatherford had taken the lead from Ryan Wilson on the 14th lap of the race and pulled away in the middle stages of the caution free race, but Yarbrough saved his best for last. As the laps began winding down, Yarbrough closed in on Weatherford. On lap 64, he made his first move and drew even. The two Myrtle Beach veterans raced side-by-side for the lead for five laps before Yarbrough, with an assist from the lapped car of Robbie Mew, was able to charge past Weatherford to take the lead – and the win.
“I’ve had such a career here,” Yarbrough told Race22 after the race. “I never thought I would have this type of success. That race right there, I’ve had a lot of them like that here, having to run people down and work my way around them and that was one of the hardest ones I’ve ever had to do. Jamie Weatherford’s a hard guy to pass. I gave him enough room, barely, and he gave me enough room, barely, and we got through some lapped traffic and we were slipping and sliding and it was a really fun race. I hope everybody enjoyed it.”
There are only two races left at Myrtle Beach Speedway before the track closes down permanently and is demolished following the August 15th finale. Earlier this year, the track was sold to developers and will become a housing development.
“It hasn’t quite set in yet that this place is going away,” Yarbrough said. “We’ll just come out here and keep trying to fight and win some poles and make some speed and make some gains. We still have to get better because Jamie, he improved a lot in the past few weeks. We need a little bit more to kind of cushion where we’re at. I think we can get there but it sure has been a fun ride at this track. I’ve been running here since, I don’t know, 2002 or 2003. It’s been a long time. We’ve racked up a lot of victories and hard-fought wins and this ranks right up on top there.”
Weatherford ultimately led 54 laps in the race but got loose outside both Yarbrough and the lapped car of Mew in turn one, surrendering the top spot. After the race, Weatherford said the handling went away and thinks it was a problem with the stagger in their setup.
“I think the stagger grew in the back of it,” Weatherford said. “We got really loose getting in. I don’t think I abused my tires. We started with a little more stagger than we typically do and I think it just grew too much, I’m hoping anyway. We had a good run and we’re getting better and better each week. We’re getting a little better and we’ll have something to race Sam with. Sam’s a good driver, raced me real clean and I race him the same way. I enjoyed that.”
Veteran Justin Milliken finished third. After the race, Milliken said Saturday’s race at Myrtle Beach Speedway could possibly be his last and took his third-place finish in stride. The Shallotte, North Carolina driver plans to race at Carteret County Speedway after Myrtle Beach Speedway shuts down.
Adam Lemke and Ryan Glenski rounded out the top-five.
Willie Grainger won the Truck race over Landon Lewis and Tanner Garrett. The Charger feature was won by Will Bruorton who held off a fierce challenge from Whitney Meggs.
The next race at Myrtle Beach Speedway will take place on Saturday, August 1st, and the final race is set for Saturday, August 15th.
NAAWRS Myrtle Beach 7-18-20 Results
- Sam Yarbrough
- Jamie Weatherford
- Justin Milliken
- Adam Lemke
- Ryan Glenski
- Bradley McCaskill
- Will Burns
- Travis Truett
- Austin Powell
- Brian Vause
- Blaise Brinkley
- Ryan Wilson
- Bobby June
- Robbie Mew
- Jimmy Wallace
- Sammie Scarpelli
- Zack Wells
- Anthony Adams
- Anthony Anders
