SOUTH BOSTON, VA (Aug. 19, 2023) -- Kenny Forbes won South Boston Speedway’s longest and richest Budweiser Limited Sportsman Division race of the season Saturday night, a 75-lap race that paid $1,500 to win. It was the second straight win at South Boston Speedway for the Bullock, North Carolina resident.
Jason Myers of Hurt, Virginia finished second in the race that was featured as part of Saturday night’s Italian Delight Family Restaurant Night Race at South Boston Speedway. Myers’ second-place finish coupled with a seventh-place finish by Carter Russo of Rougemont, North Carolina gives Myers a 21-point lead over Russo in the chase for the division championship with one points race remaining in the 2023 season.
Myers started on the pole and led the first 38 laps of the 75-lap race. Forbes took the lead from Myers on lap 39 on the restart that followed the race’s only caution period and led the final 37 laps. He fought off several strong challenges from Myers and edged Myers by .291-second at the finish. Myers had won the pole for the race and led the first 38 circuits of the .4-mile oval.
“This is really special,” Forbes said of his win. “I’m glad to bring home (winner’s) trophies two races in a row. I haven’t raced a lot over the last 10 or 12 years, and to come back up here and be competitive is good. I’m really happy to come back and have a good showing after winning the last race here.”
Forbes pointed out that Myers had opened up a healthy lead while leading the first 38 laps of the race.
“I didn’t know if we were going to have anything for Jason Myers tonight,” Forbes remarked. “We had an opportunity after the break. The car was pretty good on the high side, and I was fortunate enough to get in front of him. He battled hard the rest of the race, and I was able to hold him off.”
Myers said he gave the race his best effort.
“I gave it everything I had and came up one spot short,” Myers explained. “On the restart our car was way too free pinched down on the inside. I should have taken the outside and that was the winning move for Kenny. I could get back to his door, but I wasn’t going to push the issue and wreck us both.”
While Myers did not win the race, he did something more important – stretch his lead in the battle with Russo for the division championship.
“My dad (Billy Myers), who was my spotter, told me Russo was pretty far back, and it was going to be a really good points night if we finished where we were. I was fortunate to do that.”
Nathan Crews of Long Island, Virginia, former South Boston Speedway division champion Kyle Barnes of Draper, Virginia and Drew Dawson of Nathalie, Virginia rounded out the top five finishers in the race.
Late Model Stock Car Division Race Results Now Official
Six-time South Boston Speedway champion Peyton Sellers of Danville, Virginia will have to wait a few days to find out whether or not his apparent flag-to-flag victory in the 100-lap race for the Sentara Health Late Model Stock Car Division that highlighted Saturday night’s Italian Delight Family Restaurant Night Race at South Boston Speedway will stand.
Track officials said the results of Saturday night’s event are unofficial pending further review. (Update - the results have been confirmed official - see more here.)
The official results will have a big impact on the battle between Sellers and Carter Langley of Zebulon, North Carolina for the track championship.
Langley held a five-point lead over Sellers entering Saturday night’s race. He unofficially finished second, .558-second behind Sellers in the race. If that result stands, Langley will have a three-point lead entering the season’s final points race, a 150-lap race on September 2 paying $5,000 to win. If the results do not hold, circumstances will change.
Jacob Borst of Elon, North Carolina, Josh Oakley of Rougemont, North Carolina and Davey Callihan rounded out the top five finishers.
Caleb Sanford Takes Win In 25-Lap Southside Disposal Pure Stock Division Race
Caleb Sanford of South Boston, Virginia achieved a major milestone Saturday night – scoring his first career South Boston Speedway victory - in the 25-lap Southside Disposal Pure Stock Division race at South Boston Speedway.
Sanford won the pole for the race and led every lap enroute to a .695-second win over division points leader Johnny Layne of Halifax, Virginia. B.J. Reaves of South Boston, Virginia, Jeb Redman of LaCrosse, Virginia, and Zach Reaves of Danville, Virginia completed the top five finishers.
Cameron GobleWins 20-Lap Virginia State Police HEAT Hornets Division Race
Cameron Goble of Ringgold, Virginia won the pole and led every lap in securing the win in Saturday night’s 20-lap race for the Virginia State Police HEAT Hornets Division at South Boston Speedway.
The win was Goble’s third victory of the season at South Boston Speedway, and it came by a 5.538-second margin over division points leader Kendall Milam of Keeling, Virginia. Landon Milam of Keeling, Virginia, Jason DeCarlo of Chase City, Virginia and Andrea Ruotolo of South Boston, Virginia rounded out the top five finishers.
Otey, Tatum Are Winners In Southern Ground Pounders Vintage Racing Club Race
Shawn Otey of Aylett, Virginia, driving a 1968 Chevrolet Nova, won the Sportsman Division and earned the overall race win in Saturday night’s 25-lap race for the regional touring Southern Ground Pounders Vintage Racing Club race.
Mack Tatum of Midlothian, Virginia, driving a 1974 Chevrolet Vega, won the Modified Division and finished third overall in the race.
The top five finishers in the race were Otey, Bobby Griffin of Stokesdale, North Carolina, Tatum, Frank Hicks of Chesterfield, Virginia and Preston Clark of Danville, Virginia.
Next Race At South Boston Speedway
NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series racing returns to South Boston Speedway on Saturday night, September 2 with the Halifax Farm Bureau Championship Night Race.
Championships in all four of the track’s NASCAR-sanctioned racing divisions will be decided in the four-race event that will be headlined by a 150-lap race for the Sentara Health Late Model Stock Car Division that will pay $5,000 to win.
Also scheduled are a 50-lap race for the Budweiser Limited Sportsman Division, a 25-lap race for the Southside Disposal Pure Stock Division, and a 20-lap race for the Virginia State Police HEAT Hornets Division.
A fireworks show sponsored by Italian Delight Family Restaurant will follow the last race of the night.
Advance adult general admission tickets are priced at $17 each and may be purchased online on South Boston Speedway’s website, www.southbostonspeedway.com or by calling the speedway office at 434-572-4947 or toll free at 1-877-440-1540 during regular business hours.
Tickets at the gate on race day will be $20 each. Seniors ages 65 and older, military, healthcare workers, and students (with ID) can purchase tickets for $12 each at the gate on race day.
Frontstretch spectator gates open at 3:20 p.m. Practice will start at 3:30 p.m. and qualifying will begin at 6 p.m. The first race of the night will get the green flag at 7 p.m.
The latest news and updates for fans and competitors can be found on the speedway’s website and the track’s social media channels. Information may also be obtained by phoning the speedway at 434-572-4947 or toll free at 1-877-440-1540 during regular business hours.
CLICK HERE to view race results. Late Model Stock Car results are unofficial pending post-race inspection.
Photos are courtesy of Joe Chandler and Victor Newman.
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