By Joe Chandler
Director, Public Relations
South Boston Speedway
SOUTH BOSTON, VA (March 20, 2025) – The stakes are higher, and the excitement, the level of competition, and the anticipation of an intense chase for the 2025 Sentara Health Late Model Stock Car Division crown are at a fever pitch as teams prepare for the twin 50-lap Late Model Stock Car Division races that will serve as the co-feature of the Second Annual SMART Modified Tour Pace-O-Matic King of the Modifieds powered by Dominion Energy event on URW Community Federal Credit Union Race Day on Saturday afternoon, March 22.
Saturday afternoon’s twinbill will kick off the 42nd season of NASCAR Late Model Stock Car Division racing here at South Boston Speedway.
Over $75,000 in season-end bonuses will be awarded to competitors at South Boston Speedway this season through a new lucrative Championship Loyalty Bonus program sponsored by Hitachi Energy South Boston and EMPOWER Broadband.
Under the Hitachi Energy South Boston sponsorship, a $20,000 award will go to the top eligible driver in the Sentara Health Late Model Stock Car Division with payouts of $15,000, $10,000, $5,000 and $2,500 respectively going to the rest of the eligible top five drivers. All eligible drivers from sixth place back will receive $2,000 each.
There is big money on the line in Saturday’s twin 50-lap races, with each race paying $2,500 to win.
Reigning South Boston Speedway Sentara Health Late Model Stock Car Division champion Peyton Sellers of Danville, Virginia will be chasing a record-breaking eighth career South Boston Speedway track championship. With the stakes being higher, the level of competition is going to increase with more drivers throwing their hat into the ring this season to chase the championship. Sellers, who earned five wins here last season, says he is ready for the challenge.
“We’re as hungry as ever,” Sellers remarked. “We’ve been very fortunate. We’ve beaten a lot of good cars over the years to get to this point where we’re running for an eighth championship, but with the incentive program the track has put on to encourage everybody to run for the championship it’s definitely going to up the ante.
“We’ve had good competition every year,” the two-time NASCAR national champion continued. “I don’t think the competition is going to get tougher, but the depth of the field will be deeper.”
Last season’s runner-up to Sellers in the track title chase, Blake Stallings of Danville, Virginia, sees Saturday’s twinbill as a real barnburner.
“$2,500 to win each race is a huge incentive to try to get the win,” Stallings pointed out. “I think people are really going to hang it out and do all they can to get the win. It’s going to be extremely competitive. Hopefully we can be in the chase with them.”
Stallings, who had three wins last season, is expecting a very high level of competition at South Boston Speedway this season.
“I think there is going to be a lot of competition,” Stallings noted. “South Boston always has great competition, the best-of-the-best as far as short tracks go. Hopefully we can get the car dialed in and put it towards the front.”
Mike Looney of Catawba, Virginia, who had six second-place finishes and finished third in the final 2024 standings, is returning to chase the Sentara Health Late Model Stock Car Division title and is excited to get the season underway with Saturday’s twin 50-lap races.
“I’m always excited to go race,” Looney said. “It sounds like it’s going to be a pretty awesome year. I’m looking forward to it. I’m really blessed to have Billy Martin and Teresa to support me. We’re a little team but we’ve got really, really good equipment. I’m just really blessed and thankful to be able to compete with the big dogs.”
Looney, who will be debuting a new car for the opener, says he likes races like Saturday’s twin 50-lap races.
“I like races where you don’t have to hold back, you can just go as hard as you can race,” he explained. Long strategy races are fun too, but I’m a pure racer. I just like to get up on it and go, and that’s what’s going to happen Saturday. I know I’ll be having fun smiling.”
The list of championship contenders includes Jacob Borst of Elon, North Carolina who had two wins and finished fourth in the standings last season, and Landon Pembelton of Amelia, VA, the 2024 Dominion Raceway Late Model Stock Car Division champion, who has two career Late Model Stock Car Division wins at South Boston Speedway.
Trevor Ward of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, the pole winner and runner-up for last year’s Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 at South Boston Speedway and a former Martinsville Speedway winner, Kyle Dudley of Roanoke, Virginia and Craig Moore of Rougemont, North Carolina who won last season’s opener at South Boston Speedway are also among the potential title contenders.
Among some of the top competitors that are expected to compete at South Boston Speedway in various events this season include three-time CARS Tour champion and two-time Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 winner Bobby McCarty of Summerfield, NC who is competing with his family-owned race team this season and will be competing in Saturday’s opener.
“This is where I started 14 or 15 years ago,” McCarty pointed out. “To me, this place is always home, and I’m really proud to see the changes Brandon (South Boston Speedway General Manager Brandon Brown) and his team are making from social media to purse payouts and everything else. They’re taking that extra step.
“We’re here for one thing,” he added. “That’s the mindset every weekend. I’m not too concerned about the next one. We’re just focused on what’s directly in front of us and what we can control, and we’re going to try to have a good time doing it.”
Mark Wertz of Chesapeake, Virginia, who has won two championships at his home track, Larry King Law’s Langley Speedway, and finished 2nd in the Langley Speedway Late Model Stock Car Division title chase last season, will be on hand for the season opener. Greg Edwards of Poquoson, Virginia, who won the Langley Speedway Late Model Stock Car Division championship last season, earning five wins in the process, will also be on hand for the opener.
“It’s always fun here,” Wertz said during a break in a recent testing session at South Boston Speedway. “I’m excited to be back. I’ve always felt like I had a good groove around this place. A win is the only thing I haven’t done here. I’ve sat on the pole, and I’ve finished in the top three in the points here. I would love to get a win. That would be a big check in my career box.”
The twin 50-lap races for the Sentara Health Late Model Stock Car Division are the co-feature of the Second Annual SMART Modified Tour Pace-O-Matic King of the Modifieds powered by Dominion Energy event on URW Community Federal Credit Union Race Day on Friday and Saturday, March 21-22 at South Boston Speedway.
Four races will be featured on URW Community Federal Credit Union Race Day, highlighted by the Second Annual SMART Modified Tour Pace-O-Matic King of the Modifieds race, a 125-lap race featuring the country’s top tour-type Modified drivers that will pay $20,000 to win and carry one of the season’s richest purses in asphalt Modified racing.
In addition, to the 125-lap SMART Modified Tour King of the Modifieds race and the two 50-lap races for the Sentara Health Late Model Stock Car Division, fans will see a 50-lap race for the regional touring Alliance DriveAway Solutions STAR Super Stock Tour that will round out Saturday afternoon’s four-race card.
There will be free admission to the track’s grandstand area on Friday, March 21with gates opening at 10 a.m. Fans are invited to come out and watch practice for the three series and qualifying for the SMART Modified Tour’s King of the Modifieds event. SMART Modified Tour single-car qualifying will start at 5 p.m.
Fans may purchase tickets on Friday, March 21 for the Saturday, March 22 event at the speedway’s new guest services area from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.
Concession stands will not be open on Friday. However, fans may bring in their own food and drinks if they choose.
The tentative event schedule for Saturday, March 22 has grandstand gates opening, and practice starting at 9 a.m. Qualifying for the Sentara Health Late Model Stock Car Division is set for 11 a.m. A Pace-O-Matic Pit Party/Fan Appreciation autograph session will be held on the frontstretch after qualifying concludes. The first of the day’s four races will get the green flag at 2 p.m.
Advance tickets for the season-opening March 21-22 SMART Modified Tour King of the Modifieds on URW Community Federal Credit Union Race Day are priced at $20. Tickets at the gate on race day will be $25 each.
Seniors ages 65 and older, military, healthcare workers, and students (with ID) can purchase tickets at the advance ticket price in advance and at the gate on the day of the event.
No VIP Suite tickets for the Saturday, March 22 SMART Modified Tour King of the Modifieds event are available as suite tickets are sold out.
Advance tickets for all of South Boston Speedway’s 2025 events 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.
The latest news and updates from South Boston Speedway about the SMART Modified Tour King of the Modifieds event as well as information regarding upcoming events can be found on the speedway’s website and the track’s social media channels. Information may also be obtained by phoning the speedway during regular business hours.
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