Every year, the Thanksgiving Classic at Southern National Motorsports Park serves as the unofficial season finale for Late Model Stock Car competition in the Southeast.
The foundation of this southern Thanksgiving tradition can be traced back to 1998, when Southern National was wrapping up its sixth year of operation. Known then as the Winston Turkey 200, five-time NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series champion Philip Morris took the checkered flag that day against a field that included Randy Renfrow and Deac McCaskill.
In the following years, the Thanksgiving Classic grew in popularity as more Late Model Stock Car competitors sought to end their respective seasons on a high note. A young Denny Hamlin earned two Thanksgiving Classic victories during the mid-2000s, with Josh Berry, Matt McCall, Lee Pulliam and Scott Riggs among other notable winners in the event.
The Thanksgiving Classic has dealt with adversity during its existence, including a three-year hiatus and the 2020 edition getting canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite this, the race remains a favorite amongst competitors, as dozens of drivers from several disciplines are set to take part in the weekend’s festivities.
Just more than 20 drivers make up the preliminary Late Model Stock Car entry list for Sunday’s Thanksgiving Classic. Here is what some of them had to say about the event prior to the green flag on Sunday afternoon.
Josh Berry, No. 62 KHI Management Ford (2021, 2022 Thanksgiving Classic winner)
“It’s another prestigious race. With the NASCAR schedule opening up, there are fewer and fewer opportunities to go do this stuff. That one always fits for us, but Southern National is a fun track. For us, it’s important to support these guys and these race tracks when they put on these big races. It’s important for the sport as a whole.
“[Three in a row] would be awesome. We’d terribly love to win one of these last three races with KHI. We know it’s going to be tough, and it’ll be a process getting everything tuned like we want it. I’m excited for [Sunday] and we’ll see what we can do.”
Brenden ‘Butterbean’ Queen, No. 03 Best Repair Company Toyota
“I think it’s a cool atmosphere. A lot of people are off already because of the holiday, and it’s a unique race to [compete in] around that holiday time. It’s something I’ve done for a while, and it’s always a family thing. We’d spend our Thanksgiving on the road, so it’s an iconic thing I’ve always done being able to do that race. This year is my first with [Lee Pulliam Performance], but I’m looking forward to it.
“We joke and say we’re going to win the turkey even though it’s not a real turkey. This is one that I haven’t won. We’ve finished second twice in it, and I’ve actually never won at Southern National, so that’d be really cool.”
Katie Hettinger, No. 71 Chevrolet
“I really like Southern National. I think it’s a good track, and we did pretty good in the Pro [Late Model] earlier this year, so hopefully we can have a great Late Model Stock [for the Thanksgiving Classic]. They get a lot of cars for [Southern National] and [Michael] Diaz does a great job promoting this race.
“It’d be awesome to win this race. I think [Jason Stanley and I] proved our point in a Pro, but to be able to race against such a competitive Late Model Stock field [and win] would be really awesome.”
Trent Barnes, No. 1 Barns Paving and Trucking Toyota
“Southern National is a high-banked track and doesn’t have a lot of grip. You have to save your stuff. It’s these older tracks that are really the grassroots of racing with tire management. You learn a lot of stuff doing this.
“These bigger races are the ones you want to win. Everyone comes to them and you end up getting the biggest fields. [A Thanksgiving Classic] win would mean a lot and would definitely be one of the biggest achievements for me.”
Ronnie Bassett Jr., No. 04 Jerry Hunter Supercenter Chevrolet (2013 Thanksgiving Classic winner)
“It’s just a big race in general. You’ve got [the Fall Brawl, South Carolina 400 and Thanksgiving Classic] back-to-back-to-back. It’s kind of tough, but we’ve got a pretty good car.
“We just want to win in general. We’ve been close this year, have had good race cars and have come up short a couple of times. It’s been cool to get back into Late Model [Stock] racing, but we’re itching for that first win.”
Doug Barnes Jr., No. 88 Barnes Paving and Trucking ‘Ferrari’
“It’s one of the crown jewels. Come November, it’s an exciting time, because we have the Fall Brawl, the [South Carolina] 400 and the Thanksgiving Classic. It’s back-to-back-to-back big races, and you really make a name for yourself by running up front. I got a lot of recognition by running up front before even winning one of these races. All eyes are on this, especially when you bring the big names, so now it’s more important to run up front than ever.
“That [Thanksgiving Classic] trophy is sick, and I want it. I’m confident in our team, so I clear a spot for the Martinsville clock, but the other trophy I’d consider clearing a spot for would be the Thanksgiving Classic trophy.”