SOUTH BOSTON, Va. — Friday afternoon provided Late Model Stock Car teams an opportunity to shake down their cars at South Boston Speedway prior to Saturday’s Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200, the first leg of the prestigious Virginia Late Model Triple Crown.
Three dozen Late Model Stocks, along with South Boston’s Limited Sportsman, Pure Stock and Hornets drivers, turned copious laps around the half-mile facility during a prolonged session that lasted from 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET.
Tate Fogleman posted the quickest lap in the first Late Model Stock session of the day, and the fastest time in the late afternoon practice belonged to Landon Pembelton.
Below are the key storylines from the first day of on-track action in the 2025 Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 (Saturday, 4 p.m. ET on FloRacing).
Landon Pembelton seeks another crown jewel
In the waning minutes of Friday’s Late Model Stock practice session for the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200, Landon Pembelton posted the quickest lap with a time of 15.101 seconds.
The 2021 winner of the ValleyStar Credit Union 300, Pembelton entered South Boston’s crown jewel with a three-point deficit in the Late Model Stock track standings. Since Saturday is a points race, Pembelton understands the significance of finishing strong, but his focus is centered on adding another Late Model Stock crown jewel to his list of achievements.
“I’m very happy with [the car],” Pembelton said. “We still got a little work to do. We didn’t make many laps today, and we were selective when we went out to make sure we were good with everything. We’ve been good since we unloaded yesterday, and I feel like I have a car that can be in contention at the end of the race.
“We just got to get the balance out for qualifying, but in race time, I think we’ll be pretty good.”
Peyton Sellers starts Virginia Triple Crown defense on a high note
Five-time Virginia Triple Crown champion Peyton Sellers set a strong, familiar tone Friday.
Sellers was among the quickest of the drivers that elected to participate in the late afternoon portion of the practice sessions. South Boston managed to throw a few surprises Sellers’ way throughout practice, but the seasoned Late Model Stock veteran feels confident about his No. 26 Clarence’s Steakhouse Toyota ahead of Saturday’s 200-lap feature.
“It [was] kind of an odd day,” Sellers said. “The track was taking a lot of rubber. We’re used to running 14-15 cars at South Boston this year, so all of sudden having 40 cars [on the track means] a lot of rubber is getting put down. We’re adapting to the track being vey slick with how hot the track has been all week. Here we are just trying to figure it out.”
Tate Fogleman optimistic after strong first day
Although he is not among the drivers who have raced regularly at South Boston Speedway this year, Tate Fogleman made an early statement Friday as a potential dark horse contender.
Fogleman, who won a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Talladega Superspeedway in 2021, posted the quickest lap in the first session by .001 over Ronnie Bassett Jr. South Boston has long been a special track for Fogleman and his father Jay, so he is determined to keep refining his car so that it can be ready to contend for the victory Saturday.
“We practiced earlier this week, and we kind of got a good baseline,” Fogleman said. “This is a brand new chassis, and [South Boston] was the first place we took it. We’ve had speed all year, so I don’t think we’ll have to worry about speed. We were fast, but we still need a few things for us to have a shot at the win.”
Connor Hall ready to defend last year’s South Boston triumph
To prevail in the 2024 Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200, Connor Hall was required to climb all the way from the 36th starting position before making a late race-winning pass on Trevor Ward.
Now back at South Boston with a new team in JR Motorsports, Hall is hoping for a more uneventful outing in his pursuit for a second consecutive Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200. Should Hall triumph Saturday evening, he would deliver JR Motorsports the team’s first Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 victory.
“I’d say we’re pretty good,” Hall said. “We worked on [old tires] just about all day to try and get where we need to be. I love winning with these guys and for these guys, so I’m going to do my best representing JR Motorsports, Bass Pro Shops and Johnny Morris the best I can.”
Trevor Ward seeking first Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 victory
A Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 victory appeared to be within reach for Trevor Ward at South Boston Speedway last year until Connor Hall passed him with fewer than 20 laps remaining.
Ward has spent all year familiarizing himself with South Boston, as he currently holds a one-point advantage in the track’s Late Model Stock standings over Peyton Sellers and Landon Pembelton. Already a ValleyStar Credit Union 300 and Virginia Triple Crown champion, Ward is eager to continue a stellar 2025 by avenging his close loss to Hall in the 2024 Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200.
“It’s going to be a long race for sure,” Ward said. “It’s definitely going to be a hot one. This is not just a big race for us, but it’s a points night, as well. Last year we didn’t race a lot going into [the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200], but we’ve been able to stay on top of what the race track is doing. We’ll need to get through the first 100 [laps] so we can be in contention for the last 100.”
Jonathan Shafer looks for strong Virginia Triple Crown start with Hettinger Racing
Friday’s Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 practice session yielded promising results for Jonathan Shafer, who is set to contest the entire Virginia Triple Crown with Hettinger Racing.
Boasting Late Model Stock and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series starts on his young resume, Shafer is setting high expectations for himself ahead of his Virginia Triple Crown pursuit. Shafer feels comfortable at all three facilities on the schedule, but he emphasized how important consistency will be Saturday toward obtaining a strong start in the Virginia Triple Crown.
“I think we have a really good shot with Hettinger Racing,” Shafer said. “They’re a great group of people with good equipment. I’ve had experience at all three of these tracks and good runs at all three of these tracks. With all of that put together, we should be able to come out with some wins and hopefully a championship.”