Intense battle for South Boston Speedway Late Model Stock title looms as season opens Sunday

SOUTH BOSTON, Va. -- Plenty of excitement, a high level of competition and another intense chase for the South Boston Speedway Sentara Health Late Model Stock Car Division title are in store as teams prepare for the 100-lap race that will be part of South Boston Speedway’s season-opening URW Community Federal Credit Union Race Day event Sunday. "We enjoy racing at South Boston Speedway," said Peyton Sellers, who will be searching for a record-tying seventh South Boston Speedway track championship. "It’'s home for us. I feel as good about our chances as any of the past few seasons. "NASCAR hasn’t made a lot of changes in the cars during the off-season. Our cars are kind of dialed in. Things we have been doing are working." Sellers, who has scored 11 wins in 36 starts at South Boston over the past two seasons, pointed out he is expecting another competitive season at the 0.4-mile oval. “The competition is always good at South Boston Speedway,” he said. “This place is unique enough to where the cars are constantly changing, and it’s a hard place to get around. That breeds good competition.” Mike Looney of Catawba, Virginia is one of the drivers expected to compete for the track championship. Looney won 10 races last season and is only eight wins shy of the 100-win mark. He made seven starts at South Boston last season, scoring four top-five finishes, which included a pair of second-place finishes and a pair of third-place finishes. “We didn’t get to race here as much last year as we wanted to,” Looney noted. “It’s a great place to race. We’ve got a pretty good notebook. I’ve got the tools to be successful, and that’s all I can ask for. I’ve got some fans down here and we’re looking forward to it. We’ve been working hard. Race time is upon us.” Looney, the 2023 track champion at Pulaski County Motorsports Park (formerly known as Motor Mile Speedway) noted that the competition level is always high at South Boston. “I’d say this is the best weekly track in the country as far as car count and competition,” Looney said. “It’s a whole experience with the fans down here. There are a lot of people and a lot of energy. You make a pass for the lead here, and you can hear it in the car. It’s really fun.” [caption id="attachment_424614" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] (Photo: Susan Wong/NASCAR)[/caption] Jacob Borst is optimistic about his chances to be a title contender this season, too. Borst finished third in the South Boston point standings last season. He had one win and 14 top-five finishes, which included five second-place finishes in his 18 starts. “It’s surprising to me that this is our fourth year of racing Late Models at South Boston Speedway,” Borst said. “I’m looking forward to it. I think a lot of my guys are looking forward to it. I’ve always looked forward to racing at SoBo because you’re racing people that race with respect and will race you hard without wrecking you.” Borst characterized his 2023 season as a learning year. “Last year we struggled a little bit trying different things,” the Elon, North Carolina resident explained. “It definitely was a learning year for us. Everybody has to try something different. If you don’t try something different, you’re never going to get any better. That’s what we did last year. We took that knowledge of what didn’t work and what did work and put it all together. I felt like at the end of the year we were a lot better. “We have done a lot over the winter, and we will have a good piece for this year. I’m just hoping we can have that breakout season and end up on top.” Blake Stallings of Danville, Virginia said he is “super excited and glad" to be back at South Boston this year. "I’m in better shape physically and mentally," he added. "I’ve been in the gym and have also been working on my diet and working on our racing program.” As for his racing program, Stallings is optimistic about the 2024 season. Last season at South Boston Speedway, Stallings had a pair of top-five finishes and nine top-10 finishes in 14 starts. “We’ve got some pretty big plans this year," he said. "The car will be fielded by R&S Race Cars. They are going to maintain the car and handle the setup. Myself, my dad, and my crew will be at the track like normal.” Stallings has a two-pronged goal for the 2024 season: win the South Boston Speedway track championship and win his first career race at the 0.4-mile oval. “The goal is to compete for the championship,” Stallings explained, “but ultimately, we would like to win some races here this year. I've never won a race at South Boston Speedway, and I would love to win a race down here. That’s been a goal of mine and a goal my dad has wanted for me for a long time.” [caption id="attachment_424615" align="alignleft" width="240"] (Photo: Susan Wong/NASCAR)[/caption] Trevor Ward of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, the winner of last year’s ValleyStar Credit Union 300 at Martinsville Speedway, is looking forward to South Boston Speedway’s March 23 season-opener. Ward made six starts at South Boston Speedway last season, scoring four top-five finishes that included a trio of third-place finishes. “We’re out to win races and put on a good show,” Ward said. “We had three third-place finishes out of the six races we ran here last year. We just could never pull off a win, but that is one thing on the bucket list that we want to do. My father has won a handful of races here and that’s something that has always been on my bucket list. South Boston is a prestigious racetrack, and I would like to check winning here off of my bucket list.” Landon Pembelton’s goal when he races at South Boston Speedway this season is simply to win races. In his six starts at South Boston Speedway last season, Pembelton had a win, a pole, four top-five finishes and five top-10 finishes. “We’re going for multiple wins this year,” he pointed out. “We’re always trying to chase after that trophy when we come. We’ve just got to make sure our stuff is on point every time we come to the racetrack. I have pretty high expectations this year.” Advance tickets for Sunday’s URW Community Federal Credit Union Race Day event at South Boston Speedway are priced at $17 each. Tickets 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 $17 each at the gate on race day. The URW Community Federal Credit Union Race Day event schedule has practice running from 8:30 a.m. until 11 a.m. Qualifying begins at 11:45 a.m., a SMART Modified Tour driver autograph session is set for 1:15 p.m., a last chance qualifying race for the modifieds is set for 2:10 p.m., and the first race of the day is set to get the green flag at 3 p.m.