The NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series are in action this weekend at EchoPark Speedway (formerly known as Atlanta Motor Speedway), while the Craftsman Truck Series heads to Lime Rock Park for the first time. Bookmark this page and come back often for your race-week essentials — from links to qualifying order, average practice speeds, results and more.
Dominion Raceway is rewriting the story of the future of grassroots racing. For 2025, the track made a bold move when it designated its America Racer Late Models as the recipient of NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Division I points.
A decision that’s shaking up the national championship race is also shining a spotlight on a new generation of talent.
At the center of this shift is 17-year-old Chase Johnson, a third-generation racer from Midlothian, Virginia. With eight wins this season, including a hot streak of five consecutive victories, Johnson leads the nation in Division I points and the battle for Rookie of the Year.
(Photo: Dominion Raceway / Facebook)
Johnson’s journey began at age 8 behind the wheel of a go-kart, where he stunned everyone by winning his first race. It was a sign of things to come.
Growing up, he idolized NASCAR legend Jeff Gordon but drew his deepest inspiration from his father Eddie Johnson. As the grandson of Cal Johnson, another racing pioneer, Chase Johnson represents the third generation of the legacy that carries forward the grit of Ricky Johnson Racing’s No. 57 America Racer Late Model, powered by sponsors like Medek Corp, LA Landscaping, and LA Engineering Race Engines.
His car “Digger,” a 2001 Townsend chassis, has been around longer than the driver himself.
By day, Johnson works for Avis Electric Company. But on race nights, he’s a force of nature, showing consistent ability to work his way through the pack with a smooth technical approach. Many fans have praised Johnson’s driving style while others have also criticized it, noting the driver isn’t afraid of making contact in tight battles. Last weekend, Johnson apologized in Victory Lane to his good friend and fellow racer Dan Rogers (currently 8th in D1 points) for an on-track, three-wide battle for the win between him, Aaron Donnelly and Rogers that ultimately resulted in Rogers spinning.
Everyone agrees the racing at Dominion through the entire field has been exciting to watch.
(Photo: Dominion Raceway)
Dominion Raceway’s decision to elevate the America Racer Late Models to DI status is more than a rule change; it’s a stride toward strengthening local weekly racing. Designed in 2017 to combat the skyrocketing costs of traditional late-model racing, the America Racer class, with its max 405-horsepower 604 crate motors, Holley 500 carburetors and affordable 8-inch American Racer tires, puts the driver’s skill at the forefront.
Last year, Johnson dominated the division, clinching both the Dominion track championship and the NAAPWS Division III Southeast Region title.
“We had five cars every week that could win,” he said, “It is awesome to be in Division I this year. I think it’s going to bring in more competition, which I am super excited for the challenge that will bring.”
For Johnson, every race is personal. It’s not just about the checkered flag; it’s about honoring the family legacy that flows through his veins.
“I grew up watching my dad race, and he’s always been my biggest hero,” Johnson said.
The No. 57 car, adorned with the Carolina Blue and Chevy Orange colors, is more than a machine; it’s a symbol of a family’s love for racing, passed down through generations. As Johnson rips around Dominion’s 4/10-mile oval, he carries the hope of every young racer dreaming of making it big.
Dominion’s gamble to spotlight the America Racer Late Models echoes a historic moment from 1978, when Old Dominion Speedway’s Dickie Gore introduced cost-saving rules that birthed the Late Model Stock Car class.
That innovation transformed NASCAR’s grassroots scene, and now Dominion is betting on history repeating itself.
“It is scary; it is a lot of risk,” track owner Steve Britt admitted. “But this venue is unique, and it has wide-open thinking. You have to have courage; you have to believe.”
Johnson embodies that courage. At 17, he’s not just racing against the best competitors in the nation but also against the weight of expectation, proving a kid can
lead the nation in NASCAR’s premier short-track division with a modest team and a humble approach.
This weekend, Johnson will climb back into the No. 57 for another set of twin 50-lap races at Dominion Raceway, where the stands will buzz with anticipation. Fans know
they’re witnessing something special, a teenager rewriting the script of stock-car racing.
The America Racer Late Models are more than an experiment; they’re the future. As Chase battles for the national championship top spot, not far behind in 6th is fellow Rookie of the Year contender Conner Weddell and longtime driver Mike Ganoe in 12th.
For Chase Johnson, this isn’t just a season; it’s a statement. A third generation racer, leading the nation at 17, is more than a story of wins. It’s a story of hope, resilience and the unbreakable spirit of NASCAR’s grassroots soul.
Get your tickets to the action on June 28th to watch Twin Truckin Thunder America Racer Late Models, VA Modified, Twin Kelly Heating & Cooling UCAR, Mini Stock and Twin Dominion Stocks. Parents, bring your kids’ Radio Flyer Juicebox racer or bike (no modifications) and cheer them on before the NASCAR racing begins Saturday. Participants will be grouped by age. We will drop the green Flag for kids at 6:30 p.m. on the frontstretch before we go Advance Auto Parts weekly racing at 7 p.m. Kids 15 and under get free grandstand admission with a paid adult thanks to Gateway Home Improvements.
1. Will RFK Racing be the breakout team of the In-Season Challenge?
After a rousing romp in the Poconos, RFK Racing looks primed to capitalize on a daunting — but lucrative — summer stretch to cement its playoff hopes. Could it come alive in this year’s In-Season Challenge for $1 million, too?
RFK Racing isn’t showing up to the start of this weekend’s inaugural NASCAR In-Season Challenge as a favorite, but it might leave as its defining story.
Over the past month, RFK has quietly assembled one of the sharpest streaks in the Cup Series. Fresh off all three drivers netting top 10s at Michigan International Speedway and Pocono, the Ford-backed organization appears primed for a breakout, and it could happen on the grand stage in the 2025 challenge debut.
The team is already trending in the direction of a steamy summer. Brad Keselowski has three top 10s in the last five points races after looking lost for the first quarter of the season. Chris Buescher has three straight, two of which were top fives. Ryan Preece is delivering career-best consistency in his first full season with a fresh No. 60 team. Together, they’ve created a front-to-back operation that now seems capable of contending in any race format, on any track type, and cohesively working together as well as, or better than, any in the sport.
That kind of form matters now more than ever.
The In-Season Challenge, debuting Saturday at Atlanta, features five high-pressure, high-variance venues in a single-elimination format where one mistake can end a run. RFK’s recent ability to race clean and finish contests with all three cars intact may be its biggest advantage, and to a degree, the only team in the garage that can boast that at the moment.
Atlanta, a pack-style drafting track since its 2022 repave, plays into Ford’s strengths. The manufacturer has earned the pole at every drafting-style race since the reconfiguration, and Keselowski remains one of the sport’s premier superspeedway racers. The two-time “old track” winner nearly added a third in 2023 at Atlanta on the new layout and consistently positions himself at the front in the closing laps of these races. Buescher is no stranger to victory in this style of racing, and Preece has kept his car in contention late during similar events. Atlanta is a race RFK could legitimately win outright; any of the three.
Chicago follows, and while the street course remains unpredictable, RFK’s sample size there is among the strongest. Preece’s No. 60 was driven to a fourth-place finish with a Stage 2 win by road-course ace Joey Hand last year, and Preece himself landed a top 15 there in the inaugural event for Stewart-Haas Racing, while Buescher was a top-10 finisher in that one. This time, all three RFK entries bring improved road-course packages into a weekend where they should be competitive, and with all three still potentially in the bracket.
Jonathan Bachman | Getty Images
Sonoma Raceway might be RFK’s biggest opportunity of the five. Buescher is an absolute top-10 machine on road courses, going from “underrated” a handful of years ago to “what the heck happened?” if he’s not battling for the win on any track that turns right. Keselowski has never been an A-grade road racer but is remarkably consistent as a front-half-of-the-field guy at the winding California track. Preece has quietly snuck into Buescher’s old role as a guy who you don’t immediately think of when it comes to road courses, yet he’s consistently been running in the top 15 of those races and turned in a quality P9 last year at Watkins Glen International as SHR was sunsetting.
By the time the ISC gets to Dover Motor Speedway, if RFK still has all three of its cars in … well, hey, there’s your breakout story right there. That could be asking a bit much, but if Keselowski or Buescher (or both) are still alive at that point, it bodes well for one of them advancing to the finale. Both have positive histories at Dover, and neither cracks under pressure, which can certainly happen for some at the high-banked, extremely fast Monster Mile.
Of course, if any of them make the finale, then any of them will be impossible to ignore; each with their own unique story line of what a victory would mean and with a potential playoff spot still on the line. Keselowski has long been a Brickyard favorite and led 34 of the final 41 laps last year before Kyle Larson emerged with the win.
But this run is about more than points or prize money. If RFK “breaks out” during the In-Season Challenge, it signals something potentially larger: a long-awaited return to elite-tier relevance for a NASCAR mainstay. A tournament win or deep bracket run for any of the three would put RFK firmly back in the 2025 championship conversation. It would further validate the team’s strategic growth over the offseason to a three-car expansion while maintaining the technical cohesion between drivers, crews and engineers, along with the internal culture that Keselowski has worked tirelessly to foster in his early days as co-owner. It would show the rest of the garage that RFK is no longer just rebuilding; it’s rejoined the party.
The ISC wasn’t built for the best team on paper — it was built for the best team for the next five races.
And RFK might just be that team right now. And beyond.
Chris Graythen | Getty Images
2. With Briscoe in the books, is Ty Gibbs’ first win imminent, too?
After watching teammate Chase Briscoe bring home his first victory for Joe Gibbs Racing Sunday at Pocono, and with a strong schedule ahead for him, is the sophomore’s maiden voyage to Victory Lane around the corner as well?
Joe Gibbs Racing is firing on all fronts.
Chase Briscoe’s win at Pocono added fresh momentum after some was lost south of the border. Christopher Bell already has three victories and feels like a slam-dunk Championship 4 contender. Denny Hamlin is Denny Hamlin and remains a weekly contender. And for Ty Gibbs, now the only driver in the JGR stable still chasing his first win for the team owned by his Super Bowl-winning grandfather, the path forward has never been clearer — or more urgent.
The spotlight now dramatically shifts to No. 54, now 104 races into his Cup career, as Gibbs remains the only winless driver on a four-car team that doesn’t historically tolerate droughts, emphasized emphatically by Briscoe in his post-race press conference.
“Bell has won three races, Denny has won three. Me and Ty hadn’t won yet,” said Briscoe, after capturing a relief-inducing Pocono victory. “Last couple weeks especially, I’ve just been like this huge weight on my shoulders, unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before. My wife is like, ‘What is going on with you?’ I’m like, ‘I have to win. I don’t think you realize how bad it is if we don’t win a race and lock into the playoffs.’
“I feel like I honestly weigh a hundred pounds less already. Literally, when I was doing my contract with JGR, I remember them showing me the stat thing about how out of 40 attempts for the playoffs, they have made it 38 times. The expectation is if you don’t make the playoffs, you’re not going to be in this car anymore.”
Briscoe’s arrival — and near-instant payoff — has reset the baseline. Gibbs, in contrast, enters Atlanta sitting 23rd in points, without a win, a playoff spot or a signature Cup performance to date.
But numbers rarely tell the full story, especially when it comes to growth.
Gibbs’ sophomore season hasn’t felt stagnant — it’s just been a bit of a slow burn. After a 23.9 average finish through the season’s first seven races, Gibbs has four finishes of 11th or better since, recently adding on a P3 at Michigan. He’s also qualified inside the top 10 in eight of the last nine races, and eventually starting races at the front of the field turns into finishing them there, too.
The timing of Briscoe’s win resonates so strongly for the pair. It punctuated something each of them has been hovering around for several weeks: readiness. And it landed at the start of a stretch of tracks where Gibbs can follow suit.
At Atlanta, Gibbs is already a winner in the Xfinity Series on this layout and has scored a pair of top 10s in Cup. That drafting-style chaos often rewards drivers with patience and positional discipline — two qualities Gibbs has shown more of in Year 2. The Chicago Street Race, where he finished third last year in one of the most chaotic events of the season, fits the same pattern. (Notably: he’s 2-for-2 in top 10s at Chicago.)
And at strong JGR tracks ahead like Dover, Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Richmond Raceway, Gibbs should settle into a rhythm to close out the summer that offers him plenty of opportunities to be competitive.
That matters. Not just because JGR expects wins, but because the window for being “almost there” in elite equipment doesn’t stay open for long, family or not.
Still just 22, Gibbs has maintained his composure as a Cup driver under unique circumstances and handled the lofty expectations with more grace than many would in his position. But the premier stock-car series has a way of boiling things down and shaking out pretenders. And as the field tightens heading toward the playoffs, there’s less room for “potential” and more of a demand for immediate presence.
That’s what Briscoe’s win captured. It didn’t redefine JGR’s expectations — Briscoe, taking over for a surefire Hall of Famer in Martin Truex Jr, was expected to win — it reaffirmed them, shifting the urgency even further and more squarely onto Gibbs, the driver who’s grown up inside this organization, yet now must find a way to break through on his own terms to make his mark on it.
The next nine races offer plenty of opportunities — some chaotic, some tactical, some pure pace. He doesn’t need to win all of them. He just needs one of them to click, and the ingredients are there: qualifying speed, improved execution, team chemistry, and an increasing ability to stay in the fight when the race turns long and strange, of which there are likely to be many over the next two-plus months. The positioning is there; now comes the part that separates promise from arrival.
Briscoe seized his moment. Gibbs might be closer to his than he’s ever been.
NASCAR’s top stars take you through the ins-and-outs of the In-Season Challenge; see how it works before the five-race tournament gets underway.
4. Has Kyle Larson turned his luck around at Atlanta?
After initially appearing early in his career to be a track he would master, EchoPark Speedway has given Kyle Larson fits since its reconfiguration. A near-win in the spring inspired hope, however — has he gotten his Georgia gremlins out of his system? (Credit: Racing Insights)
Kyle Larson at EchoPark, post-reconfiguration
Starts
7
Poles
0
Wins
0
Runner-ups
0
Top fives
1
Top 10s
1
DNFs
5
Lead-lap finishes
2
Laps led
34
Average finish
26.0
5. Catch the pack — news and notes from around the garage
NASCAR assessed an L1 level penalty to the No. 17 Hendrick Motorsports Xfinity Series team following last weekend’s race at Pocono Raceway.
During inspection this week at the R&D Center in Concord, North Carolina, officials found that the team was in violation of Sections 14.3.3.2.1.1 K&L (Main Frame Rail Conical Receivers) of the NASCAR Rule Book.
As a result, the team was fined $40,000 and assessed with the loss of 40 owner points and 10 NASCAR Playoff owner points. Additionally, crew chief Adam Wall was suspended from the next three Xfinity Series events through the July 12 race at Sonoma Raceway.
Chase Elliott piloted the Hendrick Chevrolet to a fourth-place finish Saturday at Pocono in his second Xfinity start of the season. The team has entered 10 of 16 races thus far, with Corey Day (three starts), William Byron (two), Kyle Larson (two), and Alex Bowman (one) also appearing behind the wheel. Day is scheduled for seven more races this season, with his next coming at Sonoma.
With the penalty, the No. 17 Chevrolet drops from 14th to 16th in owner points, now possessing 365 on the season.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Bowman Gray Stadium is brewing up more intense racing action as the Law Offices of John Barrow Sportsman Series takes on another 100-lap challenge.
This Saturday, June 28, Law Offices of John Barrow Sportsman Series points leader Chase Robertson will look to win back-to-back 100-lap races in the Red Oak Brewery 100. Robertson is the only Sportsman driver to finish every race in the top five.
“We’ve really been working hard on getting the car to rotate better in the turns, and that’s been the biggest difference for us this year,” Robertson said.
Justin Taylor, who sits fourth in points, has been on fire recently, racking up three straight top-four finishes — including a win on June 14.
“Man, we’re on a roll right now, but we can’t get lazy—we have to build off that win,” said Taylor.
Over in the Brad’s Golf Cars Modified Series, Randy Butner will become Bowman Gray Stadium’s new “Iron Man” as he will set the record for most starts in stadium history at 756 when the green flag drops for Saturday’s first Twin 25 race.
“Been a long ride with some good and bad times, but I wouldn’t trade these last 38 years for anything,” said Butner.
Fans will also be treated to a parachute jump from the Special Forces Parachute Team and a Skid Race during Saturday night’s events.
Gates open at 6 p.m. Saturday night, with racing action to start at 8 p.m. Fans can get tickets online right now at www.bowmangrayracing.com. Tickets are $12 for adults and $2 for kids ages 6 to 11.
NASCAR has a stringent approval process for drivers who want to get behind the wheel in a national series race. It’s a little easier for those who want to call the shots from atop the pit box.
With Mardy Lindley, crew chief for Conor Zilisch, suspended because of lug nut violations at Nashville Superspeedway, Earnhardt took the reins for the No. 88 JR Motorsports team that he co-owns.
Being approved to squeeze in the side gig around his job as a broadcast analyst (after five races with Prime, he will move to TNT Sports for the next five races) was relatively simple for Earnhardt, who needed no qualifications to be listed as the crew chief.
“There are no requirements to be a crew chief outside of the NASCAR license,” NASCAR senior director of racing communications Amanda Ellis said during the latest episode of the “Hauler Talk” podcast. “Obviously we know Dale’s qualified at least from a driver perspective but no additional requirements would have been required for him to take the crew chief role.”
Though he was prevented from being on the pit box, Lindley was in touch with Earnhardt during the race as NASCAR allows contact with suspended team members.
“Ultimately in 2025, there’s no way to police that,” Ellis said. “The teams still have to serve the penalty, but we recognize that they could be in contact with (a suspended team member).”
During the podcast episode, NASCAR managing director of racing communications Mike Forde and Ellis also were joined by NASCAR chief media and revenue officer Brian Herbst, who discussed Prime’s recently completed five-race run as the Cup Series’ first broadcast streaming partner and TNT’s arrival this weekend with the In-Season Challenge.
Other topics covered during the 20th episode of “Hauler Talk,” which explores competition issues in NASCAR:
— Brad Keselowski’s penalty for pitting too soon at Pocono and how NASCAR decides when to open the pits.
— Why there were no penalties called on the tire that hit a team member during the Cup race at Pocono.
— The rash of brake problems at Pocono.
— A pivotal restart in the Truck Series race at Pocono.
— How NASCAR will handle officiating the In-Season Challenge.
Click on the embed above to listen or search for “Hauler Talk” wherever you download podcasts to hear it on your phone, tablet or mobile device.
Nate Ryan has written about NASCAR since 1996 while working at the San Bernardino Sun, Richmond Times-Dispatch, USA TODAY and for the past 10 years at NBC Sports Digital. He is a contributor to the “Hauler Talk” show on the NASCAR Podcast Network. He also has covered various other motorsports, including the IndyCar and IMSA series.
SOUTH BOSTON, Va. — Ryan Millington feels the extra preparation he and his team are devoting to their efforts and confidence from a solid outing at South Boston Speedway last fall will pay off in the 19th running of the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 on Saturday night, June 28.
Millington skipped the last two zMAX CARS Tour events to prepare for the 200-lap race that serves as the kickoff race for the Virginia Triple Crown presented by FloRacing and pays $10,000 to win. The Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 will be Millington’s first race outside of the zMAX CARS Tour this season.
“We’re really excited for this one,” Millington said during a break in a recent testing session at South Boston Speedway.
“It’s a very special race. We sat out the last couple of CARS Tour races trying to prepare to come here and be really ready to go. We ran really well here last year at the CARS Tour race, so I had this one circled on our schedule to try to come and win it. I think we’ve got a good shot at it. We’ve got a good car, and I’m really looking forward to it.
“This race has always been a big one for everybody for a long time now,” Millington added, “so to be able to walk away and say we had a good run or possibly have won the race would mean a lot to myself, my dad, and everyone that puts a hand on the car. Hopefully we can make it happen.”
Millington, who has two top-five finishes in six starts on the zMAX CARS Tour this season and has two career wins on the circuit, had a great night in last fall’s zMAX CARS Tour race at South Boston Speedway. He won the pole, led the first 100 laps of the 125-lap race, and finished third.
That gives the Statesville, North Carolina resident a lot of confidence entering South Boston Speedway’s showcase NASCAR Late Model Stock Car race.
“We haven’t been here a lot, but we’ve always run well when we have come here,” Millington said. “We’re shooting to come here and have a Top-3 run, and I don’t see any reason why we can’t. We qualified on the pole last year for the CARS Tour race and led the race until the last restart. I’ve always had a good feel for what you need around this place and we’ve got it. We’ll come back with a little bit of confidence knowing we’ve got a good piece.”
Millington says that while the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 will be a tough race he likes the challenge.
Ryan Millington speeds down the frontstretch during a recent testing session at South Boston Speedway. Millington is confident of a solid outing when he returns to South Boston Speedway for the 19th running of the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 on Saturday night, June 28. (Photo: Joe Chandler/South Boston Speedway)
“I like the longer races,” Millington remarked. “Tires are a really huge thing at the end of it, so it’s a lot of fun and it falls into the drivers’ hands as to who can hustle all night long and put their car in the right spot at the right time. This track is one of those tracks where you have to run real hard all night, and you have to be smart to not tear your stuff up.”
Millington points out track position is going to be critical in the 200-lap race.
“I think it’s the big key,” he noted. “There is always a big pileup here at some point during that race, so I think being far enough up so that you hopefully miss it if there happens to be one is the key. You want to be in the top-three or top-five for the (mid-race) break. Being in that mix when it comes to that point in the race is going to be important.”
Millington knows the competition at South Boston Speedway is tough every week and will be especially tough in the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200. He does, however, have a driver in mind as to the driver to beat in the race.
“The one (driver) I have on my mind is my buddy Trevor Ward,” Millington pointed out.
“We talk a good bit every once-in-a-while. He always runs well up here. He works really hard and has good equipment.
“He’s kind of in the same boat as us,” Millington continued. “It’s just him and his buddy Corbin that do all the work on the car, and it’s just me and my dad (Scott Millington) to do all of ours. We’re kind of in the same boat, but we both know what’s going on with the ins and outs of our racecars and that makes us better. It should be fun to race against him.”
Four races are scheduled as part of the 19th running of the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 on June 28 at South Boston Speedway. Along with the 200-lap race for the Sentara Health Late Model Stock Car Division, there will be a 40-lap race for Budweiser Limited Sportsman Division, a 25-lap race for the Southside Disposal Pure Stock Division and a 15-lap race for the Dollar General Hornets Division A colorful patriotic Fourth of July fireworks show will follow the last race of the night.
Advance adult tickets for the Saturday night, June 28 Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 event are priced at $20 each. 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 for $20 each at the gate only on the day of the event.
The event schedule for the June 28 Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 has registration and pit gates and frontstretch spectator gates both opening at 10 a.m. Rotating practice sessions for the four divisions will run from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Backstretch and Turn 4 tailgate gates open at 3:30 p.m.
Go Halifax Late Model Stock Car group qualifying starts at 4:15 p.m. A driver autograph session is slated from 5:15 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. Pre-race ceremonies will start at 6:30 p.m. and the first race of the night will start at 7 p.m.
SOUTH BOSTON, Va. — Landon Huffman believes his Carroll Speedshop team is on the cusp of something great. That confidence gives Huffman a healthy dose of optimism for both he and his teammate Brandon Pierce in the 19th running of the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 on Saturday night, June 28 at South Boston Speedway.
“I think both of us are right on the edge of doing a lot of really good things,” Huffman remarked. “We’ve both had solid racecars in the CARS Tour races. We haven’t qualified like we’ve needed to some weeks, but we’ve always driven the field pretty much every week and had good, solid racecars. We’ve been right there at the end but had some bad luck here or there or maybe have a self-inflicted issue here and there. We’re right on the edge of being able to close out these races. If we start doing that, I don’t see any reason why both cars can’t be in contention to win any given weekend.”
The 200-lap race for the Sentara Health Late Model Stock Car Division is the kickoff race for the Virginia Triple Crown presented by FloRacing and pays $10,000 to win. The winner of the race will receive a guaranteed starting position in the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 at Martinsville Speedway on Saturday, September 27.
Huffman is excited about the race that he tabs as one of the top events in Late Model Stock Car racing. He finished fourth in the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 in 2023 and is looking forward to returning to South Boston Speedway.
“It’s one of the biggest races that we have an opportunity to chase as a Late Model driver,” Huffman said.
“It’s right up in there in that category of elite races that you want to add to your resume as a Late Model driver. We circle all the big ones, but I was looking forward to coming back with how well I ran there in 2023. That was my first-ever attempt at any of the Triple Crown races.
“I’m excited to be there,” Huffman continued. “It’s a big weekend, and it always has that “big race” feel. The fans always show out for it. There are always a bunch of cars. It’s what I consider down-home grassroots real short track racing at its peak.”
The former Hickory Motor Speedway champion said winning the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 would be one of the top victories of his career.
Landon Huffman speeds down the track during a practice session prior to the start of one of this season’s zMAX CARS Tour events. Huffman returns to South Boston Speedway on Saturday night, June 28 for the 19th running of the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200. (Photo: Joshua White/zMAX CARS Tour)
“If we were able to finally put everything together and find ourselves in Victory Lane it will be one of the biggest wins of my career, right next to the Old North State Nationals in 2023 on the CARS Tour,” Huffman remarked.
“I know that it will be one of the largest wins in Carroll Speedshop’s tenure as well. It would mean a lot for me, a lot for my guys, and for Justin and John Carroll, the owners of Carroll Speedshop. South Boston is a special place for them too. Every Late Model guy wants to win at South Boston. If we were able to do it in the biggest race of the year it would be pretty special.”
Huffman and his team have been gaining momentum in recent outings as the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 looms on the horizon.
“I feel like we’ve been very competitive,” Huffman pointed out. “This is my first full-time season at Carroll Speedshop in the number 57 car. I’ve been able to mesh with this group pretty well. We’ve had strong race cars. We haven’t found Victory Lane yet, but we’ve run really, really strong and been inside the top three a number of weeks.”
Huffman feels the factors he has on his side will give him a strong shot at a win or solid finish in the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200.
“South Boston Speedway definitely suits my driving style,” Huffman noted. “South Boston and places with a lot of grip seem to play into my wheelhouse a little bit better. I also feel like the chassis I’m in right now seem to roll really well at places like South Boston. We have the right combination of chassis, we’ve got good motors, and the track fits me as well. That all hopefully will come together to give us a good shot.”
Four races are slated as part of the 19th running of the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 at South Boston Speedway. In addition to the 200-lap race for the Sentara Health Late Model Stock Car Division, fans will see a 40-lap race for Budweiser Limited Sportsman Division, a 25-lap race for the Southside Disposal Pure Stock Division and a 15-lap race for the Dollar General Hornets Division. A dazzling patriotic Fourth of July fireworks show will follow the last race of the night.
Advance adult tickets for the June 28 Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 event are priced at $20 each. 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 for $20 each at the gate only on the day of the event.
The event schedule for the June 28 Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 has registration and pit gates and frontstretch spectator gates both opening at 10 a.m. Rotating practice sessions for the four divisions will run from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Backstretch and Turn 4 tailgate gates open at 3:30 p.m.
Go Halifax Late Model Stock Car group qualifying starts at 4:15 p.m. A driver autograph session is slated from 5:15 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. Pre-race ceremonies will start at 6:30 p.m. and the first race of the night will start at 7 p.m.
SOUTH BOSTON, Va. — The 19th running of the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 at South Boston Speedway on Saturday night, June 28 is a special race for a number of reasons, but it is particularly special for Brandon Pierce.
For one, South Boston Speedway is where he cut his racing teeth in the Late Model Stock Car division.
“It’s always great to race at the track I call home,” Pierce said. “I started my Late Model Stock Car racing career there in 2016, and I raced at South Boston full-time in 2016, 2017 and the greater part of 2018, even though that was my first season racing on the CARS Tour full time.”
In addition, the race is sponsored by his family’s business, Thunder Road Harley-Davidson, which he carries on his car.
“This race holds a special place in my heart,” Pierce said. “Thunder Road Harley-Davidson was sponsoring this race long before I started racing Late Model Stocks, so it’s always been a very special race to my family, to our company and our business. It’s something we take a lot of pride in representing. That’s why we have done it for so long.”
Pierce takes a lot of pride in being part of the event.
“I have a lot of pride to be able to do this, represent Thunder Road Harley-Davidson in a great manner, and also be a part of the weekend in any way I can because it is a family business for us,” Pierce said.
“I try to make sure everything is running smoothly and everything that is needed for the event is able to happen. There is also a lot of pride to be able to carry the (Thunder Road Harley-Davidson) colors on our car.”
The Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 is the biggest race of the season for Pierce.
Brandon Pierce speeds down the track during practice prior to the start of one of this season’s zMAX CARS Tour events. Pierce is looking for a good outing when he returns to South Boston Speedway for the 19th running of the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 on Saturday night, June 28. (Photo: zMAX CARS Tour)
“It’s a race I always have circled on the calendar every year,” he pointed out. “It’s a race I put a lot of emphasis on every year. If I could ever pull it off and win the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 it would be the biggest win of my career and the most special win. It’s something I strive toward trying to accomplish every time it comes up on the calendar.”
Pierce races as part of a two-car team fielded by Carroll Speedshop, which also features veteran racer Landon Huffman. The team has exhibited consistency through the first half of the season and has shown a great deal of improvement from last season.
“Our group at Carroll Speedshop has shown a lot of speed this year,” Pierce noted. “I think we’re leaps and bounds better than we were last year, not that we weren’t good, we just had some inconsistency. One thing that has been great to see this year is we’ve had consistency. Unfortunately, like this past weekend (in the zMAX CARS Tour race at Dominion Raceway), our finishes might not show it. For the most part, we’ve been running inside the top 10 pretty much every race and would be able to finish there if we wouldn’t have had bad luck. This past weekend I blew a right front tire while running eighth, and that took us out of contention for a top-10 finish. We’re going to put our best foot forward with the two cars, and hopefully myself and Landon can pull it off and keep the trophy close to home for Thunder Road.”
Pierce, who has two career top-five finishes in the event, pointed out the competition in the June 28 Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 is going to be very tough and that South Boston Speedway’s “regulars” will be tough to beat on their home track.
“The Late Model Stock class is strong at South Boston Speedway every year,” Pierce said. “Regardless of the quantity of cars, the quality of the cars is top notch. I know Trevor (Ward) and Peyton (Sellers) will be very tough to beat. Peyton is always very tough to beat in that race, and Trevor has shown this year he is very strong. Landon Pembelton has been strong as well, especially over the course of the last couple of races up there. I think it’s safe to say those three have a little bit of an edge.
“I know those three are going to be very hard to beat,” he added, “but I also know there is going to be a handful of others that will be tough to beat as well.”
A four-race card will be featured as part of the 19th running of the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 at South Boston Speedway. Along with the 200-lap race for the Sentara Health Late Model Stock Car Division, there will be a 40-lap race for Budweiser Limited Sportsman Division, a 25-lap race for the Southside Disposal Pure Stock Division and a 15-lap race for the Dollar General Hornets Division. A colorful patriotic Fourth of July fireworks show will follow the last race of the night.
Advance adult tickets for the June 28 Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 event are priced at $20 each. 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 for $20 each at the gate only on the day of the event.
The Saturday, June 28 event schedule has registration and pit gates opening at 10 a.m. and frontstretch spectator gates opening at 10 a.m. Rotating practice sessions for the four divisions will run from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Backstretch and Turn 4 tailgate gates open at 3:30 p.m.
Go Halifax Late Model Stock Car group qualifying starts at 4:15 p.m. A driver autograph session is slated from 5:15 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. Pre-race ceremonies will start at 6:30 p.m. and the first race of the night will start at 7 p.m.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — NASCAR and White Mountain Motorsports Park have postponed Saturday’s scheduled NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event one day to Sunday as a forecast for inclement weather impacts the area.
The race will now begin at 2:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, June 29.
The weather delays the Modified Tour’s return to White Mountain following a five-year absence by a day. The Tour ran a pair of races at the track in 2020, won by Justin Bonsignore and Doug Coby.
