Craftsman presents ALLSTATE Ladies Night 150: Bad night for many drivers turns into a Late Model Stock Car victory for Eddie Johnson Saturday night at SoBo 

SOUTH BOSTON, VA. — There were a lot of unhappy competitors among the 29 Barkhouser Late Model Stock Car Division drivers when the checkered flag fell at the close of a 150-lap race Saturday night at South Boston Speedway. Eddie Johnson wasn't one of them, however.

Johnson, a veteran driver from Midlothian, Va., scored his first victory of the season at South Boston Speedway in the featured attraction of the Craftsman presents Allstate Ladies Night NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series race program.

Johnson was running in fourth-place with just over 50 laps remaining in the event. He moved atop the leader board, however, when the top three cars of Philip Morris of Ruckersville, Va., Drew Herring of Benson, N.C. and Adam Barker of Hurt, Va. got tangled in a crash on the backstretch. That wreck brought out the final caution period of the night and enabled Johnson to gain the lead.

Johnson, a multi-time winner throughout his career, took the green flag as the leader with 36 laps remaining in the race and fended off challenges from second-place finishing Davin Scites of Mooresville, N.C. and Wayne Ramsey of Amherst, Va., who finished third in the 29-car field. Scites sped past Ramsey with 11 laps remaining to claim the runner-up spot at the end.

Herring entered the night as the leader in the chase for the Late Model Stock Car Division crown at America's Hometown Track. After getting involved in the late-race wreck, Herring wound up finishing 18th in the unofficial rundown.

Jonathan Cash of Oxford, N.C., who entered the night second in the points chase, was also involved in a crash earlier in the event. Cash, however, got his car back in the field and wound up in 11th place in the rundown and unofficially moved atop the Late Model Stock Car point standings by four points over Herring.

The late-race melee was also costly to Morris, who had won last week's race at South Boston Speedway. Morris, who entered the night third in the NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series Division I point standings, finished in 17th place.

Richard Boswell of Friendship, Md. collected a fourth-place finish in the field after starting from the 23rd position, while Nick Smith of Hampton, Va. posted his third consecutive top-five run on the four-tenths mile asphalt oval by rounding out the top five drivers.

Curtis Truex of Mayetta, N.J. managed a sixth-place run for the night after qualifying in the 25th slot, while Scott Young of Mooresville, N.C. finished in the seventh position in the final rundown.

Randy Burnett of Concord, N.C. started 22nd, but motored to an eighth-place finish, while 28th-starting Chris Cepa recorded a ninth-place performance. Greg Sheppard of Princeton, West Va. rounded out the top 10 drivers in the field after beginning the race in the 26th slot.

Other top drivers who had problems Saturday night included Rodney Cook of Reidsville, N.C., who finished 29th, Speedy Faucette of Mebane, N.C., who placed 28th, Jason Dickerson of Ruckersville, Va., who was 26th, Jon Denning of Springfield, N.J., who finished 21st, and 19th-finishing Barker.

Danny Willis, Jr. scores emotional triumph in 50-lap Limited Sportsman Division race

Danny Willis, Jr. of Cluster Springs, Va. had a hard time fighting back tears in Victory Lane Saturday night at South Boston Speedway.

One year ago this past weekend, Willis, Jr. was mourning the loss of his father, Danny, Sr. Saturday night, Willis celebrated his first Strutmasters.com Limited Sportsman Division triumph. As he climbed from his winning ride, Willis dedicated the victory to his father, who also once raced at the four-tenths mile asphalt oval.

Willis started from the pole position after reeling off a qualifying lap of 16.438 seconds. After battling side-by-side with Bruce Anderson of South Boston, Va. for the first circuit, Willis motored out front and was never threatened the rest of the way.

Anderson, a nine-time winner and the point leader in the division, started the race on the outside of row one and managed to roll to a second-place finish, while Timmy Langford of Amelia, Va. placed third in the eight-car field.

Tommy Peregoy of Red Oak, Va. posted a fourth-place finish in the race, while Brian Pembleton of Amelia, Va. rounded out the top five drivers in the race, which was slowed by just one caution period.

Loveday scores 1st Pure Stock Division win of year

Corey Loveday of Cullen, Va. started from the pole and led every lap of the 30-lap Budweiser Pure Stock Division event to score his first triumph of the season.

Loveday qualified seventh in the 15-car field, but earned the pole position after a pre-race inversion of the top seven qualifiers. Justin Tucker of Elon, N.C. made a late pass to finish third in the race, while Keith Langston of Pittsboro, N.C. posted a third-place finish.

Chris Crosby of Scottsburg, Va. started 11th in the race, but roared to a fourth-place finish at the end, while Lee Anderson of Gladys, Va. rounded out the top five competitors.

Chuck Watkins of Stem, N.C., the points leader in the division, had a flat tire while battling Langston for the second position on the track late in the race and had to park his ride for the remainder of the race.

Cook scores Southern Vintage Modified triumph

Rodney Cook of Reidsville, N.C. didn't have a good run in Late Model Stock Car competition Saturday night at South Boston Speedway, but he did have a solid performance in the 25-lap race for the touring Southern Vintage Modified Series.

Cook, who finished 29th in the Late Model Stock Car event after being collected in an early-race incident, started from the pole position in the Southern Vintage Modified race and sped to a victory.

Darryl Lacks finished second in the 15-car field and was followed by Randy Smith in third place and Donnie Lacks in the fourth-place spot.

Troy Dowdy claimed a victory in the Sportsman Division portion of the Southern Vintage Modified event.