A Clean Sweep: Landon Pembelton Dominates May 30 Late Model Twinbill at South Boston

Competitors Race In Remembrance, Honor Fallen Heroes And Late NASCAR star Kyle Busch

By Joe Chandler

Director, Public Relations

South Boston Speedway

SOUTH BOSTON, VA (May 30, 2026) – Landon Pembelton called it a surreal moment.

Moments after accepting the winner’s trophy in the wake of a dominant sweep of the twin 75-lap Hitachi Energy Late Model Stock Car Division races that headlined the Oak River Realty Race Night event at South Boston Speedway the Amelia, Virginia paused and took stock of what transpired.

“This is my first time sweeping South Boston,” Pembelton noted with a huge smile after notching his fourth win of the season. “You can’t ask for any more than that. It’s something you dream of. You don’t dream of getting cars like this often. I can’t thank Marcus Richmond and R&S Race Cars enough. I’m really thankful for my whole crew, my family, everyone that puts in a ton of hard work into this.”

Making the sweep even more special was that Pembelton honored the late Steve Dwyer, a late Army Chief Warrant Officer by carrying a decal honoring the fallen hero on his car.

Pembelton and competitors throughout the track’s four racing divisions placed decals honoring fallen heroes on their cars as part of the track’s Racing In Remembrance observance. Late NASCAR star Kyle Busch who passed away just over a week earlier, was also remembered.

“He (Dwyer) deserved every bit of it (the remembrance and recognition), Pembelton said. “He was a true warrior – a very talented individual. He passed away due to a freak accident while refueling a helicopter over the Mediterranean Sea. That and Kyle Busch passing away last week. It makes you reflect on it a lot and not take things for granted.”

Pembelton started on the pole and led all 75 laps of the first race of the Late Model twinbill, finishing just over two seconds ahead of runner-up Trevor Ward of Winston-Salem, North Carolina in the caution-free race.

Teenager Conner Weddell of Centerville, Maryland, eight-time South Boston Speedway champion Peyton Sellers of Danville, Virginia and Brandon Lopez rounded out the top five finishers of the first race.

Pembelton started 10th in the second race and needed only a handful of laps to march his way to the front of the field. He took the lead from Andrew Grady of Youngsville, North Carolina on the 14th lap and ran away from the field, building a quarter of a lap lead over Grady before seeing it wiped out by a caution flag with 25 laps to go.

Undaunted, Pembelton went back to work on the restart and drove to a 2.596-second win over Weddell with Blake Stallings of Danville, Virginia finishing third. Those were the best finishes the two drivers had posted at the .4-mile oval this season. Bobby McCarty of Kernersville, North Carolina and Ward rounded out the top five finishers. Sellers, who had been running in the top five was sidelined after 48 laps and finished 12th.

Teenagers Brunelli, Rundstrom Split Budweiser Limited Sportsman Division Twinbill

Teenagers Tristan Brunelli of Powhatan, Virginia and Brian Rundstrom Jr. of Green Bay, Virginia split wins in the twin 30-lap races for the Budweiser Limited Sportsman Division that were part of Saturday night’s Oak River Realty Race Night event at South Boston Speedway.

Tristan Brunelli bows after winning the first of two Budweiser Limited Sportsman races on Saturday night, a nod to the late Kyle Busch.

With their respective wins the two drivers became the division’s first repeat winners of the season.

Brunelli carried a decal on his car honoring fallen hero Marine Lance Corporal David Houck and Rundstrom’s car carried a decal honoring fallen hero Air Force Chief Warrant Officer Johnny W. Duce who involved in the 1st Battalion 8th Marine Operation in Iraqi Freedom.

Brunelli took the lead from pole winner Adam Murray on the sixth lap and led the rest of the way, driving to a 4.694-second win over Rundstrom. Bob Davis of Thaxton, Virginia, Collin Hilton of Eden, North Carolina and Bev Peregoy of Red Oak, Virginia followed in order.

Rundstrom edged Dan Rogers of Powhatan, Virginia by a 1.532-second margin in a four-lap dash to the finish that was created after a multi-car crash in the fourth turn on the 26th lap. The incident resulted in the race having to be stopped for a period of time.

Austin Dettor of Charlottesville, Virginia finished third, Brunelli finished fourth and Murray finished fifth.

Drew Dawson of Nathalie, Virginia, who entered the weekend sitting in third place in the NASCAR Local Racing Series Powered by O’Reilly Auto Parts Division II national point standings, finished seventh in the first race and sixth in the second race.

Johnny Layne Takes Southside Disposal Pure Stock Division Race Win

Johnny Layne of Halifax, Virginia won his second race in a row Saturday night, taking the top spot in the 25-lap Southside Disposal Pure Stock Division that was part of Saturday night’s Oak River Realty Race Night event at South Boston Speedway.

The win was Layne’s third victory in his last four starts and his 36th career win in the division, putting him one win shy of tying former division champion Nathan Crews’ record of 37 career wins.

It was a tough race for Layne as he had to battle his way forward from his fourth-place starting position. He worked his way past Jarrett Johnson of Danville, Virginia with two laps to go to take the lead and edged Johnson by .455-second at the finish.

Caleb Sanford of South Boston, Virginia, Dillon Davis of Nathalie, Virginia and Jay Hemenway of Wake Forest, North Carolina rounded out the top five finishers.

Landon Milam Wins 20-Lap Dollar General Hornets Division race

Landon Milam of Keeling, Virginia executed a skillful last-lap pass to edge former division champion Jason DeCarlo of Nelson, Virginia by .228-second to win Saturday night’s 20-lap Dollar General Hornets Division race at South Boston Speedway.

The win was the fourth in a row for Milam who has won four of his six starts this season.

Nichola Sykes of Elon, North Carolina crossed the finish line in third place but was disqualified following a post-race technical inspection by track NASCAR officials. The disqualification of Sykes moved Kristian Armstead of Martinsville, Virginia up to third place with Max Sangillo of Farmville, Virginia moving to fourth place and Chris Penick of Evington, Virginia completing the top five finishers.

Unofficial Results

Hitachi Energy Late Model Feature 1

Pos. Car Driver

1 0 Pembelton, Landon

2 77W Ward, Trevor

3 8W Weddell, Conner

4 26 Sellers, Peyton

5 6L Lopez, Brandon

6 6M McCarty, Bobby

7 77 Stallings, Blake

8 16 Butler, Sam

9 1G Grady, Andrew

10 90 Goin, John

11 08 Haislip, Carson

12 12 Peregoy, Zach

Hitachi Energy Late Model Feature 2

1 0 Pembelton, Landon

2 8W Weddell, Conner

3 77 Stallings, Blake

4 6M McCarty, Bobby

5 77W Ward, Trevor

6 1G Grady, Andrew

7 16 Butler, Sam

8 90 Goin, John

9 6L Lopez, Brandon

10 08 Haislip, Carson

11 12 Peregoy, Zach

12 26 Sellers, Peyton

Budweiser Limited Sportsman Feature 1

1 18B Brunelli, Tristan

2 88R Rundstrom, Brian

3 19 Davis, Bob

4 05 Hilton, Collin

5 5 Peregoy, Beverly

6 08 Dettor, Austin

7 8 Dawson, Drew

8 22 Winslow, Eric

9 14 Jones, Tucker

10 62 Mountcasel, Ross

11 1 Holdren, Dennis

12 3 Crews, Nathan

13 18G Goble, Cameron

14 33 Rogers, Dan

15 88D Dawson, Justin

16 8M McGowan, Landon

17 2 Daniel, Trace III

18 81 Murray, Adam

19 45C Crews, Stuart

Budweiser Limited Sportsman Feature 2

1 88R Rundstrom, Brian

2 33 Rogers, Dan

3 08 Dettor, Austin

4 18B Brunelli, Tristan

5 81 Murray, Adam

6 8 Dawson, Drew

7 62 Mountcasel, Ross

8 45 Towler, Justin

9 5 Peregoy, Beverly

10 19 Davis, Bob

11 5 Hilton, Collin

12 14 Jones, Tucker

13 8M McGowan, Landon

14 22 Winslow, Eric

15 18G Goble, Cameron

16 88D Dawson, Justin

17 2 Daniel, Trace III

DNS 1 Holdren, Dennis

DNS 3 Crews, Nathan

Southside Disposal Pure Stock Feature

1 9 Layne, Johnny

2 88 Johnson, Jarrett

3 31 Sanford, Caleb

4 63 Davis, Dillon

5 12 Hemenway, Jay

6 77 Reaves, Zach

7 11 Reaves, Barry

8 9 Sanford, Jacob

9 17 Allred, Joe III

10 10 Mayo, Anna

11 28 Milam, Kendall

Dollar General Hornets Feature

1 83 Milam, Landon

2 54 DeCarlo, Jason

3 76 Armstead, Kristian

4 33 Sangillo, Christian

5 24 Penick, Chris

6 29 Moss, Cameron

7 99 Clardy, Charles

8 67 Clardy, Drake

9 12 Ruotolo, Andrea

10 88 Milam, Kendall

11 3 Layne, Steven

DQ 8 Sykes, Nicholas

Next Event at South Boston Speedway

NASCAR Local Racing Series powered by O’Reilly Auto Parts racing action returns to South Boston Speedway on Saturday night, June 13 with the Benchmark Community Bank Race Night event featuring one of the season’s longest races for the Hitachi Energy Late Model Stock Car Division.

A 125-lap race for the Hitachi Energy Late Model Stock Car Division, the last of two 125-lap races slated for the division this season, headlines the night’s six-race card. Also slated are a 50-lap race for the Budweiser Limited Sportsman Division, twin 15-lap races for the Southside Disposal Pure Stock Division and a 20-lap race for the Dollar General Hornets Division. In addition, the Southern Ground Pounders Vintage Racing Club will make its second visit of the season to South Boston Speedway and will be featured in a 35-lap race.

The Saturday, June 13 event schedule has registration and pit gates opening at 2 p.m., practice starting at 3:25 p.m., frontstretch grandstand gates opening at 3:30 p.m., trackside parking gates opening at 5:30 p.m., qualifying at 6 p.m., pre-race ceremonies starting at 6:45 p.m. and the first race of the night starting at 7 p.m.

Adult advance tickets are priced at $12 each. Adult admission at the gate on race day is $15. Suite passes are $40 each. Seniors ages 65 and older, veterans and military personnel, first responders, healthcare workers and students with ID may purchase tickets for $12 each at the gate on race day. Kids ages 12 and under are admitted free.