SOUTH BOSTON, VA (May 31, 2023) -- Things are beginning to look up for Camden Gullie.
After a string of races in which he was plagued by mechanical issues and bad luck, Gullie rebounded to post sixth-place finishes in twin races in South Boston Speedway’s most recent event on May 13. That serves as a hopeful sign that Gullie is on the cusp of seeing his fortunes turn around on a positive note.
“Overall, we’re making progress,” Gullie pointed out. “I don’t think it’s showing right now because of the bad luck we’ve been having. We’ve had some bad luck with the front crankshaft seal coming out. That, and some things just have not gone our way.”
The early portion of the 2023 season has not been particularly kind to the young Durham, North Carolina resident. Gullie has posted one Top-5 finish and six Top-10 finishes in his eight starts in the Sentara Health Late Model Stock Car Division at South Boston Speedway. He sits in fifth place in the division point standings entering the twin-75 lap Late Model races that will highlight the Bojangles Night Race event on Saturday night, June 3 at South Boston Speedway.
While he is behind in his marks from the two previous seasons, Gullie remains optimistic and continues to have high hopes for a successful season.
“It’s all about getting into a rhythm,” Gullie said. “This track changes a lot. It’s different every time we come here. Success is about hitting the nail on the head and finding the right (chassis) setup for that particular night. We’re just trying to find that right amount of stability all around. It comes down to a little bit of luck and skill.”
Gullie says it is tough to win races at South Boston Speedway because the best Late Model drivers in the business compete at South Boston Speedway each week.
“To win here says a lot about you and your team,” Gullie remarked. “It takes a lot to win here. You’ve just got to keep digging at it week-in and week-out and try to find something most competitors can’t find and try to be a little quicker than them.
“Personally, I love racing against the best competition,” he added. “You want to race against the best competition so that you can challenge yourself and make yourself a better driver. You don’t want to go race at a track where there is no one there so that you win. You don’t get better doing that.”
Warmer temperatures are predicted for this coming weekend and the approaching summer could mean good things for Gullie and his team. Over the course of the past two seasons, the majority of Gullie’s better finishes have come during the hot summer months.
“Last year the warmer weather did help us,” Gullie said. “Early in the year we ran fourth, fifth or sixth, and later in the season we started running a little better. Maybe that will happen again this year.”
This season is Gullie’s third straight season of racing in the Sentara Health Late Model Stock Car Division. His goal for this season is to win at least one race and finish in the top three in the final point standings.
“I really want to win a race up here,” Gullie remarked. “I haven’t won a Late Model race yet so to get our first win here would be huge. I’d love to win the championship here at South Boston. Peyton Sellers is kind of the top dog here so it’s hard. It’s going to take a lot to take the championship away from him. To come away with another Top-3 in points this season would be good for us.”
South Boston Speedway’s division championship battles will resume in the June 3 Bojangles Night Race. Six-time South Boston Speedway Champion Peyton Sellers of Danville, Virginia and Carter Langley of Zebulon, North Carolina are separated by only one point entering this weekend’s twin 75-lap Sentara Health Late Model Stock Car Division races. Jacob Borst of Elon, North Carolina sits in third place, 20 points behind Sellers.
Jason Myers of Hurt, Virginia leads Carter Russo of Rougemont, North Carolina and Ronnie Jones of Kenly, North Carolina by 13 points in Budweiser Limited Sportsman Division. The remaining two drivers in the top five are within 20 points of the leader.
Johnny Layne of Halifax, Virginia holds a narrow two-point lead over Zach Reaves of Danville, Virginia in the Southside Disposal Pure Stock Division point standings. Only 18 points separate the sixth-place driver in the standings from the division leader.
In the Virginia State Police HEAT Hornets Division, Dillon Davis of Nathalie, Virginia leads Steven Layne of Halifax, Virginia by a slim three-point margin. Only 17 points stand between Davis and the seventh-place driver in the standings.
The Saturday, June 3 Bojangles Night Race event at South Boston Speedway includes six races with twin 75-lap races for the Sentara Health Late Model Stock Car Division as the feature races.
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 Virginia State Police HEAT Hornets Division will round out the night’s racing action.
Registration and pit gates will open at 2 p.m. on Saturday. Frontstretch spectator gates will open at 3:20 p.m. and practice will start at 3:30 p.m. Backstretch spectator and tailgate section gates will open at 5:30 P.M. Qualifying starts at 6 p.m. and the first race will get the green flag at 7 p.m.
Advance adult general admission tickets for the Saturday, June 3 Bojangles Night Race event are priced at $12 each and 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 $15 each. Seniors ages 65 and older, military, healthcare workers, and students (with ID) can purchase tickets for $12 each at the gate on race day.
Fans and competitors can find the latest news and updates from South Boston Speedway on the speedway’s website, www.southbostonspeedway.com, on the track’s social media channels, and by phoning the speedway at 1-434-572-4947 or toll free 1-877-440-1540 during regular business hours.