Event Recap: Pembelton, Ward Split Saturday Late Model Stock Car Twinbill at South Boston Speedway

By Joe Chandler

Director, Public Relations

South Boston Speedway

SOUTH BOSTON, VA (May 24, 2025) – Landon Pembelton and Trevor Ward split the twin 75-lap Sentara Health Late Model Stock Car Division races that headlined Saturday night’s Oak River Realty Race Night event at South Boston Speedway.

Pembelton’s win in the opening race was his first win at South Boston Speedway since August 5, 2023. The Amelia, Virginia resident finished second in the second 75-lap race after starting seventh as a result of an inverted start among the top finishers of the opening race, with the runner-up finish equaling his results on that August night in 2023.

He edged two-time NASCAR national champion and seven-time South Boston Speedway champion Peyton Sellers of Danville, Virginia by 3.348 seconds in earning his third career Late Model Stock Car Division win at South Boston Speedway.

“It’s huge,” Pembelton said of the win, “definitely a monkey off of our back. We’ve been working really hard at this thing trying to get the car better and better. We hit the nail on the head tonight.”

Sellers had to start mid-field in the first race under the track’s handicapping system after having the twin-race event on May 10 and started eighth. He worked his way up to second place by lap 25 but was unable to challenge Pembelton for the win in the closing stages of the race.

Craig Moore of Rougemont, North Carolina finished third after leading twice for a total of 14 laps with Jacob Borst of Elon, North Carolina and Ward rounding out the top five finishers.

There were four lead changes among three drivers with Pembelton leading twice for a total of 55 laps. Darren Krantz Jr. led the first six laps until the front suspension on car broke, causing him to lose a wheel.

Mike Looney of Catawba, Virginia was in contention only to see his night end prematurely due to a crash on the 12th lap that heavily damaged his car.

The second race was just as exciting as it had four lead changes among two drivers. It was Ward and Deac McCaskill trading the lead early with Ward taking the lead on the ninth lap and leading the final 67 circuits to secure his third win of the season at South Boston Speedway.

Ward, who entered Saturday night’s event as the division points leader, called his win in the second race and his fifth-place finish in the opener “an all-in-all great night.”

“We struggled the first race,” he added, “made some rebound changes, and was able to come back and capitalize on a win. It was an awesome opportunity to do that.”

After Ward sped past McCaskill on the ninth lap he was able to gradually extend his lead. Pembelton moved into second place on lap 48 but was not able to challenge Ward as Ward had pulled away to a sizeable lead over his fellow competitors. Ward crossed the finish line 7.7 seconds ahead of Pembelton with Borst finishing third, Blake Stallings of Danville, Virginia taking fourth place and McCaskill rounding out the top five finishers. McCaskill led twice in the race for a total of seven laps.

Sellers started sixth in the race but was sidelined in a crash on the second lap, leaving him with an 11th-place finish.

Budweiser Limited Sportsman Division Race Results Declared Unofficial

South Boston Speedway track NASCAR officials declared the results of the twin 30-lap Budweiser Limited Sportsman Division races that were part of Saturday’s Oak River Realty Race Night at South Boston Speedway unofficial following the event.

Fourteen-year-old Lane Woods of Moneta, Virginia crossed the finish line first in the first 30-lap race with veteran racer Nathan Crews of Long Island, Virginia doing likewise in the second 30-lap race.

Jacob Derrick of Hampton, Virginia, Zach Peregoy of Clarksville, Virginia, Crews and Tristan Brunelli of Powhatan, Virginia unofficially rounded out the top five finishers.

In the second 30-lap race, Hayes, Virginia native Atley Wiese, Woods, Brunelli and Drew Dawson of Nathalie, Virginia unofficially rounded out the top five finishers.

B.J. Reaves Scores Win In 25-Lap Southside Disposal Pure Stock Division Race

B.J. Reaves of South Boston, Virginia took the lead from pole winner Scott Philips of Halifax, Virginia on the opening lap and drove to a .952-second win over Dillon Davis of Nathalie, Virginia in the 25-lap Southside Disposal Pure Stock Division race Saturday night at South Boston Speedway.

Phillips finished third with Andrew Turner of Sutherlin, Virginia and Colby Pool of South Boston, Virginia rounding out the top five finishers.

Landon Milam Earns Win in The 20-Lap Dollar General Hornets Division Race

Landon Milam of Keeling, Virginia sped past defending division champion Jordaine Penick of Meherrin, Virginia on the sixth lap and led the rest of the way to win the 20-lap Dollar General Hornets Division race Saturday night at South Boston Speedway.

The win was Milam’s second straight win in the division.

Jason DeCarlo of Chase City, Virginia moved into second place on the 13th lap and took the runner-up spot, trailing Milam by .551-second at the finish. Dustin Davis of Nathalie, Virginia finished third, Penick finished fourth and Max Sangillo of Farmville, Virginia rounded out the top five finishers.

Next Race At South Boston Speedway

NASCAR racing returns to South Boston Speedway on Saturday night, June 7 with the God’s Pit Crew Race Night event.

That event will be First Responders Appreciation Night with first responders including police, fire, EMS, 911 dispatch, and healthcare workers being admitted free with proper ID.

It will be a big night of racing with twin races in three of the track’s four NASCAR-sanctioned racing divisions. Twin 75-lap races for the Sentara Health Late Model Stock Car Division will highlight the night’s racing action. There will also be twin 30-lap races for the Budweiser Limited Sportsman Division, twin 15-lap races for the Dollar General Hornets Division and a 25-lap race for the Southside Disposal Pure Stock Division.

Advance adult tickets for the God’s Pit Crew Race Night event are priced at $12. Tickets at the gate on race day will be $15 each. Suite tickets are available for $40 each. Seniors ages 65 and older, military, and students (with ID) can purchase tickets for $12 each at the gate only on the day of the event.

The tentative race-day schedule has registration and pit gates opening at 2 p.m. and practice starting at 3:25 p.m. Frontstretch grandstand gates open at 3:30 p.m. and backstretch and Turn 4 trackside parking gates open at 5:30 p.m. Qualifying starts at 6 p.m. and the first race of the night will get the green flag at 7 p.m.

The latest news and updates about the God’s Pit Crew Race Night event and all of South Boston Speedway events can be found on the speedway’s website, www.southbostonspeedway.com, by calling the speedway office at 434-572-4947 or toll free at 1-877-440-1540 during regular business hours, and through the track’s social media channels.

UNOFFICIAL EVENT RESULTS

Sentara Late Model Stock Car Race 1 Results

1 0 Pembelton, Landon

2 26 Sellers, Peyton

3 1 Moore, Craig

4 25 Borst, Jacob

5 77W Ward, Trevor

6 3 Williams, Trey

7 8 McCaskill, Deac

8 7 Sparks, Jeff

9 77S Stallings, Blake

10 42 Horton, Chris Jr

11 38 Keesee, Mark Jr

12 77P Crews, Trey III

13 87L Looney, Mike

14 26X Layne, Toby

15 77K Krantz, Darren Jr.

Sentara Late Model Stock Car Race 2 Results

1 77W Ward, Trevor

2 0 Pembelton, Landon

3 25 Borst, Jacob

4 77S Stallings, Blake

5 8 McCaskill, Deac

6 77P Crews, Trey III

7 7 Sparks, Jeff

8 42 Horton, Chris Jr

9 1 Moore, Craig

10 3 Williams, Trey

11 26 Sellers, Peyton

12 26X Layne, Toby

Budweiser Limited Sportsman Race 1 Results

1 92 Woods, Lane

2 88D Derrick, Jacob

3 12 Peregoy, Zachary

4 3 Crews, Nathan

5 18B Brunelli, Tristan

6 78 Wiese, Atley

7 8 Dawson, Drew

8 2 Daniel, Trace III

9 88 Dawson, Justin

10 1 Dawson, Jared

11 5 Peregoy, Beverly

12 89 Jenkins, Rob

13 62 Mountcasel, Ross

14 45 Towler, Justin

Budweiser Limited Sportsman Race 1 Results

1 3 Crews, Nathan

2 78 Wiese, Atley

3 92 Woods, Lane

4 18B Brunelli, Tristan

5 8 Dawson, Drew

6 12 Peregoy, Zachary

7 88D Derrick, Jacob

8 88 Dawson, Justin

9 1 Dawson, Jared

10 89 Jenkins, Rob

11 62 Mountcasel, Ross

12 5 Peregoy, Beverly

13 45 Towler, Justin

14 2 Daniel, Trace III

Southside Disposal Pure Stock Results

1 11 Reaves, Barry

2 63 Davis, Dillon

3 1 Phillips, Scott

4 76 Turner, Andrew

5 29 Pool, Colby

6 77 Reaves, Zach

7 28 Milam, Jarrett

Dollar General Hornets Results

1 83 Milam, Landon

2 54 Decarlo, Jason

3 51 Davis, Dustin

4 7 Penick, Jordaine

5 33 Sangillo, Christian

6 14 McCauley, Mark

7 24 Penick, Chris

8 2 Moore, Colton

9 29 Moss, Cameron