SOUTH BOSTON, Va. (June 28, 2022) -- The largest entry list in years, a new format, a dazzling post-race Fourth of July fireworks display and a free Friday night Fan Fest are all part of South Boston Speedway’s premier showcase NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Late Model Stock Car Division event, the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 presented by Grand Atlantic Ocean Resort, set for 7 p.m. Saturday night, July 2.
A total of 48 cars are entered in Saturday’s 200-lap NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Late Model Stock Car Division race that pays $10,000 to win. That race is the opening race of the Virginia Late Model Triple Crown series which includes events at Langley Speedway and Martinsville Speedway.
The entry list includes last year’s winner, Bobby McCarty, two-time NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series national champion and six-time South Boston Speedway champion Peyton Sellers of Danville, Virginia, and South Boston Speedway points leader Layne Riggs of Bahama, North Carolina, who has won seven of 10 races at the .4-mile oval this season, and multi-time South Boston Speedway race winner Mike Looney of Catawba, Virginia.
Also on the entry list is Corey Heim who will compete in a Lee Pulliam Motorsports entry. Heim competes part-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, driving the No. 51 Toyota Tundra for Kyle Busch Motorsports. He also competes part-time in the ARCA Menards Series, driving the No. 20 Toyota Camry for Venturini Motorsports.
Heim has two Truck Series wins this season. His first win came in at Atlanta Motor Speedway, and he scored his second win in June at World Wide Technology Raceway. He won six races last year in the ARCA Menards Series.
Tate Fogleman, who drives the No. 30 Toyota Tundra in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series for On Point Motorsports, is also among the entries. Fogleman scored his first career win in the series last season at Talladega.
West coast Super Late Model standout Derek Thorn who competes on the SRL Southwest Tour, will be competing in his first Late Model race on the east coast in the event. Thorn won the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West championship in 2015 and in 2018 and is an accomplished Late Model driver.
Five of the top 11 drivers in the CARS Tour point standings are among the entries for the event. That group includes series points leader Carson Kvapil who drives an entry out of the JR Motorsports stable and has two wins on the tour this season, and Connor Hall, a one-time winner this season who sits fourth in the CARS Tour standings. Brandon Pierce of Kernersville, North Carolina who stands fifth in the standings with a trio of Top-10 finishes, and Mason Diaz, who stands eighth in that series, have also filed an entry for the race. McCarty, currently sits 11th in the series standings.
Saturday night’s 200-lap Late Model Stock Car Division race will have an exciting new format that will have the race being run in four stages. Stage One will end at lap 50 with a caution and Stage 2 will conclude at lap 100 with caution to be followed by a halfway break. The third stage will end at lap 150 with a caution and the final stage ends at lap 200 with the end of the race.
Along with the 200-lap Late Model Stock Car race, fans will see a 50-lap race for the Budweiser Limited Sportsman Division, a 25-lap race for the Southside Disposal Pure Stock Division and a 20-lap race for the Virginia State Police HEAT Hornets Division.
South Boston Speedway will host a free Fan Fest on Friday night, July 1, at 7:30 p.m. featuring a concert by popular country music performer Matt Boswell and the Hillbilly Blues Band. The free Fan Fest will follow a day of practice for drivers and teams that will be competing in Saturday night’s event.
A Fan Appreciation event will be held on Saturday from 5:15 p.m. until 6:15 p.m. during which fans will be able to go onto the track to meet the drivers, get autographs and get an up-close look at the cars.
“The largest entry list in years featuring an all-star lineup of top drivers and the new race format will make this year’s 200-lap race one of the most exciting Late Model races ever to be held here,” remarked South Boston Speedway General Manager Chase Brashears. “Fans will truly enjoy this event because not only will they get to see great racing, they can attend the free Fan Fest on Friday night and enjoy an hour-long Fan Appreciation autograph session prior to the race on Saturday.”
Advance tickets for the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 presented by Grand Atlantic Ocean Resort on Saturday night, July 2 are available for $15 each plus a $1.50 processing fee. The advance tickets may be purchased online on the South Boston Speedway website or by calling the speedway office. Tickets at the gate on race day will be $20 each.
Practice will start at 1:30 p.m., qualifying starts at 4:30 p.m., the autograph session will be held at 5:15 p.m. and the first race of the night will get the green flag at 7 p.m.
The latest updates and news for both fans and competitors can be found on the speedway’s website, southbostonspeedway.com, and the track’s social media channels. Information may also be obtained by phoning the speedway at 434-572-4947 or toll free at 1-877-440-1540 during regular business hours.