Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 at South Boston Speedway Holds a Special Place in Brandon Pierce’s Heart

By Joe Chandler

Director, Public Relations

South Boston Speedway

SOUTH BOSTON, VA (June 17, 2025) – The 19th running of the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 at South Boston Speedway on Saturday night, June 28 is a special race for a number of reasons, but it is particularly special for Brandon Pierce.

For one, South Boston Speedway is where he cut his racing teeth in the Late Model Stock Car Division.

“It’s always great to race at the track I call home,” Pierce said. “I started my Late Model Stock Car racing career there in 2016, and I raced at South Boston full-time in 2016, 2017 and the greater part of 2018, even though that was my first season racing on the CARS Tour fulltime.”

In addition, the race is sponsored by his family’s business, Thunder Road Harley-Davidson, which he carries on his car.

“This race holds a special place in my heart,” the Kernersville, North Carolina resident remarked. “Thunder Road Harley-Davidson was sponsoring this race long before I started racing Late Model Stocks, so it’s always been a very special race to my family, to our company and our business. It’s something we take a lot of pride in representing. That’s why we have done it for so long.”

Pierce takes a lot of pride in being part of the event.

“I have a lot of pride to be able to do this, represent Thunder Road Harley-Davidson in a great manner, and also be a part of the weekend in any way I can because it is a family business for us,” Pierce said. “I try to make sure everything is running smoothly and everything that is needed for the event is able to happen. There is also a lot of pride to be able to carry the (Thunder Road Harley-Davidson) colors on our car.”

The Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 is the biggest race of the season for Pierce.

“It’s a race I always have circled on the calendar every year,” he pointed out. “It’s a race I put a lot of emphasis on every year. If I could ever pull it off and win the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 it would be the biggest win of my career and the most special win. It’s something I strive toward trying to accomplish every time it comes up on the calendar.”

Pierce races as part of a two-car team fielded by Carroll Speedshop, which also features veteran racer Landon Huffman. The team has exhibited consistency through the first half of the season and has shown a great deal of improvement from last season.

“Our group at Carroll Speedshop has shown a lot of speed this year,” Pierce noted. “I think we’re leaps and bounds better than we were last year, not that we weren’t good, we just had some inconsistency. One thing that has been great to see this year is we’ve had consistency. Unfortunately, like this past weekend (in the zMAX CARS Tour race at Dominion Raceway), our finishes might not show it. For the most part, we’ve been running inside the top 10 pretty much every race and would be able to finish there if we wouldn’t have had bad luck. This past weekend I blew a right front tire while running eighth, and that took us out of contention for a Top-10 finish. We’re going to put our best foot forward with the two cars, and hopefully myself and Landon can pull it off and keep the trophy close to home for Thunder Road.”

Pierce, who has two career Top-5 finishes in the event, pointed out the competition in the June 28 Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 is going to be very tough and that South Boston Speedway’s “regulars” will be tough to beat on their home track.

“The Late Model Stock class is strong at South Boston Speedway every year,” Pierce said. “Regardless of the quantity of cars, the quality of the cars is top notch. I know Trevor (Ward) and Peyton (Sellers) will be very tough to beat. Peyton is always very tough to beat in that race, and Trevor has shown this year he is very strong. Landon Pembelton has been strong as well, especially over the course of the last couple of races up there. I think it’s safe to say those three have a little bit of an edge.

“I know those three are going to be very hard to beat,” he added, “but I also know there is going to be a handful of others that will be tough to beat as well.”

A four-race card will be featured as part of the 19th running of the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 at South Boston Speedway. Along with the 200-lap race for the Sentara Health Late Model Stock Car Division, there will be a 40-lap race for Budweiser Limited Sportsman Division, a 25-lap race for the Southside Disposal Pure Stock Division and a 15-lap race for the Dollar General Hornets Division. A colorful patriotic Fourth of July fireworks show will follow the last race of the night.

Advance adult tickets for the June 28 Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 event are priced at $20 each. Tickets at the gate on race day will be $25 each. Seniors ages 65 and older, military, healthcare workers, and students (with ID) can purchase tickets for $20 each at the gate only on the day of the event.

The Saturday, June 28 event schedule has registration and pit gates opening at 10 a.m. and frontstretch spectator gates opening at 10 a.m. Rotating practice sessions for the four divisions will run from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Backstretch and Turn 4 tailgate gates open at 3:30 p.m.

Go Halifax Late Model Stock Car group qualifying starts at 4:15 p.m. Adriver autograph session is slated from 5:15 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. Pre-race ceremonies will start at 6:30 p.m. and the first race of the night will start at 7 p.m.

The latest news and updates about the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 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.