Two vets split pair of races at South Boston
Published 10:08 am Thursday, May 20, 2021
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
A pair of veteran drivers, 2019 NASCAR national runner-up Mike Looney of Catawba and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series competitor Timothy Peters of Danville split wins in the twin 75-lap NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Late Model Stock Car Division races that headlined Saturday night’s First Responders Night at the Races event at South Boston Speedway.
Looney squeezed past Peters with eight laps to go and edged Peters by almost a second to score his first career win at South Boston Speedway.
“This has been the track in Virginia that has eluded us,” Looney noted after his win. “This was the top of my goal list. We really wanted to win one down here. We’ve been so close, and things just didn’t pan out, but we got it tonight.”
Peters took the lead at the outset and held it until Looney made a strong late-race bid.
“He did a heck of a job,” Looney said of Peters.
“He worked that high line well. I never saw that coming. I liked to have never gotten by him.”
Peters said he went to the top of the track trying to find grip.
“I kept trying to get up higher and higher, trying to find some more grip and jumped the cushion, made a mistake and he got by me. He was doing what he had to do pressuring me to make a mistake and I did.”
Aaron Donnelly of Stafford finished third with Jacob Borst of Elon, North Carolina and Carter Langley of Zebulon, North Carolina rounding out the top five finishers.
The nightcap featured a second battle between Looney and Peters, but that battle ended when Looney crashed on the front stretch on Lap 28 while battling Peters for the lead. Peters held on from there, fending off brief challenges that followed a pair of restarts after caution periods to edge Camden Gullie of Durham, North Carolina by 1.674 seconds and secure the victory.
Peters’ last win at South Boston Speedway came in 2015.
“It feels good to be here at South Boston Speedway and win a race or have the night like we had tonight,” Peters remarked at the close of his night that included a runner-up finish and a win.
“They don’t come often.”
Peters gave kudos to Looney and his effort in the twinbill.
“Hats off to him and his guys,” Peters said.
“He had a great car tonight. He was the one to beat, and I was just trying to hold him off. Mike’s a great person and a great driver, and his owner is a great person too.”
Donnelly finished third, with Langley taking the fourth spot and Stuart Crews of Long Island rounding out the top five finishers.
Daniel Moss of Danville started on the pole and led the entire distance in winning Saturday night’s 50-lap Limited Sportsman Division race. The win was his third victory of the season.
J.D. Eversole of North Chesterfield took the runner-up spot, finishing 1.077 second behind Moss. Drew Dawson of Nathalie finished third, with Jason Myers of Hurt and Danny Willis Jr. of South Boston rounding out the top five finishers.
Nathan Crews of Long Island remained perfect in the Budweiser Pure Stock Division by sweeping Saturday night’s twin 15-lap races.
Crews started at the rear of the field in the opening race and sped past leader Justin Dawson of Nathalie on the ninth circuit to take the lead. Once in front, Crews never surrendered the lead and edged Dawson for the win.
Bruce Mayo of Halifax finished third with Johnny Layne of Halifax and Jared Dawson of Nathalie completing the top five finishers.
Crews started fifth in the second race, grabbed the lead from Layne with four laps to go and held on to record his sixth win in six starts this season.
Layne finished second .618-second behind Crews, with Justin Dawson, Randy Hupp of Halifax, and Mayo rounding out the top five finishers.
Josh Dawson of Halifax earned his fourth win in five starts with his victory in Saturday night’s 15-lap Budweiser Hornets Division race.
Dawson grabbed the lead from Kevin Currin of Chase City on the fourth lap and edged Jared Dawson of Nathalie for the victory.
Currin finished third, Jason DeCarlo of Chase City finished fourth and Andrea Ruotolo of South Boston finished fifth.
NASCAR racing action returns to South Boston Speedway Saturday, May 29 with the Southside Disposal Night at the Races racing program.
Headlining the night’s action is a 100-lap race for the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Late Model Stock Car Division. The event will include twin 25-lap races for the Limited Sportsman Division, a 30-lap race for the Budweiser Pure Stock Division and a 15-lap race for the Budweiser Hornets Division.
The race day schedule has registration and pit gates opening at 2 p.m. Practice will begin at 4 p.m. and grandstand gates will open at 5:30 p.m. Qualifying will start at 6 p.m. and the first race will get the green flag at 7 p.m.