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By Joe Chandler

South Boston Speedway

Layne Riggs took another step towards the South Boston Speedway (SBS) NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Late Model Stock Car Division title with a sweep of the twin 50-lap races that headlined Saturday night’s Billy’s A/C Service Night event at SBS.

Riggs, of Bahama, North Carolina, grabbed the lead from Jacob Borst of Elon, North Carolina on the final lap and edged Borst by .217-second to win the first 50-lap race.

After starting ninth in the second race as the result of an inverted start among the top finishers of the opening race, Riggs quickly sped to the front of the field, passing Bruce Anderson of South Boston, for the lead with 24 laps to go. From there, Riggs led the rest of the way, pulling away to edge runner-up Camden Gullie of Durham, North Carolina by 1.208 seconds.

“This was two big wins for us,” Riggs said after the sweep that ran his season win total at SBS to nine victories in 13 starts.

“I feel like our car is back. We’ve kind of struggled since the 200-lap race on Saturday, July 2 and a little before that with bad luck or getting wrecked or something. Tonight, the cards fell our way.

Defending NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series national champion and six-time SBS winner Peyton Sellers of Danville, finished third in the first race with Gullie and Conner Jones of Fredericksburg, rounding out the top five finishers.

Anderson finished third in the second race in what was his best effort of the season while racing a limited schedule. Chris Denny of Timberlake, North Carolina and Terry Dease of Oxford, North Carolina rounded out the top five finishers in the second race.

Borst and Sellers were involved in early-race accidents, but both returned to finish the race, although being many laps down. Sellers finished tenth and Borst finished eleventh. Borst had led 49 laps of the first 50-lap race.

There were two lead changes among three drivers in the second race.

BARNES SCORES WIN IN

LIMITED SPORTSMAN DIVISION RACE

Kyle Barnes of Draper continued his recent domination of the Budweiser Limited Sportsman Division race by winning Saturday night’s 50-lap race at SBS.

While Barnes scored his third straight win and his fourth win in the past five races, it was perhaps his most difficult win of the season.

Barnes started 11th in the 13-car field, and while several drivers swapped the lead and positions at the front of the field, Barnes picked them off one-by-one. He took the lead from North Carolinian Ronald Renfrow on the 30th circuit and led the final 21 laps, edging Carter Russo of Rougemont, North Carolina by 1.568 seconds at the finish.

Renfrow, making his first start at SBS, finished third with Drew Dawson of Nathalie and Jason Myers of Hurt, completing the top five finishers.

There were five lead changes among five drivers in the race that was slowed by two caution periods.

CREWS, LAYNE SPLIT

PURE STOCK DIVISION TWINBILL

In what was some of the best racing of the season in SBS’s Southside Disposal Pure Stock Division Nathan Crews of Long Island, and Johnny Layne of Halifax, split wins in Saturday night’s twin 15-lap races.

In the first race, Crews took the lead from Scott Phillips of Halifax, with two laps to go and edged Phillips by a car length to earn the win. Layne finished third with Zach Reaves of South Boston and Andrew Turner rounding out the top five finishers.

Layne started second in the second race, got a good jump on the initial start, and held off fast-closing Nathan Crews by .207 second to pick up the win.

Phillips, Zach Reaves and Andrea Ruotolo of South Boston rounded out the top five finishers.

Crews’ win in the opening race was his fifth of the season. Layne’s win was his fourth of the season.

CURRIN TAKES VICTORY

Kevin Currin of Chase City won Saturday night’s 20-lap Virginia State Police HEAT Hornets Division race, edging runner-up Kendall Milam of Keeling, by almost a second.

The win was the fourth win of the season for Currin in seven starts.

Dillon Davis of Nathalie, Steven Layne of Nathalie, and Jason DeCarlo of Chase City, rounded out the top five finishers.

Currin took the lead from Layne with nine laps to go in the race and led the rest of the way.

NEXT EVENT AT SBS

SBS will celebrate its 65th anniversary during the month of August with two big events.

The first of those events is the Davenport Energy Night event on Saturday, Aug.6.

To highlight the track’s 65th anniversary, the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Late Model Stock Car Division competitors will battle it out in Twin 65-lap races.

The six-race card will also include 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.

Fans will be able to see a glimpse of the past as they will be treated to a 25-lap race for the Southern Ground Pounders Vintage Racing Club to round out the night’s action

Grandstand gates will open at 5:30 p.m., qualifying begins at 6 p.m. and the first race of the night will get the green flag at 7 p.m.

Advance adult general admission tickets may be purchased online at www.southbostonspeedway.com, or by calling the speedway office at (434) 572-4947.

Tickets at the gate on race night will be $15 each. Seniors ages 65 and older, military, healthcare workers, and students (with ID) can purchase tickets for $10 each at the gate on race night.