Youthful Field, New Racing Surface Should Provide Exciting Night of Racing For K&N East Series at South Boston Speedway

By:
On:
In: Speedway News

The last time the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East visited South Boston Speedway most of this season’s top 10 drivers were in elementary school.

While many things have changed since the series last raced at the track in 2011, one thing remains the same headed into Saturday night’s whosyourdriver.org Twin 100s: the .4-mile oval still offers amazing excitement.

The K&N East Series showcases the young, rising stars of the sport, hence a youthful field with little race experience at South Boston prior to the 7 p.m. green flag Saturday for the first of the two 100-lap races.

Sixteen-year-old Harrison Burton, the series’ most recent winner and points leader, has plenty of ties to South Boston, both the track and town. His family’s roots run deep in the South Boston area and his father Jeff and uncle Ward both began their long and successful NASCAR careers at South Boston Speedway.

Burton was one of several drivers who tested at the track last week, something he hopes will pay dividends Saturday night.

“It’s a huge advantage to have track time anywhere, but especially on a new surface,” said Burton. “The track has changed tremendously. I hope to learn more when we test their again prior (Friday) to the race.”

Not only is South Boston’s racing surface new to most of the field, it’s new to everyone. The track was repaved over the winter months and the result has been wicked-fast speeds.

“I’ve never been to South Boston,” said Todd Gilliland, who is chasing both the K&N East and West championships this season. “They recently repaved the track. It’s going to be a lot faster than it was. It might be a good thing that I’ve never been there so I have nothing to judge off of from previous races.”

While most of the field has never turned a competitive lap at South Boston Speedway, two drivers in the field have recorded thousands of laps on the track. Peyton Sellers of Danville, and Matt Bowling of Ridgeway, both regular competitors and track champions at South Boston, are entered in Saturday’s races.

Bowling, the reigning South Boston and NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national champion, will be making his first K&N East start. Sellers ran the full K&N East schedule in 2007 and 2008 and was third in the points in 2007.

“I do feel comfortable in these cars,” said Sellers, who actually holds the K&N East qualifying record at South Boston. His speed of 92.414 was good enough to capture the pole for the 2007 race and set the series’ record at South Boston. “These cars have always seemed to fit my style. We’ve got a good car, a good engine. I feel like I can be competitive.”

Saturday night’s format … two 100-lap championship points-paying races … is unique and should provide another interesting twist to the evening.

“A lot of us have done the twin races before at our local short tracks, but never in a top NASCAR series,” said Burton. “It’s a different mindset where you have to go hard but still save something for that second race.”

In addition to the twin K&N East races, there will be a 20-lap race for South Boston Speedway’s Budweiser Hornets Division and a 25-lap race for the regional touring Southern Ground Pounders

Grandstand gates open at 4:30 p.m. Saturday.

An autograph session for all drivers will be held trackside from 5:40 p.m. until 6:40 p.m. Pre-race activities start at 6:45 p.m. and the first of twin 100-lap races for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East competitors will get the green flag at 7 p.m.

Advance adult general admission tickets priced at $10 will be available at the South Boston Speedway office until 5 p.m. on Friday, May 5. Adult general admission tickets on race day will be $15. Admission for youth ages 7-12 will be $5. Kids ages six and under will be admitted free with a paying adult. Advance tickets may be purchased by calling the track at 877-440-1540.

Also on May 6, the 14th Annual Halifax County Heritage and Antique Machinery Festival will be held at the Halifax County Fairgrounds adjacent to the speedway. Anyone presenting a wristband from the Heritage Festival will receive $5 off the cost of admission to the whosyourdriver.org Twin 100s.

SBS PR

Speedway Digest Staff
Follow Me
Latest posts by Speedway Digest Staff (see all)
Post Views: 73