South Boston Speedway Honors Four 2019 Champions During Annual Champions Night Dinner

South Boston Speedway honored its four 2019 division champions and presented $47,000 in post-season awards Friday night during the track’s Champions Night dinner in South Boston.

Champions honored included NASCAR Whelen All American Series Late Model Stock Car Division title winner Peyton Sellers of Danville, Virginia, NASCAR Whelen All American Series Limited Sportsman Division title winner Danny Willis Jr. of South Boston, Virginia, NASCAR Whelen All American Series Budweiser Pure Stock Division title winner Nathan Crews of Long Island, Virginia and NASCAR Whelen All American Series Budweiser Hornets Division champion Kevin Currin of Chase City, Virginia.

Sellers won a record third straight South Boston Speedway NASCAR Late Model Stock Car Division championship in 2019, giving him five career South Boston Speedway NASCAR Late Model Stock Car Division championships. His five championships leave him just two behind David Blankenship of Mosely, Virginia who won seven South Boston Speedway titles.

“They say it always comes easier after the first one, but it’s not the truth,” Sellers remarked.

“We’ve had some good years. and we’ve had some bad years, but the last three years have been extremely good.

“I cherish every championship because they are hard to get,” added Sellers.

“It’s by the grace of God that I have been able to do it, to compete this long and be healthy.”

The Danville, Virginia resident had six wins, 15 Top-Five finishes and never finished outside of the Top 10 in his 18 starts. He also won one pole during the season, completed every lap run during the season, and never finished off of the lead lap.

Sellers’ six wins in 2019 gives him 33 career wins in the Late Model Stock Car Division at South Boston Speedway, putting him in fifth place on South Boston Speedway’s all-time Late Model Stock Car Division career wins list.

In addition to winning the 2019 championship, Sellers was named as the recipient of the South Boston Speedway Overall Most Popular Driver Award.

“I think it’s more important to win the Most Popular Driver Award,” Sellers pointed out.

“That meant more to me than the championship because it means you’re doing the right stuff off the track as well as on the track.”

Willis, who was unable to attend the awards dinner, earned his fourth career South Boston Speedway NASCAR Limited Sportsman Division championship in 2019. He also reached a milestone as his six victories in 2019 lifted him over the 40-win mark in the division.

In 2019, Willis won six times and scored 14 Top-Five finishes in his 16 starts, and never finished outside of the Top 10.

Along with receiving his championship awards, Willis received the award for the most wins and the division’s Hard Charger Award.

Crews became a first-time South Boston Speedway Budweiser Pure Stock Division champion in 2019, with his family-owned team earning a second straight title. Daniel Shelton won the division championship in 2018, driving the car out of Crews’ family stable.

“It’s really a feeling of being on top of the world,” Crews said of winning his first championship in his 12-year racing career.

“It’s a dream come true. To win it the way we did, winning as many races as we did, winning as many poles as we did, means a lot. It’s really humbling after 12 years of trying to finally achieve it. I hope we can continue on and win a bunch more before I finally give up racing.”

Crews’ stats for the 2019 season were impressive. The Long Island, Virginia resident won nine times and had 13 Top-Five finishes in his 15 starts. He never finished outside of the Top 10, and captured seven pole wins.

In addition to taking home his championship awards, Crews received awards for Most Wins, Most Poles, the Division Lap Leader Award, and the division’s Hard Charger Award.

After having been the division runner-up for the previous two seasons, Currin got back to the top of the NASCAR Budweiser Hornets Division in 2019.

Currin, who won the division title in the first year of Hornets Division competition in 2014, won his second career division title last season. He holds the distinction of having competed in every South Boston Speedway Hornets Division race since the division was started in 2014.

Currin’s 2019 season was a good one, as he captured three wins and finished in the Top Five in all 12 of the division’s 2019 season races.

In addition to taking home the division championship awards, Currin also received the division’s Hard Charger Award.

“I was tired of being the bridesmaid after finishing second the last two years,” Currin said, “and I really wanted last season to solidify the championship I won in 2014. It was really special for us to get it.

“I’m real competitive,” Currin added, “and to win a championship at a track like South Boston Speedway is hard to describe. To have won two (championships) now is awesome.”

South Boston Speedway will open its 2020 season on Saturday, March 21 with the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour 150/NASCAR Late Model Twin 75s. There will be a 150-lap race for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour competitors and twin 75-lap races for the NASCAR Late Model Stock Car Division teams.

Advance tickets are available for $10 each through Friday, March 20. Adult general admission tickets on race day will be $15. Youth ages 12 and under will be admitted free when accompanied by a paying adult.

SBS PR