SOUTH BOSTON, Va. - Speed records were broken, the new pavement was broken in and Philip Morris showed he still has what it takes to win at Virginia’s South Boston Speedway.
The four-time former NASCAR Whelen All American Series national champion and two-time former track champion won both of the twin 100-lap NASCAR Whelen All American Series Late Model Stock Car Division races that headlined Saturday’s season opening Danville Toyota NASCAR Whelen Late Model Twin 100’s racing program.
Morris led the entire race, which had to be extended to 102 laps to accommodate a green-white-checker finish following a late caution period. He cleared Kelly Kingery on the ninth lap after a close battle and fended off a challenge from Nick Smith in a two-lap dash to the finish following the race’s final caution period to win the first race.
Bobby McCarty finished in third, with Tyler Hughes and Meansville, Georgia’s Madeline Crane in fifth.
Morris started eighth in the second race after a drawing to determine how many cars would be inverted for the start of the second race. He gradually picked his way through the field, taking second place away from McCarty on lap 45, and setting out after race leader Lee Pulliam.
A caution flag on lap 57 allowed Morris to restart beside Pulliam. Morris slipped past Pulliam for the lead on lap 65 only to have to battle Pulliam on another restart with 13 laps left.
Morris was able to get out front immediately and hold off Pulliam the rest of the way, edging Pulliam by .291 seconds at the finish. Smith finished third with Peyton Sellers in fourth and Austin Thaxton in fifth.
In other action, David Latour won the Limited Sportsman division race to score his first career win at South Boston Speedway.
In a wild race that saw the lead swap hands eight times and was slowed by six caution periods, Latour grabbed the lead from Trey Crews with two laps to go and held off Eric Winslow by .528-second at the finish to pick up the win.
Dylan Saul finished third, with Ross Dalton fourth and Crews in fifth.
Ryan Creed sped past Johnny Layne with three laps to go and hung on to win the Budweiser Pure Stock Division race.
Creed’s first career South Boston Speedway win came by a margin of .644-second.
Scott Phillips finished third behind Creed and Layne, with Tyler Conner finishing fourth and Jimmy Wade in fifth.
Tyler Crute picked up his first career South Boston Speedway win, topping a field of 13 cars in the 15-lap Budweiser Hornets Division race.
Crute took the lead from Simon Jones on the fifth lap and led the rest of the way to pick up the win.
Kevin Currin Justin Dawson and Jared Dawson of Nathalie, Virginia rounded out the top five.
NASCAR racing returns to South Boston Speedway on Saturday, April 8, when the track goes under the lights for the first time in the 2017 season with the NASCAR Late Model Twin 75s racing program.
For more information, visit SouthBostonSpeedway.com.
South Boston Speedway – South Boston, VA
Race Results – March 25, 2017
Late Model Race 1
1. 01 Philip Morris
2. 12A Nick Smith
3. 22 Bobby McCarty
4. 8 Tyler Hughes
5. 78 Madeline Crane
6. 5 Lee Pulliam
7. 12 Austin Thaxton
8. 07 Dean Ward
9. 50 Raymond Pittman III
10. 33 Macy Causey
11. 26 Peyton Sellers
12. 2 Brandon Pierce
13. 63 Tyler Matthews
14. 57 Kelly Kingery
15. 28 Jason Barnes
16. 77 Trevor Ward
17. 29 Stuart Crews
18. 23 Danny Willis, Jr.
Late Model Race 2
1. 01 Philip Morris
2. 5 Lee Pulliam
3. 12A Nick Smith
4. 26 Peyton Sellers
5. 12 Austin Thaxton
6. 2 Brandon Pierce
7. 07 Trevor Ward
8. 33 Macy Causey
9. 8 Tyler Hughes
10. 22 Bobby McCarty
11. 29 Stuart Crews
12. 50 Raymond Pittman III
13. 23 Danny Willis, Jr.
14. 57 Kelly Kingery
15. 28 Jason Barnes
16. 78 Madeline Crane
Limited Sportsman
1. 89 David Latour, Jr.
2. 22 Eric Winslow
3. 18 Dylan Saul
4. 50 Ross Dalton
5. 9 Trey Crews
6. 91 Chris Elliott
7. 05 Billy Myers
8. 17 Jason Myers
9. 24 Colin Garrett
10. 16 Brandon Jones
11. 50A Amber Balcaen
12. 82 Barry Beggarly, Jr.
13. 19 Bob Davis
14. 58 Daniel Moss
15. 39 Mike Jones
Pure Stock
1. 95 Ryan Creed
2. 9 Johnny Layne
3. 66 Scott Phillips
4. 3 Tyler Conner
5. 61 Jimmy Wade
6. 10 Harrison Walker
7. 75 Quincy Adkins
8. 12 Randy Hupp
9. 00 Bruce Mayo
10. 17 Joe Allred III
Hornets
1. 15 Tyler Crute
2. 36 Simon Jones
3. 49 Kevin Currin
4. 88 Justin Dawson
5. 01 Jared Dawson
6. 13 Conner Priest
7. 07 Michael Farmer
8. 99 Stephen Trickey
9. 10 Timothy Smith
10. 03 Drew Dawson
11. 12 Kenny Mills
12. 9 Josh Dawson
13. 2 Matt Epps
