SOUTH BOSTON, Va. - Austin Thaxton found himself in the right place at the right time and came away with his first win of the season in Saturday night’s Aqua Pros 100 NASCAR Whelen All American Series Late Model Stock Car Division race at Virginia’s South Boston Speedway.
In earning his first victory of the season at the .4-mile oval, Thaxton became the fourth different driver to visit Victory Lane at South Boston Speedway this season.
The Clarksville, Virginia resident pulled away from his challengers after the final restart with eight laps to go and was never seriously challenged in the closing laps.
Thomas Scott finished second, .668-second behind Thaxton, with Danny Willis, Jr. in third, defending track champion Peyton Sellers in fourth and Raymond Pittman III in fifth.
The lead proved not to be the best place to be for much of the race. Track and NASCAR National Point Leader Philip Morris and Sellers tangled on lap 40 while battling for the lead. Morris spun again on lap 62 while battling Mike for the top spot.
Jones, who was returning to action with a new car after having had his car destroyed in a violent crash and subsequent fire in a June 16 race at South Boston, led on four different occasions. His bid for his first Late Model Stock Car Division win ended in a crash with Jason Barnes as they were battling for the lead with 13 laps to go.
Scott inherited the lead, only to lose it to Thaxton on the final restart.
The race was a highly competitive one with seven lead changes among five different drivers.
In other action, Trey Crews took control after the final restart of the Limited Sportsman feature with 23 laps to go and held off Jacob Borst for the win.
Crews’ margin of victory over Borst in scoring his fifth win of the season was 1.259 second.
Bob Davis finished in third, with Ross Dalton in fourth and Brandon Jones in fifth
Jarrett Milam and Daniel Shelton split wins in a pair of 15-lap races for the Budweiser Pure Stock Division.
Milam won the first race to score his first win of the season, edging Bruce Mayo by .271-seconds. Johnny Layne finished third, with Harrison Walker in fourth and Jordan Pickrel in fifth.
Shelton started third in the second race, took the lead on the fourth lap, and finished almost one second ahead of Layne in earning his second victory of the season. Milam, Pickrel and Mayo rounded out the top five.
Cameron Jarrell continued his domination of the Budweiser Hornets Division, driving to victory. Jarrell got a good jump on the final restart of the race with three laps to go and edged Tyler Crute for the win. Kevin Currin finished third.
Dennis Holdren got a solid start on the final start with three laps to go and edged Jesse Yopp by .589second to win the Mod-4 division race.
Holdren has won all three of the Mod-4 Division races held at South Boston this season.
Cory Dunn finished in third, followed by Haley Holdren in fourth and Chad Asberry in fifth.
Action returns to South Boston Speedway on Saturday, August 11, as the track plays host to the PASS South Super Late Model Series. For more information, visit SouthBostonSpeedway.com.
South Boston Speedway – South Boston, VA
Race Results – July 28, 2018
NASCAR Whelen Late Models
1. Austin Thaxton
2. Thomas Scott
3. Danny Willis, Jr.
4. Peyton Sellers
5. Raymond Pittman III
6. Eric Winslow
7. Quincy Adkins
8. Cameron Bowen
9. Mark Keesee, Jr.
10. Charles Barnes
11. Mike Jones
12. Jason Barnes
13. Philip Morris
14. Nathan Crews
15. Bruce May
Limited Sportsman
1. Trey Crews
2. Jacob Borst
3. Bob Davis
4. Ross Dalton
5. Brandon Jones
6. Daniel Moss
7. Jason Myers
8. Drew Dawson
9. Brent Younger
10. Barry Beggarly, Jr.
Pure Stock Race 1
1. Jarett Milam
2. Bruce Mayo
3. Johnny Layne
4. Harrison Walker
5. Jordan Pickrel
6. Daniel Shelton
7. Randy Hupp
8. Scott Phillips
9. Justin Dawson
10. Ricky Nichols
11. Jimmy Wade
12. Matt Epps
Pure Stock Race 2
1. Daniel Shelton
2. Johnny Layne
3. Jarett Milam
4. Jordan Pickrel
5. Bruce Mayo
6. Matt Epps
7. Scott Phillips
8. Randy Hupp
9. Ricky Nichols
10. Jimmy Wade
11. Harrison Walker
DNS: Justin Dawson
Hornets
1. Cameron Jarrell
2. Kevin Currin
3. Kenny Mills
4. Aaron Cash
5. Joey Clay
6. Josh Dawson
7. Tyler Stanley
DQ: Tyler Crute
Mod 4
1. Dennis Holdren
2. Jessie Yopp
3. Cory Dunn
4. Haley Holdren
5. Chad Asberry
6. Drew Holdren
7. Josh Phillips
8. Joseph StClaire
