SOUTH BOSTON, Va. - Carter Langley found himself facing what many people viewed as a “must win” situation at the start of the 150-lap Sentara Health Late Model Stock Car race that highlighted Saturday’s Championship Night race at Virginia’s South Boston Speedway.
He responded in a big way, winning the race that paid $5,000 to the winner and capturing the South Boston Speedway LMSC championship.
Langley entered the final points race of the season leading two-time NASCAR national champion and six-time South Boston Speedway track champion Peyton Sellers by three points in what was one of the closest championship points battles in the speedway’s history.
When Langley won the pole in qualifying, Sellers, who was going to have to start the race mid-pack in seventh place under the track’s handicapping system due to his having won the previous two races, elected to start the race at the rear of the field.
If Sellers had won the race from the rear of the field, he would have received two bonus points. In that scenario, if Sellers had won the race and Langley had finished second, Sellers would have won the title by one point.
At the end of the night, Langley took the win and earned his first career Late Model Stock Car division championship. Sellers finished third in the race behind Langley and runner-up Kyle Dudley. The win was Langley’s eighth win of the season at the .4-mile oval.
“I was calm, cool, and collected,” Langley said when asked about being put into a “must win” situation. “I looked at it as another day at the racetrack. Anytime we go to the racetrack we try to win. Having fun and winning has helped me a lot. It helps keep my mind cool and helps me to keep hitting my marks. I’m glad it worked out the way it did.”
Winning the division championship is a special accomplishment. The emotions of winning the race and the division championship spilled over in victory lane.
“This means a lot to me and my team,” Langley remarked with a huge smile. “I started tearing up in victory lane. I can’t tell you whether it was tears of joy or if I started crying because everyone else was crying. I don’t know what it was.”
Sellers said attempting to win the race from the rear of the field was his only option.
“That was the only card I could play,” Sellers explained. “His car was so good today. When he qualified on the pole, I knew that was my play because if I beat him by one spot, I couldn’t beat him (for the championship). I had to beat him by points.
“I was going to have to start seventh anyway,” he continued. “I decided to go back a little further. I knew I had a little more time this week to get back up to the front. That’s the card we had, we had to play it, and we just came up a little short.”
Langley led twice in the race for a total of 126 laps, including the last 98 circuits. He crossed the finish line just over a second ahead of Dudley. Sellers finished third. Bobby McCarty, who had won a race at South Boston Speedway earlier this season, finished fourth and Aaron Donnelly finished fifth. McCarty led 24 laps in the race that had two lead changes among two drivers.
Jason Myers Wins Limited Sportsman Title
Jason Myers won his first career Budweiser Limited Sportsman title Saturday night with a win in the division’s 50-lap race.
In winning the championship Myers joins his father, three-time title winner Billy Myers, as a South Boston Speedway champion.
Jason Myers entered Saturday night’s race leading Carter Russo by 21 points.
The race featured a see-saw battle for the win between Myers and Russo. The pair swapped the lead four times with Myers leading three times for a total of 44 laps. His margin of victory over Russo was 0.928-second.
Jared Dawson finished third, with Nathan Crews fourth, and Ross Mountcasel fifth.
Johnny Layne Captures Pure Stock Title
It was six years ago that Johnny Layne won his most recent Southside Disposal Pure Stock division championship.
Layne won Saturday night’s 25-lap race and secured his third career division championship. He won eight of the division’s 12 races this season.
Caleb Sanford of finished second, 1.090-seconds behind Layne. B.J. Reaves, Zach Reaves, and Scott Phillips completed the top five.
Kendall Milam Earns Hornets Championship
Jared Dawson won Saturday night’s 20-lap race for the Virginia State Police HEAT Hornets.
Kendall Milam won his first career division championship with a ninth-place finish in the race. Milam won two races at South Boston Speedway this season.
Saturday night’s race was the first time this season Dawson had competed in the division. He made the most of the opportunity, winning the pole in qualifying and leading the entire caution-free race.
Jason DeCarlo finished in second, with Landon Milam in third, Dillon Davis in fourth, and Andrea Ruotolo in fifth.
Next Race At South Boston Speedway
Racing returns on Saturday night, October 7, as the CARS Tour visits South Boston Speedway. For more information, visit SouthBostonSpeedway.com.
South Boston Speedway – South Boston, VA
Race Results – September 2, 2023
Late Model Stock Car
1. 5-Carter Langley
2. 4-Kyle Dudley
3. 26-Peyton Sellers
4. 6-Bobby McCarty
5. 31D-Aaron Donnelly
6. 41-Davey Callihan
7. 77-Blake Stallings
8. 15-Logan Clark
9. 31P-Andrew Patterson
10. 09-Michael Rogers
11. 19-Jessica Cann
12. 2-Jason Turner
13. 8-Joshua Oakley
14. 61-Justin Hicks
Limited Sportsman
1. 17-Jason Myers
2. 21-Carter Russo
3. 01-Jared Dawson
4. 75-Nathan Crews
5. 62-Ross Mountcasel
6. 12-Zachary Peregoy
7. 45-Justin Towler
8. 8-Drew Dawson
9. 31-Chris Donnelly
10. 88-Justin Dawson
11. 05-Billy Myers
12. 07-Kenny Forbes
13. 58-Daniel Moss
14. 19-Bob Davis
Pure Stock
1. 9-Johnny Layne
2. 31-Caleb Sanford
3. 11-Barry Reaves
4. 77-Zach Reaves
5. 66-Scott Phillips
6. 24-Colby Pool
7. 15-Jeb Redman
8. 16-Chris Redman, Jr.
9. 76-Andrew Turner
10. 3-Harrison Walke
Hornets
1. 01-Jared Dawson
2. 54-Jason Decarlo
3. 83-Landon Milam
4. 63-Dillon Davis
5. 12-Andrea Ruotolo
6. 3-Steven Layne
7. 20-D.J. Moser
8. 19-Cameron Goble
9. 28-Kendall Milam
10. 14-Mark McCauley
11. 07-Jordaine Penick
12. 24-Chris Penick
13. 18-Chris Barrett
14. 29-Cameron Moss
15. 02-Colton Moore
16. 33-Christian Sangillo
17. 09-Michael Penick
