A casualty of the COVID-19 pandemic was the 2020 season at South Boston Speedway, which remained quiet due to safety restrictions imposed by Virginia Governor Ralph Northam.
Over one year since the track’s last race and the sounds of Late Model Stock Car engines once again echoed through Halifax Academy on Saturday afternoon, with familiar names like Peyton Sellers all seeking to make up for lost time.
“It feels good to be back at home post COVID,” Sellers said. “[South Boston] is only 30 miles from home and the place was packed with fans [on Saturday]. We need to get back to normal because I think people are just sick and tired of sitting at home on Saturdays and I’m glad that I was able to put on a show for everyone.”
As with drivers like Geoff Bodine, Sam Ard, Elliott Sadler and many others, South Boston served as the proving grounds for Sellers as he attempted to work his way up the developmental ladder and into NASCAR during the mid-2000s.
Although Sellers was unsuccessful in obtaining a full-time ride in the Cup Series, he utilized his talents to become one of the most successful drivers in South Boston history by winning track championships in 2005, 2014, 2017, 2018 and 2019.
Sellers has seen South Boston undergo numerous changes during his career that range from different rule and tire combinations to the drivers he competes against on any given Saturday.
One of the newest competitors to South Boston’s Late Model Stock division is Landon Pembelton, who enjoyed a solid afternoon on Saturday by tallying finishes of second and third across the two 75-lap features.
Pembelton grew up watching names like Sellers, Lee Pulliam and Philip Morris battle for the win every weekend at South Boston and considers himself honored to have the opportunity to add more history towards the track’s prestigious history.
“We had to stay at Dominion all of last year, so it feels pretty good to be back at South Boston,” Pembelton said. “The track is technical and a lot harder in general, so you have to drive the car and get up on the wheel here.”
Pembelton managed to lead laps in the second Late Model Stock feature but was no match for Sellers, who rocketed to the front to take the top spot following a collision between him and Jacob Borst earlier in the race.
Borst was disappointed that he was unable to improve upon a strong third-place run in the previous feature but like Sellers and Pembelton, he was thrilled to just be back at South Boston and enjoy the atmosphere and competition provided by the facility.
“We haven’t been to [South Boston] since 2019 but I haven’t raced since then either,” Borst said. “It feels really good to just get back into the car. The first race helped me get back into my rhythm and I felt pretty comfortable. It really felt something was missing from my life this past year, so it’s great to get back to the track and have a fun time with friends and family.”
Sellers’ charge from the back in the second race enabled him to sweep both Late Model Stock features on Saturday, which gave long-time fans of South Boston a sense of familiarity following a year of general uncertainity.
Sellers is unsure of how the 2021 season will turn out for him and his program but he is looking forward to parking his Late Model in victory lane several more times at South Boston now that the COVID-19 pandemic is coming to an end.
“It’s just good to be back,” Sellers said. “The Clarence’s Steakhouse No. 26 needs to be at South Boston and it needs to be up front.”
A full season of racing is ahead at South Boston after a year of inactivity, with Sellers and the rest of regulars returning to the facility on April 3 for the track’s second weekend featuring the SMART Modified Tour.
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