Peyton Sellers and Landon Pembelton traded blows but ultimately both would come out on top as they were the winners of Saturday’s twin 75 lap features at South Boston Speedway
In race 1 Sellers started from pole and led the first half uncontested but as we’ve seen all year at SoBo, the battle for the win starts at half way and goes all the way to the checkered flag. Sellers and Pembelton, both winners already this season, raced side by side for laps on end, eventually bringing Trevor ward into the fold making it a three horse race.
The first caution would fly with 25 laps to go when Chase Burgeson slid up into Tate Folgleman, sending him for a spin. Sellers got the jump on Pembelton but the battle between the two quickly resumed.
It went all the way to the wire as Pembelton just couldn’t clear Sellers on the inside and as they came to the white flag Pembelton took Sellers up the hill in Turn 3, clearing the No. 26 on exit. Sellers of course took exception and pulled the bump n’ run on Pembelton into Turn 1. Sellers drove off to his 2nd win of 2026 and 67th of his career.
“I’m just happy this No. 26 car is running better than it was last week,” Sellers told FloRacing “It’s just racing man. We had a really good car early on, it got a little bit free as the race went on. Landon was rolling the bottom better and just as soon as he got to my door, before the caution came out, he run me up in the dirt. As soon as he got back to my door again, he run me up in the dirt again and you know this is for the win. He would’ve done the same thing.
The Pembelton’s are just as good of friends as I got at the race track. We’ve been friends a long time and I’ve thought a lot of Landon for a long time. Yeah I moved him there. He would’ve done the same thing but then he put his middle finger up and threw the bird at me all the way down the backstretch and that loses a few class points.”
Pembelton gives his assessment.
“Just bullcrap,” said Pembelton “I raced with him and he did it to me. Almost got right reared going into Turn 1 then he just never let go of me. I never even touched him. I got lose in around lap 30, got into his left rear and let him have it back. It’s the same thing every year, it’s repetitive, he hits every car out here. He’s done it for years but it is what it is.
Bobby McCarty would be the beneficiary of the invert, starting from pole in race 2 but it was Andrew Grady that took an early lead followed by Ward and Pembelton. By lap 10 Pembelton overtook Grady with Ward in tow. Pembelton had the race well in hand, keeping Ward at a steady 1.7 seconds back until 14 laps to go when Andrew Grady had something break on his car while running 4th, bringing out the caution for the first time.
Ward, aggressive on restarts all year couldn’t rattle Pembelton as he jump out to the lead again and never looked back. Pembelton takes his second win of 2026.
“Thats the way to bounce back there, buddy,” said Pembleton “That’s a racecar you dream of right there. Drove from the back to the front, never touched a car. Just wanna throw that out there, never touched a car. Had a really good racecar. Marcus Richmond really dialed it in. we were really good in the first race and I feel like we were even a little better in the second too.
We’ve been working at it. That’s the best way to put it. We tried some stuff on Friday, was okay and changed a lot of it back this morning and was really good.”
Trevor Ward continues to be the model of consistency, finishing 2nd and continuing his season long top 3 streak.
“You can’t win them all,” said Ward “I knew this day was coming. Obviously the stars didn’t line up for us today but kudos to Landon Pembelton. He deserved that one for sure. We’ll critique on it and get it back where we need to be at just to get that one spot better.”
Conner Weddell gets his forth 3rd place finish in a row and Sellers finished 4th in race 2.
South Boston Speedway
May 16 2026
Race 1
1) #26 Peyton Sellers
2) #0 Landon Pembelton
3) #8W Conner Weddell
4) #77W Trevor Ward
5) #00 Chase Burrow
6) #22C Chase Burgeson
7) #77S Blake Stallings
8) #1G Andrew Grady
9) #6M Bobby McCarty
10) #90 John Goin
11) #78 Atley Wiese
12) #50R Raymond Pittman
13) #8F Tate Fogleman
14) #22W Eric Winslow
15) #50V Daniel Vuncannon
Race 2
1) #0 Landon Pembelton
2) #77W Trevor Ward
3) #8W Conner Weddell
4) #26 Peyton Sellers
5) #77S Blake Stallings
6) #00 Chase Burrow
7) #90 John Goin
8) #78 Atley Wiese
9) #50R Raymond Pittman
10) #8F Tate Fogleman
11) #1G Andrew Grady
12) #6M Bobby McCarty
13) #50V Daniel Vuncannon
14) #22W Eric Winslow
15) #22C Chase Burgeson
