Late Model Stock Car racing remains the dominant form of short track racing in the southeast despite a resurgence for Super Late Model racing, and it shows no signs of letting up.
It’s names like three time NASCAR Whelen All-American Series (NWAAS) national champion Lee Pulliam, two time Martinsville winner Tommy Lemons, Jr. and 2015 UNOH Battle at the Beach winner Myatt Snider who dominate the conversation in the Carolinas and Virginia. The 2015 season was, in many ways, a reinvention of Late Model Stock Car racing.
Many tracks in the southeast have opted to go to rules package that combine the Limited Late Model and Late Model Stock Car divisions – an overdue change since the cars have become increasingly similar over the years. The Late Model Stock Car heavyweights all opted to run in the Championship Auto Racing Series (CARS) Late Model Stock Tour or at Radford, Virginia’s Motor Mile Speedway.
The CARS Tour became the headline act for much of the season with thrilling races all season long which produced instant classics several times. Spring races at Hickory Motor Speedway and Orange County Speedway featured non-stop side-by-side battles for the win. That racing continued all throughout the season.
The CARS Tour transformed Myatt Snider from a good driver to an elite driver. Snider has always been a top-five or top-10 driver when he’s raced, but in the CARS Tour, he became a top-two driver. Snider battled for the championship all season long with Brayton Haws, the rising star from the Raleigh area of North Carolina. Haws has won big races before and, in 2015, he won the CARS Tour championship.
It was a mix of young and old in victory lane during the CARS Tour season. Todd Gilliland, Bradley McCaskill, Sam Yarbrough and Deac McCaskill each won one race while Josh Berry and Brayton Haws scored a combined six wins between them.
With the success the CARS Tour had in its inaugural season, Jack McNelly feels there is room to grow.
Some racetracks struggled in 2015 – most notably South Boston Speedway and Hickory Motor Speedway. To a lesser degree, Southern National Motorsports Park took a hit but that could be directly related to the CARS Tour moreso than any other track. Cathy Rice has made a series of moves during the offseason aimed at cutting costs and promoting better competition and 2016 may prove to be a resurgent year for South Boston Speedway.
One of the highlights of Late Model Stock Car racing is the Hampton Heat 200, the summer highlight that takes place at the end of July. This race is in doubt for 2016 as lease negotiations continue at Langley Speedway. Although, multiple sources have told Short Track Scene that a deal is in the works and Langley Speedway will be open for the 2016 season.
The highlight of the season is the Valley Star Credit Union 300 at Martinsville Speedway. Last year, Tommy Lemons, Jr. won the race in an instant classic. The race had its fair share of controversy but, when the green flag dropped, all the controversy was the backstory and the racing took center stage. And, as is the case every year, fans were treated to a thriller.
The season ending highlight is the Thanksgiving All-Star Classic at Southern National Motorsports Park. In 2015, the Classic produced one of the most memorable moments in Late Model Stock Car racing history with Lee Pulliam finally prevailing in the race just days after his wife, LeAnne, was injured in an accident.
2015 saw several drivers put their names on the map as well. Myatt Snider, the son of NBC Sports broadcaster Marty Snider, became an elite in Late Model Stock Car racing with his victory over Tommy Lemons, Jr. and Lee Pulliam in the UNOH Battle at the Beach at Myrtle Beach Speedway. Bradley McCaskill scored his first Late Model Stock Car win back in April at Southern National Motorsports Park but he proved he was a legitimate contender with his win in the CARS Tour at Concord Speedway. Kate Dallenbach, daughter of Wally Dallenbach, impressed when battling wheel to wheel with Lee Pulliam at Southern National Motorsports Park and could be poised for a breakout win in 2016. Justin Crider scored a handful of top-five finishes in the CARS Tour with his low budget team. Layne Riggs, son of Scott Riggs, scored multiple Limited Late Model victories at Orange County Speedway. And Jonathan Findley not only scored his first career win but went on to win the track championship at Southern National Motorsports Park.
A lot was made in 2015 about car counts but it’s not car counts that make the racing exciting. And, if anyone is worried about car counts, they can look to Motor Mile Speedway, Dillon Motor Speedway and the CARS Tour. While Super Late Model racing has a higher than ever profile in the Carolinas and Virginia, the state of Late Model Stock Car racing is strong.
