John Goin Prevails in Chaotic Finish at Dominion

THORNBURG, VA – Peyton Sellers had the lead on the last lap of the Craig Murto Memorial at Dominion Raceway on Saturday night, but when the field came back around, the checkered flag waved over a shower of sparks as John Goin limped across the line to score his second win of the year.

Sellers dominated much of the race but was mired in a thrilling duel with Landon Pembelton in the closing laps.  The intense battle between the two allowed Goin to join the battle and then the already thrilling race intensified into a classic once Sellers muscled his way past Pembleton, bringing Goin with him.

Goin was able to challenge Sellers for the lead, trying to get by him, and on the last lap, the two made contact in turn three sending both cars into the wall and triggering a big crash that also swept up Pembleton, Chase Burrow and Andrew Grady.  As the wreck continued to ensue, Goin stayed on the gas to come to the checkered flag and take the victory in the carnage.

ICYMI: The last lap of tonight's first LMSC race. pic.twitter.com/7goZYA1u9M

— Dominion Raceway (@DominionRaceway) September 19, 2021

“The last few laps was a good battle between Peyton and Landon and I stayed up there with them, really had nowhere to go,” Goin told Short Track Scene.  “When we got close to the end, I was able to stay beside Peyton and, every time, I did what I could do to stay beside him.  There at the end, he came down on me a little bit on my perspective and I held my line and we got together and everything got wild behind us.  I kept my foot on the gas and bounced off Peyton and hit the fence at the start-finish line, kept in it and that’s all that mattered.”

Sellers, who clinched the Dominion Raceway championship on Saturday on top of his South Boston Speedway championship and NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series national championship, chalked the last lap incident to hard racing.

“I was holding it tight but he took more room than he had,” Sellers said.  “We’re racing to the checkered flag, he’s got a shot to win, I gave him enough room but he took more.  That’s racing.  I would’ve done the same more than likely.  He hit me in the tire and that’s what turned us around, it is what it is.”

Goin has emerged as a rising star in Late Model Stock Car racing after winning two races as a rookie in 2020, is no stranger to wild finishes.  His first win a year ago at Southern National Motorsports Park came as several cars behind him wrecked in the rain on what would end up being the final lap of the race.

Saturday’s wild finish topped that.

“This one’s got to be top of the list of all the crazy ones,” Goin remarked.  “Any win’s a good win.  The only thing I wish was that so many cars didn’t get torn up at the end.  We did what we had to do to win.  Hopefully we’ll take this momentum into Martinsville with a new car next week.”

Cole Bruce was able to get through the carnage to finish second while Sellers, Michael Hardin and Eddie Johnson rounded out the top-five.  Mason Bailey won in the second of two Late Model races which was absent of the contenders in the first who were unable to get their cars fixed.

John Goin (90) limps past the checkered flag to score the victory at Dominion Raceway. (Dinah Mullins photo)