Stacked field set to compete in Thanksgiving Classic

Southern National Motorsports Park’s fall highlight returns this upcoming weekend with a stacked field of competitors chasing the $15,000 prize at the 4/10-mile Wilson County track.

The entry list for this year’s Thanksgiving Classic, which is officially listed as being held for the 24^th time, is headlined by former winners Brenden Queen and Ronnie Bassett, Jr., as well as CARS Tour competitor Andrew Grady and Tristan McKee, Legends standout turned Late Model ace Carson Haislip, and more.

In all, 23 drivers have entered to compete in the race – another diverse mix of young stars, veteran standouts and newcomers.  The local contingent includes 2024 track champion Ryan Joyner, former New River and Carteret County Speedway champion Dylan Newsome, multi-time Charger champion Michael O’Brien, and reigning multi-time Wake County Speedway champion Clay Jones.

The Classic has been a staple event at the track going back to the 1990s and has seen some big names win, including Denny Hamlin, Josh Berry, Scott Riggs, Matt McCall, Joey Coulter, and Late Model Stock Car greats Lee Pulliam, Philip Morris, Deac McCaskill, and Jamey Caudill.

McCaskill and Caudill both have four championships at the track and have grandstands named after them.

The Classic became a staple of the track in the late-90s and continued to grow until Southern National closed down at the end of the 2008 season.  From 2009 through 2011, the track sat dormant until current owner Michael Diaz purchased the venue and restored the Thanksgiving weekend tradition.

“It’s just grown into a premier event,” track owner Michael Diaz told Short Track Scene.  “Legends sold out, 54 Legend Cars sold out in less than an hour.  There are over 200 cars registered for the event.  I sold out of camping spots, had to make some additional ones.  Trackside is sold out.  It’s turning into one of those events that’s just fun.  Yes, it’s competitive.  It’s that end of the year event.  I don’t have 50 Late Models but I have a great field of a wide variety of drivers.  It’s about enjoying three days of racing, being thankful for the sport that we love, and having a good time.  It’s just a fun event.”

Brenden Queen, who won the CARS Tour championship, returns to defend his Thanksgiving Classic victory from one year ago which came in one of the most thrilling races in Southern National Motorsports Park history.  In last year’s race, Queen exhibited the ultimate example of “refusing to lose,” retaking the lead multiple times from Josh Berry and Kaden Honeycutt after being passed.

“I think, that’s one of those races I’ve been so close to winning so many times,” Queen recalled.  “Even at that track, I’ve never won there.  I had just told myself we were going to do whatever it takes to win this race and that turkey trophy.  I felt like we had the best car and kind of got on a different strategy than Berry and those guys and we just had to fight, and that’s what we did.  It got down to the end of it.  We may not have been the fastest car in that moment, but we refused to lose.”

Queen believes he can defend his victory, but expects the race to be as difficult as always to win with a tough field of competitors.

“You know, it’s going to be tough.  There’s going to be good cars, good teams.  I don’t see why we can’t win.  We go there, do what we always do, focus on ourselves and race runs, I think we can have as good a shot as anybody.”

Thanksgiving Classic Race Format

The qualifying order for the Thanksgiving Classic will be decided by a pill draw on Friday morning.  Qualifying will take place on Saturday afternoon.

The Late Model Stock Car feature race will be 250 laps in length.  There are no stage breaks in the race, but the track will throw a competition caution after 50 consecutive green flag laps are run, but will not throw a competition caution inside the final 25 laps.  Controlled cautions will be in effect for the race.  The competitors will start the feature race on the same tires used in qualifying.  During the race, teams will be able to change up to four tires.

Along with Late Model Stocks, the Southern Ground Pounders Vintage Racing Club and Limited Late Models will be in competition on Sunday.

The Thanksgiving Classic is a three day show, with racing on Friday night for Bandoleros, Any Cars (Bombers), Legends, and Chargers.  Saturday night will again feature Legends, Bandoleros, Chargers, and Any Cars, with Mini Stocks also set to compete.

52 Legends have registered to compete, a number aided by Southern National’s $25,000-to-win Legends race which will take place from Thursday, December 5 through Saturday, December 7.

All three nights of the Thanksgiving Classic will be broadcast on Racing America at no additional charge to subscribers.  The $25,000-to-win Legends showdown will also be broadcast live on Racing America.

Entry List

1. #00 – Chase Burrow
2. #1 – Andrew Grady
3. #1 – Clay Jones
4. #2 – Ryan Wilson
5. #03 – Brenden Queen
6. #04 – Ronnie Bassett Jr
7. #4 – Kade Brown
8. #4 – Parker Eaton
9. #4 – Jonathan Findley
10. #05 – Mason Bailey
11. #7 – Tristan McKee
12. #08 – Carson Haislip
13. #8 – Conner Weddell
14. #11 – Adam Murray
15. #15 – Ryan Joyner
16. #18 – Chandler Sherman
17. #21 – Michael O’Brien
18. #44 – Dylan Newsome
19. #54 – Michael Fose
20. #55 – Lanie Buice
21. #63 – Tyler Matthews
22. #71B – Jake Bollman
23. #71 – Aaron Donnelly

In 22 previous installments of the Thanksgiving Classic, 18 different drivers have raced to victory lane.  Denny Hamlin, Jamey Caudill, Matt McCall, and Josh Berry are the only repeat winners of the race.

Previous Winners

• 1998 – Philip Morris
• 1999 – Scott Riggs
• 2000 – Frank Deiny, Jr.
• 2001 – Kirk Leone
• 2002 – Brandon Butler
• 2003 – Denny Hamlin
• 2004 – Jamey Caudill
• 2005 – Jamey Caudill
• 2006 – Deac McCaskill
• 2007 – Denny Hamlin
• 2008 – Joey Coulter
• 2012 – Greg Edwards
• 2013 – Ronnie Bassett, Jr.
• 2014 – Brayton Haws
• 2015 – Lee Pulliam
• 2016 – Tommy Lemons, Jr.
• 2017 – Matt McCall
• 2018 – Matt McCall
• 2019 – Bobby McCarty
• 2020 – Roy Cooper, Governor of North Carolina
• 2021 – Josh Berry
• 2022 – Josh Berry
• 2023 – Brenden “Butterbean” Queen

(Southern National Motorsports Park was closed from 2009-2011; the race was not run in 2020 due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and restrictions put in place by the State of North Carolina.  The track’s website officially lists Governor Cooper as the winner of the 2020 Thanksgiving Classic.)