South Boston Speedway
 | |
| Location |
Halifax County, at 1188 James D. Hagood Hwy. South Boston, Virginia 24592 |
|---|---|
| Capacity | 10,000 (est.) |
| Owner | Mattco Inc. |
| Operator | Dr. Joe Mattioli III |
| Opened | 1957 |
| Former names | Big Daddy's South Boston Speedway (2002–2003) |
| Quad-Oval | |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Length | .400 mi (.644 km) |
| Banking |
12° – Turns 10° – Straights |
South Boston Speedway or "SoBo" is a short track located just outside South Boston, Virginia, U.S.A.. SoBo is located approximately 60 miles (97 km) east of another area familiar to most NASCAR fans, Martinsville. It is owned by Mattco, Inc, the Mattioli family trust that owns Pocono Raceway, with longtime general manager Cathy Rice operating the track. NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series has not raced at the track since 1971; however, NASCAR's Busch Series (now Xfinity Series) raced here into the new millennium. After the NASCAR Busch Series left the schedule, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series competed at SoBo for a couple years. The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and Whelen Southern Modified Tour now hold events here, and SoBo continues to play a part in the NASCAR family hosting Whelen All-American Series late model and CARS X1-R ProCup events. Some of the better known graduates of South Boston's Saturday night weekly events include Jeff Burton, Ward Burton, Elliott Sadler, Stacy Compton, and the Bodine brothers (Todd, Geoff and Brett). Danville, Virginia driver Wendell Scott, the first African-American driver to compete at NASCAR's highest level, also raced in Modified Division events here.
Trivia
- What is now the Sprint Cup Series last ran here in 1971, and what is now the NASCAR Xfinity Series made this a regular stop until it left the schedule after the 2000 race. The Craftsman Truck Series was on the schedule as late as 2003.
- For a time, the track was called "Big Daddy's South Boston Speedway", after the brand of barbecue sauce that had purchased the naming rights.
Records
- Track record – Mike Ewanitsko (14.409 / 99.938 mph) NASCAR WHELEN Modified
- Race record – Todd Bodine, 70.785 mph
- Most wins – David Blankenship and Barry Beggarly (tie) (37 wins)
Late Model Track Champions
| Year | Driver |
|---|---|
| 1960 | Eddie Crouse |
| 1961 | Ray Hendrick |
| 1962 | Ted Hairfield |
| 1963 | Ray Hendrick |
| 1964 | Runt Harris |
| 1965 | Sonny Hutchins \ Bob McGinnis |
| 1966 | Ray Hendrick |
| 1967 | Runt Harris |
| 1968 | Ray Hendrick |
| 1969 | Eddie Royster |
| 1970 | Jimmy Hensley |
| 1971 | Lennie Pond |
| 1972 | Sonny Hutchins |
| 1977 | Sonny Hutchins |
| 1978 | Jack Ingram |
| 1979 | Ray Hendrick |
| 1980 | Sonny Hutchins |
| 1981 | Geoff Bodine |
| 1982 | Sam Ard |
| 1983 | Roy Hendrick |
| 1984 | David Blankenship |
| 1985 | Maurice Hill |
| 1986 | David Blankenship |
| 1987 | Wayne Patterson |
| 1988 | Barry Beggarly |
| 1989 | David Blankenship |
| 1990 | David Blankenship |
| 1991 | Mike Buffkin |
| 1992 | Wayne Patterson |
| 1993 | David Blankenship |
| 1994 | Stacy Compton |
| 1995 | Elliott Sadler |
| 1996 | B.A. Wilson |
| 1997 | David Blankenship |
| 1998 | David Blankenship |
| 1999 | Bubba Urban Jr. |
| 2000 | Nick Woodward |
| 2001 | Brandon Butler |
| 2002 | Frank Deiny Jr. |
| 2003 | Philip Morris |
| 2004 | Timothy Peters |
| 2005 | Peyton Sellers |
| 2006 | Drew Herring |
| 2007 | Adam Baker |
| 2008 | Wayne Ramsey |
| 2009 | Justin Johnson |
| 2010 | Justin Johnson |
| 2011 | Philip Morris |
| 2012 | Matt Bowling |
| 2013 | Lee Pulliam |
| 2014 | Peyton Sellers |
| 2015 | Matt Bowling |
See also
External links
Coordinates: 36°42′32″N 78°52′7″W / 36.70889°N 78.86861°W