SOUTH BOSTON, Va. — Trevor Ward had to wait an extra day, but finally achieved a dream – winning a South Boston Speedway championship.
The 2026 South Boston Speedway Hitachi Energy Late Model Stock Car Division championship, Ward’s first career track championship, was worth $20,000.
The payout was from Hitachi Energy from the speedway’s $75,0000 Championship Loyalty Bonus Program powered by Hitachi Energy and EMPOWER Broadband.
It was another milestone for the Winston-Salem, North Carolina resident who earlier this season topped the career win mark his father, former standout Dean Ward, had set at South Boston Speedway during his career. Ward had four wins at the .4-mile oval this season and has 10 career wins at the speedway.
“I’m so glad to be able to win my first championship and to win it here at South Boston Speedway,” Ward remarked. “I never would have believed I would be a South Boston Speedway Late Model Stock Car champion. I’m super glad to be able to do that.
“It’s going to be one to remember,” Ward continued. “It’s been a dogfight all year. The competition was more stout than last year. It feels great to rebound from being one position and two points shy last year.”
Ward held an 11-point edge over eight-time and defending South Boston Speedway champion Peyton Sellers of Danville, Virginia entering the 100-lap Hitachi Energy Late Model Stock Car Division race that headlined the Halifax County Farm Bureau Championship Sunday event at South Boston Speedway.
The track’s championship event was originally scheduled for Saturday night but was postponed due to weather and rescheduled for Sunday afternoon.
He finished fifth while Sellers finished second in the race, giving Ward the title by an unofficial eight-point margin.
While Sunday was a career day for Ward, it was also a huge day for 16-year-old Conner “C-Weed” Weddell of Centerville, Maryland. After having rung up seven second-place finishes and six third-place finishes in his 19 starts this season, the teenager earned his first South Boston Speedway Late Model Stock Car Division victory in the track’s final points race of the season.
“We finally got the deal done,” Weddell said. “I had an amazing race car from Tyler Hughes. We really work on the car five days a week. We’ve had good results all year, and I’m glad to finally get the first one (win) out of the way.”
Weddell sped past Ward to take the lead on lap 41and led the final 51 circuits, finishing 2.596 seconds ahead of Sellers in the caution-free race.
Landon Pembelton finished third, with Bruce Anderson finishing fourth and Ward rounding the top five.
In one of the closest championship points battles in the division’s history, Brian Rundstrom Jr. of Green Bay, Virginia won the South Boston Speedway Budweiser Limited Sportsman championship.
He received a $3,000 payout from EMPOWER Broadband as part of the speedway’s Championship Loyalty Bonus Program powered by Hitachi Energy and EMPOWER Broadband.
Rundstrom and Tristan Brunelli entered Sunday afternoon’s 50-lap Budweiser Limited Sportsman Division race separated by just two points. Brunelli won the pole in qualifying and led the first 22 laps. The came disaster.
The two teenagers were side-by-side battling for the lead when they ran up on the slower car driven by Jared Dawson. Dawson’s car got out of shape, was tagged hard by Brunelli who was in the middle of the three-car sandwich and spun into the fourth turn wall.
Brunelli was sidelined due to heavy damage to his car and was left with a 16th-place finish. Rundstrom inherited the lead and drove away from the field after a restart that followed a caution period with six laps to go in the race. He finished 1.788 seconds ahead of runner-up Jacob Derrick to claim his fifth win of the season and the division title.
Chris Elliott, Stuart Crews and Drew Dawson rounded out the top five.
Johnny Layne captured his fourth career Southside Disposal Pure Stock Division championship, needing only to start the 25-lap Southside Disposal Pure Stock Division race to secure the title.
Layne, who racked up eight wins this season, had a tough afternoon, finishing sixth in Sunday afternoon’s 25-lap race. Nevertheless, it was good enough to secure the division championship and a $1,000 payout from EMPOWER Broadband.
Jay Hemenway won Sunday’s race, taking the lead from pole winner Jarrett Johnson on the ninth lap and driving to a 1.842-second win over runner-up Caleb Sanford.
Johnson finished third, Andrew Turner took fourth place and Dillon Davis rounded out the top five.
Landon Milam had a big day Sunday, celebrating his first South Boston Speedway Dollar General Hornets Division championship, and will receive a $500 payout from EMPOWER Broadband.
Milam entered Sunday afternoon’s 20-lap Dollar General Hornets Division race with a six-point lead over Chris Penick. He finished third in the race while Penick finished ninth.
Cameron Goble won the race, giving him two wins in the division this season.
