SOUTH BOSTON, Va. — Craig Moore still has something left in the tank.
An accomplished Late Model Stock Car wheelman, Moore, 49, stepped away from driving this season, focusing instead on setting up his car and being the crew chief for veteran racer Dennis Holdren.
Holdren opted to take this week off, so Moore spent the week working on his car preparing to compete in the third running of the Kenny Meadows Memorial Limited Sportsman Feature that highlighted Saturday night’s CAS NAPA Race Night event at South Boston Speedway.
Making his first start of the season at South Boston Speedway and making his first start in the track’s Budweiser Limited Sportsman Division in the 75-lap race that carried over $17,000 in purse and awards, the Rougemont, North Carolina resident staged an almost incredible performance.
Moore won the pole in qualifying, led every lap, and scored a dominant victory to pocket the $3,000 winner’s prize. His total winnings for the night were $3,250 including the $250 prize for winning the pole.
“It’s a dream come true,” Moore said after driving to a 2.815-second win over runner-up Tristan Brunelli of Powhatan, Virginia. “I haven’t raced in probably a year. I race my vintage car at Orange County Speedway here and there just for fun. To come here and compete against these kids in the Limited Sportsman Division here at South Boston Speedway, the competition is as tough as Late Model. It’s really hard racing.
“The Brunelli kid drove a heck of a race and raced me clean. I really appreciate it. I’m really glad I could win this race and dedicate it to Mr. Meadows. I knew him for a long time and he and Mrs. Meadows are great people.”
Moore was virtually unstoppable. The only challenges he faced came from Brunelli. Brunelli stayed with Moore the first few laps of the race and for a brief period following the three cautions flag periods that punctuated the race. However, he was no match for Moore whose last victory at South Boston Speedway came in March, 2024 when he drove Tate Foglesman’s car to a win in a Late Model Stock Car Division race.
Brian Rundstrom Jr. finished third, four seconds behind Moore, with Chris Elliott and Justin Dawson completing the top five finishers in the 17-car field.
Trevor Ward had been six races – since May 2 – to be exact, when he last visited victory lane in the Hitachi Energy Late Model Stock Car Division.
The Winston-Salem, North Carolina resident fended off multiple challenges from eight-time South Boston Speedway champion Peyton Sellers and won the first race of the twin 75-lap Late Model Stock Car races that were the co-feature of Saturday night’s CAS NAPA Race Night event.
Ward’s victory, his third win of the season at South Boston Speedway gives him nine career wins at the .4-mile oval. The win allowed him to break his father’s record of eight career wins at South Boston Speedway.
“It’s awesome,” Ward said of the win and breaking his father’s win record at South Boston Speedway. “It’s going to be cool to talk to him. He watched it. I know he’s proud of me.”
Teenager Conner “C-Weed” Weddell won the pole and finished second, 1.362 seconds behind Ward. Landon Pembelton finished third, 2.8 seconds behind Ward. Sellers finished fourth and Blake Stallings was fifth.
McCarty’s win in the caution-free second race marked his second victory of the season. It was his third top-five finish in his last four starts. He said afterward it was something of a relief after having had just four top-five finishes in 12 starts entering Saturday night’s twinbill.
“It feels great to finally check off another one after what’s been a very mentally frustrating year so far,” McCarty remarked. “I was honestly praying the race would go green like it did.”
McCarty started on the pole after having finished eighth in the opener. He quickly opened up a solid gap on his challengers and steadily pulled away, rolling to a 6.579-second win over Sellers.
Pembelton finished third, Ward finished fourth after having started eight under the inverted start, and Weddell came home fifth.
Dillon Davis grabbed the lead from B.J. Reaves on the fifth lap and edged Reaves by .290-second to win the 25-lap Southside Disposal Pure Stock Division race.
Cameron Goble took the lead from division points leader Landon Milam on the second lap and drove to a 6.821-second win over Milam in the 20-lap Dollar General Hornets Division race.
