KENLY, N.C. — Being billed as the richest late model stock car race in history, the annual Solid Rock Carriers Thanksgiving Classic is scheduled Nov. 27 at Southern National Motorsports Park with the 250-lap event scheduled to pay $50,000 to win.
The late model stock main event headlines three days of racing at the four-tenths-mile asphalt track with all three days of action being produced by PitRowTV and broadcast by SPEED SPORT affiliate, SNMPark.tv.
Action begins with practice for all divisions and qualifying for the bandoleros, Legend Cars and chargers on Friday night.
Saturday’s program includes practice and qualifying and concludes with features for bandoleros, mini stocks, Legend Cars, SL Mods and street stocks. Finally, the Sunday event will feature last chance races for the late model stocks, a 75-lap limited late model feature and the 250-lap, $50,00-to-win late model stock main event.
The first known running of the Thanksgiving Classic was in 1998, with Philip Morris claiming the victory. The following year, Scott Riggs won the event. Riggs’ son, Layne, this year’s NASCAR Weekly Racing national champion, is among the confirmed entrants for this year’s race.
The Thanksgiving Classic was run annually until the track closed at the end of the 2008 season. The track was dormant for three seasons before Michael Diaz and Jerry Brown purchased the facility and brought the Thanksgiving Classic back to life in 2012. The large purse for this year’s event is the brainchild of Diaz, who credits the help of Kirk and Lynette Ipock of Solid Rock Carriers for helping it come to fruition.
“I just want the race to be a success,” Diaz said. “I feel that being the first to attempt purses like this is a big risk, but there is no reward without risk. I believe that this will lead to other events of this level and that those too will be a success. I am hoping that I can get the support of a lot of small businesses and racing companies to help us out with this race.”
Three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin won the event in 2003 and 2007. Four-time track champion Jamey Caudill and Matt McCall, who is among this year’s entrants, are also two-time winners of the Thanksgiving Classic.
Other Thanksgiving Classic winners are Frank Deiny Jr., Kirk Leone, Brandon Butler, Deac McCaskill, Joey Coulter, Greg Edwards, Ronnie Bassett Jr., Brayton Haws, Lee Pulliam, Tommy Lemons Jr., Bobby McCarty and NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Josh Berry, who won last year’s event, which paid him a humble $6,500.
The Nov. 27 live broadcast of the Solid Rock Carriers Thanksgiving Classic begins at noon on SNMPark.tv.