SOUTH BOSTON, Va. — Kenny Forbes won South Boston Speedway’s longest and richest Budweiser Limited Sportsman Division race of the season Saturday night, a 75-lap race that paid $1,500 to win. It was the second straight win at South Boston Speedway for the Bullock, North Carolina resident.
Jason Myers finished second in the race that was featured as part of Saturday night’s Italian Delight Family Restaurant Night Race at South Boston Speedway. Myers’ second-place finish coupled with a seventh-place finish by Carter Russo of Rougemont, North Carolina gives Myers a 21-point lead over Russo in the chase for the division championship with one points race remaining in the 2023 season.
Myers started on the pole and led the first 38 laps of the 75-lap race. Forbes took the lead from Myers on lap 39 on the restart that followed the race’s only caution period and led the final 37 laps. He fought off several strong challenges from Myers and edged Myers by .291-second at the finish. Myers had won the pole for the race and led the first 38 circuits of the quarter-mile oval.
“This is really special,” Forbes said of his win. “I’m glad to bring home (winner’s) trophies two races in a row. I haven’t raced a lot over the last 10 or 12 years, and to come back up here and be competitive is good. I’m really happy to come back and have a good showing after winning the last race here.”
Forbes pointed out that Myers had opened up a healthy lead while leading the first 38 laps of the race.
“I didn’t know if we were going to have anything for Jason Myers tonight,” Forbes remarked. “We had an opportunity after the break. The car was pretty good on the high side, and I was fortunate enough to get in front of him. He battled hard the rest of the race, and I was able to hold him off.”
Myers said he gave the race his best effort.
“I gave it everything I had and came up one spot short,” Myers explained. “On the restart our car was way too free pinched down on the inside. I should have taken the outside and that was the winning move for Kenny. I could get back to his door, but I wasn’t going to push the issue and wreck us both.”
While Myers did not win the race, he did something more important – stretch his lead in the battle with Russo for the division championship.
“My dad (Billy Myers), who was my spotter, told me Russo was pretty far back, and it was going to be a really good points night if we finished where we were. I was fortunate to do that.”
Nathan Crews, former South Boston Speedway division champion Kyle Barnes and Drew Dawson rounded out the top five finishers in the race.
Six-time South Boston Speedway champion Peyton Sellers won the late model stock car division, though the race is pending review.
Caleb Sanford achieved a major milestone Saturday night – scoring his first career South Boston Speedway victory – in the 25-lap Southside Disposal Pure Stock Division race at South Boston.
Cameron Goble won the pole and led every lap to secure the win in Saturday night’s 20-lap race for the Virginia State Police HEAT Hornets Division.
Shawn Otey, driving a 1968 Chevrolet Nova, won the Sportsman Division and earned the overall race win in Saturday night’s 25-lap race for the regional touring Southern Ground Pounders Vintage Racing Club race.