South Boston Speedway, or "SoBo", is a short track located just outside South Boston, Virginia. SoBo is located approximately east of another area familiar to most NASCAR fans, Martinsville.

The venue is owned by Mattco, Inc., the Mattioli family trust that owns Pocono Raceway, with general manager Brandon Brown operating the track, replacing Cathy Rice who retired in 2021 after serving in that role for 21 years and Chase Brashears who was in the role for two years.

NASCAR's three national series have raced at the track, though the Cup Series has not done so since 1971, while the Busch Series last raced there in 2000. After the Busch Series left the schedule, the Craftsman Truck Series competed at SoBo for a few years between 2001 and 2003. The SRX Series visited the track in 2022.

Like most tracks in the region, it is NASCAR-sanctioned; thus, drivers can run for NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series National Points. The track has produced most of the national champions in the past two decades. The track holds around 12 events annually for its local racing divisions, which include the Late Model Stock Cars, Budweiser Limited Sportsman, Southside Disposal Pure Stock, and the VSP Heat Hornets. The East Coast Flathead Ford Racing Association and the Southern Ground Pounders Vintage Racing Club make occasional appearances. All events are broadcast live on FloRacing.

The track has historically been known for its modified racing. The original SMART Modified Tour ran at the track in 1992-93 and 2001. Its successor, the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour, ran annually from 2009 to 2013 and biannually from 2014 to 2016. The reincarnation of the SMART Modified Tour has run a race since 2021. Beginning in 2023 South Boston was given two races for the SMART Tour with the first race, King of the Modifieds, becoming the tour's crown jewel race. The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour has run twice at the track, in 2001 and 2019. The NWMT was scheduled to return for a third time in 2020, but the race was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ARCA Menards Series held three races at South Boston between 2002 and 2004. The facility also hosted 11 NASCAR Southeast Series races from 1992 to 2006. The ARCA Menards Series East (then NASCAR K&N Pro Series East) replaced the Southeast Series at the track for the next five years and returned in 2017 for twin 100 lap races that continued into 2019.

South Boston in recent years has been known for its Late Model Stock racing. The Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 is SoBo's Crown Jewel race, held annually on Independence Day weekend, and is the first race in the Virginia Triple Crown. Two CARS tours – the CARS Pro Late Model Tour and CARS Late Model Stock Tour – have held multiple events at the speedway, including a stretch of 21 events from 1997 to 2011 (as the CARS X1-R Pro Cup Series) and has made an annual stop since 2017. In 2014 and 2015 the track held the Denny Hamlin Short Track Showdown. The ASA National Tour hosted 2 races at SoBo – one in 2001 and the other in 2002.

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 there.

2025 South Boston Speedway Schedule DateEventDivisionsMarch 22King of the ModifiedsSMART Modified Tour (125 Laps), LMSC (Twin 50's)April 12Danville Toyota Race DayLMSC, Limited Sportsman (75 Laps), Pure Stock, HornetsApril 26NASCAR Weekly Series RacingLMSC, Limited Sportsman, Pure Stock, HornetsMay 10NASCAR Weekly Series RacingLMSC, Limited Sportsman, Pure Stock, HornetsMay 24NASCAR Weekly Series RacingLMSC, Limited Sportsman, Pure Stock, HornetsJune 7NASCAR Weekly Series RacingLMSC, Limited Sportsman, Pure Stock, HornetsJune 28Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200LMSC (200 Laps), Limited Sportsman (40 Laps), Pure Stock (20 Laps), Hornets (15 Laps)July 26NASCAR Weekly Series RacingLMSC, Limited Sportsman, Pure Stock, HornetsAugust 9NASCAR Weekly Series RacingLMSC, Limited Sportsman, Pure Stock, HornetsAugust 23NASCAR Weekly Series RacingLMSC, Limited Sportsman, Pure Stock, HornetsSeptember 6NASCAR Weekly Series Championship NightLMSC, Limited Sportsman, Pure Stock, HornetsSeptember 13CARS TourCARS Late Model Stock Tour (125 Laps), CARS Pro Late Model Tour (100 Laps)

Notable drivers Dale Earnhardt, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Cale Yarborough, Darrell Waltrip, Terry Labonte, Geoff Bodine, Bobby Allison, Tony Stewart, Ken Schrader, and Benny Parsons are among many Cup Series drivers that have competed at South Boston Speedway over the years. Parsons scored his first career Grand National win at South Boston Speedway when the track hosted its last Grand National race in 1971. Richard Petty won 5 races at South Boston Speedway between 1963 and 1970.

Waltrip was a winner at South Boston Speedway while competing in NASCAR Late Model Sportsman races. Bodine cut his teeth in racing full bodied stock cars when he moved south off of the NASCAR Modified circuit in 1981 to drive for Emanuel Zervakis of Richmond. The former NASCAR Modified driver won nine of 11 NASCAR Late Model Sportsman events and went on to win the South Boston Speedway title that season. He used that experience to vault his way onto the NASCAR Winston Cup Series tour.

In the early 1970s when the NASCAR Grand American Series was popular, drivers such as Tiny Lund, Pete Hamilton, Jim Paschal, Frank Sessoms, and T. C. Hunt competed on the South Boston Speedway oval.

Ray Hendrick, a driver who competed at South Boston Speedway, recorded numerous wins at the track during his career, many of them while driving the winged No. 11 Modified coupe fielded by Jack Tant and Clayton Mitchell. The Richmond, Virginia resident won five track championships at South Boston Speedway, four of them in the NASCAR Modified division and one in the NASCAR Late Model Sportsman division.

Over the years, South Boston Speedway has been a breeding ground for a number of NASCAR stars. South Boston natives Jeff Burton and Ward Burton spent their early careers in the NASCAR Late Model Stock Car Division there. The Burtons are the only brothers to win the South Boston Speedway Most Popular Driver Award.

South Boston Speedway's 1994 champion, Stacy Compton, went on to a successful career, competing in the Cup Series, Busch, and Craftsman Truck Series.

Hermie Sadler and Elliott Sadler of Emporia, Virginia competed in Late Models at South Boston Speedway, with Elliott winning the track championship as a 20-year-old rising star. Cup Series star Denny Hamlin also raced and won multiple times in the Late Model Stock Car Division.

David Blankenship of Moseley, Virginia has the most track championships. In 1998, he won an unprecedented seventh career South Boston Speedway NASCAR Late Model Stock Car Division title. Hendrick's mark of five South Boston Speedway championships is second to Blankenship's seven titles. In 2019, Peyton Sellers of Danville, Virginia won his fifth career South Boston Speedway NASCAR Late Model Stock Car Division title to move into a tie with Hendrick for second place. In 2024, Sellers would tie Blankenship's record.

Records Track record – Tommy Catalano (13.849 seconds; 103.979  MPH); NASCAR Whelen Modified Race record – Todd Bodine, 70.785 MPH Late Model Stock Car Track Record - Peyton Sellers (14.676 seconds; 98.119 MPH; March 16, 2019) Limited Sportsman Track Record - Colin Garrett (15.125 seconds; 97.587 MPH; April 8, 2017) Pure Stock Track Record - Zach Reaves (17.648 seconds; 81.657 MPH; April 12, 2025) NASCAR K&N Pro Series East (now ARCA Menards Series East) Track Record - Chase Cabre (14.711 seconds; 97.886 MPH; April 5, 2017) Hornet Track Record - Cameron Goble (19.592 seconds; 71.819 MPH; August 19, 2023)

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 2016 Matt Bowling 2017 Peyton Sellers 2018 Peyton Sellers 2019 Peyton Sellers2020No racing due to COVID-192021 Peyton Sellers2022 Layne Riggs2023 Carter Langley2024 Peyton Sellers2025Peyton Sellers

Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 Winners YearWinner2006Drew Herring2007Adam Barker2008Deac McCaskill2009Nick Smith2010Deac McCaskill (2)2011Lee Pulliam2012Lee Pulliam (2)2013Lee Pulliam (3)2014Lee Pulliam (4)2015Lee Pulliam (5)2016Lee Pulliam (6)2017Philip Morris2018Peyton Sellers2019Peyton Sellers (2)2020n/a2021Bobby McCarty2022Corey Heim2023Bobby McCarty (2)2024Connor Hall2025Connor Hall2026Kaden Honeycutt

See also List of NASCAR race tracks Winston Racing Series Barry Beggarly

References

External links South Boston Speedway Official Site NASCAR Grand National/Winston Cup and Busch Series winners list South Boston Speedway race results at Racing-Reference