Labonte hopes experience at SBS will give him an edge

Published 5:00 pm Thursday, May 19, 2022

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By Joe Chandler

South Boston Speedway

Labonte competed in SMART Modified Tour events at South Boston Speedway in 2021 and 2022 and competed at the track prior to that.

“I’m looking forward to it,” Labonte said of the June 25 SRX event at South Boston Speedway.

“I think running the SMART Modified Tour race here last year and again this year helps. It (South Boston Speedway) is one of the best tracks we go to.

“I also raced here back in the 1990s,” he added.

“I was a kid coming to South Boston and watching Geoff Bodine run the No. 99 Emanuel Zervakis car back in the 1980s, so I’ve been at South Boston Speedway a lot. I’ve run Late Model Stock there. Hopefully that will fall in my lap.”

Labonte says fans attending the June 25 SRX event at South Boston Speedway will see a great event.

“I think it will be a great show because this is a great little racetrack,” Labonte remarked.

“For me, it is a fun place. I saw a different iteration of the track years ago when I was here in the early 1990s. The track has changed a lot. It’s a fun racetrack. The upper groove works, and you can get side-by-side racing out of it.”

Labonte returns to the SRX series in 2022 after a successful run in the SRX series last season. The 2000 NASCAR Cup Series champion and 2001 IROC (International Race of Champions) series champion scored four top-five finishes in the six-race series and enjoyed his experience in the SRX series last season.

“It was a lot of fun,” Labonte said.

“I enjoyed it last year, and I wanted to do it again.

“Obviously last year was a great success,” Labonte continued.

“It’s going to be hard to top that but there are obviously a lot of great drivers in the series. There is a lot of synergy around the series because it’s a quick six weeks. The caliber of drivers out there, to me, is truly amazing.”

Joining Labonte in the field for the June 25 SRX event at South Boston Speedway are Tony Stewart, Ryan Newman, Greg Biffle, Michael Waltrip, Helio Castroneves, Marco Andretti, Paul Tracy, Tony Kanaan, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Ernie Francis Jr., and defending NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series National Champion and six-time South Boston Speedway Champion Peyton Sellers of Danville.

South Boston Speedway’s SRX Series event on June 25 is part of a six-race short track racing series that will air on national TV in prime time on CBS on Saturday nights this summer.

Advance reserved tickets for South Boston Speedway’s June 25 SRX series event are on sale. Due to the high demand for tickets, track officials urge fans to purchase their tickets as soon as possible.

All grandstand seating is reserved seating for this event. Fans will need to choose their own seats when they purchase tickets.

Tickets in the speedway’s main frontstretch grandstand are priced at $35 each for reserved seats in rows 1-10, $45 each for reserved seats in rows 11- 18 and $50 each for reserved chairback seats in rows 19-20.

Trackside tailgating and general admission lawn chair area tickets are $35 each.

There is no child ticket pricing for this special event. Everyone attending the event must purchase a ticket, with the exception of an infant-in-arms that will sit on an individual’s lap.

Persons with ADA needs should purchase a General Admission Lawn Chair ticket. ADA areas are accessible in Turns 3 and 4 or Turns 1 and 2.

Trackside tailgating spaces cannot be purchased for the SRX event. The trackside tailgating spaces are sold on a seasonal basis and are sold out for the 2022 season.

Track officials encourage fans to purchase their tickets, whether they be reserved seats or general admission tickets, online on the South Boston Speedway website, southbostonspeedway.com. Persons that prefer to purchase tickets via phone can do so by calling 877-440-1540 or 434-572-4947, although purchasing online is the fastest and easiest way to ensure they get tickets. Speedway officials note that the easiest way to have tickets delivered is via email.

Racing fans can enjoy a full week in Southside Virginia, Halifax County and South Boston and attend two of the country’s most prestigious racing events on back-to-back weekends.

South Boston Speedway will host its crown jewel Fourth of July event, the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 presented by Grand Atlantic Ocean Resort, on Saturday night, July 2.

That four-race event will feature a 200-lap NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Late Model Stock Car Division race and one of the region’s best Fourth of July fireworks displays.

Tickets for the July 2 event are on sale now and are priced at $15 in advance. Kids ages 12 and under will be admitted free when accompanied by a paying adult.

Additional information about South Boston Speedway’s June 25 SRX series event, the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 presented by Grand Atlantic Ocean Resort, on Saturday night, July 2, and the latest South Boston Speedway news and information can be found on the speedway’s website, southbostonspeedway.com, or by calling the speedway at 877-440-1540 or (434) 572-4947 during normal business hours.