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Enduros and Pure Stock 4s invade South Boston

SOuth BOston, Va…..Clear skies and breezy, cool temperatures met the not-so-usual gathering of racing machines at “America’s Hometown track” on Sunday. The Enduro 200 saw a gathering of more than 30 would-be racers attempting to tackle SOuth BOston’s 4/10th mile asphalt oval.

The upstart, Pure Stock 4s, were also on the charge in their 25 lap event.

Four 4 cylinder machines lined up for 25 laps of racing at the legendary South Boston Speedway. It only took one trip into turn four for #22, Chucky Cook, to make contact with the inside wall. His Golden Skillet Mazda brushed off the concrete and continued on. On lap 9,

Donald Clay pulled his #71 machine in with engine trouble. The #15 of Augie Saccoccio led at the halfway and pulled his brilliantly painted ride into victory lane, for the first win by a Pure Stock 4 driver in the 44 year history of South Boston Speedway. “If you want to get out of the stands and get on the track, the Pure Stock 4s is the way to get there!”, said track announcer John Evans. “The Pure Stock 4s is an upstart division aimed at giving racing hopefuls a chance to race on a shoestring budget. Cars can be put together for approximately $1,500.00, giving race- curious fans an opportunity to get their race on.”

A colorful, thirty-one car field assembled on the start/finish line, as the Enduro 200 was set to go green. The mad dash was on from lap #1. Darin Free #23 and Scott Conner #38 tangled along the backstretch with the spins also coming on laps two and three. There was a 20 lap green flag stretch before Marty Coltrain was involved in a turn three incident. Andy Loftis, #2, twisted and turned on the frontstretch, then Darin Free and Melvin Phillips locked bumpers through turns one and two. After three more flags flying and a runaway tire on lap 82, five cars lost control in the first turn. With only one car on the lead lap, the second half of the race was run with only five slip and slides.

Finishing the race in under the two and a half hour time deadline, #32 Gary Ledbetter (Lexington, NC) pulled his Chevrolet into victory lane to celebrate his enduring win. “The first time I came up here, I tore my car up, but finished second. This time it was all right. I hit the wall pretty good when those other guys were wrecking, but it worked out. I plan to be back for the next one.”