KENLY, NC — As Southern National Motorsports Park ends the 2023 season, the first under the NASCAR banner since 2020, Championship Night on Saturday, September 30 will highlight all of your favorite local short track divisions. Track champions will be crowned in Late Model Stock Car, Chargers, Legends, Bandoleros, and Any Car. Some divisions have all been but clinched heading into the final night of the season, while others will come down to the final race!
Late Model Stock Car points leader Michael O’Brien will enter the championship night looking to walk away as that: a champion. O’Brien has a 73-point lead over Virginia native, John Goin. Though O’Brien’s number 61 car may only have a single Late Model feature win to his name this season at SNMP, he has been a model of consistency all season that will help him walk away with the title. O’Brien has also clinched Late Model Rookie of the Year for the 2023 season after being a former Charger track champion in 2019. The individual with the most Late Model wins this season with four, Bradley McCaskill, sits back in fourth in the standings entering the final night. Others in the top five in the standings include Ryan Joyner in third, 157 points out of the lead with three wins on the season, and Adam Murray in fifth, 244 points out and a pair of wins this year.
Southern National’s Charger division has been dominated by a three-headed monster all year: Tyler Chapman, Austin Ferrell, and Gator Williams. These three only separate themselves by 35 points and combine for seven wins this season. The 14 of Davis Renfrow brings up the “best of the rest” as he stands fourth, 150 points out of the top spot. Brandon Murray of Knightdale will look to hang on to a top-five spot in the points as Tracey Chambers and her one win on the season only reside 14 points back of that fifth spot.
The Legends division finds itself in an interesting situation heading into championship night. One and two in the standings, Brett Todd and Danny Glenn, find themselves with only a meager five-point difference between them. The surprising part is that neither of them has collected a Legends feature win this season, however, they both have placed top five in every feature to this point. The majority of Legends feature wins this season have come from invaders Carson Haislip and Charlie Beals, both have two wins in two feature appearances this year. Both Haislip and Beals will be non-factors in the SNMP Legends championship however as they sit sixth and seventh respectively.
It is all but a done deal in Bandoleros for the year as young hotshot Sarah Whitesell has put together a dominating season. Her four wins in nine features this season have placed her on top of the standings with a massive margin of 118 points over Jay Hemenway. Whitesell has also been consistent alongside her wins going nine-for-nine in top fives as well which helps cushion that point lead significantly. Though not competing in every feature, Hemenway finds himself second in the standings with his six top tens in six features at SNMP this season. Bryson Brinkley and Brian Rundstrom find themselves in third and fourth in the standings, each with a victory this year. Lucama local, Landon Strickland, rounds out the top five in points with four top fives.
Sibling rivalries have always existed in the world of racing: Jeff and Ward Burton, Kurt and Kyle Busch, and now Hunter and Haley Brown. The Jacksonville duo currently sit one and two in Any Car standings heading into the final night. Hunter has a 94 point advantage over Haley though Haley has two wins on the season compared to Hunter’s lone victory. Duane Walker sits third in the standings with a pair of wins this season but is 121 points back of Hunter Brown for the points lead. Lucas Thomas and Deejay Mooring complete the top five in points, both with a pair of top fives for the season.
Championships will be won and lost on September 30th. You do not want to miss out on the action and see your favorite drivers crowned as champions! Grandstand, Trackside, and Suite tickets are all available for purchase NOW at www.snmpark.com/2023-next-event. See you at The Park!
Ryan Batts
