LUCAMA, NC – Several divisions will race in the three day Thanksgiving All-Star Classic at Southern National Motorsports Park from November 27th through November 29th, headlined by Super Late Model racing NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Late Model Stock Car racing action.
The Late Model Stock Car feature race, which headlines the winter highlight, will run NASCAR Late Model Stock Car rules instead of the hybrid rules that the track ran throughout the regular season. The race has been a Thanksgiving tradition since 1998 when Philip Morris won the first Thanksgiving All-Star Classic. November 29th will mark the 15th commencement of the Thanksgiving All-Star Classic which has seen 12 different winners.
One driver who has his sights deadlocked on this year’s Thanksgiving All-Star Classic is Lee Pulliam. Pulliam has now won three of the four ‘majors’ in Late Model Stock Car racing but, in three attempts, victory in the Classic has eluded him. In 2012, Pulliam was swept up in an accident. In 2013, Ronnie Bassett, Jr. used a bump-and-run to get past Pulliam. In 2014, Pulliam’s car broke at halfway while he was dominating the event. Pulliam won two at Southern National in the regular season finale on September 13th and, with those wins, secured his third NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national championship.
Brayton Haws is the defending winner of the race. Last year, he beat out Todd Gilliland, who won the inaugural Championship Auto Racing Series (CARS) Late Model Stock Tour race at Southern National back in March. Jamey Caudill, who has won the Thanksgiving All-Star Classic twice, finished third.
The Late Model Stock Car portion of the Thanksgiving All-Star Classic has also seen NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship contender Denny Hamlin, former NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Scott Riggs and former ARCA Racing Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver Joey Coulter all visit victory lane.
Complete list of former Thanksgiving All-Star Classic winners.
The Super Late Model portion of the Thanksgiving All-Star Classic brings back the cars that were once the feature division at Southern National when names like “Big Jim” Kelley raced at the track in the early days. The 125 lap Super Late Model race will be run on Sunday, November 29th ahead of the Late Model Stock Car race.
Limited Late Model racing will also be featured in the Thanksgiving All-Star Classic which will draw names from all across the region. In addition to Super Late Models, Late Model Stock Cars and Limited Late Models, Street Stocks, Mini-Stocks and U-CAR racing will also be in the spotlight in the winter highlight. Southern National Motorsports Park’s Charger division, Legends division and Bandoleros will also see feature racing.
The Bandoleros, Street Stocks and Chargers will all race on Friday, November 27th. If 12+ cars enter by November 18th, Modified racing will also take place on Friday, November 27th. Late Model Stock Car heat races will be held on Saturday, November 28th in addition to racing for the Legends, U-CARs, Limited Late Models and Mini-Stock Mayhem. Sunday, November 29th will feature the 200 lap Late Model Stock Car race and the 125 lap Super Late Model race.
The Thanksgiving All-Star Classic features three days of action packed racing from Friday night, November 27th through Sunday, November 29th. More information and details will be announced in the coming days and weeks.
For more information about Southern National Motorsports Park, check out SNMP’s website at www.snmpark.com, “like” Southern National Motorsports Park on Facebook or “follow” @SNM_Park on Twitter.
