ENTANGLED – 2026 Kenny Meadows Memorial Weekend At South Boston Speedway

“In a universe made out of energy, everything is entangled; everything is one.” — Bruce Lipton

You know, there really are 2 different types of sports fans out there. One fan sees the show, acknowledges the winner, and then moves on in their mind to the next one. Then there is the fanatic. The fan that sees much more than that and becomes totally immersed in the sport of their choice. Both fans are fans, just on totally opposite sides of the spectrum. And while it’s true that most of us fall somewhere in the middle, the opposite ends are still defined. It’s the difference between the casual fan and the informed one. It should have become clear long ago that we aim our extended coverage to the fan that wants to know more. The fan that understands there is always more to the story. And so while others saw the obvious storylines that emerged from this past weekends racing at South Boston Speedway, what we saw was also a bevy of entanglement.

First of all, the ending story for this year’s South Boston Speedway Kenny Meadows Memorial couldn’t have had a more fitting end. It was clear before the race even started about how proud Kenny’s widow, Debra, is of this event. Not just because of the memory of her late husband, but the fact that it honors his extreme love for the sport. Because of that, his story touched so many others at the speedway. One of those was Craig Moore. It seems a fitting fate then that Craig was able to win this race in his honor. You see, Craig doesn’t get to race much anymore. You wouldn’t know that if you were just the casual fan because Craig Moore smoked ’em in this race. Tristan Brunelli was the only one in his ballpark but he was only able to get a good look at Moore’s rear panel sponsors as he was never able to truly challenge Moore for the win. Ironic as Craig Moore was only able to get the opportunity because the guy that usually races it needed help rectifying a loose race car. That’s right. Craig Moore came and dusted the field in the Kenny Meadows Memorial because Dennis Holdren needed him to fix the loose condition on the #1 machine, and he knew Craig Moore was the man that could figure it out. Much like all the drivers over the years who leaned on Kenny Meadows’ race car knowledge to get them where they needed to be. Both Meadows and Moore became that go to out of that pure love for the sport of American stock car racing. It wasn’t lost on me that when Craig Moore pulled into victory lane this past Saturday night as victor in the 2026 Kenny Meadows Memorial that he was right where he was meant to be.

While the focus of this weekend’s racing at South Boston Speedway was on the Limited Sportsman division and the Kenny Meadows Memorial, you would have to be a true casual racing fan not to understand the relevance of the 2026 South Boston Speedway Late Model Stock championship points battle. Landon Pembelton has emerged in his best track title contention ever at South Boston, but it comes at a time when Trevor Ward is laser focused on that title as well, and the truth is, both have never been better. Mix in with that the veteran savvy of Peyton Sellers, the winningest champion to ever do it there, and a young developing Conner Weddell, and you have a heck of a storied points battle. These guys are truly testing each other and it’s been amazing to watch. There is no better word to describe it than entanglement. Each coming in with their own distinct variations of who they are and how they approach the sport. On the one end is Sellers, the 8 time champion who’s set the mark. On the other is young Conner Weddell who’s learned with every lap this year in his first full time Late Model Stock effort but is proving with every lap that he also belongs. At the center of the fight is Trevor Ward and Landon Pembelton. Drivers meeting at the pinnacle of their careers at the top of their game locked in a quest to secure one of the most coveted titles in all of short track racing. All of these drivers have spent the season inches off of each others bumpers and fenders. All elevating each others game. It’s inevitable that there is going to be contact. A few weeks back, it was Peyton Sellers and Landon Pembelton discussing some contact, and this week it was Ward and Weddell who came together.

But watching the racing this year at South Boston Speedway, in particular the Late Model Stock division, one thing has become perfectly clear to me. These guys are racing with everything they have. But, at the same time, I see a tremendous amount of respect for one another. Time and time again I’ve seen opportunities for these guys to just clean each other out. But time and time again I’ve seen them also work against it. These guys are racing each other the right way because when it’s over they don’t want there to be a question of who the champion is. And I as a race fan respect that. They’re not giving each other an inch, but they’re not taking cheap shots in the process. You may not realize it, but it takes an ENORMOUS amount of track awareness and talent to race that way. And it couldn’t be more exciting. I hope that the fans there are taking it all in, not just the win count. This battle has been special so far this year, and I don’t think the best has yet to come. Ward and Pembelton look to have singled themselves on top with Ward getting the edge this week, but it ain’t over by a long shot.

The final bit of obviously notable entanglement from this week at South Boston was exhibited by veteran Late Model Stock racer Bobby McCarty and it has to do with the sport itself. You see, Bobby McCarty really doesn’t have anything left to prove when it comes to the Late Model Stock genre. He’s a 3 time CARS Tour Late Model Stock champion. But, Bobby McCarty is at a moment in his career when most guys just walk away. That’s not Bobby McCarty. Instead he’s reset to define his own ending, and he’s put all he has into it. And he’s chosen to do so at the place where he learned to win championships early in his career. Yeah, South Boston Speedway is Bobby McCarty’s home track. Before he became a Late Model Stock master on the biggest Late Model Stock tour in the country, he secured a Limited Sportsman championship here. And now, with the odds looking to stack up against him, he’s chosen instead to defy them, and is finding his way back to victory lane. Why you ask? Why when you’ve proved yourself to be one of the best ever, why continue on when it’s the toughest it’s ever been to do so? Because of the entanglement. The sport itself. For some it will wrap itself around you and never let go. It becomes you to a large extent. Yes, racing can be extremely frustrating. It takes and takes and you have to fight with all you have to get it to give a little bit back. But, it also gives you what nothing else can. It will give you a challenge so great that you will go to the edge of life to achieve it. But when you meet that challenge head on, and then in the midst of it find a way to thrive…you will never let go of that. That is where you find that you are most alive. And you become immersed in an adventure that ensnares your soul for the rest of your life. Entangled. Until next time, as always, we’ll See You At The Track!