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2022 SESSION

22105678D
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 148
Offered February 22, 2022
Commending the South Boston Speedway.
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Patrons-- Stanley and Ruff; Delegate: Adams, L.R.
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WHEREAS, the South Boston Speedway, a beloved raceway in Halifax County that has delighted fans for generations, celebrates its 65th anniversary in 2022; and

WHEREAS, affectionately known as “SoBo,” the South Boston Speedway was originally built as a quarter-mile dirt track by founders Buck Wilkins and Dave Blount and opened on August 10, 1957; and

WHEREAS, the South Boston Speedway hosted its first races sanctioned by the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) in 1960 and was paved shortly thereafter; and

WHEREAS, over the years, the South Boston Speedway has played host to various racing circuits, including the former NASCAR Grand National Series, now known as the NASCAR Cup Series, and the former NASCAR Busch Grand National Series, now known as the NASCAR Xfinity Series, of which the track was a charter member in 1982; and

WHEREAS, celebrated as “America’s Hometown Track,” the South Boston Speedway has also supported the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, the former NASCAR Grand American and NASCAR Goody’s Dash Series, and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, among other NASCAR series; and

WHEREAS, fans have been able to witness a number of other regional and national touring series at the South Boston Speedway, including the Automobile Racing Club of America Menards Series and United States Auto Club Sprint Car and American Motorcyclist Association motorcycle, motocross, and oval-track events; and

WHEREAS, today, the South Boston Speedway is a four-tenths-mile paved oval that plays host to NASCAR-sanctioned races weekly on Saturdays from late March through the middle of September; and

WHEREAS, the South Boston Speedway is a major attraction in the South Central Virginia region and an institution in the local community, drawing most of its regular fans from the immediate surrounding area; and

WHEREAS, considered one of the best venues for NASCAR late model stock car racing in the nation, fans have joyfully witnessed NASCAR’s top competitors hone their skills at the South Boston Speedway, including Nationwide and Sprint Cup drivers, Stacy Compton, Ward and Jeff Burton, Elliott and Hermie Sadler, and Denny Hamlin; and

WHEREAS, the traditions at South Boston Speedway have built a fan-friendly facility with a family-friendly atmosphere, helping to make South Boston and the surrounding area a wonderful place to call home; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend the South Boston Speedway on the occasion of its 65th anniversary; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the South Boston Speedway as an expression of the General Assembly’s admiration for the track’s history and its contributions to the Commonwealth.