Teenager Lane Woods is Set to Take the Next Big Step, Compete for South Boston Speedway Limited Sportsman Title
SOUTH BOSTON, VA……At the age of 14 Lane Woods has already accomplished things in his racing career that some veteran drivers would like to have on their racing resume.
He started racing go-karts at age five and recorded approximately 150 wins racing go-karts. The next move was racing a Mod 4 car, and again, success followed.
Woods won four races and the Charger Division championship at Orange County Speedway last season, won the Limited Late Model race held in conjunction with the Rodney Cook Classic at Ace Speedway, and raced at Tri-County Motor Speedway and Hickory Motor Speedway, all in approximately a dozen total starts.
The next step on the young man’s ladder is to chase the 2025 South Boston Speedway Budweiser Limited Sportsman Division championship – a chase that will begin on Saturday afternoon, April 12 with the Second Annual Kenny Meadows Memorial Limited Sportsman Feature, a 75-lap race that will pay $3,000 to the winner and $500 to start. That race will be the longest and richest race of the season for South Boston Speedway’s Budweiser Limited Sportsman Division competitors.
“I’m looking forward to it,” the young Moneta, Virginia resident said of competing for the 2025 division title. “It’s going to take hard work to win races, not get into wrecks, and finish Top-10 or Top Five every race. I tried racing against some tough competition last year. Here at South Boston Speedway, you have a bunch of good guys, a good car count, and a bunch of tough guys to race against to get my experience level up.”
Woods explained that he and his team chose to compete for the championship at South Boston Speedway this season because he likes the track and wants to get his name out into the racing world.
“I want to get my name out and try to get somewhere in the racing world,” the teenager explained. “I got my feet wet in the Mod 4 and Charger divisions, and I wanted to step up our game and try to compete for the championship at a big track. I like the facility. I like the track. It’s high-banked and has good grip. It’s fun. You have good battles here.”
The young driver understands that if he is to win the 2025 South Boston Speedway Budweiser Limited Sportsman Division title, he will need to win races. Five different drivers won races in 2024, seven different drivers won races in 2023, and four different drivers emerged victorious in the division in 2022.
“I know a couple of guys that were competing for the championship last year, Eric Winslow and Jason Myers, and they both had at least a couple of wins,” Woods pointed out. “You have to win to be part of the championship battle and do well.”
The Second Annual Kenny Meadows Memorial Limited Sportsman Feature will go for 75 laps, up from 50 laps last season, and will pay $3,000 to the winner, $1,000 for second place, and $500 to start.
Other awards include a $250 Anderson Turf Management Limited Sportsman Pole Award, a $250 Aqua Pros Hard Charger Award for the driver that gains the most positions in the race, and a $500 Surprise Finishing Position Bonus from Ronnie Ratliff Service Center and LS Tractor that will be picked on race day.
Woods noted it will take a big effort to pull off a victory in the race.
“It’s more laps, and you will have to do things during the race like save tires,” he pointed out. “I know some big names will be coming in for this race and there will be a lot of competition. I just need to try to be my own person and try to do my best to win.”
The Saturday afternoon, April 12 Danville Toyota Race Day event features a five-race card. A 100-lap race for the Sentara Health Late Model Stock Car Division and the Second Annual Kenny Meadows Memorial Limited Sportsman Feature, a 75-lap race for the speedway’s Budweiser Limited Sportsman Division, headline the afternoon’s action. Fans will also see twin 15-lap races for the Southside Disposal Pure Stock Division and a 20-lap race for the Dollar General Hornets Division.
Advance adult tickets for the Danville Toyota Race Day event are priced at $12. Tickets at the gate on race day will be $15 each. Suite tickets are available for $40 each. Seniors ages 65 and older, military, healthcare workers, and students (with ID) can purchase tickets for $12 each at the gate only on the day of the event.
The race day schedule has registration and pit gates opening at 8:30 a.m. Frontstretch spectator gates will open at 10:30 a.m. and practice starts at 10:30 a.m. Group qualifying begins at 1 p.m. and the first race of the day will get the green flag at 2 p.m.
The latest news and updates about the Danville Toyota Race Day event and all of South Boston Speedway events can be found on the speedway’s website, www.southbostonspeedway.com, by calling the speedway office at 434-572-4947 or toll free at 1-877-440-1540 during regular business hours, and through the track’s social media channels.
PHOTO CAPTIONS
FILE NAME – WOODS 1
Photo Courtesy Joe Chandler/South Boston Speedway
Lane Woods watches as team members make adjustments to his car during a testing session at South Boston Speedway. The 14-year-old Moneta, Virginia resident will attempt to compete for the 2025 South Boston Speedway Budweiser Limited Sportsman Division championship. The first race for Woods in his quest for the title will be the Second Annual Kenny Meadows Limited Sportsman Memorial Feature, the longest and richest race of the season for South Boston Speedway’s Budweiser Limited Sportsman Division competitors. That race is set for Saturday afternoon, April 12, and will go for 75 laps with a $3,000 prize awaiting the winner.
FILE NAME – WOODS 2
Photo Courtesy Joe Chandler/South Boston Speedway
Lane Woods speeds down the frontstretch during a testing session at South Boston Speedway. The young Moneta, Virginia resident will be attempting to compete for the 2025 South Boston Speedway Budweiser Limited Sportsman Division championship.
Sources: Joe Chandler, South Boston Speedway PR