Giving Back: Hornets Division Competitor Chris Penick Sponsoring Trio of Drivers at South Boston Speedway This Season
SOUTH BOSTON, VA…..Chris Penick is a grassroots racer, one that understands the struggle of securing sponsorships for his racing efforts and the need to give back to the sport he loves.
That’s why Penick, who is entering his third season of competition in South Boston Speedway’s Hornets Division, is sponsoring three drivers at South Boston Speedway this season through his towing company, Green Speed Towing. Kyle Dudley, who competes in both the Late Model Stock Car and Limited Sportsman divisions and Limited Sportsman Division competitors Bev Peregoy and Cameron Goble will have sponsorship from Penick this season. Including Penick, fans will see four cars with Green Speed Towing logos on them this season.
“I started out as a small team without much sponsorship,” Penick remarked. “I know how it is to be out here and not have enough sponsorship. We’re just trying to give back to the racing community as much as we can. I’m a small-budget race team and have a small starter company. We could have done some other things but chose to sponsor racecars because racing is what we love to do.”
Friendship also factored into Penick’s decision to sponsor multiple drivers this season.
“Bev Peregoy is my best buddy, and Cameron Goble and the Gobles have helped us a lot in our learning about racing and learning about the cars,” Penick explained. “At the very least I want to try to pay them back. Kyle Dudley is my favorite Late Model driver and he’s looking for some sponsorship help. At some point in the future, I’d like to sponsor something at the track.”
Penick has faced a learning curve while competing the past two years in the Dollar General Hornets Division. In his first season of competition in 2023 he finished 13th in points with four Top-10 finishes in seven starts and a seventh-place finish as his best effort. In eight starts last season he again had four Top-10 finishes with a pair of sixth-place finishes being his best finishes of the season.
“I had never raced before,” Penick said, noting he started out in 2023 with a Chevrolet Cavalier with an automatic transmission. Last season Penick brought out an Acura R6 with a manual transmission seeking to be more competitive.
“I thought we were going to have a more competitive year last year,” he noted. “It was more of a learning year for us. We learned a lot.”
Penick and his fellow competitors in the Dollar General Hornets Division will do battle for the first time this season in a 20-lap race that will be part of the Danville Toyota Race Day event on Saturday afternoon, April 12 at South Boston Speedway. He is eager to get the season underway.
“Hopefully this year will be better for us,” Penick remarked. “We want to put ourselves more from mid-pack closer to the front pack. The goal is to put ourselves on the podium and maybe catch a couple of wins.
“I know the competition is going to be stacked high this season,” he added. “I know we have some new cars coming into the division and I think we’ve got pretty much the same group of competitive guys and gals from last season coming back this year. I hope we can keep up with the boys and girls, be competitive and try to fight for the championship.”
Five races are slated for the Saturday, April 12 Danville Toyota Race Day event. Headlining the afternoon’s racing action are 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 that will pay $3,000 to the winner and $500 to start. Twin 15-lap races for the Southside Disposal Pure Stock Division and a 20-lap race for the Dollar General Hornets Division round out the five-race card.
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.
Registration and pit gates will open 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.
Fans and competitors can find the latest news and updates about the Danville Toyota Race Day event and all other South Boston Speedway events 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 – CHRIS PENICK 1
Photo Courtesy Joe Chandler/South Boston Speedway
Chris Penick, pictured with the car he will drive this season in the Dollar General Hornets Division at South Boston Speedway, will be sponsoring a trio of drivers competing at the track this season through his Green Speed Towing Company. This will be Penick’s third season competing in the Dollar General Hornets Division at South Boston Speedway.
FILE NAME – CHRIS PENICK 2
Photo Courtesy Joe Chandler/South Boston Speedway
Chris Penick speeds down the frontstretch during a recent testing session at South Boston Speedway. Penick is entering his third season of competition in the Dollar General Hornets Division this season.
Sources: Joe Chandler/South Boston Speedway PR