(Press Release from NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications)
James Civali celebrates victory in Saturday’s NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour event at South Boston (Va) Speedway (Photo: Brenda Meserve/NASCAR)
SOUTH BOSTON, Va. – At the start of the season James Civali of Meriden was not in the No. 79 Pontiac owned by longtime NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour car owner Susan Hill and led by her husband David Hill on the pit box.
The Hill’s asked Civali to come back and drive their car in early August and in his third start for the veteran team, the Meriden, Conn. native gave them a reason to celebrate.
Civali passed Danny Bohn on Lap 107 and remained out front the rest of the way to score his first tour win since 2010 and second at South Boston Speedway in the South Boston 150.
Civali held off Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender Kyle Bonsignore over the final 20 laps of the race to win the first caution-free southern tour race since 2006.
Bonsignore scored his best finish to date coming home second with George Brunnhoelzl third, Bohn fourth and points leader Burt Myers completing the top five.
Bobby Measmer Jr. followed up his first tour win last weekend with a sixth-place finish with Kyle Ebersole, Jason Myers, Jeremy Gerstner and Andy Seuss completing the top 10.
This was the third caution-free race in the history of the southern tour with the other two coming at Hickory Motor Speedway and Southern National Motorsports Park both in the second season of the NASCAR-sanctioned tour.
With his top-five finish Burt Myers was able to gain five points over Seuss and unofficially has a 19-point lead over the two-time defending champion with two races remaining on the schedule.
Bohn captured his third Coors Light Pole award of the season and led the first 107 laps of the race before Civali made his move to the point.
The South Boston 150 will air on NBCSN on Thursday, Sept. 22, 7 p.m.
The NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour returns to action on Saturday, Sept. 24 for the Caraway 150 at Caraway Speedway.
When I first read this I almost thought I had overlooked one of Melissa’s races until I realized that Whitey Bulger never built a speedway over there in Southie… See you all on Friday and Saturday!
Bring that thing to the Fall Final! the fans want to see Civali at his home track! Cue the Civali wrecking dave dion videos: http://articles.courant.com/2005-08-12/sports/0508120144_1_stafford-motor-speedway-busch-north-series-james-civali
Always a show when he’s in the field
One of the dirtiest drivers I’ve ever watched.
some of the greatest drivers of all time were labeled as “dirty” at one time or another. If I owned a car and wanted the most from it I would not have an issue choosing Civali..
Surprisingly the car made it through the whole race
It’s a bird , it’s a plane , it’s the BO-DOZER.
He’s been a “dirty driver” all the way back to when he stepped into a mod. Comparing him to some of the best because he’s “dirty” was the wrong thing to do. The kid is and always was a hammer head…