Jared Dawson Making First Career Late Model Start in Krush 250 at South Boston

Limited Sportsman Division competitor Jared Dawson has dreamed of competing in South Boston Speedway’s Late Model Stock Car Division one day. He will soon get that opportunity.

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The Nathalie, Virginia resident has entered the State Water Heaters Krush 250 Presented by Rogers Heating & Cooling, a 250-lap Late Model Stock Car Division race paying $12,000 to win and carrying a $75,000 purse that will be held at South Boston Speedway on Saturday afternoon, November 8.

“I’m excited to have the opportunity to go out there and see what I can do,” Dawson remarked of the opportunity to compete in his first career Late Model Stock Car Division race.

“I’m just trying to get a little seat time in Late Model to see what we can do and see how we perform competing against the bigger drivers and race teams. I’ve got a lot of great sponsors behind me that know I can go out there and compete. I want to go out there, be seen and show my talent.”

Dawson, one of three brothers that have been competing in South Boston Speedway’s Limited Sportsman Division, finished fourth in the track’s point standings this season. He had two Top-5 finishes and nine Top-10 finishes in his 13 starts this season. The fourth-place effort was his best finish in the Limited Sportsman Division point standings since he began racing in the division in 2022.

The possibility of competing in the State Water Heaters Krush 250 Presented by Rogers Heating & Cooling had been talked about among the Dawson family and their race team for awhile.

“We had to get our sponsors on board,” Jared Dawson said.

“We had wanted to try to race Late Model this year. We had a decent finish in points in Limited Sportsman, and we felt it would be a good opportunity to race in the Krush 250.”

The goal Dawson and his for the race is simple – complete all 250 laps and finish the race with the car in one piece.

“I hope I can stay out of wrecks, run all 250 laps, and be there at the end. We’d be excited if we can get a Top-10 finish.”

Preparing for the State Water Heaters Krush 250 Presented by Rogers Heating & Cooling has been a huge effort. Jared Dawson, his dad Bobby Dawson, and his brothers, Drew and Justin Dawson, are spending many hours working on the car. Other members of their DMI Motorsports team have also been working hard on the car to transition it from a Limited Sportsman car to a Late Model Stock Car.

“Everybody is hands-on-deck,” Jared Dawson pointed out.

“Everybody at DMI is working long hours to get the car ready for this race.”

The process of transitioning the car from a Limited Sportsman car to a Late Model Stock Car is a time-consuming process.

“It’s the same chassis, but they’re totally different cars,” Bobby Dawson explained.

“We don’t run bump stops in Limited Sportsman, but you do in Late Model. The motor, the carburetor and many other things are different. There are a lot of things that have to be changed.

“We’ve been calling different people here and there, looking for help,” he added.

“We don’t have some of the things we need and are having to borrow them from different people. We’ve been trying hard to get help and advice.”

While much work has been done and much more work is needed Bobby Dawson says it is good to be with his boys and have them working alongside him at the shop.

“I get a kick out of it,” he said.

“If I had the money we’d race all year long. Anytime we can go race or do anything together I enjoy it. The boys spend right much time at the shop. They are always involved in whatever one of them is doing.”

Some people may look at this as a forerunner to Jared Dawson racing in the Late Model Stock Car Division at South Boston Speedway in 2026. Bobby Dawson said the decision will rest upon the speedway’s rules packages for the Limited Sportsman Division and the Late Model Stock Car Division.

“It depends on the tire rules and whatever changes, if any, the track changes in the Limited Sportsman Division for next year,” he noted.

“If the rules play out in our favor, I think Jared would run Late Model next year.”

The State Water Heaters Krush 250 Presented by Rogers Heating & Cooling is a fund-raising event for The Ward Burton Wildlife Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit conservation and outreach organization. It was moved to South Boston Speedway for 2025 after being held last year at Orange County Speedway.

Advance adult tickets are priced at $20 each. Adult general admission tickets on race day are $25 each. Kids under 12 will be admitted free. Tickets for seniors age 65 and older, first responders, healthcare workers and students with ID will be $20 each on race day.

The 250-lap Late Model Stock Car race will be run in three segments. The first segment will end at or around lap 105. A 10-minute break will occur at that point during which teams can make adjustments to the cars and change two tires. The Stage 2 break will occur at or around lap 175. A 10-minute break will occur at that point during which teams will be able to make adjustments to the cars and change two tires.

The tentative event schedule for the Saturday, November 8 State Water Heaters Krush 250 Presented by Rogers Heating & Cooling at South Boston Speedway has frontstretch grandstand gates opening at 9:30 a.m. Practice is set from 9:30 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. Trackside parking gates at Turn 4 and the backstretch will open at 10:30 a.m.

Single-car qualifying will start at 11 a.m. A driver autograph session will be held on the frontstretch of the speedway from 12:30 p.m. until 1:30 p.m. Pre-race ceremonies and driver introductions are set for 2 p.m. and the State Water Heaters Krush 250 Presented by Rogers Heating & Cooling will get the green flag at 2:30 p.m.

The State Water Heaters Krush 250 Presented by Rogers Heating & Cooling will be broadcast on Racing America.

The latest news and updates about the November 8 State Water Heaters Krush 250 Presented by Rogers Heating & Cooling event and all 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.

To learn more about the event ticket sales non-profit organization beneficiary, The Ward Burton Wildlife Foundation, please visit www.twbwf.org.

-Story and Photo Credit: Joe Chandler/South Boston Speedway