Jordaine Penick, Max Sangillo race for division title, a bit of history

It all comes down to this. One Farmville native and another current Farmville resident both have the chance to make history this weekend, as they compete for the HEAT Hornets Division title at South Boston Speedway. Meherrin’s Jordaine Penick and Farmville’s Max Sangillo currently sit in first and second place, respectively, in the division, heading into the final race.

For Penick, it’s a chance to become just the second female driver in 67 years to win a division title at the track. For Sangillo, it’s a chance to earn a title in just his second season racing full-time.

Penick heads into the Aug. 31 race with a nine-point lead over her 15-year-old teammate and cousin. She’s 23 points ahead of third-place driver Cameron Moss and 28 points ahead of Daniel Byrd, sitting in fourth. Finishing ahead of those four on Saturday would guarantee her a spot next to Terri Williams, who won the Grand Stock Division title in 2004 at the speedway.

It is a scenario that could make any teenager nervous, but Penick, who is in her third season competing in the division, is taking it in stride.

“I’m really excited,” Penick remarked, “not really nervous. It’s just an honor to possibly be the second girl to win a championship at South Boston Speedway.”

Jordaine Penick has been a pillar of consistency this season. She is one of six drivers to lead laps in the division, having posted five third-place finishes in a row. Jordaine also has a total of six third-place finishes among her eight Top-5 finishes in nine starts.

She says she is going to approach the final points race of the season the same way she has approached every race this season.

“I’m just going to go after it like I normally do,” she pointed out. “I will be racing like I have been racing and try to keep up my normal pace without putting myself in a bad situation.”

Max Sangillo of Farmville (left) gets some last-minute advice from a team member before the start of a practice session during the August 17 event at South Boston Speedway.

‘I’m happy where I am’

Meanwhile, Sangillo feels his chances of winning the division championship are slim but is happy with where he currently stands.

“I’m excited to be in the position I’m in, and I thank all of my sponsors for helping make this possible,” he remarked.

Sangillo has enjoyed a successful season, having compiled six Top-5 finishes, and having finished in the Top-10 in all nine of his starts. He had logged four fourth-place finishes in a row before posting finishes of fifth and seventh in his last two outings. Sangillo credits one change from last season in playing a key role in his development. He drove a Honda Civic in the division for his rookie year. This time around, he’s working with an Acura RSX and says you can tell the difference.

He’s happy for his cousin and says he’s just enjoying the experience.

“Honestly, I don’t feel I have much of a chance to win the championship,” Sangillo said. “I’m happy where I am. It’s something that I have not experienced before, it’s a great feeling.”

It’s a collaborative effort for Max. His godmother, Cheryl Penick, serves as his crew chief. Max also credits his mother, Nicole Sangillo, and sister, Lucy Sangillo, for spotting him on the track. They videotape his races as well.

And while Max doesn’t plan to make this a career, he’s enjoying the experience. He is set to graduate in May of 2025 and plans to attend Liberty University to get a bachelor’s degree in aviation, with the plan of becoming an airline pilot.

For his part, Sangillo plans to approach the final points race of the season in the same manner he has approached his previous races this season.

“I’m just going to race like I always do,” he explained. “I just want to be able to say I finished every race and brought the car home in one piece.”

Jordaine Penick stays focused

Meanwhile, Jordaine Penick said she’s not focusing on her cousin or anyone else in the competition. She finished sixth in the points standings last season. Now with a new car on the track this year, built by her dad and team owner Michael Penick, she’s been moving up the standings week by week. Her goal here is to finish the season strong. And she adds, as any good cousin would, that she’s not worried about Max overtaking her in points.

“I don’t think he can catch me in points unless I don’t finish well,” she explained. “I feel that as long as I can finish in the top five like I have been he can’t catch me.”

When and where

The August 31 Halifax County Farm Bureau Championship Night event is one of the bigger events of the season at South Boston Speedway with the track’s four division championships being decided and fans being treated to a fireworks show following the final race of the night.

Advance tickets for the Saturday, August 31 Halifax County Farm Bureau Championship Night event are priced at $17 each. Advance tickets may be purchased online on South Boston Speedway’s website, www.southbostonspeedway.com or by calling the speedway office at 434-572-4947 or toll free at 1-877-440-1540 during regular business hours.

Tickets at the gate on race day will be $20 each. Seniors ages 65 and older, military, healthcare workers, and students (with ID) can purchase tickets for $17 each at the gate on race day.

Registration and pit gates open at 2 p.m. Practice will begin at 3:25 p.m. and run until 5:05 p.m. Frontstretch spectator gates will open at 3:30 p.m. and backstretch and trackside parking gates will open at 5:30 p.m. Qualifying is set for 6 p.m., pre-race ceremonies are slated for 6:45 p.m. and the first race of the night will get the green flag at 7 p.m.

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