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By Joe Chandler

South Boston Speedway

Every racer has a bucket list, a list of things he or she wants to accomplish before the end of their career. Trevor Ward is no different.

Among the items on his bucket list are winning a Late Model Stock Car race at South Boston Speedway and winning the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 presented by Grand Atlantic Ocean Resort on July 1 at South Boston Speedway.

“I’ve always wanted win a race here at South Boston Speedway,” Ward said while taking a brief break preparing for a recent race at the .4-mile oval.

“My dad (Dean Ward) raced here back in the day and won a few races. It has always been on my bucket list to get a win. I’ve been racing almost 10 years now and haven’t really done as much as I want to do on my bucket list. Now I feel like we’re able to, but we don’t have the money that we want so we pick and choose races when we can and prepare as best we can so we can put on a good show for the fans and the people involved in the small team we have.”

The July 1 Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 presented by Grand Atlantic Ocean Resort is South Boston Speedway’s showcase event. It is the first race in the Virginia Late Model Triple Crown and pays $10,000 to win. Winning that race is a major accomplishment on the radar of many drivers.

“I would really love to pull that off,” Ward remarked.

“Winning that race would change my career and make me drive harder every race. That would be the first step for me to try to work into bigger things.”

Ward is confident he can be in the mix for the win in the 200-lap race. He tallied finishes of fourth and sixth in twin 75-lap races at South Boston Speedway on June 3.

“I feel like we’ve got good enough equipment,” Ward pointed out.

“I don’t get to race a whole lot, but when I do, we’ve been prepared 100 percent.”

Ward says good strategy and track position will be among the keys to success in the July 1 Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 presented by Grand Atlantic Ocean Resort.

“Track position is pretty key at a lot of tracks now where everybody is so close,” Ward explained.

“You want to stay in the top five most of the night and not use up your stuff. By being able to stay in the top five you don’t have to make so many runs on people and not lead the whole thing.

It gets a little heat off of you if you have a good car. You can sit back and weigh out your options and take advantage of it at the end with 50 laps to go. That’s what I shoot for in the bigger races.”

The July 1 Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 presented by Grand Atlantic Ocean Resort is South Boston Speedway’s premier event of the season and a big fan favorite. Fans will be treated to a special Fourth of July fireworks show immediately following the last race of the night. Special patriotic festivities will be featured during pre-race ceremonies.

Four races are slated for the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 presented by Grand Atlantic Ocean Resort. In addition to the 200-lap race for the Sentara Health Late Model Stock Car Division there will be a 40-lap race for the Budweiser Limited Sportsman Division, a 20-lap race for the Southside Disposal Pure Stock Division and a 20-lap race for the Virginia State Police HEAT Hornets Division.

The tentative race day schedule for the July 1 Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 presented by Grand Atlantic Ocean Resort has registration and pit gates opening at 10 a.m. Frontstretch spectator gates will open at 12:30 p.m. and practice will start at 1 p.m. Backstretch and Turn 4 trackside tailgating gates will open at 3:30 p.m.

Qualifying for the 200-lap Sentara Health Late Model Stock Car Division race is set for 4:15 p.m. An autograph session is scheduled for 5:15 p.m. on the frontstretch of the speedway. Pre-race ceremonies will begin at 6:35 p.m. and the first race will get the green flag at 7 p.m.

Advance adult general admission tickets are priced at $20 each and 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.