Driver loses temper after receiving black flag at South Boston

SOUTH BOSTON — Brian Pembelton and Danny Willis Jr. had caused either other to wreck one too many times in the past month at South Boston Speedway, and two of the top Limited Sportsman drivers did the best they could to keep their cars on the track for the end of the race.

However, one driver could not keep his composure, and it led to a strict ruling from track officials that resulted in something not commonly seen at a race track.

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While Pembelton and Willis waged a strong battle up front, Greg Dejarnette drew a bunch of attention on lap 27 following an accident with Mike Jones.

SoBo track officials said Dejarnette was being black flagged and parked for the remainder of the race for rough driving. The incident, which occurred as both drivers were heading into Turn 1, badly damaged the front end and left side of Jones’ car. Dejarnette was issued the black flag almost immediately and his score card was taken away by track officials.

Despite that, Dejarnette remained on the track and ran in line under caution. After several laps, the head official came down onto the track after the cars had been stopped and reached into Dejarnette’s car and turned it off. A visibly angry Dejarnette followed the official while his hood was being removed and a tow truck, that was parked next to him, moved it off the track. Dejarnette angrily talked with the official and exchanged words with fans until he was escorted into the infield.

“I’m not real sure what he was thinking. I just passed him clean, never touched him,” Jones said as he looked over his badly beaten car. “I got turned into the outside wall going into the straightaway. He just turned down into me.

“I never touched him at all. It’s the best thing that South Boston Speedway has ever done in 52 years to kick him out the track.”

Dejarnette was escorted out of the track immediately following the race and was unavailable for comment.

After that had been settled, Pembelton and Willis resumed their battle, with Willis holding off Pembelton until lap 48, when the points leader got around him and pulled away to win the 50-lap Limited Sportsman race late Saturday night.

“I knew we had a really good car from the drop of the flag,” Pembelton said. “Me and Danny have not had the best of luck with each other the last probably four races or so. I just really, really concentrated on not wrecking him. I knew we were a lot better, and I knew if I ever cleared him, I could leave him. Just trying to take my time, don’t like wrecking race cars.”

Pembelton and Willis had not had a recent history of clean racing. In the July 3 race, Pembelton tried to check up, but couldn’t slow down enough and he sent Willis into the Turn 3 wall — while Willis was leading. In a second 50-lap twin race two Saturdays ago, Pembelton and Willis both crashed hard into the inside front straightaway wall. Both times, the drivers showed as much anger and frustration as Dejarnette, but that was about it. Neither lashed out or did anything to distract from the race itself.

“Me and Brian, we’ve always raced each other clean,” Willis said. “Just unfortunate for me and him to have two bad races this year, but I hope we got it all straight. We showed tonight that we can race each other side-by-side for about the whole race if we need to. I’m glad both of us got good finishes.”

Willis led the first 47 laps, but every lap was with Pembelton on his back bumper or on his inside.

Brandon Gdovic, Tommy Peregoy and Jeb Burton rounded out the top five. After losing 10 points to Burton last week in the points championship, Pembelton gained 13 back with his fifth win of the season.

“I know we can race good together,” Pembelton said of he and Willis. “Two cars come together and just had bad luck.”