Treyten Lapcevich (No. 77) celebrates a dominant victory in Saturday night’s South Carolina 400 at Florence Motor Speedway. (Photo: Joshua White | The Podium Finish)
TIMMONSVILLE, S.C. — Saturday night’s 32nd annual South Carolina 400 at Florence Motor Speedway did not disappoint in terms of excitement and nostalgia. Fans delighted in the return of Dale Earnhardt Jr‘s No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet to the ascension of 20-year-old Treyten Lapceivch.
For over three hours and 15 minutes, the Palmetto State faithful witnessed multiple stories unfolding at the 0.4-mile short track. In the early going, polesitter Ryan Millington, fellow front row starter Doug Barnes, 2017 race winner Josh Berry and and Riley Gentry established themselves as early race favorites.
In the midst of the frantic action, Lapcevich and Earnhardt carved their way toward the front. Lapceivch, starting 23rd, methodically drove his way up the leaderboard. The native of Grimsby, Ontario, Canada showcased maturity beyond his years with a patient, calculative drive.
Prior to the race, Earnhardt, starting 37th with a provisional, hoped to finish within striking distance of the top 20 after the first 125 laps to contend for a strong finish. As Lapcevich marched his way inside the top 10, Earnhardt expertly managed his tires and worked his way up to the top 10 by Lap 76 of the 250-lap race.
A Turn 1 melee involving Conner Jones, Mason Diaz, Ronnie Bassett Jr, Carson Loftin and Jonathan Shafer resulted in tempers flaring. Jones and Diaz confronted each other before being pulled apart while the track crew cleaned up the carnage.
After the fracas dissipated, Ryan Glenski brought out a caution for a Turn 1 incident before the race resumed. It became clear that Lapcevich and Earnhardt were the primary principals for the South Carolina 400 victory even as the field crossed the stripe for the halfway break.
Once the decisive half started, Lapcevich and Earnhardt played a cat and mouse game as the top two runners. The interval consistently fluctuated between Lapcevich and Earnhardt with both drivers posting competitive lap times.
Dale Earnhardt Jr was in the mix for the South Carolina 400 win before a fuel pump issue with 31 laps remaining curtailed his efforts. (Photo: Joshua White | The Podium Finish)
With 31 laps to go, just as Earnhardt was in prime position to attack, he drove his No. 8 car to pit road. Initially looking like a refueling stop, Earnhardt’s JR Motorsports pit crew opened the rear decklid, the race concluding for the two-time DAYTONA 500 due to a fuel pump issue, finishing 28th.
Barnes was the only driver potentially with a shot to battle Lapcevich for the victory in the final 30 laps. Despite a gallant effort, Barnes did not have the pace to catch Lapcevich.
For the first time in South Carolina 400 history, Lapcevich became the first Canadian to win this prestigious late model race. On a chilly night, Lapcevich bested Barnes by 3.939 seconds with Sam Yarbrough, Jacob Heafner and Loftin, overcoming the early race incident, rounding out the top five finisher.
Emerging from his triumphant No. 77L ride, Lapcevich celebrated one of the biggest wins of his career while expressing his gratitude toward his support system.
“It’s all thanks to the Chad Bryant Racing team,” said Lapcevich in Victory Lane. “They brought me an awesome car. All weekend, I haven’t been too confident, honestly. Chad [Bryant] and the team kept me in this.
“Huge thanks to EVIRUM and Bare Knuckles Fighting Championship. I honestly would not be here without their support. Huge thanks to my family. I’ve got a lot of people watching back home in Canada, so I appreciate the support. I appreciate Florence Motor Speedway for putting this awesome event on. I can’t believe it, honestly.”
Treyten Lapcevich zooms to a dominant South Carolina 400 victory for his No. 77L Chad Bryant Racing team. (Photo: Joshua White | The Podium Finish)
For a talented, young racer who competes with savvy and unassuming swagger, Lapcevich was beside himself in terms of winning one of the premier short track races of the year. Although his 2025 plans have not been announced, his mind was on his family and team with motivating him to capture his latest checkered flag.
“I’ve been pretty lucky with the opportunities I’ve been given,” continued Lapcevich. “My parents started me out in this racing thing, this journey. There have been some highs and some lows, and we’ve had some people come on board and really push us to the next level.”
“If you had told me [on Saturday morning] we’d end up in Victory Lane, I would have told you that you’re crazy. They believed in me. I believe in them. A whole lot of trust built there, and we were able to get it done.”
South Carolina 400 at Florence Motor Speedway Race Results
- Treyten Lapcevich
- Doug Barnes
- Sam Yarbrough
- Jacob Heafner
- Carson Loftin
- Brent Crews
- Kade Brown
- Darren Krantz Jr.
- Casey Kelley
- Riley Gentry
- Brenden Queen
- Cody Kelley
- Jared Fryar
- Leland Honeyman
- Bryant Barnhill
- Zack Miracle
- Caden Kvapil
- Justin Hicks
- Chase Burrow
- Vincent Salas
- Ryan Millington
- Landon Huffman
- Ryley Music
- Adam Congrove
- Josh Berry
- Jake Crum
- Donovan Strauss
- Dale Earnhardt Jr.
- Jamie Weatherford
- Conner Jones
- Alex Meggs
- Matt Cox
- Ryan Glenski
- Austin Green
- Ronnie Bassett Jr.
- Mason Diaz
- Jonathan Shafer
- Landon S. Huffman
- Matt Gould
- Truett Miranda
- Ryan Wilson
