A 250-lap race leaves plenty of room for mistakes, but patience can be just as important as outright speed at a short track. At South Boston Speedway, an early incident and a three-wide scramble threatened to turn a promising night into a frustrating one. Yet the driver at the center of it all managed to recover and put his car back among the frontrunners.

That driver was Bobby McCarty, who brought Nelson Motorsports’ No. 22 home third in the Krush 250. A return to familiar surroundings had offered a chance to fight for another victory, but the result left the three-time CARS Tour champion with mixed feelings. He was pleased with the team’s recovery, though far less impressed with the decisions unfolding around him on the track.

“I had a hell of a time. I ain’t going to lie to you, but at the same time, a little p***** off,” McCarty told Matt Weaver. “The deal with the aid on the backstretch—it was lap 20 of a 250-lap race. There’s no point in racing that hard, and then I got in the throttle a little early, tail-whipped the 0-5 out of two. When I come back around, I didn’t see no tire marks in the walls, so I didn’t put them in a wall or anything, and then I just got dumped getting in the three, and it was like, okay, whatever.

“It’s still early, still got plenty of time, but at the same time, especially with the guys that’s been doing it for this long, at some point, to become a major player in this deal, you have to graduate from checkers and move to chess, and you see a ton of guys out there still playing checkers. They don’t see nothing further in front of them than the lap they’re on, and it’s so frustrating in these races, but I’m not blaming anybody else for our results. I put us back there with the adjustments, with the mistake, and the mock and practice, so I take full responsibility for it.”

McCarty’s criticism followed a race that also produced an example of how a long-run battle could be contested. Jared Fryar and Ryan Millington fought over the lead during the closing 50 green-flag laps, with Fryar eventually prevailing to claim his first victory in Nelson Motorsports’ No. 12. Millington settled for second, while McCarty completed the podium ahead of Carson Kvapil and 2025 winner Kaden Honeycutt. 

Nelson Motorsports consequently placed two cars in the top three.

McCarty’s route to third was considerably more complicated. After the early contact involving Mason Bailey’s No. 05, he was turned around, entering Turn 3. A subsequent slide through Turns 3 and 4 created another dangerous situation, with competitors still running two and three wide around him.

He initially lifted to let the car move up the track before getting back into the throttle to manage the spin. The maneuver left him fearing damage to a locker spring or axle, but the rear end survived.

That recovery mattered because McCarty believed the No. 22 had the speed to contend for the victory. The underlying problem, however, began during preparation. Having spent much of the season driving a Hedgescott car, which generated considerably more left-rear load than the Nelson Motorsports rental, he concentrated on maintaining drive off the corners. 

In hindsight, he believes he trimmed the setup too much for the long run, compromising short-run speed.

Qualifying had already given him reason to reconsider his spring selection, but rushed decisions during the practice mock left the team without a clear direction on how much to tighten the car. McCarty eventually found a better groove and felt the balance improve as the runs progressed. By then, however, his earlier mistakes had already forced him into traffic.

The South Boston appearance also carried considerable history. McCarty won three CARS Tour Late Model Stock championships with Nelson Motorsports in 2018, 2019, and 2021. The Krush 250 marked his first start in the team’s No. 22 since departing after the 2022 season. 

Returning to the entry brought back memories of his previous years with the organization, particularly his partnership with former crew chief Triplett, whose voice he still misses over the radio during cautions.

McCarty’s responsibilities have since expanded beyond driving. He established McCarty Motorsports in November 2024 and has had to balance competing with the demands of building and operating his own team. 

That experience has made preparation and setup decisions even more important, particularly when racing against established operations. Nevertheless, he continues to judge himself against the standards he established during his championship years.

He was also quick to acknowledge the significance of Nelson Motorsports’ result. Fryar’s victory came during a difficult season for the organization, and McCarty was delighted to see the team rewarded for its efforts. But his own third place was difficult to celebrate fully when he believed the car had enough potential to win.

For McCarty, the Krush 250 ended with a missed opportunity and valuable lessons. He had the speed to challenge for more, but his preparation and execution left him fighting through traffic instead. His criticism of short-track impatience was pointed, yet he knew his own decisions had played an equally important role in the outcome.