Ward aims higher in upcoming race season

Trevor Ward looks to build on his success at South Boston Speedway with a new business partner.

Mar. 21, 2026 at 3:54pm

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Trevor Ward is returning to full-time competition in the Hitachi Energy Late Model Stock Car division at South Boston Speedway, where he narrowly missed the track championship in 2025. This season, Ward has a new business partner, Mike Bledsole, who has helped him build a new car for the upcoming season. Ward had a successful 2025 campaign with six wins and 14 top-5 finishes, but was disappointed to miss out on the championship and a potential second ValleyStar Credit Union 300 win at Martinsville Speedway.

Why it matters

Ward's return to South Boston Speedway is significant as he looks to capture his first track championship after coming up just short last year. His new partnership with Bledsole could help elevate his team's efforts and provide the extra boost needed to win the title. Ward's success on the track has also led to growth in his Trevor Ward Motorsports business, as he now supports driver Brandon Lopez's CARS Tour efforts.

The details

Ward will be racing full-time in South Boston's Hitachi Energy Late Model Stock Car division, where he had six wins and 14 top-5 finishes in 17 starts last season. This year, he has teamed up with longtime friend Mike Bledsole to build a new car for the upcoming season. Ward believes the new partnership can help him get over the top and win the track championship he narrowly missed in 2025.

  • Ward will return to South Boston Speedway for the first race of the season on March 21, 2026.
  • Ward finished as the runner-up in the 2025 South Boston Speedway championship chase, just one position and two points behind champion Peyton Sellers.

The players

Trevor Ward

A race car driver who competes full-time in the Hitachi Energy Late Model Stock Car division at South Boston Speedway, where he narrowly missed the track championship in 2025.

Mike Bledsole

A new business partner of Trevor Ward who has helped build a new car for Ward's 2026 season at South Boston Speedway.

Corbin Mackie

Ward's car chief at the track and a lifelong friend who has been a key part of his success on and off the track.

Peyton Sellers

The 2025 South Boston Speedway champion, who finished one position and two points ahead of Ward in the final standings.

Brandon Lopez

A driver that Trevor Ward Motorsports will be supporting for the full CARS Tour season, which creates some scheduling conflicts with Ward's South Boston Speedway schedule.

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What they’re saying

“I'm really looking forward to ramping it up and trying to pick up where we left off last year at South Boston Speedway and try to put another good year together. We're going to come in battling hard the first race on March 21.”

— Trevor Ward

“Mike Bledsoe and I have gone in together and built a car. This is something I've never done before. We're going to race at South Boston Speedway with it. I can't thank Mike enough. We have been friends a long time and we believe in each other. I'd like to get us in Victory Lane at South Boston Speedway.”

— Trevor Ward

“That was the first track championship I ever tried to tackle in my career. Sometimes you've got to figure out how to lose one (a championship) before you can win one. We've gotten that out of the way now and we can try to tackle the next one.”

— Trevor Ward

“I feel like I failed and came up short. I put the team behind on the restart and it was upsetting because I knew we had the car, I knew we had the driver, I knew we had everything in place to do it and the strategy to do it. I wanted to cap off that big season we had at South Boston Speedway with a really good finish or win at Martinsville. I'm ready to rebound from that, get back in gear, and do it all over again.”

— Trevor Ward

“The two of us put a lot together to make this all happen. It's hard to beat a life-long friendship like I've had with Corbin. He's been a super-big part of my success along the way. Corbin has been my right-hand man since Day One. He's learned with me and failed with me and has had success with me.”

— Trevor Ward

What’s next

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The takeaway

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