By Gary Daughtrey

Special to the News-Herald

Peyton Sellers muscled into the lead on lap 186 and rolled to victory in the Hampton Heat 200 for Late Model Stock Cars, the featured event of Saturday’s NASCAR Whelen All-American Series program at Langley Speedway.

Nick Smith started on the pole at 91.695 mph and led the first 26 laps before giving way to Matt Waltz on a restart.

Smith went back out front on lap 28 and led until lap 34, when NASCAR Camping World Truck Series regular Timothy Peters took the point. Smith regained the top spot on lap 86 and held sway until lap 126, when Sellers, the 2005 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national champ, took the lead for the first time.

Smith returned to the top of the leaderboard for the fourth and final time on lap 163 and pulled away by four car-lengths. The 11th caution flag flew on lap 180, however, bunching the field. On the restart, at lap 186, Sellers rooted Smith up the track in Turn 3 and motored into the lead, while Smith slipped to fourth.

With the laps winding down, and Sellers half a straightaway ahead, a three-way tussle for second, involving Ben Rhodes, Smith and C.E. Falk, heated up.

On lap 199, Smith spun out of the three-car jumble in Turn 2. Instead of a white flag, Sellers found the 12th yellow flag as he exited Turn 4, and the event headed for overtime and a “green-white-checkered” dash.

On the last restart, at lap 205, Sellers easily outdistanced Falk to win by three lengths. Smith rallied to finish third, followed by Mark Wertz and Dude Gibbs.

Sellers, who led twice for 58 laps, collected the $10,000 share of the evening’s purse.