The final race of the three ring late model circus was on for Martinsville Speedway. It even looked a little like a circus with a fair in the showcase next to the track complete with a Ferris wheel, some “thrill” rides, lights, cotton candy and a petting zoo.
The lead up to Martinsville from South Boston and Langley put a few regular late model names in the top positions to earn the “Triple Crown”. Connor Hall carried the momentum but Peyton Sellers was not far off. Two others in position to compete, Brenden Queen and Kaden Honeycutt, were putting their hands to the wheel in Kansas with the NASCAR Craftsman Truck series. Those cars were being put on track with Lee Pulliam (former winner, champion) in the “Butterbean” ride and Daniel Silvestri in the Honeycutt car.
However, these positions and fills were set well before the weekend of the ValleyStar Credit Union 300. Nature had a big surprise in store that forced the schedule to compress to just Saturday, September 28th. The Friday schedule of practices and qualifying was pushed to a shortened time table for Saturday with Hurricane Helene bringing rain and wind into the region.
*Regions very close, western North Carolina, eastern Tennessee and areas closer to the track in Virginia were hit very hard by this storm and people are without homes and businesses. Some lost their lives. The Red Cross and Salvation Army are already working. There is also an active “GoFundMe“. Yes, FEMA is on the job but this is a massive impact and the help of anyone who can is appreciated.
For the compressed race day, there were still some kinks to come. There were many stories coming in taking attention. Lee Pulliam out of “retirement”… “Triple Crown” angles… The weather… But what of racers making waves as contenders coming in…? There were several outside of the “Triple Crown” but very capable of winning at Martinsville. Timothy Peters, Mike Looney and Trevor Ward were in the field and have won this race before.
There were many others coming in with eyes on a grandfather clock. The “Triple Crown” was there for a few but the race win was open to anyone. Among those was Kyle Dudley. He came in with regional wins and a local track championship (Motor Mile) under his belt and turned qualifying times that put him in the lead to start. He also started on the pole at South Boston for the first of the “Triple Crown” races but did not run at Langley.
The racing schedule for Saturday leading up to the main went by mostly without a hitch. The heat races did show some cautions but the starting order was set for the main. The show for the fans started stage side on the track for ceremony and introductions. The first half track incidents took out some drivers which included the pole sitter, Kyle Dudley. Some other names familiar to Martinsville success, Timothy Peters and defending race winner Trevor Ward, were out in the second half. Points favorite Connor Hall and former winner, Landon Pembelton hung on to the final laps but were far back for the green – white – checker overtime restart.
For that restart, and most of the second half of the race, it was Carson Kvapil in the #8 Jr Motorsports Bass Pro Shop Chevy that was out front. He credited his team for presenting and maintaining a good car but also, in a way, gave credit to the other competitors for keeping him at attention and on focus for the race. Tire management and eyes on mirrors trying to see if those behind him were pushing hard or holding something for the final laps kept Kvapil on point and out front.
Mike Looney, winner in 2016, said his car was fast but just could not close the deal on Kvapil with several restarts to give the chance. Looney was proud of the team and the effort for 2nd place giving credit to their small team dedication against the bigger money and high talent of much of the competition.
Treyten Lapcevich, Casey Kelley and Bobby McCarty rounded the top five. Former winner Jake Crum came in at sixth. Brent Crews, Ronnie Bassett Jr, Peyton Sellers and Sam Yarbough filled the top ten.
The ninth place for Sellers was enough, with positions from South Boston and Langley, to clinch the “Triple Crown”. This was his fifth “crown” in a continuing career of championships and cross platform accomplishments.
The valleyStar race pulls the late model community together for a season competition finale. It is also a lead up for the late season NASCAR championship which is set up at Martinsville before the season finale at Phoenix. For this year, there is also another race mix before the NASCAR weekend. The Whelen Modified finale is on with a new addition showcasing IMSA at Martinsville with a debut of the Mazda MX-5 Cup.
Photos from the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 – Martinsville Speedway – September 28, 2024
