Coming off winning back-to-back NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series national championships, Virginia native Connor Hall has another title in his sights as he leads the Virginia Triple Crown standings heading into the final race of the series in the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 at Martinsville Speedway.
Hall holds an average finish of 1.5 through the first two races – the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 at South Boston Speedway and the Hampton Heat 200 at his home track of Langley Speedway. But it didn’t come easy for him.
After having to start from the rear following a flat tire in qualifying, Hall charged through a highly competitive field to take the win in the opening race at South Boston. He then faced another tough lineup at Langley, and battled eventual race winner Brenden “Butterbean” Queen to the finish.
“The ValleyStar Credit Union 300 is annually a showcase of the best Late Model Stock Car racers in the country and this weekend will be no different,” said Martinsville Speedway President Clay Campbell. “In a field of fan-favorite previous winners and Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series champions, everyone in the stands is going to be in for a treat as these drivers battle for a Grandfather clock and the Virginia Triple Crown title.”
Lee Pulliam, the 2011 and 2014 winner of the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 and four-time NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series national champion, is coming out of retirement to battle for another Grandfather clock. Pulliam, who last raced at Martinsville in 2019, will be piloting his own No. 03 Toyota that normally has Queen behind the wheel.
However, Queen will be racing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Kansas Speedway, leaving Pulliam the opportunity to pursue a hat trick of Martinsville race wins.
This year marks the first time Hall has competed in all three races with the chance to chase the Virginia Triple Crown title as he goes after his first win at Martinsville.
“I’ve never run the full triple crown, so to be able to be in as good of a position as we are, that would be a great capstone to the NASCAR season,” said Hall. “Obviously, we’re focused on the points side of the Triple Crown, but to go home with a clock would be the end-all. We’re going there with both objectives in mind, but goal number one is the Grandfather clock.
“It’s hard to lose the Triple Crown when you go home with the clock.”
A year ago, Trevor Ward came from third place in the Triple Crown standings to upset Queen and pole-sitter Bobby McCarty with the race win to capture both the famous Martinsville Speedway Grandfather Clock and the Virginia Triple Crown championship check.
However, after a second-place finish at South Boston, Ward faced alternator issues at the half-way point at Langley that relegated him to a 35th-place finish, making it nearly impossible for him to defend his Triple Crown title this year.
Two-time Weekly Series national champion and 2022 ValleyStar Credit Union 300 winner Peyton Sellers sits in second place in the Triple Crown standings with an average finish of 3.5 after finishing fourth and third at South Boston and Langley, respectively.
Kaden Honeycutt, who was fourth in the Triple Crown standings behind Queen, is also running the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series at Kansas. With his seat open, Daniel Silvestri, who won the pole for the 2021 edition of the ValleyStar Credit Union 300, will be in the car Honeycutt normally drives.
Once again, an all-star field of Late Model Stock Car drivers will contend for the famed clock this Saturday night, led by Hall, Pulliam, and Sellers. Ward and McCarty are also slated to race this weekend.
Last year’s runner-up to Ward in a photo finish, Landon Huffman, returns to contend for a Grandfather Clock. Another rising star in Carson Kvapil, who finished third in the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 a year ago, will also be back to continue a breakthrough year in racing for him. Kvapil has made eight Xfinity Series starts for JR Motorsports this season, highlighted by a runner-up finish at Dover Motor Speedway in which he led 14 laps.
Kade Brown, Brent Crews, Kyle Dudley, Carter Langley, and previous ValleyStar Credit Union 300 race winners Mike Looney, Landon Pembelton, and Timothy Peters are all among the key contenders on the current 80-driver entry list.
This year marks the 11th season of the Virginia Late Model Triple Crown, featuring three famed short tracks in Langley Speedway, South Boston Speedway and Martinsville Speedway. The driver with the best average finish across the three races takes home the $7,000 payout for the Triple Crown. Second place earns $2,000 and third receives $1,000.
Meanwhile, the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 will match last year’s total with the largest purse in the race’s history, with $125,000 to be distributed across the field of drivers. Similar to previous years, the Pole Award Winner presented by Martinsville Speedway will receive $5,000; and the lap leader at the end of both stages in the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 will each receive $1,000 presented by Clarence’s Steakhouse.
Additionally, the Sunoco/Sparks Oil Most Improved Position award winner will receive $1,000; while the leader of each lap in the 200-lap race will receive $25, with $5,000 available in the laps-led bonus pool, provided by Doughton’s Racing Products.
Due to a forecast of inclement weather in the area for Friday, all on-track activity for the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 is now set for Saturday, Sept. 28.
Practice for the final race in the Virginia Triple Crown will be held from 10-11:30 a.m. ET on Saturday. That will be followed by single-car qualifying at 12:30 p.m. ET.
The first of the four qualifying races for the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 will begin at 3 p.m. ET, and the main event to determine who goes home with the Grandfather Clock and the Virginia Triple Crown check will start at 7 p.m.
The change in schedule has forced the cancelation of Saturday’s autograph sessions. However, fans will be allowed on track during driver intros for the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 on Saturday.
The grandstands will not be open on Friday, gates will open at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday for fans.
To purchase tickets or for information on the Virginia Late Model Triple Crown Finale, or the upcoming NASCAR race weekend at Martinsville Speedway, fans can call 877-RACE-TIX or go online at martinsvillespeedway.com.
