Lee Pullian Wins Racing Lovers 300 at Martinsville Speedway

MARTINSVILLE, Va. (October 2, 2010) – Lee Pulliam continued his meteoric journey in racing Saturday afternoon by winning the pole for Sunday’s Virginia is for Racing Lovers 300 at Martinsville Speedway.

Four years ago Pulliam had never sat in a race car, but he wanted to be a racer. He fast-tracked his way through high school so he could finish a year early and go to work to save enough money to buy an entry-level race car.

Saturday the 22-year-old driver from Semora, NC, topped 84 other drivers, including three former national champions and several higher division drivers to start up front for the biggest, most prestigious Late Model Stock Car race in the country.

“It’s pretty emotional,” Pulliam said. “We’ve come a long way in a very short time and I’ve got to thank a lot of people for their help. It started with nothing four years ago. The Lord has given me a great path.”

Pulliam won five times this season at South Boston Speedway in just his second year in Late Model competition. He had the fastest car in two open test sessions at Martinsville over the past two weeks, and admitted because of that there was pressure headed into Saturday’s time trials. He came through with flying colors, though.

He turned in a lap of 20.272 seconds (93.410 mph) around the .526-mile oval to edge three-time NASCAR Whelen All-American Series champion Philip Morris. Morris, who won this event in 2000, had a lap of 20.310 seconds (93.235 mph).

Even after winning the pole, Pulliam was still a bit awed by his surroundings.

“It definitely says a lot when you call Timothy Peters’ name and Dennis Setzer,” Pulliam said, referring to a pair of drivers who compete regularly on the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, and who both have won this race and a truck series race at Martinsville. “Those guys are wheelmen. They’ve got a lot of laps around this place. A few years ago all of them were role models to me.”

Brandon McReynolds of Mooresville, NC, who finished second in this race last year, qualified third, followed by Ryan Robertson of Winston-Salem, NC, and Mike Looney of Catawba.

Peters was sixth fastest, with last year’s third-place finisher Brennan Poole of The Woodlands, TX, seventh. Davin Scites, last year’s pole-sitter from Davidson, NC qualified eighth with Setzer ninth and former race winner Alex Yontz 10.

Only the top 22 positions were decided in time trials Saturday. The remainder of the 42-car field will be decided in four 25-lap heat races that begin at 12:30 p.m. Sunday.

Fan gates open at 9 a.m. on Sunday, with an autograph session on the track’s frontstrech set for 11:30 a.m.

Tickets are $20 for adults with children 12 and under admitted free. Tickets may be purchased by calling 877.RACE.TIX or by visiting www.martinsvillespeedway.com.

Racing Lovers 300 Test Sessions

MARTINSVILLE, Va. (September 11, 2010) – Justin Johnson has won 11 Late Model Stock car races this season and just wrapped up his second consecutive series championship at South Boston Speedway.

Timothy Peters is one of the hottest drivers in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series these days, fourth in the season-long points standings, winner of two poles this season and captured the season-opening race at Daytona International Speedway.

In the midst of wildly successful seasons, you would think neither should be overly concerned with the two upcoming test sessions for the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 300 at Martinsville Speedway. That’s not the case, though.

In fact, it would not be surprising to see both Johnson and Peters at both of the test sessions, the first scheduled for this Wednesday and the second set for Wednesday, September 22.

“The tests are extremely important to all of us,” said the 23-year-old Johnson.  “With so many cars there (over 100), we just don’t get a ton of practice time the weekend of the race. You need a good baseline before you get there on race weekend and you get that during the tests.”

Peters, who is taking advantage of an off weekend in the truck series to return to his roots and the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 300, should be the last person fretful about testing at Martinsville. He’s got more laps on the tricky half-mile than anyone else in the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 300 field. He won the race in 2005 and on top of that, captured the Kroger 200 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race last fall.

“Testing is absolutely big for me, especially with adding the second day. A lot of the guys are going to be there both days to get seat time because Martinsville is the biggest race of the year,” said Peters, who will be competing in his first Late Model race of the season. “I’ll be honest … all the laps I have at Martinsville helps, but it’s hard to come back when you haven’t been running these cars all year long.

“Because we only run these cars at Martinsville once a year levels the playing field some, but I really need to get some laps in, to get the feel for the car before we get there for race weekend.”

Each of the next two Wednesdays will be eight hours of grinding for the teams, each one working hard to get every ounce of speed possible out of their cars.

“We have a couple of different shock packages to look at, a couple of different set ups to work on. We’ll switch everything (shocks and springs) out a couple of times during the day,” said Johnson. “We’ll be working to try and get a comfort level and the balance we need to have a good starting point when we get to the track for race weekend.”

Registration for teams will begin at 7 a.m. on both September 15 and September 22 at the main ticket office. Haulers can begin staging the day before each test session.

Cars will be on-track from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day with an hour break at noon each day.

Fans will be admitted free both days. Grandstand gates will open at 9 a.m.

The Virginia is for Racing Lovers 300 weekend will begin with practice and time trials on Saturday, October 2. The fastest 22 cars in qualifying will earn starting berths in the main event.

There will be four 25-lap qualifying races to kick the action off on Sunday, October 3, followed by the 200-lap main event.

Tickets for the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 300 are $20 and may be purchased by calling 877.RACE.TIX or by visiting www.martinsvillespeedway.com. Children 12 and under are admitted free.