ROANOKE, Va. – The biggest and most prestigious late model stock car race in the country returns to Martinsville Speedway this weekend, as drivers prepare for the annual ValleyStar Credit Union 300.
Track president Clay Campbell and ValleyStar representatives gathered with media in Roanoke on Tuesday to preview the highly anticipated event. This year marks a decade of Valley Star’s title sponsorship and the 30th year the race has served as the finale of the Virginia Late Model Triple Crown.
“To build and grow the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 as much as we have over the years, it says a lot,” Campbell said. “We built a brand out of that event.”
The race is one of the crown jewels for late model drivers, offering the chance to win at one of NASCAR’s most historic tracks. Five-time winner Peyton Sellers, a Danville native, said the tradition and atmosphere surrounding Martinsville make the event special.
“You walk through that tunnel, you look up, you see that Clay Campbell has given us an opportunity to come race at one of the most prestigious tracks in the country,” Sellers said. “Getting that grandfather clock Saturday night is what everybody wants to do.”
Roanoke native Kyle Dudley said preparation and teamwork are as important as driving talent when it comes to competing at Martinsville.
“You got to bring a fast car,” Dudley said. “I don’t care how good a driver you are, you’re not going to take the 50th-place car and win with it anymore. Those days are over.”
The ValleyStar Credit Union 300 is expected to draw one of the largest crowds of the season at Martinsville, with upwards of 40,000 fans and a live television audience.
During Tuesday’s luncheon, Campbell also presented Valley Star with the prestigious H. Clay Earles Award, honoring the company’s outstanding dedication to auto racing.
For a look at the weekend’s schedule of events, click here.