Fights, spins and more in wild ValleyStar Credit Union 300 heat races

From fights to spins to late passes for the win, the heat races for the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 saw it all.

The first heat saw Trevor Ward take the win from the fastest qualifier Tristan McKee with a pass with three laps to go. McKee fell back to third after leading the first 22 laps with what appeared to be an engine issue. The win puts Ward on pole for the 200-lap main event tonight.

“I’m super happy, man,” Ward said after the heat. “These guys have worked hard all weekend. We got two cars, getting ready to watch Brandon Lopez race here in the fourth heat race. And, man, shout out all my guys .And I got to thank Martinsville for always putting this special event on.”

The second heat race saw the most action of the four. The first domino of chaos to fall was on lap three when Peyton Sellers spun off the front nose of Ryan Wilson in turn three while running in fifth and was hit by Craig Moore, ripping his nose off. The crew thrashed on the car under caution and was able to get him back out on the lead lap. However he was involved in another incident on the next restart. Despite all of this, he kept rallying and survived the attrition of the heat race to finish seventh and make the show.

“I felt like the spotter called me clear,” Sellers said on the incident with Wilson. “I went low, and Wilson was still down there or got a late dive or something. We just got together, turned me around. So, not pointing all the blame at him, but, you know, it’s just Martinsville for you. Everybody’s trying to get all they can get. 25-lap heat races. I felt like we had a good car. We just needed to get to the bottom there. Come back after that, tore the nose up pretty good, and these guys fought hard to get us back out there each time for the restarts and made it in. You know, that’s what it’s all about here at Martinsville, and to be able to race a big race is what everybody wants to do, and we’re in a show.

“If we just have some good luck. I mean, we’ll be starting inside the top 30, I think, and we’ll just have to race hard and keep our nose clean and try to get there. Try to be there at halfway and make some good adjustments and finish it up strong. Motor run really hot, but I think we got it cooled back off. I think we got all the water back in it, and I think, you know, it’ll be fine.”

The last leg of the heat saw most of the focus on the battle for the transfer. Chase Burrow was running just inside the top ten when he was sent to the rear after officials deemed he caused a caution just past halfway. He made his way back into the top ten but Chase Ratliff got past him on the last lap to make the show, then Burrow and Brad Housewright made contact racing the line just behind him. Housewright was not pleased with how Borrow raced him at the end of the heat, and went to confront him in the garage. The two started throwing punches and the crews got involved as well, leaving several people fighting on the gound and around the car until officials finally separated the crews.

“I don’t know, man,” Burrow said after the race and scuffle. “I feel like we had a good car. We weren’t as good as we need to be, but we were in a transfer. The [No.] 2 wrecked the [No.] 26, wadded the field up. The [No.] 9 car wheel-hops below the [No.] 07. [Officials] blame it on me. Put me to the back. I don’t know. It’s Martinsville. It’s what we all come to do. Try again next year.

“[Housewright] was mad at me for some reason. I never even, like, raced him. And I turned around and walked away, and he grabbed the smallest guy on the team. So, I don’t know why he grabbed the smallest guy, but that ain’t really good. So, I don’t know. I don’t know what his deal was, but it was Martinsville.”

Housewright was upset with how he was raced coming to the checkered.

“We was up under him and was coming to the checker,” Housewright said. “As I was passing him he tried to right rear me. I don’t appreciate that, it could get somebody hurt or even killed and I went over to say something to him and he started running that mouth. Shit happens.”

Lee Pulliam took the win with a pass on Corey Heim on the outside on the restart with five laps to go, putting Pulliam on the front row for the 200-lapper.

“These guys have been working super hard,” Pulliam said. “They’ve got a great package here and great cars here. And, yeah, me and Brian and all the guys have just been digging deep all weekend to make the most of it. So, yeah, I feel good about it. I feel like Corey’s been one of the best cars this weekend. So, to be able to race with him for the win and come out on top, that was a big deal. So, just really special to drive this NASCAR channel JRMotorsports [No.] 8 car and feel very fortunate.

“Man, it’s so competitive. It’s going to be so close. I mean, that was a huge part of it, having the track position. And, yeah, I think that’ll make our job easy. So, as long as we’ve got some good speed, it’ll be a lot easier working from second.”

Heat three saw Dillon Hartville lead every lap after starting first to take the win in what is becoming a great story for the local racer from Kernersville, North Carolina.

“Man, this is awesome,” Harville said. “To know I have a heck of a shot right here to go after a grandfather clock, the best shot I’ve ever had. So, you know, we’ve just got to keep our nose clean in that one. Man, it’s going to be a lot of attrition, I feel like, in that thing. So I think we can keep our head on the swivel, stay in some clean air. Man, I’ve got a hot rod.

“This thing’s been about perfect the whole weekend, man. So, I’m just going to kind of fall in with those guys. Man, those guys have a lot more experience than I do here; grandfather clocks and everything. So I’m just going to stay right there with them. And, man, when it’s time to go, we’ve got to go.”

Caden Kvapil won the fourth and final heat race, keeping his incredible momentum up that he has had nearly all year long.

“I’m feeling really good,” Kvapil said. “Our car has been really fast the last day. Qualified good and just had to survive all the restarts. They can get chaotic in the heat race, but once we got clear and were able to run a couple laps and kind of build our gap, we were able to manage the gap and have a good car to work and save our tires and brakes for the race. So, yeah, we’re looking forward to it. I feel like we’re going to have a really good piece tonight. Hopefully Mark and Vic will be able to bring home a grandfather clock.

“I think a lot of it is momentum, and we’ve just been really good all year and been really consistent everywhere we go. So hopefully we can just keep it up front tonight and have a good run. This place isn’t easy, and I don’t have much to say. I don’t have much experience here, so I don’t know what exactly I need, but I’m looking forward to it being up front and being around my teammate. Obviously he knows what he’s doing, so I can follow him, and hopefully we can go one-two later.”

The starting lineup for the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 can be viewed below.

1. Trevor Ward
2. Lee Pulliam
3. Dillon Harville
4. Caden Kvapil
5. Carson Loftin
6. Corey Heim
7. Landon Pembelton
8. Ryan Millington
9. Carson Kvapil
10. Conner Jones
11. Treyten Lapcevhich
12. Jared Fryar
13. Tristan McKee
14. Donovan Strauss
15. Doug Barnes, Jr.
16. Matt Cox
17. Conner Weddell
18. Ryan Matthews
19. Jace Hale
20. Casey Kelley
21. Michael Bumgarner
22. Ryan Wilson
23. Jacob Borst
24. Trey Crews
25. Chase Burgeson
26. Peyton Sellers
27. Dylan Fetcho
28. Andrew Grady
29. Chase Robertson
30. Clay Jones
31. Deac McCaskill
32. Bobby McCarty
33. Landon Huffman
34. Chase Murphy
35. Dylan Newsome
36. Tyler Matthews
37. Tate Fogleman
38. Chase Ratliff
39. Woody Howard
40. Brandon Lopez