MARTINSVILLE, VA – Jacob Heafner was all smiles after Saturday night’s ValleyStar Credit Union 300 despite watching the fireworks and celebration take place for a different driver.
After starting 10th in the fourth and final heat race, Heafner was able to race his way to a sixth place finish, locking him into the 200-lap main event where he started 24th. From there, he methodically worked his way up through the field, cracking the top-10 before halfway before ultimately finishing in third.
“We had a really good car,” Heafner told Short Track Scene. “Justin Carroll, Carroll’s Speed Shop, John Carroll, they gave me an absolute rocket ship today. We were able to capitalize really good. This is my career best MAtinsville finish. To come from that far back in the pack to finish podium is really special.”
Heafner lined up in the second row on the final restart and had a chance to take a shot at Peyton Sellers for the win, but, like Kvapil, he wanted to race clean.
“I could have deeped it off into turn one and shot the 26 up the hill,” Heafner said. “I’m not like that. I wanted to race clean for it. Congrats to him.”
Heafer is a former champion at Hickory Motor Speedway.
