Observations: A New Era in Martinsville

Saturday night marked the dawn of a new era for the ValleyStar Credit Union 300, and if it was a sign of what the future of the fall classic holds, the best is yet to come.

Carson Kvapil dominated the same way he has been dominating in the zMAX CARS Tour for the past few years and ultimately prevailed.  Behind him, there were plenty of storylines as the next generation of Late Model Stock Car stars have emerged.  However, the drivers aren’t the only part of the new era.

Chase Brashears ushers in a new era of professionalism

In 2018, expected impacts from Hurricane Florence caused a test day, which used to be held the week before the race, to be canceled.  The following week, another practice day was washed out.  Throughout the weekend, racers, teams and officials all scrambled with a flurry of rule changes that continued all the way until the day of the race itself.

This year’s event was a sharp contrast.

Once again, weather impacted the race weekend.  The track made a swift decision in altering the schedule to run practice and qualifying on Saturday in preparation for possible impacts from Hurricane Helene.  Despite two tornado warnings on Friday, technical inspection went off without any glitches.

The pre-race driver’s meeting, held in the infield media center, was as organized, orderly, informative and precise as you could possibly expect.  The procedures were communicated both visually, through a pre-recorded video by Chase Brashears and company, and verbally.  After Brashears was done and opened the floor to questions, there was not the usual 15-20 minute gabfest that followed leaving people confused.  Instead, everyone had a clear understanding.

Throughout the more than 10 years I’ve been coming to the ValleyStar Credit Union 300, often times the chaos of the officiating process had overshadowed the race itself.  Whether it was jumped restarts late deciding the outcome, rule changes on top of rule changes, procedure changes, dozens of post-qualifying disqualifications, or any of the many other controversies that arose during the Lynn Carroll era, things rarely ever seemed like a well-oiled machine.

Before anyone thinks I’m bashing, I’m not.  I like Lynn Carroll.  I think he often times did the best he could with the cards he was dealt.  His decision-making as race director was consistent, whether I or anyone else agreed with the calls or not.  I just think he comes from a different time.

Chase Brashears and his modern approach oversaw what did look like a well-oiled machine.  Throughout the entire weekend, the story was never about race control or rule changes.  Every challenge Brashears and company faced, they met the moment.  At no point did the officials at the track overshadow the race itself, and that’s all you can ask for from race control.

Kade Brown is an elite competitor

Late last season, Kade Brown lit the Late Model Stock Car world on fire with wins in the Fall Brawl at Hickory Motor Speedway and in the South Carolina 400 at Florence Motor Speedway driving for Matt Piercy Racing.  He also picked up the track championship at Hickory, the second year in a row he would win a Late Model Stock Car championship.  He won those races and championships driving with surgical precision and exhibiting a masterclass in tire management.

Social media didn’t give him the respect he deserved because of the optics that come with Matt Piercy being the son of track operator Kevin Piercy.  Never mind that Brown, driving for Kendall Sellers and AK Performance the year prior, had won a championship out at Florence Motor Speedway.  There were constant questions on social media about the legality of his car itself all throughout the 2023 season.

The question of whether Kade Brown is as good as advertised was answered on Saturday night.

While he did not get the finish he wanted after getting caught up in two incidents back-to-back, none of which were his fault, Brown was in contention for the win much of the race.  The young driver had every opportunity, on restarts, to “just send it” and “ship” race leader Carson Kvapil.  Instead, he raced with a level of maturity beyond his years.

Kade Brown will likely be a contender in some of the big races still to come, and he certainly appears destined to be a bonafide frontrunner next year as well, wherever he ultimately races.

No more excuses.  No more dismissing it.  Kade Brown is an elite talent on the Late Model Stock Car scene, and it’s time for him to be given that respect.

The next generation of stars

Brown was not the only driver who stood out.

Carson Kvapil’s dominance of the Late Model Stock Car scene is likely coming to an end.  He will probably be racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, where he has already emerged as a favorite anytime he shows up at the track.

While we still have Connor Hall and Brenden “Butterbean” Queen, many of the drivers who have lit up the Late Model Stock Car world have moved on to bigger and better things, and Butterbean might have more starts in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series on his radar as well.

Saturday night gave us a glimpse into who’s next.

Kyle Dudley, who has been racing Late Model Stocks for over a decade, scored the pole, won a heat race, and led several laps early before getting taken out of the race.  Those who have seen him race at Franklin County, Pulaski County (formerly Motor Mile), and Caraway know what the Roanoke driver is capable of.  However, after Saturday, he will no longer be seen as an underdog at the track.

Casey Kelley came to Martinsville fresh off a championship at Florence Motor Speedway, and this kid has shined bright like a diamond in his young career.  In fact, he won in his very first race in a full-size V8 car out at New River All American Speedway in 2023 and he did so in convincing fashion.  Saturday night, he ran up front for much of the race and finished fourth.

There are plenty of other young drivers who continue to make waves on the scene, such as Tristan McKee, Treyten Lapcevich, Parker Eatmon, Daniel Silvestri, and Carter Langley.  The sport also remains fortunate to have the presence of veterans such as Peyton Sellers, Mason Diaz, Sam Yarbrough, Jared Fryar, and Bobby McCarty.

Late Model Stock Car racing is one of the most exciting and popular disciplines in racing right now, and hopefully its future continues to shine in spite of the difficulties the sport faces, most notably the skyrocketing costs of competition.

Restart zones and intentional stoppages

Restart zones suck.  There, I said it.  This rule has been my biggest pet peeve for a long time.  Too many cars get torn up because of leaders deciding to play games in the restart zone and force the other driver to jump, or even worse, checking up last second to slow everyone down and get a better jump. 

One of the worst races I’ve ever watched in my life took place at Myrtle Beach Speedway, and a majority of the race’s 23 cautions were a result of the lead car checking in the restart zone, allowing him to get a better launch.  This entire race, I wanted to walk up to race control to beg them to penalize the leader so the insanity could stop.

At one point, defending race winner Trevor Ward got penalized for jumping the start of his heat race.  It looked to me like Kade Brown checked up in the restart zone a little bit trying to get that launch, which is part of racing under the current rules package, and this almost put an end to Ward’s quest for a repeat, until…

Instead of answering the black flag under green, which would have put him multiple laps down, Ward stopped on the backstretch and intentionally drew the caution flag.  I don’t blame Ward one bit for this, as the decision to penalize him (especially after he gave the spot back to Brown) was probably the only questionable call made all race.

However, this happens way too much in Late Model Stock Car racing.  And the days of tolerating it need to end.  Martinsville Speedway did assess a two-lap penalty to Ward, which Ward was able to overcome as a result of the calamity during his heat race.

More often than not, this is not met with a penalty.

I get why racers do this.  Stopping on track to draw a caution is often times race saving.  Sometimes, a driver has no choice but to do so because they have a flat and can’t get to pit road.  More often than not, it’s a decision made to stay on the lead lap.

Regardless of the intent, stopping on the track to draw a caution should draw a penalty.  Every time.  I don’t agree with the decision to penalize Ward for “jumping the start,” as much of a relief as it was to see a jumped start get called at Martinsville, but I do agree with the decision to hold him for two laps.

Other observations

Two of the most underrated drivers in the discipline, Andrew Grady and Clay Jones, both had great runs on Saturday night.  Grady raced his way from 38^th to 11^th, earning a $1,000 Most Improved Position bonus from Sunoco/Sparks Oil.  And Jones, fresh off a championship at Wake County Speedway, charged from 36^th to 17^th.

It was the first time making the field for the ValleyStar for both Raleigh-area drivers.

Jake Crum’s redemption arc is fun to watch and it’s refreshing to see him contending for wins once again, especially after last year’s controversies with Landon Huffman.

Mike Looney is a national treasure, and if there is one driver I’d love to hear a weekly podcast from, it’s him.  I don’t think that podcast is happening anytime soon though.

Another driver who had a great comeback run fall short was Matt Waltz, who came close to winning the race in 2013.

One more thing…

Belinda Carlisle is right, Heaven is a place on Earth, and that place is Martinsville Speedway.

There’s always something magical about ValleyStar race weekend.  For me, it felt great to be back after taking a lengthy hiatus from journalism because of my day job.  It was great to see so many familiar faces at the track, as well as seeing new faces.  It was even more refreshing to be able to take in the race without being on the “operations” side of things, and what a race it was.

Until we meet again, thanks for the memories, Martinsville Speedway.