Understanding the ValleyStar Credit Union 300

Saturday is the biggest day of the year for Late Model Stock Car racing.

For Late Model Stock Car drivers and fans, the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 is the Daytona 500, Christmas, and the Super Bowl all rolled into one.  That’s not even including Five Star Bodies, who may view Monday as Thanksgiving and Christmas put together.

The ValleyStar Credit Union 300, which has been run every fall since 1985, is the richest and most prestigious event of the year for Late Model Stock Car racing.  The list of winners is a who’s who of Late Model Stock Car racing’s past and present, with some surprise winners sprinkled in throughout the years as well.  Names such as Mark Martin, Mike Skinner, Timothy Peters, Josh Berry, Lee Pulliam, Philip Morris, Peyton Sellers, Phil Warren, and Barry Beggarly have all visited victory lane in the fall classic.

This year’s entry list boasts an impressive 80 names – including former winners, championship-winning drivers, and dreamers just hoping to make it into the field of 40.

One of those dreamers is Tony Housman, a veteran at nearby Franklin County Speedway, who is hoping to make his dream and his late father’s dream come true.

“It would mean everything,” Housman said.  “This is my dad’s dream and he passed away and this is what we’re doing it for.”

Housman went on to say he would party “like there ain’t no tomorrow” if he were to win, but his primary goal is to first make the race.

“Once we get in, we’ll worry about 200 laps,” Housman continued.  “We just got to keep our nose on it and do the best we can do.”

The ValleyStar Credit Union 300 is one of the hardest races to make each year, and it’s likely some big names in the sport will have to load up before the green flag drops on the main event.  That’s because the race features a unique qualifying format in which every single driver will ultimately have to race their way in through a series of heat races.

The Format

In the past, practice and single-car qualifying have been held on Friday evening, but Martinsville Speedway moved everything to Saturday in anticipation of the arrival of Hurricane Helene.

Practice will now commence at 10:00am on Saturday.  After that, the field will line up for qualifying, with the order for qualifying being based on practice times.  Historically, Martinsville has gone from slowest-to-fastest for qualifying.

Nobody will be locked into the main event.  Instead, qualifying will determine the lineup for the four 25-lap heat races which do set the field.  The four fastest qualifiers will start on the pole in their respective heat races.  The top 10 finishers in the four heat races will advance into the 200-lap main event, which does not have a last chance qualifier for those who do not make it in.

The heat races will get underway at 3:00pm.

After the field is set, pre-race ceremonies and driver introductions will be held on the frontstretch leading into the 7:00pm green flag for the 200-lap feature race.

The 200 lap main event will be split into three stages: 100 laps, 75 laps, and then a 25 lap sprint to the finish.

In year’s past, the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 featured a competition caution with 10 laps remaining.  In 2013 and 2014 both, the mandatory competition caution resulted in thrilling races descending into chaos.  After Dale Earnhardt, Jr. publicly criticized the format in the spring of 2015, Martinsville Speedway ultimately moved away from it and has tweaked with that third stage ever since.

Event Schedule

10:00am – 11:30am: Final Practice
12:30pm: Qualifying
3:00pm: Four (4) Qualifying Heat Races
5:30pm-6:30pm: Pre-race ceremonies
6:35pm: Driver introductions
7:00pm: Start of the ValleyStar Credit Union 300

Qualifying, heat races, and the feature race will all be broadcast live on FloRacing.

Entry List

80 drivers will attempt to make the field, including Lee Pulliam, Peyton Sellers, Timothy Peters, Connor Hall, and more.

1. #0 – Bruce Anderson; South Boston, VA
2. #00 – Chase Burrow; King Williams, VA
3. #01 – GR Waldrop; Midlothian, VA
4. #03 – Lee Pulliam; Alton, VA
5. #05 – Ronnie Bassett, Jr.; Lexington, NC
6. #07 – Riley Neal; Walkertown, NC
7. #0A – Keith Hjelton; Kingsport, TN
8. #1 – Jamie York; Reidsville, NC
9. #11 – Buddy Isles, Jr.; Littleton, NC
10. #12 – Jake Crum; Hiddenite, NC
11. #14 – Jared Fryar; Trinity, NC
12. #15 – Tony Housman; Henry, VA
13. #15A – Logan Clark; Mechanicsville, VA
14. #15B – Ryan Millington; Statesville, NC
15. #16 – Cody Kelley; Hartsville, SC
16. #17 – Jason Myers; Hurt, VA
17. #17A – Daniel Silvestri; Blacksburg, VA
18. #17B – Stacy Puryear; South Boston, VA
19. #18 – Chandler Sherman; Crownsville, MD
20. #18A – Jason York; Reidsville, NC
21. #18B – Anthony Adams; Simpsonville, SC
22. #19 – Jessica Cann; Kernersville, NC
23. #1A – Andrew Grady; Raleigh, NC
24. #1B – Clay Jones; Goldsboro, NC
25. #2 – Ryan Wilson; Randleman, NC
26. #22 – Connor Hall; Hampton, VA
27. #23 – Kade Brown; Lincolntown, NC
28. #23A – Zachary Dabbs; Mooresville, NC
29. #25 – Derrick Lancaster; Christiansvurg, VA
30. #25A – Jacob Borst; Elon, NC
31. #26 – Peyton Sellers; Danville, VA;
32. #28 – Dustin Storm; Huntingtown, MD
33. #28A – Landon S. Huffman; Connelly Springs
34. #29 – Brent Crews; Davidson, NC
35. #29A – Stuart Crews; Long Island, VA
36. #2A – Brandon Pierce; Kernersville, NC
37. #2B – Matt Waltz; Carrollton, VA
38. #3 – Trey Williams; Powhatan, VA
39. #31 – Chase Robertson; Winston-Salem, NC
40. #33 – Dillon Harville; Kernersville, NC
41. #35 – Steve Zacharias; Myrtle Beach, SC
42. #4 – Kyle Dudley; Roanoke, VA
43. #40 – Taylor Satterfield; Jefferson, GA
44. #41 – Davey Callihan; Elkwood, VA
45. #42 – Chris Horton, Jr.; Southmills, NC
46. #44 – Conner Jones; Fredericksburg, VA
47. #44A – Dylan Newsome; Goldsboro, NC
48. #45 – Mason Diaz; Manassas, VA
49. #4A – Parker Eatmon; Wilson, NC
50. #5 – Dexter Canipe, Jr.; Conover, NC
51. #50 – Ross Dalton; Liberty, NC
52. #51A – Timothy Peters; Danville, VA
53. #51m – Ryan Matthews; Topping, VA
54. #55 – Landon Pembelton; Amerlia, VA
55. #55A – Mark Wertz; Chesapeake, VA
56. #57 – Landon Huffman; Claremont, NC
57. #5A – Carter Langley; Zebulon, NC
58. #5B – Jake Vuncannon; Ellerbe, NC
59. #6 – Bobby McCarty; Madison, NC
60. #61 – Justin Hicks; Thomasville, NC
61. #7 – Dylan Ward; Walkertown, NC
62. #7 – Tristan McKee; Kannapolis, NC
63. #71 – Aaron Donnelly; Montross, VA
64. #73 – Jimmy Mullins; Bassett, VA
65. #74 – Robert Arch; Garner, NC
66. #77 – Trevor Ward; Winston-Salem, NC
67. #77A – Blake Stallings; Danville, VA
68. #77 – Treyten Lapcevich; Grimsby, ON, CA
69. #7A – Connor Lee Branch; Lewisville, NC
70. #7B – Blayne Harrison; Bastian, VA
71. #7D – Karl Budzevski; Montvale, VA
72. #8 – Thomas Scott; Burlington, NC
73. #87 – Mike Looney; Catawba, VA
74. #88 – Brad Housewright; Kingsport, TN
75. #88A – Doug Barnes, Jr.; Wellington, FL
76. #8A – Carson Kvapil; Mooresville, NC
77. #95 – Jacob Heafner; Kannapolis, NC
78. #95A – Sam Yarbrough; Myrtle Beach, SC
79. #99 – Craig Eastep; Poquson, VA
80. #99A – Austin Somero; Reidville, SC

Event Purse

The ValleyStar Credit Union 300 boasts a staggering $125,000 purse, with the winner taking home a guaranteed $32,000.  The Pole Award winner will take home $5,000 and the driver(s) leading at the end of the first two stages will take home an additional $1,000.  On top of those bonuses, each lap pays $25 to the leader.  The driver who gains the most positions will also collect $1,000.

Previous winners

Martinsville’s history with Late Model Stock Car racing dates back to the 1980s when two races a year were held at the track affectionately called “the paperclip.”

In 1995, the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 became a standalone event, and in 1998, it became the only Late Model Stock Car race held at Martinsville Speedway and has been held every year since, with the exception of 2020, when the race was canceled due to the ongoing Coronavirus Pandemic.

The Early Years
1985 – Curtis Markham (100-lap race)
1985 – Barry Beggarly (100-lap race)
1986 – Elton Sawyer (100-lap race)
1987 – Curtis Markham (100-lap race)
1987 – Mark Martin (100-lap race)
1988 – Wayne Patterson (100-lap race)
1988 – Phil Warren (100-lap race)
1989 – Ronnie Thomas (100-lap race)
1989 – Curtis Markham (100-lap race)
1990 – David Blankenship (100-lap race)
1990 – Wayne Patterson (100-lap race)
1991 – Jay Fogleman (100-lap race)
1991 – Mike Buffkin (150-lap race)
1991 – Curtis Markham (100-lap race)
1992 – Dennis Setzer (100-lap race)
1992 – Jay Fogleman (150-lap race)
1992 – Joe Gaita (100-lap race)
1993 – Eddie Johnson (150-lap race)

200-lap race format era
1993 – Mike Skinner (fall)
1994 – Bugs Hairfield (spring)
1994 – Barry Beggarly (spring)
1994 – Barry Beggarly (fall)
1995 – Shayne Lockhart (spring)

Taco Bell 300
1995 – Tony McGuire (fall)
1996 – Donnie Apple (spring)
1996 – BA Wilson (fall)
1997 – David Hyder (spring)
1997 – Billy Hogan (fall)

Fall Only Races
1998 – Dexter Canipe, Sr.
1999 – Robert Powell
2000 – Philip Morris
2001 – Phil Warren
2002 – Frank Deiny, Jr.

Bailey’s 300
2003 – Jamey Caudill
2004 – Tony McGuire
2005 – Timothy Peters
2006 – Alex Yontz
2007 – Dennis Setzer
2008 – Jason York
2009 – Jake Crum

Virginia is for Racing Lovers 300
2010 – Philip Morris
2011 – Lee Pulliam
2012 – Philip Morris
2013 – Tommy Lemons, Jr.

ValleyStar Credit Union era
2014 – Lee Pulliam (then called the MDCU 300)2015 – Tommy Lemons, Jr.2016 – Mike Looney

Night Race Era
2017 – Timothy Peters
2018 – C.E. Falk, III
2019 – Josh Berry
2021 – Landon Pembelton
2022 – Peyton Sellers
2023 – Trevor Ward (Postponed to Sunday due to Tropical Storm Ophelia)

The National Champion’s Curse

One of the enduring legacies of the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 is what has become known as the National Champion’s Curse.  Never in the race’s history has the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series National Champion gone on to win the race, which does not bode well for Connor Hall.

In fact, the year Peyton Sellers won the ValleyStar Credit Union 300, he failed to win the National Championship which went to Layne Riggs.  There were hard feelings from Sellers about losing the national championship, but finally winning a grandfather clock after nearly two decades of trying eased the disappointment.