There’s no shortage of talent heading to Martinsville Speedway this weekend for the prestigious ValleyStar Credit Union 300 (8 p.m. ET on FloRacing/NASCAR Channel).
Nine states and two countries represent the 89 drivers on the preliminary entry list for Saturday’s race. This group consists of past winners, NASCAR Local Racing Series national champions, track champions, ARCA Menards Series winners and a driver who has won in the NASCAR Cup Series.
Below are the groups of drivers to keep an eye on before they begin their respective pursuits for a grandfather clock this weekend.
Jump to:
- The stars
- The past winners
- The Virginia Triple Crown frontrunners
- The ARCA Menards Series representatives
- The contenders
- Other notable drivers
The stars
- Corey Heim (No. 22A) – The reigning NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion and a two-time NASCAR Cup Series winner in 2026, Corey Heim is set to attempt his first ValleyStar Credit Union 300 since 2022. Heim’s first try at the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 in 2018 saw him narrowly miss out on a grandfather clock, but he looks to check this race off his list before moving up to the NASCAR Cup Series full-time with 23XI Racing next year.
- Carson Kvapil (No. 32) – An off weekend for the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series will allow Carson Kvapil to take a break from his championship pursuit and chase his second ValleyStar Credit Union 300 victory after previously doing so in 2024 with JR Motorsports. For Saturday’s race, Kvapil is teaming up with GO FAS Racing, a former NASCAR Cup Series operation that he has found success with in sporadic starts, which includes a runner-up in the 2025 South Carolina 400 at Florence Motor Speedway.
- Lee Pulliam (No. 8A) – A four-time NASCAR Local Racing Series national champion, Lee Pulliam nearly tied Philip Morris in ValleyStar Credit Union 300 victories last year with three but was bested by Landon Pembelton in an overtime photo finish. Winning the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 on Saturday would cap an eventful year for Pulliam that saw him make his NASCAR national series debut and contest the Virginia Triple Crown with JR Motorsports, which helped lay the foundation for a full-time NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series campaign in 2027 with Peterson Racing Group.
The past winners
- Landon Pembelton (No. 0) – By fending off Late Model Stock legend Lee Pulliam in a thrilling overtime finish at Martinsville Speedway last year, Landon Pembelton became the sixth driver to win the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 multiple times. Still only 21, Pembelton looks to keep building upon his growing Late Model Stock legacy at Martinsville by joining Philip Morris as the only other three-time ValleyStar Credit Union 300 champion this weekend.
- Trevor Ward (No. 77) – In 2023, blue-collar competitor Trevor Ward scored a popular first victory in the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 after holding off Landon Huffman in the closing laps, which also rewarded him with his first Virginia Triple Crown championship. Currently second in the 2026 Virginia Triple Crown standings with an average finish of sixth, Ward is seeking to replicate what he accomplished at Martinsville Speedway three years ago and take home two prestigious accolades.
- Peyton Sellers (No. 26) – One of the most accomplished short-track racers of his era with a record eight South Boston Speedway track titles, two NASCAR Local Racing Series championships and five Virginia Triple Crowns, it took Peyton Sellers until 2022 for him to win his first ValleyStar Credit Union 300. Sellers’ love-hate relationship with Martinsville Speedway has continued since, as he failed to qualify for last year’s race after being collected in an accident during his heat.
- Jason York (No. 18) – The longest-tenured ValleyStar Credit Union 300 winner on this year’s entry list, Jason York got his crown jewel triumph at Martinsville Speedway in the 2008 running. Known as the Reidsville Rocket, York has not earned a Martinsville top 10 finish since his triumph but is searching for better fortunes this weekend, which is expected to be his final attempt at the prestigious race.
The Virginia Triple Crown frontrunners
- Caden Kvapil (No. 88B) – Carson Kvapil’s younger brother, Caden Kvapil has built up an impressive resumé in short-track racing himself, with his accomplishments including a victory in the Hampton Heat at Langley Speedway in July. That triumph, combined with a sixth in the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 at South Boston Speedway, has Kvapil atop the Virginia Triple Crown standings heading into the ValleyStar Credit Union 300, where he finished 13th in his debut attempt last year.
- Woody Howard (No. 41) – For more than two decades, Woody Howard has become a consistent presence in short-track racing around the southeast, primarily at his home track of Langley Speedway. Two strong performances in the Virginia Triple Crown, including a runner-up in Langley’s Hampton Heat, has Howard second in the standings. A bid at a championship will require him to make the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 field for the first time since 2018.
- Trey Crews (No. 10) – After taking a sabbatical from active short-track competition at the end of 2023, Trey Crews has shaken off the rust this season driving for R&S Race Cars, which has a technical alliance with RAM. Crews sits fourth in the Virginia Triple Crown standings with finishes of eighth and 11th at South Boston Speedway and Langley Speedway, respectively, consistency he looks to carry over into his first ValleyStar Credit Union 300 attempt since 2021.
The ARCA Menards Series representatives
- Tristan McKee (No. 7C) – Fresh off earning the ARCA Menards Series East championship last weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway, Tristan McKee seeks to continue his stellar year with a successful third attempt at the ValleyStar Credit Union 300. The 2025 race saw a strong evening for McKee get derailed following contact with Sam Yarbrough, but the young prospect seeks to rebound from that outing with the same operation he drove for last year: Matt Piercy Racing.
- Tyler Reif (No. 7B) – Joining Tristan McKee in the Matt Piercy Racing stable for the 2026 ValleyStar Credit Union 300 is Tyler Reif, who possesses three victories in the ARCA Menards Series West. Reif has since advanced to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series on a part-time schedule and nearly won at Naval Base Coronado. But the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 presents a new challenge for him, as he has never raced at Martinsville.
The contenders
- Jared Fryar (No. 12) – The 2026 edition of the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 will be bittersweet for Jared Fryar, as it will be his first time attempting the race following the passing of his long-time car owner Jimmy Mooring. Fryar and Mooring’s accolades together include a victory in the 2022 Hampton Heat at Langley Speedway and two ValleyStar Credit Union 300 top fives. Fryar looks to carry on Mooring’s legacy this weekend as he chases a grandfather clock in a second car for Nelson Motorsports.
- Carson Loftin (No. 20) – During his first ValleyStar Credit Union 300 appearance last year, Carson Loftin sat on pole and led 26 laps before settling for 10th with Nelson Motorsports. A Modified driver by trade, Loftin earned his first Late Model Stock victory after joining Mike Darne Racing midseason and is seeking to build upon a solid debut Martinsville showing with his new team this weekend.
- Sam Yarbrough (No. 95) – The 2026 ValleyStar Credit Union 300 will serve as veteran Sam Yarbrough’s 12thattempt at a grandfather clock; his best performance being a runner-up to Lee Pulliam in 2014. A renowned name in South Carolina’s Late Model Stock scene with six titles at the now-defunct Myrtle Beach Speedway, Yarbrough brings composure and motivation to Martinsville this year following a mid-race tangle with Tristan McKee while running top 10 in 2025.
- Conner Jones (No. 44) – One of the most aggressive and entertaining drivers in Late Model Stock racing today, Conner Jones is set to tackle his fifth ValleyStar Credit Union 300 this weekend, driving one of two cars for Carroll Speedshop. Jones has not enjoyed much luck in Martinsville’s crown jewel; his best run is a 28th. But the wins he has accumulated in a Late Model Stock at tracks like North Wilkesboro Speedway make him a threat Saturday.
Other notable drivers
- Bobby McCarty (No. 6A) – A name that became synonymous with Late Model Stock racing during the late 2010s-early 2020s was Bobby McCarty, whose accomplishments include winning the Virginia Triple Crown in 2021. Yet in 11 previous tries, the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 at Martinsville Speedway has eluded McCarty in every way imaginable. He is going to give the crown-jewel event another try in his own equipment for the second consecutive year.
- Brandon Setzer (No. 11) – While this weekend will serve as Brandon Setzer’s ValleyStar Credit Union 300 debut, the family name is a familiar one to Martinsville Speedway. Setzer’s father in former NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series mainstay Dennis Setzer won the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 in 2007, so the younger Setzer looks to apply all the experience acquired as both a driver and Super/Pro Late Model team owner in his quest to become the second member of his family to win a grandfather clock.
- Michael Hinde (No. 69) – One of the two drivers representing Lee Pulliam Performance in this weekend’s ValleyStar Credit Union 300 is Michael Hinde, who hails from the Super Late Model ranks. Hinde is no stranger to excelling in marquee events, having won the World Crown 300 in 2024. But this weekend will only be the second time Hinde has driven a Late Model Stock, the first time being with Pulliam’s operation at Cordele Motor Speedway last year.
- Stacy Puryear (No. 17B) – No driver on the entry list boasts more top fives in the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 without winning than Stacy Puryear with four, his most recent being in 2011. Puryear has been trying to win a grandfather clock at Martinsville since he made his first ValleyStar Credit Union 300 attempt in 1996. Now that he’s a part-time competitor at 56, Puryear is looking to qualify for the main event and put together a complete race.