HAMPTON, VA :: It’s been two years since a Langley Speedway Late Model regular has won Langley Speedway’s most prized and cherished event in the Hampton Heat 200. Last year’s defending champion Peyton Sellers and the previous year winner Matt Bowling killed the thought that Langley regulars have a distinct advantage on its flat banked oval. Last week alone, Garrett Campbell and teammate Tyler Ankrum, who is just 14-years-old, raced against the best at Langley Speedway to Campbell’s third place finish and Ankrum’s fifth place finish. Both drivers, until then, had never turned a lap around the .395 oval leaving the track with a ton of confidence and every intention of coming back for the Hampton Heat. But dominating the track are series points leader Greg Edwards and Matt Waltz (second) who have combined thirteen wins with Waltz boasting eight of them on his own.

Nick Smith has a victory to his credit at the track in 2014 but has been on an unusual decline in recent weeks. Smith has always been a threat to win as proven in the inaugural Hampton Heat back in 2008 when he found Victory Lane. Last year, if not for a bump and run from Peyton Sellers, Smith would have won the race. Moving up the points standings last week was Casey Wyatt, though winless to date, he always performs well in the event and could play spoiler to the race teams expected to win this year’s Hampton Heat 200. I spoke with Edwards, Waltz and Wyatt about the race and how the Langley regulars can take back its Hampton Heat title.

“It’s going to be track position that’s going to be everything,” Greg Edwards said. “You’re going to have to make the decision of when you want to make your move to the front. It’s going to be a chess game, don’t wait too long to go to the front. If we have a caution with five or six laps to go and I get to go to the outside, its going to be very questionable what happens there because it is the Hampton Heat, its big money.”

Casey Wyatt discussed what he believes the Langley boys still have the advantage.

“Yeah, I think more so this year than last, the new pavement was the big equalizer, now the track has a season in on it and gotten a winter on it,” Wyatt explained.  “You know, it’s changed the way it works, its grip level has changed.  With the way Edwards and Waltz have it figured out, I’d say that the Langley boys has the advantage right now”.

Next, Matt Waltz talked about qualifying and starting near the front.

“Sitting on the pole and leading laps is not a necessity, but being up front away from the back is a lot less hectic,” Waltz remarked. “But to be honest, in all of them/ qualifying/ it’s pretty important in this race. Not so much the fact you’re at the front and want to be at the front, the new guys coming in and they’re going to run well but they are not Langley regulars. You would hate to qualify bad and they’re down, hit the corner bad and end up wrecking you and taken out like that.”

Casey Wyatt then shared his thoughts on what this race is more about winning, the money or beating some of the NWAAS Late Models best.

“Ha, depends on who you talk to, you talk to the car owner its more about the money”, Wyatt joked. “But you talk to me it’s all about the bragging rights saying that I out ran everybody. Depends upon which team member, the team would probably feel a lot better about winning then the money but yeah, that car owner wants that big check.”

For Greg Edwards, many years at Langley Speedway if not hundreds of thousands of laps around the track, Greg discusses what it would mean to ink his name among the list of Hampton Heat winners.

“It would be huge I mean I feel like as long as I have been at Langley Speedway, the many races that I’ve won and I’m not trying to say that the wrong way but that this needs to be something to put in my resume or my checklist”, Edwards expressed. “It’s a big deal, it’s an awesome race and I’m glad they have come up with this race for us, it would be very important for me.”

Finally, Matt Waltz talked about what it would mean for him as well to win this year’s Hampton Heat.

“It would be awesome to win it you know especially since it’s such a big race and we’ve ran well at many of the big races lately, just haven’t been able to win one,” Waltz stated. “I’ve never had a decent finish in the Hampton Heat and had missed the race a couple of times so yeah, I would be pretty happy to come out this Saturday night with a win and that ten grand would sure help us out.”

No doubt, the momentum and belief that the Langley boys are targeting the return of the Hampton Heat Championship back to its home turf. These guys are prideful of their home track and acknowledge the significance of winning the Hampton Heat. More time in the shop, more time preparing and more time in thought of becoming the next Hampton Heat 200 Champion.