Every year, local drivers along the east coast gather in Virginia for three of the most prestigious Late Model races in the country, known as the Virginia Late Model Triple Crown Series. However, Langley Speedway, which hosted the second race of the Triple Crown, the Hampton Heat, ceased operations during the 2016 season, which temporarily put an end to a proud Late Model tradition.
In 2017, the Virginia Late Model Triple Crown Series was revived when operator Bill Mullis and the city of Hampton, Virginia decided to reopen the historic short track. The revival of the Hampton Heat attracted many of the best Late Model drivers, including former Langley Speedway track champions C.E. Falk III and Greg Edwards. At the end of the night, Summerfield, North Carolina native Bobby McCarty outperformed the veterans and picked up the biggest win of his late model career.
With his victory at Langley Speedway behind him, McCarty is now shifting his attention towards the last leg of the Virginia Late Model Triple Crown series, which is the ValleyStar Credit Union 300. McCarty was one of the 93 drivers who participated in the evening test session at Martinsville, but admitted that there are still many unknowns for all drivers as the first Martinsville night race in Late Model history quickly approaches.
“The track has a lot more grip, so you can be a little more aggressive with the cars,” McCarty said. “The big question for me is what’s going to happen with the high groove. No one went up there during the test, but I feel like that the high line will come in once we get the heat races going, and when it does come in, you will see a different style of racing at Martinsville.”
McCarty got his start in auto racing at the age of six when his father, Troy McCarty, got him interest in go-kart racing. After racing go-karts for twelve years, McCarty moved up to the Allison Legacy Series in 2008, where he made 42 career starts and earned two back-to-back victories at Hickory Motor Speedway and Orange County Speedway in 2010. The following year, McCarty began racing in the Division II Asphalt Championship in the Whelen All-American Series at South Boston Speedway, where he immediately impressed his competitors by picking up 11 victories between 2011 and 2012.
It was not until McCarty moved up to compete in the Virginia State Championship that he encountered his first struggles. Going up against South Boston regulars like Philip Morris, Peyton Sellers and Matt Bowling proved to be a challenge for the young racer, as he did not record a single win at the track in his first two season of Late Model competition. Despite his struggles, McCarty still managed to finish third in the track standings at the end of 2013, and 7th place at the end of 2014.
In 2015, McCarty began to return to his winning ways at South Boston Speedway, as scored 20 Top 5’s and two victories between 2015 and 2016 driving for his family-owned team. His success at South Boston caught the attention of car owner Barry Nelson, who hired him to replace Timothy Peters for the 2016 ValleyStar Credit Union 300 after Peters was forced to miss the event due to a prior commitment with the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. McCarty is now one of two full-time drivers for Nelson Motorsports, and even though he is no longer a part of his father’s team, McCarty is thankful for all of the opportunities that his father gave him throughout his life
“My dad started bringing me to the racetrack when I was about one or two, so it’s one of those things where I’ve been around racing my whole life,” McCarty said. “He’s been with me since the beginning, and things have been good so far, and I can’t really complain. I’ve had a pretty good career up to this point.”
McCarty will be teamed up with Brandon Pierce, Timothy Peters and Blake Stallings for the 2017 ValleyStar Credit Union 300 as he travels to Martinsville for the fourth time in his career. McCarty failed to qualify for the event in 2013 and 2015, and had a strong run going in 2016 replacing Timothy Peters until he encountered trouble late in the event that relegated him to a 24th place finish. In similar fashion to many other drivers entered in the event, McCarty plans to be conservative in the early stages of the ValleyStar Credit Union so that he will have a shot to win in the last few laps.
“With this race, there are so many cars that show up, and the race is so competitive that there is no telling what is going to happen,” McCarty said. “My overall game plan is to just save my equipment and to be easy on the brakes, since we use a lot of brakes here. I’m going to see if I can ride around in the Top 5 for the first 100 laps, and then I’m going to give it all’s she got when I get four tires after the break.”
There is also a $10,000 cash bonus on the line for McCarty and the other 13 drivers who are eligible for the Virginia Late Model Triple Crown Series title. The bonus is awarded to the driver who has the best average finish between the three races at South Boston, Langley and Martinsville, which McCarty currently shares with Nick Smith. McCarty will have to fight off his fellow Triple Crown competitors, as well as the best Late Model drivers from around the country if he wants a chance to add his name to the list of people who have won the ValleyStar Credit Union 300.
The ValleyStar Credit Union 300 is NASCAR’s biggest, richest and most prestigious Late Model Stock Car race. The day starts with three 25-lap heat races to set the field, followed by a 25-lap “last chance” heat. Tickets for the September 23 event are on sale now and can be purchased by calling 1-877-RACE-TIX or online at www.martinsvillespeedway.com.
