Haley Moody, pictured at Martinsville Speedway prior to the VSCU 300. (Andy Marquis/Race22.com photo)

Haley Moody is ready to tackle her “home track” of Southern National, coming in hot off making the show at the 2016 ValleyStar 300 at Martinsville. Moody thinks she has a real chance at claiming to 2016 Thanksgiving Classic Late Model Stock Car Race.

Moody, 21 is a former Limited Late Model champion at The Park.  She comes into the Thanksgiving Classic having not been in a car since making the show at Martinsville, more than a month not in the car could hurt.

Moody hasn’t just been sitting around though.  She intended to run the CARS Tour race at Southern National recently but has remained focused on other things in life as well.

“I’ve been going to school,” Moody said.  “We were supposed to race the CARS race at Southern National but it just didn’t work out for us. The car wasn’t completely ready and we didn’t want to go unprepared.”

The Kinston, North Carolina native not only has the confidence from Martinsville to give her reason to look forward to the Classic but also the fact that she returns to the track where she won the Limited Late Model title in 2014, becoming the first female to win a Late Model championship of any kind in the Mid-Atlantic region which is dominated by Late Model Stock Cars.

Southern National is a favorite of Moody’s and she expects a great day.

“Southern National is my home track,” Moody said.  “I love that place. I think making the field for the biggest race of the year is huge so I think we have a good shot at Southern National this weekend.  I really hope to run well. Realistically, I would like a top five, but we really want to go out there and win.”

Moody certainly has the history at the track to go out there and win, her late father Jerry Moody was a car owner with numerous wins and championships at the Lucama, North Carolina track. Some things are passed down through the family and if her history at the track is any indication, winning at Southern National is one of those things.