Story by: Langley Austin ~ [email protected]

Copper Hill, VA(July 18, 2012) —  As the summer has been hitting temperatures near and sometimes over the 100 degree mark throughout the region, some of the regions drivers are even hotter than that right now.

There’s certainly no denying that Lee Pulliam is one of the drivers who seems to be on a hot streak right now.  During the July 4th week, he hit the three biggest races and not only won all three, but left no doubts as to his dominance in the Late Model Stock Car division right now.  He also backed that up with twin wins at South Boston Speedway this past Saturday giving the young driver five wins in 12 days.

That stat might not be a record, but what he’s done since coming off of his NASCAR suspension might just be.  The Semora, NC native was suspended from NASCAR Whelen All-American Series competition after a post race infraction with Philip Morris following the Danville Toyota 300 at South Boston Speedway.  Originally given an indefinite suspension, his appeal of that decision granted him the ability to be reinstated as early as May 1st.

The suspension left many to believe that his chances at the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series National Title would be dashed, but after missing as many as eight weekends of potential points gaining races, Pulliam returned.  In the 19 starts since his return he has accumulated wins at Motor Mile Speedway(3), South Boston Speedway(7), Caraway Speedway(1) and Southern National Motorsports Park(1).  A total of 12 wins with at least one win on each track in which he’s competed at except one, in not only this season, but his career.

His reign over the Late Model Stock Car division this season isn’t a mirror of the dominance he showed last season, but rather another path to stardom.  Last season he dominated the season at Motor Mile Speedway, winning a record 15 races on his way to the track championship with wins also at South Boston Speedway and Caraway Speedway along with the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 300 at Martinsville Speedway.

While the young driver will be hard pressed to stack any season up against last seasons stats, the road he’s taken in 2012 might just be enough to make this his most successful season ever.  And, the young driver just made his way to the top of the leaderboard in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series standings for the first time this season, a perch he most certainly hopes to stay on with just a handful of weeks left to gather points.

CLICK HERE to see the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series National Points Standings.