COPPER HILL, VA :: Right now, the plan for Lee Pulliam is to take a straight-rail chassis prepared by Jay Hedgecock down to Daytona. However, Pulliam may not race in the UNOH Battle at the Beach if the car is not prepared in time for the race on February 18th.
“If straight rail isn’t built, I’m not going to race,” Pulliam said. “I’ll just help Matt Bowling. It’s got a lot of work to be done and a little time, but I’m at mercy of Jay Hedgecock’s timeframe. I hope it’s done but if it’s not, I’ll be Matt Bowling’s crew chief. This would be my first experience at Daytona. I’m looking forward to it. I’m hoping to race but it’ll be an experience just to be down there.”
Pulliam feels the straight-rail cars will have an advantage, initially, at Daytona but feels NASCAR will work to level the playing field.
“I’m sure NASCAR will do something (to level the playing field),” Pulliam stated. “They do a great job. It’s something you’ll have to wait and see. It’ll be hectic and a lot of guys will be complaining, both ways, if they do something. NASCAR will do the best job they can. At the end of the week, either the racing will be a success or there will be angry folks. Everyone’s got to go down there for the first time and see how everything shakes out. Nobody knows right now.”
Pulliam won the 2012 NASCAR Whelen All American Series National Championship by virtue of his 22 wins at four different racetracks. Needless to say, Pulliam is the type of racer who enjoys running at several different tracks during the season. If he were to run Daytona, there’s no doubt that he would be a contender because of that.
“Every racetrack’s different,” Pulliam explained. I like going to different places and I pick up a lot watching other guys and getting on the track. Once you get out there, you get a feel for it, figuring out braking points, keeping your nose clean. It’ll be fun. I love going different places and it’ll make for an advantage for people who travel a lot. It will be a good race.
“It’s nice to see the limelight shined on the late model guys. It’s really tough to break in to the upper tiers without a lot of sponsors and finances behind you. We need to get NASCAR late model in to more of a proving ground. There’s nothing more frustrating than winning races out there and not driving something bigger. It’s a big opportunity for people and it’ll be something the people need. It’s the blood of NASCAR I feel like.”
If Pulliam is able to race, his mission is to win, but he’s not taking the competition lightly.
“You can never take anything for granted,” Pulliam said. “I always go to win. We just work as hard as we can and get the car turning as well as possible and be in position. Sometimes, the fastest car doesn’t win and the guy who never gives up does. If we get the opportunity to sit in something, we’ll definitely go for the win.”
Pulliam’s 2013 plans have not been finalized yet, though it’s likely he will travel across the region as he seeks to defend his National Championship title.
“We’ll take 2013 season week-by-week,” Pulliam mentioned. “It’s just one of those things, depends on what those guys want to do. We’ll take it race by race and see how the finances work out. We were fortunate to win a national championship. We’ll just keep racking up wins. Nobody can predict who will contend for National titles. You’ve got to win races first and get in contention.
“Like I said, I never take anything for granted. We’re working extremely hard to have another year like last year. I have a fire to win. I feel confident about the car and we have a shot to win some races. We’ll talk about how many races we win after we get it done.”
RACE22.com will continue to provide coverage leading up to the UNOH Battle at the Beach at Daytona, which will be run on February 18th, with driver interviews and preview stories. So, stick with RACE22.com, the Short Track Authority, as we continue to countdown to Daytona.
