RIDGEWAY, VA :: Brayton Haws just barely transferred from his heat race in to the main event in Sunday’s MDCU 300 at Martinsville Speedway. Once he did, however, he was able to come home with a top-10 finish in his first ever MDCU 300 start.
Haws battled a loose racecar in qualifying and in his respective heat race but he was able to advance to the feature event by finishing in 10th in his heat race. That forced him to start from 32nd but his confidence wasn’t shaken by the deep start and he felt like he could make a strong run toward the front.
“Saturday, we rolled in there with some high expectations for a good qualifying position, qualified 20th,” Haws said. “Got to the heat race on Sunday and my car was acting up. It felt like, late exit, these cars get really sideways and loose off the corner. We ended up finishing 10th in the heat race and we started 32nd in the main. It’s Martinsville so I think people come all the way from the back, last year it was Dillon Bassett and he almost won the race so we weren’t too down about it. The team was happy.”
Haws continued fighting the loose condition throughout much of the first half of the race and ended up, at one point, falling two laps down to the leaders. Haws was able to get both of his laps back in the closing stages of the race and started putting himself in position to mount a charge.
“First half of the race, halfway through, it was still kind of loose like in the heat race,” Haws elaborated. “We got put two laps down and then that’s where I caught on to my rhythm and, 30 or 40 laps, we were running there with third and fourth and then the halfway break came out and, after halfway, we were fighting to get my two laps back and get the lucky dog. We were passing so many cars and a caution would come out and they’d be in front of me and I’d keep on passing but I think we got the free pass with 15 laps to go and another caution came out and we got it again so that put us on the lead lap.”
After the competition caution, Haws found himself in position to score a top-10 finish. At that point, Haws’ crew chief said they would either score a top-10 finish or wreck trying. Haws was able to crack the top-10 and finish in the 10th position.
“Five laps left in the race, my crew-chief told me over the radio to roll to the outside and go when he said go so we were either coming home with a top-10 or wrecked racecar,” Haws explained. “I guess luck was on our side and we ended up coming home with a 10th place finish. One of my crew members was timing on the pit box and, after halfway, we were a tenth faster than Sellers. My team and crew had my car hooked up. I can’t thank them enough.”
Haws, who was one of the youngest drivers in the field at only 15 years of age, said he couldn’t have done it without the support of his crew, sponsors (Rheem and Mechanical HVAC Services) and his parents, Janelle and Brian Haws. Prior to the MDCU 300, Haws had one career victory, which came at Hickory Motor Speedway on June 7th.
