MARTINSVILLE, VA – Many of the best Late Model drivers on the East Coast have made the trip up to Martinsville, Virginia this weekend in search of a victory in the ValleyStar Credit Union 300. Five-time NASCAR Whelen All-American Series champion Philip Morris is seeking to become the first driver to win the prestigious Late Model race four times, while Timothy Peters is looking to defend his Martinsville title and add a third grandfather clock to his collection.
While many drivers entered in the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 have varying degrees of experience at the historic short track, there are a handful of drivers looking to make their first career start. Among them will be Durham, North Carolina native Camden Gullie, who made his Late Model debut at Orange County Speedway this season, and is looking forward to testing his skills against one of the most talented fields he has ever competed against in his career.
“I wanted to come race against some better competitors,” Gullie said. “I want to try and better myself, as my dad used to run up here a lot. If we can figure out the braking points and where to pick up the gas, I think we’ll be fine for the race.”
Gullie’s father, Jason, competed in the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 several times during the course of his long career behind the wheel of a Late Model. Gullie’s best run in the race would come in 1995, where he finished second behind race winner Tony McGuire, and would go on to earn one more Top 10 in 1997 before making his last attempt in 2006, which he failed to qualify for.
The success of his father in Late Model racing is what ultimately convinced Camden to start a racing career of his own at a young age by competing in go-karts next to his home track of Orange County. The younger Gullie quickly adapted to life behind the wheel, as he proceeded to win several races on both pavement and dirt, and brought home five championships in go-kart racing alone.
Gullie made the jump to Late Models at Orange County Speedway during the 2017 season, where he would get an opportunity to compete against many of the track’s best drivers, including Barry Beggarly, who is a two-time winner of the ValleyStar Credit Union 300. It would not take long for Gullie to emerge as a regular contender at Orange County, as he currently finds himself in the middle of a three-way battle for the track’s Late Model championship between himself, Daniel Moss and Chuck Lawson.
Although Gullie enjoyed making laps at Orange County, he set a goal for himself to find tougher competition to race against, which eventually led to his debut in the CARS Response Energy LMSC Tour at his home track on Sept. 8. After starting in the 11th position, Gullie took care of his #01 Late Model during the 150-lap feature and ended up finishing as the only car one lap down in the same position that he started in.
With his success at Orange County, as well as a decent showing in a one-off appearance at South Boston Speedway earlier this year, the 2018 season has been a productive one for Gullie, and he hopes to continue gathering experience at Martinsville during the course of the weekend. Gullie admitted that he has learned more racing against driver like Pulliam and Berry as opposed to his regular competition at Orange County, and he believes that more races against talented field will be crucial in developing his career.
“I thought we did pretty good at Orange County with the CARS Tour,” Gullie said. “I think we held our own ground there, and I think we learned a lot. I think it’ll be the same here, but I just hope we make the race on Saturday night. Our goal right now is to just try and learn as much as we can.”
The ValleyStar Credit Union 300 will consist of another talented field for Gullie to compete against, but he and his team will have to find speed in practice and qualifying in order to ensure a guaranteed starting spot in the 200-lap feature. Gullie is fully expecting Martinsville to present its fair share of challenges to him, but he hopes that the experience that he has obtained throughout the year will be enough for him to make a difference on Saturday.
“It’s my first time out here, so I just want to learn as much as I can,” Gullie said.
Over 70 drivers have filed an entry for the 2018 ValleyStar Credit Union 300, with the only two guaranteed starting positions belonging to the drivers who qualify on the front row. Qualifying will also determine the starting positions for the three heat races, with the Top 10 finishers in each heat and the last chance qualifier transferring into the main event.
