What’s hotter then the late July temperatures around the Mid-Atlantic region’s local short tracks? It’s a $10,000-to-the-winner NASCAR Whelen All-American Series (NWAAS) Late Model event at Langley Speedway called The Hampton Heat 200. This year marks the eighth time running the event, and over the years the race has certainly evolved. What you may notice is the growing number of car counts that saw its highest number of entries last year at thirty seven cars competing. You may also notice that the “out-of-towners” have proven to be successful as South Boston Speedway’s own Matt Bowling and Peyton Sellers have won the event just a few years ago. Last year, C.E. Falk, who has won numerous track championships at Langley Speedway, was in a part-time role last season. Mainly racing out at South Boston Speedway, Falk had them covered that night winning his third Hampton Heat 200.
This year, C.E. Falk will return to defend his championship against what potentially could be as many as 47 cars that are expressing interest in making this year’s trip to The Hampton Heat 200 at Langley Speedway. Word is that the track will start 38 race teams around its .395 mile flat banked oval. With just a mere six degrees of banking and its unique configuration, one would think you have to log in many laps around the place to hit on the speed you need to be successful, unless you go by the names of Lee Pulliam or Josh Berry. Both have raced at Langley Speedway this season and collected a win apiece. Other outsider race teams like Dillon Bassett, Jr., Deac McCaskill, and Kaz Grala have proven that outsider race teams can get around Langley Speedway. This year, unlike years past, the Langley Speedway regulars won’t have to worry about this race being a series points race, but it will count towards National points.
This year alone, the Late Model division at Langley Speedway has seen seven different winners, showcasing a heated up points battle that has as many as five race teams chasing points leader Greg Edwards. Brother Danny Edwards, Jr. will come into the Hampton Heat 200 as winner of three straight races and will clearly be the man to beat as of now. Brenden Queen, Mark Wertz and Tyler Hughes make up the series’ five best, but there are others that are certainly worth mentioning. Casey Wyatt and Terry Carroll could steal away this race, as they too are peaking at just the right time. This year’s Hampton Heat 200, by virtue of a rain out at South Boston Speedway just a few weeks ago, will serve as the first race into this year’s Virginia Triple Crown. Distinguished by its own points structure, The Virginia Triple Crown winner is determined by his/her best three finishes in races at Langley, South Boston and Martinsville Speedway, with the winner receiving $5,000 in prize money.
As the race enters its eighth year, one man has seen it all go down well from inside the ranks. How it has grown, how its taken its place in Late Model championship racing and the direction in where this race is going. Race22.com spoke with Langley Speedway’s Tech Director, Shayne Laws, who also is a tech favorite in much of the same capacity at other championship races, most notably at Martinsville Speedway for the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 held every year. Shayne Laws has been a influential part and voice of Late Model racing.
Shayne, you’ve seen this race evolved, car counts have grown, racing is very intense and the fans are packing the stands. What’s the one thing that you can single out that has Late Model race teams circling this event on their race calendars?
“Well, one thing that I know of that helps us out is Bill Mullis [Owner, Track President] and Chuck Hall [Track Promoter] have both set up a great event,” Laws said. “We have such a great staff here at Langley Speedway, and just like any big show, we bring in the appropriate people to ensure that the playing field is equal and competitive. The main thing with our staff here at Langley Speedway, we make sure everybody feels that they are number one.”
Next, we talked about whether its fair to say that The Hampton Heat 200 is indeed a championship Late Model race in the Mid-Atlantic Region. “Absolutely, I feel like our track has really come together over the years. You know, in the past, people felt like traveling to a flat track in lieu of a banked track would put everyone at a disadvantage and then the more teams we have travel in that has come in. I feel like we have the best of the best here, plus we have the best of the best come in so I feel like at any given time that this is a championship caliber race track”.
Then our discussion turned to whether or not there was a home track advantage for the Langley regulars and could we see yet another outsider race team win the Hampton Heat 200. “ Yeah, I don’t know if there’s really ever been a home track advantage. I guess you can say that about any track you go to, whether you have your big events at other tracks or you know, I don’t know its just, just the caliber of teams that are there now,” explains Shayne Laws. “Langley has top notch teams, you got top notch teams coming from out of town, I guess on any given night, any great team can win.”
The final piece we discussed talked about how this race will differ from the others and what race fans can expect to see in this years Hampton Heat 200. “Well, I think every year has been a great show in the Hampton Heat, I guess the difference in the past couple of years is, the Hampton Heat has evolved into one of the biggest shows,” suggests Laws. “Just like your Martinsville, just like your Hamlin events, you know. It’s just that it has turned into a great event, we have great cars, we have a great staff, we have a great tech, we enforce everything the same no matter who you are or what team. It’s just a great event, so the fans I don’t think will see anything different this year then they have any year, except that were getting more car counts now which is going to increase the caliber of the teams and you know, once when you set a field of cars what you got is the best of the best and unfortunately, some of the best go home.”
Without question, the caliber of racing at The Hampton Heat 200 will indeed determine just who is the best. Several teams will hit on a set up that contains speed, only a few will earn the opportunity to win, but only one will cross the stripe first and he will win this years Hampton Heat 200 at Langley Speedway July 25th, 2015.
