RIDGEWAY, VA :: To break the norm of the usual “picks” what everyone has, here are mine. I’ll only call the winner and the rest can battle for it in my mind and yours until race day. I’ve been told I’m a little different anyway.
First off, let’s look at a couple of dark horses that may not win, but I think they will turn some heads.
Logan Bearden: Who? Exactly. The young kid from Texas made his first laps ever in a Late Model at the Martinsville test, and was pretty fast and consistent. He just recently moved up to asphalt modifieds from go-carts but looks to impress in the iconic Rodney Cook/York Motorsports car.
Kyle Dudley: He may not be in the Pulliam category but after last years top ten in this race and knocking on the door for a Late Model championship at Caraway Speedway, his confidence and experience is shining through. The test session had him right there with some of the big dogs, a far cry from where he was trying to make this race the first few times.
Ryan Robertson: He hasn’t ran a race all season, but they have been waiting for this one. Now I don’t like not running any races and showing up here, especially when your not associated with another team to share notes to get you in the ballpark. But Robertson showed up to test and ran some pretty fast laps and a lot of them on old tires. He qualified top five for this race before and hopes to leave in that same column.
Now for the one’s that will challenge for the win in no particular order except for the winner.
Stacy Puryear: He has the experience for sure, but he doesn’t race near as much as he used to. And as time has went on, even for veterans that it didn’t make a difference to, the testing and technology are making the “track time” more important than ever. But at Martinsville it’s the greatest equalizer for this, everyone gets to come here one time a year and experience comes before laps more time than not. Stacy will be tough.
Brandon Butler: Talk about experience. This guy is one of the smoothest drivers I’ve ever seen race, and he never ages, he’s been about 28 for 25 years. Not once have I nor anyone else I’ve been around said “Wow, that was a stupid move” about something he did and there’s not many drivers you can say that about. And he really doesn’t race much, this season being an exception but for the last few years he has only raced one race pretty much, Martinsville. Other than Jimmy Mullins, I can’t think of another guy that has ran up front and led Martinsville as much as Brandon but still doesn’t have a clock. He’s driving a car that doesn’t have the money or technology in it like some others, but from practice and his “in-race” experience, he’s someone you’ll have to watch out for.
Lee Pulliam: I’m off the wall but I’m not stupid. With three National Championships in his short career along with two grandfather clocks from the paperclip already, Pulliam is the favorite going in. His setup at Martinsville, much less at other tracks is something to behold, but he has a knack in the biggest race of the year to go with it. He’ll be there at the end, others will challenge but if he can dodge trouble and be in the top three with 30 to go, he could very well have his third clock.
Matt Waltz: So close and yet so far away. A beast at Langley Speedway, Matt has come on strong the last few years in big races dominating the Denny Hamlin Showdown and pretty much Martinsville just two years ago. He is the most underrated guy that will be in the front, but like the veterans he is silky smooth, never overly aggressive which is about the only hurdle he’ll have to overcome to take home his first Martinsville win. After years past experience getting knocked around I think he will be the one doing some pushing if need be this year.
Alex Yontz: This is refreshing. I’ve always liked Big Al, and we have been friends for many years. It disappointed me to see him not behind the wheel as much over the last few years but driving a car doesn’t always pay the bills, I sadly understand that. This year he got behind the wheel of a car he was helping work on, the car of Kevin Combs because Combs was out of town and wanted Alex to drive it for fun. He jumped in it with the little crate motor and entered the Rodney Cook memorial race, just hoping for a top ten at most. He was holding a $2,500 check and the flag at the end of the night. That set a fire under him and he has a great car for Martinsville with Ed Berrier crew chiefing it. He ran some of the most consistent times of the day at the test. The only man to win Martinsville and Bristol may just step back in the limelight after this one.
Tyler Ankrum: The kid is just 14. Yep, doesn’t even have a permit yet. And I’ve always been critical of kids driving “too young” at this level. He was in that category for the first few races of his late model career, but no kid that has come through the ranks over the past few years has showed more maturity as fast as Ankrum. At most races he races at I stand in the corners with his crew chief Kenyon Davidson, and he tells me what he’s saying and doing. I can see that takes a fourth place car and make it drive like a winning car, which is unheard of for most kids his age. The #58 out of the Carolina Speed Shop will be a threat to win if he can make it through the carnage and to do that he needs to be up front so the qualifying and heat races will decide his day. I think most people will know who he is if they didn’t already.
Philip Morris: Of course, another one that anyone would be crazy not to pick. The thing is with this year, there is no hype at all, no fan fare……which may work right into his favor. After not racing hardly any this year, he has become the Dennis Setzer of Martinsville, it may be one of the only race he runs but he is one of the drivers to beat for sure. This year will see him in a car other than the famous Clarences Steakhouse #26……or so we hear. Always the tight lipped bunch, Morris is rumored to be running his old number of #01, a brand new car out of the Forrest Reynolds shop. He didn’t set the world on fire at testing, but I’m willing to bet money he’ll be a lot faster in qualifying and when the flag falls. Practice don’t pay much.
Jake Crum: Heeeee’ssss Baaacckkk. The winner here in 2009 with BJ Mackey calling the shots from the pits, Jake is back with a vengeance and a gleam in his eye. After taking the win at Martinsville that year Jake tried the Truck and Xfinity series for a while in subpar equipment with subpar results. You could tell it got him down. He’s used to winning and this was not a pleasant experience for him. Stepping back for a while he teamed up with Jamie Yelton and his Fathead racing team to tackle the iconic Bobby Isaac Memorial race at Hickory……and won. Now going into Martinsville he is the one people are talking about as his test speeds were the fastest of the day by many watches. With a duo of characters like Crum and Yelton teaming together, we know that Jake Crum will be driving hard, at the end of the day we very well may see the resurgence of the other guy……Jake “The Snake” of old.
RD Smith: Some will question me here, but I have no doubt. RD has always been a great driver, but just never ventured out far or put as much technology in his stuff as others, he raced as hobby like racing should be and runs a business. This year he has taken another route and has his cars coming out of the Gilliland shop and setups on them by Chris Lawson, one of the smartest guys to turn a wrench in Late Models over the past few years. RD has been a beast at Ace Speedway winning the championship this year, and has shown some great strength on the CARS Tour running for the points championship until a handful of races to go with bad luck. Martinsville has been his achilles heel, if something went wrong it was here. Look for that bad luck to break for this years event.
Winner…….Josh Berry: Coming into the race as one of the hottest drivers in Late Models, Josh’s team is sitting on kill. While having a championship from Motor Mile a few years ago and winning races here and there, Josh never had the “flash” that other drivers had. The last two seasons have officially put him in the Pulliam and Morris category, winning anywhere and everywhere. His team is virtually the same as it was 5 years ago, and they are hitting their peak and look to stretch it out for time to come. He is a beast at races with big things on the line, and it doesn’t get much bigger than this. Taking home the grandfather clock should send him well on his way up the ladder to the big three series. A ladder that he should climb more than anyone at the moment. I look for Josh to win or bring it home in a box, not really his style anywhere else but he looks to have fire in his eyes for this race.
