RIDGEWAY, VA :: Well now that the MDCU 300 is in the books, who do you think was the most powerful during the weekend long event?
We’re breaking down our top-22 plus some honorable mentions below. Check them out and let us know what you think was the top-drivers in the MDCU 300 at Martinsville Speedway.
Honorable Mentions
Here’s just a few. Jamey Caudill and Dennis Holdren both showed speed but a lap one heat one crash with Kres VanDyke would effectively wreck their weekend. Kyle Dudley was the surprise of the weekend with not only making the show but finishing ninth. Stacy Puryear was another victim of VanDyke which started with Puryear thinking VanDyke cost him time in qualifying and then was involved on that lap one, heat one crash.
22. Kres VanDyke
Speaking of… Kres VanDyke certainly made his name known at Martinsville. Not like the last time he was there when he finished second to Caudill but for several crashes that seemed to irritate fans and drivers alike.
21. Michael McGuire
You might not have even noticed him if you weren’t paying attention but Michael McGuire quietly hovered in the top-15 and showed he could wheel with the best of them. However, his day ended with one of the late race crashes.
20. Matt Waltz
In 2013 Matt Waltz was among those being bantered about in the post-race fray. He led laps and cut a tire late but, this time around, he was never a factor but managed to hang around enough to get a top-10 finish.
19. Myatt Snider
Before the race Myatt Snider called his shots. He claimed he would make his name known and that he wanted the grandfather clock the track gives as a trophy. Neither would take place on Sunday but he did manage to be a player throughout the top-20 but crashed late.
18. Brenden Queen
Two years in a row this young driver managed to come out show that he belongs with the best of the Late Model Stock Car racers. Brenden Queen looked good but a part failure sidelined his day.
17. Travis Swaim
There are so many racers you could point to in this list that you could say “if this didn’t happen, he would have got a great finish”. Travis Swaim is one of those and, if he hadn’t got wrecked late, we might have him further up this list.
16. CE Falk III
If having a unicorn on your hood gave you any good mojo, CE Falk would have certainly finished much better. He was never really a factor but he had worked his way into position to have a good finish.
15. Josh Berry
If testing would have indicated anything Josh Berry would have been the driver to beat. However, unfortunately for him, he never could duplicate that speed. He did put himself inside the top-20 and looked to be headed to a top-ten finish before a last lap crash.
14. Mike Looney
If it wasn’t for bad luck, Mike Looney wouldn’t have any type of luck at all. Agai,n he ran amongst the front ten or so cars all day before his clutch and then his battery kept him from being a part of the final fray.
13. Matt Bowling
Another driver whose run wasn’t what he expected. In the past, he’s run among the leaders only to have the race slip away in the end. This time, he was a consistent top-ten guy but failed to generate enough power to race for a top-five.
12. David Garbo, Jr.
There’s something to be said for leading laps in the MDCU 300. However, David Garbo, Jr.’s time at the front was short lived as a part failure took him out of the race but, let’s not forget, he raced to the front cleanly and looked to be a contender.
11. Philip Morris
It’s not very often that you’re talking about Philip Morris being a top-ten car and not a front runner but that’s exactly what this year’s race was like. Morris was never among the top-contenders but he was battling with eventual winner Lee Pulliam when he cut a tire.
10. Sam Yarbrough
I can’t say that he was one of the guys who stuck out during the early to midpoint of the race but Sam Yarbrough somehow found a way to be in contention by the end. He then used his chrome horn to finish second.
9. BJ Mackey
Mackey was another driver that seemed to just quietly and methodically work his way to the front of the pack and finished fourth. Most of the weekend, he was off the radar but, when it counted, Mackey was there.
8. Coleman Pressley
Coleman Pressley … yeah he still races every now and again. He proved that being out of the seat for most of the season didn’t hurt him as he ran in the top-ten all day before having issues near the end.
7. Dillon Bassett
Dillon Bassett still believes he won last year’s race. This year, he didn’t make it far enough but he was coming and, when his day went sour, he was racing right with eventual winner Lee Pulliam.
6. Tommy Lemons, Jr.
He finished third but Tommy Lemons, Jr. was just good during the course of the day. He kept himself among the top-ten most, if not all day, and was there when it counted.
5. Mike Darne
A couple years ago, he shared the front row for this race. This year he was fast and in contention all day and was put into the lead at halfway due to an invert. Most expected him to fall after the restart but he managed a fifth place finish.
4. Timothy Peters
If not for a failure during a late caution we might very well be discussing a different finish as Timothy Peters was in the hunt for the win all day. He raced hard for the top-spot coming to the halfway break but yielded the lead then to Kaz Grala.
3. Kaz Grala
If the first half of the race would have been the race to victory lane, Kaz Grala would have been this year’s surprise winner. Grala was impressive all weekend and led many laps in the first half before being inverted and eventually falling out due to mechanical issues.
2. Peyton Sellers
If not for the last restart issues for Peyton Sellers, he might very well have won this weekend as a whole. He posted the fastest time and grabbed the pole, raced among the leaders all day and had the lead on the final restart. Howeve,r his finish will never show how good he was due to a hard crash.
1. Lee Pulliam
Lee Pulliam didn’t dominate this race but, when everything counted, he seemed to be in all the right spots. First, he managed to grab the second and final spot in qualifying for drivers not to have to run the heat races. Then, he managed to run among the leaders all race and was on the front row for the final restart. People can debate the final restart all they want but Lee can only hear the chimes from his second grandfather clock.
