Peyton Sellers said that his adrenaline level was pretty high. He described today as “intense”. Lee Pulliam added that concluding the day was a “relief”. All of this came not on a race day, but in fact on a qualifying day. Such is the toughness of the competition on display Saturday at Martinsville Speedway as teams practiced and then qualified for tomorrow’s MDCU 300 at Martinsville Speedway, the most prestigious Late Model Stock race in the country.

Sellers and Pulliam locked into the front row for tomorrow’s 200-lap feature by virtue of being the fastest two qualifiers today. Seventy-six other competitors will not rest easy tonight as they will have to transfer into the feature through qualifying heats tomorrow prior to the main event.

Skipping those heats would have meant a lot for everyone, but especially to Sellers. Last year’s heat race started a frustrating day for Sellers when he blew a power steering line and did not transfer into the main event. Racing for the Virginia State Late Model Championship, a title he is also up for this year, Sellers jumped in the Tony Keen machine to start the 300, made his way to the front, and then had to salvage a mid-pack finish to claim the Virginia title after more mechanical issues.

Keen elected to make things a bit simpler this year and focus on crew chiefing the Sellers machine. They tested well and it’s beginning to feel like it’s all falling together for Sellers, the former Whelen All-American Series national champion looking for his first Martinsville grandfather clock.

“Whatever happens, this is a really good shot in the arm for me after bad luck last year,” said Sellers just moments after winning the pole. “My crew chief Tony Keen is sitting out this race and it’s all proven to be worthwhile. Me and Lee are right there, tit-for-tat. That’s how we are most weeks between South Boston and Motor Mile. It just goes to show you the competition level here.”

– By Tim Quievryn, 51′s Third Turn. Photo Credit: Speed51.com

Qualifying Results

Heat One

Heat Two

Heat Three

Peyton Sellers Wins Pole for MDCU 300 at Martinsville