Corey Heim, Carson & Caden Kvapil headline stout entry list for 2026 ValleyStar Credit Union 300 at Martinsville

COLUMN BY: Brandon White / NASCAR MEDIA – MARTINSVILLE, V.A –  There’s no shortage of talent heading to Martinsville Speedway this weekend for the prestigious ValleyStar Credit Union 300 (8 p.m. ET on FloRacing/NASCAR Channel).

Nine states and three countries represent the 90 drivers on the preliminary entry list for Saturday’s race. This group consists of past winners, NASCAR Local Racing Series national champions, track champions, ARCA Menards Series winners and a driver who has won in the NASCAR Cup Series.

Below are the groups of drivers to keep an eye on before they begin their respective pursuits for a grandfather clock this weekend.

The stars

• Corey Heim (No. 22A) – The reigning NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion and a two-time NASCAR Cup Series winner in 2026, Corey Heim is set to attempt his first ValleyStar Credit Union 300 since 2022. Heim’s first try at the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 in 2018 saw him narrowly miss out on a grandfather clock, but he looks to check this race off his list before moving up to the NASCAR Cup Series full-time with 23XI Racing next year.
• Carson Kvapil (No. 32) – An off weekend for the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series will allow Carson Kvapil to take a break from his championship pursuit and chase his second ValleyStar Credit Union 300 victory after previously doing so in 2024 with JR Motorsports. For Saturday’s race, Kvapil is teaming up with GO FAS Racing, a former NASCAR Cup Series operation that he has found success with in sporadic starts, which includes a runner-up in the 2025 South Carolina 400 at Florence Motor Speedway.
• Lee Pulliam (No. 8A) – A four-time NASCAR Local Racing Series national champion, Lee Pulliam nearly tied Philip Morris in ValleyStar Credit Union 300 victories last year with three but was bested by Landon Pembelton in an overtime photo finish. Winning the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 on Saturday would cap an eventful year for Pulliam that saw him make his NASCAR national series debut and contest the Virginia Triple Crown with JR Motorsports, which helped lay the foundation for a full-time NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series campaign in 2027 with Peterson Racing Group.

The past winners

• Landon Pembelton (No. 0) – By fending off Late Model Stock legend Lee Pulliam in a thrilling overtime finish at Martinsville Speedway last year, Landon Pembelton became the sixth driver to win the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 multiple times. Still only 21, Pembelton looks to keep building upon his growing Late Model Stock legacy at Martinsville by joining Philip Morris as the only other three-time ValleyStar Credit Union 300 champion this weekend.
• Trevor Ward (No. 77) – In 2023, blue-collar competitor Trevor Ward scored a popular first victory in the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 after holding off Landon Huffman in the closing laps, which also rewarded him with his first Virginia Triple Crown championship. Currently second in the 2026 Virginia Triple Crown standings with an average finish of sixth, Ward is seeking to replicate what he accomplished at Martinsville Speedway three years ago and take home two prestigious accolades.
• Peyton Sellers (No. 26) – One of the most accomplished short-track racers of his era with a record eight South Boston Speedway track titles, two NASCAR Local Racing Series championships and five Virginia Triple Crowns, it took Peyton Sellers until 2022 for him to win his first ValleyStar Credit Union 300. Sellers’ love-hate relationship with Martinsville Speedway has continued since, as he failed to qualify for last year’s race after being collected in an accident during his heat.
• Jason York (No. 18) – The longest-tenured ValleyStar Credit Union 300 winner on this year’s entry list, Jason York got his crown jewel triumph at Martinsville Speedway in the 2008 running. Known as the Reidsville Rocket, York has not earned a Martinsville top 10 finish since his triumph but is searching for better fortunes this weekend, which is expected to be his final attempt at the prestigious race.

The Virginia Triple Crown frontrunners

• Caden Kvapil (No. 88B) – Carson Kvapil’s younger brother, Caden Kvapil has built up an impressive resumé in short-track racing himself, with his accomplishments including a victory in the Hampton Heat at Langley Speedway in July. That triumph, combined with a sixth in the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 at South Boston Speedway, has Kvapil atop the Virginia Triple Crown standings heading into the ValleyStar Credit Union 300, where he finished 13^th in his debut attempt last year.
• Woody Howard (No. 41) – For more than two decades, Woody Howard has become a consistent presence in short-track racing around the southeast, primarily at his home track of Langley Speedway. Two strong performances in the Virginia Triple Crown, including a runner-up in Langley’s Hampton Heat, has Howard second in the standings. A bid at a championship will require him to make the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 field for the first time since 2018.
• Trey Crews (No. 10) – After taking a sabbatical from active short-track competition at the end of 2023, Trey Crews has shaken off the rust this season driving for R&S Race Cars, which has a technical alliance with RAM. Crews sits fourth in the Virginia Triple Crown standings with finishes of eighth and 11^th at South Boston Speedway and Langley Speedway, respectively, consistency he looks to carry over into his first ValleyStar Credit Union 300 attempt since 2021.

Below is the complete 2026 ValleyStar Credit Union 300 entry list.

(Drivers in bold are eligible for the Virginia Triple Crown)