Until 2023, Landon Huffman had never tackled the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 at Martinsville Speedway. He was inches away from winning his debut. The loss of Trevor Ward’s grandfather clock last year remains a bittersweet memory for the veteran short track. But Huffman’s speed throughout last year’s Martinsville weekend gave him extra motivation as he prepared for another attempt to win the ValleyStar Credit Union 300. “I try to forget about it,” Huffman said. “I was very disappointed in myself after that. With less than 10 laps left, it’s hard to stay ahead and stay on time. But the way I grew up and the equipment I have is what makes this race special. “I’m proud of how I ran, but I’m still depressed because of course I didn’t bring my watch.”
Huffman developed a reputation as one of the latest model stock aspirants in the Southeast, but lack of funds always prevented him from visiting Martinsville in the early fall. Originally, Huffman’s status quo was expected to remain in 2023. He focuses on keeping his schedule competitive at tracks like Hickory Motor Speedway and Tri-County Motor Speedway, while also frequently competing in the Late Model Stock division of the CARS Tour. Huffman’s outlook for the season changed when he got a call from Nelson Motorsports owner Barry Nelson. Less than two years after winning the series championship, Nelson was unable to compete in the CARS tournament at Hickory and his team had to regroup to remain competitive. Nelson contacts Huffman to see what improvements are needed.
At the next CARS Tour event at Ace Speedway, Huffman took over for Nelson. He was a driver for 22 Toyotas. A little more than three months later, Huffman defeated Tri-County and earned a $30,000 payday. Nelson’s rapid rise to the top of the CARS Tour podium with Huffman was a systematic process that required everyone to work together. Most of Nelson’s crew, including West Coast crew chief Matthew Eshleman, are new to the program. Perseverance, along with Nelson’s switch to a Forrest Reynolds chassis, gave Huffman everything he needed to start competing for wins on a regular basis. “I’m definitely not the smartest, but I’ve been driving this car for a while,” Huffman said. “I was able to help [everyone] find their feet. It was a new situation for me, but it all played a big part in building my laptop and improving my race car.”
Winning against a number of strong late model stock competitors at Tri-County gave Huffman, Nelson and the rest of the team a boost. Huffman knew that if they could win big money events together, winning the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 was impossible. Because Late Model Stock racing at Martinsville is unpredictable from the qualifying races to the checkered flag, Huffman entered the weekend expecting to be split. He added that average speed alone is not enough to win the ValleyStar Credit Union 300. Luck is often needed as well. Huffman had speed and luck in deciding who would get the grandfather clock, even if there was a gap. He set the second-fastest 84-car lap in the time trial at 19.768 seconds, but felt his car lacked consistent long-term speed in qualifying and the main event.
Adjustments during the break helped Huffman maintain a top-five finish as the night continued at Martinsville. With 25 laps to go in the second race, Huffman raced with Ward, Peyton Sellers and Carson Kvapil. Contact between Ward and Sellers on the final restart of the night gave Huffman the opening he needed to take the lead. Starting on the inside of the second row, Huffman sent Ward into Turn 1 to force the front to the front, but he knew he would need an effective defense to stop Ward’s faster car. The two had a fierce battle for the win, and eventually there was a collision in the front row before the white flag. Huffman did his best to hold off Ward for second, but ValleyStar Credit Union narrowly denied him a 300 win.
Huffman found solace in Nelson, who had his best performance at Martinsville since Timothy Peters’ victory in 2017, but still avoided an upset by coming so close to victory. He especially wanted to celebrate the milestone with his father, five-time NASCAR Goody’s Dash Series winner Robert Huffman. “It would be great if my family could win a big race like this,” Huffman said. “My dad did a lot of things in the racing world that I never did and I always tried to be half the man he was. [Ballista Credit Union ranked #300] was something he had never done before, so it would have been nice to meet him in that environment. “He was always proud and I was proud to run. “We just have to be a better place this year.”
To repeat the success of last year’s ValleyStar Credit Union 300, Huffman will need to partner with other organizations. He will drive Chevrolet no. 57 for Justin Carroll, an experienced short track driver who has four top-10 finishes in five ValleyStar Credit Union 300 entries. Like Nelson, Huffman began to see gradual improvements in Carroll’s car after joining the operation following the second CARS Tour event at Hickory this year. With fellow veteran Brandon Pierce as his teammate, Huffman believes everything is in place for another strong performance at Martinsville. “I trust their race cars and their knowledge,” Huffman said. “The first time I drove Justin’s car, I was a little bit better than Nelson’s car. It’s late in the year and we don’t have a full season to develop them and help turn things around, but I think we’re close.
“It can be harsh races and many things, but I hope you can prove that I heard there.”Huffman has experienced in recent years and has been happy to give Martinsville a real opportunity to win. Huffman didn’t know that about 300 Babbs were expelled because of the budget limit. Now he returns to Martinsville as the runner-up in Late Model Stock Racing’s most prestigious event. Huffman is poised to put his best foot forward at Martinsville and join an elite list of winners that includes NASCAR Cup Series drivers such as Josh Berry and Mark Martin. Saturday’s win will be cathartic for Huffman in many ways, but it’s also a recognition of the sacrifices he’s made to accomplish this feat.
“Tri-County was the biggest racing moment of my career,” Huffman said. “Martinsville, especially if I had a year, I would have passed. Although I recovered week by week, the first half of the year was incredibly demanding for me and my family. You were at the top [with Nelson] and then you were at the bottom of the totem pole and you got hit every week. “After all the buzz in Martinsville, if we come out on top, we’ll easily win the [$30,000] Tri-County.”Some great Late Model Stock drivers have never won a ValleyStar Credit Union 300 in their entire careers. If all goes according to plan Saturday, Huffman could take home his second consecutive grandfather clock in Martinsville.
