Pulliam riding hot streak in final Late Model points race at SoBo

SOUTH BOSTON — There was a certain relief when Lee Pulliam pulled his No. 3 Chevrolet into Victory Lane for the second time last weekend at South Boston Speedway. His facial expression after he pulled his helmet off showed it and the exuberance shown by his crew members was one that had not been seen following a second twin race during the season.

“We’ve been struggling all year with the second race — just back luck, car not quite where it needs to be — and finally … we hit it,” Pulliam said last weekend. “Man, it feels real good.”

Pulliam, who has won four of the last six Late Model Series races at the 0.4-mile oval, finally broke through with a sweep of a twin-race night and jumped to second in the points standings heading into tonight’s final 150-lap points race.

The Semora, N.C., native is 22 points ahead of third-place Stacy Puryear in the best LMS track points battle. Justin Johnson secured his second consecutive track championship last week but is two points behind C.E. Falk III for the Virginia state points title.

Johnson’s points lead in the state dwindled over the last month because of Pulliam’s dominance, which is similar to the streak Johnson reeled off at the beginning of the season. Aside from a lapped car crashing into him in an Aug. 14 race while he was leading and taking him out of contention for a victory, no other car has matched the dominance of Pulliam in the past six races.

“Me and Lee sit down every Monday and come up with a little list of things we’ve got to do. Every week, the car throws us a little bit of a different curve and we just write down two or three things that we want to try and knock that list out. Now, the list gets shorter every week the better he runs,” Danville resident and crew chief H.C. Sellers said. “Just sometimes, it just seems to hit good and it’s just been a good year. We’ve been in contention to win a lot of races, we’ve won a lot and I’m just thankful to be able to help Lee to put him in that position. All of his guys work hard and just can’t give enough credit to them.”

At the beginning of the season, Pulliam did not have the solid runs he is enjoying during his torrid stretch. Though, the continual work with Sellers has gradually allow the team to overcome the blown tires and mechanical issues that may have cost Pulliam an outside chance to contend with Johnson for a track title.

“Always want strong runs. We’re putting in a lot of long nights and when they pay off, man, it’s worth every bit of it,” Pulliam said. “When they don’t pay off, we work longer. That’s the ticket to winning races right now.”

Pulliam is 11th in the Virginia state standings, which is remarkable considering he has not done what many in the top 10 do on a weekly basis — race at a different track on an off week at his home track. Pulliam raced at Motor Mile Speedway in Radford in early August and finished third in his first trip to the track. Pulliam started in the top 10 and gradually worked his way to the front in an LMS field of 32.

“I tell you, one of the biggest accomplishments we’ve had this year is going to Motor Mile and finishing third,” Sellers said. “That was the first time Lee has really ventured out and run somewhere different. He had a good day and that gives me a lot of confidence going to Martinsville.”