MARTINSVILLE, Va. — The 2026 ValleyStar Credit Union 300 at Martinsville Speedway proved to be a perfect evening for Caden Kvapil.
Not only did Kvapil survive an overtime restart to earn his first victory in the crown jewel event, but he also came away as the 2026 Virginia Late Model Triple Crown champion. Kvapil achieved this milestone by sweeping two of the three events, the other being the Hampton Heat at Langley Speedway in July.
For Kvapil to bring home both a crown and a grandfather clock, he needed to withstand valiant charges from Treyten Lapcevich and Corey Heim during an overtime restart.
“It’s just so crazy, you never know what’s going to happen here,” Kvapil said. “I built such a big gap and was trying to get to the white flag and get this race over with. My spotter called yellow, and my heart kind of sank. I didn’t know what to expect. I knew we had the best car all night and I needed a good restart. It almost went south there. Luckily, we were able to get away at the white flag, clear myself in [turn] three and drive away with it. “
Kvapil’s maiden ValleyStar Credit Union 300 victory came in his second attempt. He made his debut in the crown jewel race last year with JR Motorsports, earning a lead-lap finish of 13th after starting in the 15th position.
The year before Kvapil’s first ValleyStar Credit Union 300 appearance, he got to watch his older brother Carson earn a victory in the prestigious event himself. Now both Kvapil brothers possess ValleyStar Credit Union 300 victories on their resumé, both of which have come under the JR Motorsports banner.
Being able to claim a Virginia Triple Crown alongside a grandfather clock only made Saturday even more special for Kvapil. It has been a long, meticulous grind for Kvapil to climb atop the Late Model Stock pedestal, and he hopes to keep building upon the momentum following a night to remember at Martinsville.
“We’ve had such a good year so far,” Kvapil said. “To be able to get a clock and a Triple Crown on that note is just so awesome. I can’t thank my crew enough. Jay Hedgecock [built] an awesome car. It might be old, but it still got it. It’s awesome to do this.”
Heim and Lapcevich finished second and third, respectively; both of their cars sustained heavy damage following an accident in turn one after the checkered flag. Lee Pulliam, Kvapil’s teammate, placed fourth, with Jared Fryar rounding out the top five.
The rest of the top 10 consisted of Conner Jones, Landon Pembelton, Doug Barnes Jr., Carson Loftin and Conner Weddell.
