Trio Of Truck Series Drivers Step Back In Time With Visit To Martinsville Museum

John King has known since he was a toddler that Martinsville was the home of a world-famous race track. Until Tuesday the 23-year-old NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver didn’t know the town also held a world-class museum.

King, the rookie who won the season-opening truck race in Daytona, along with defending Kroger 250 champion Johnny Sauter and former Kroger 250 winner Timothy Peters spent a couple of hours Tuesday touring the Virginia Museum of Natural History in Martinsville.

“This place is pretty amazing,” King said as he walked about the building, looking at everything from fully restored dinosaur skeletons to working replicas of volcanoes to exhibits detailing the history of Virginia. “I had no idea there was something like this in Martinsville. I’m glad we got the opportunity to visit and see all of this.”

King, Peters and Sauter were in town to promote the March 31Kroger 250 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Martinsville Speedway.

One of the highlights of the day was the “Rocks to Racing” exhibit which traces the history of racing in the Commonwealth from the formation of limestone to today. The exhibit opens to the public Saturday March 24 and is a perfect attraction for race fans. (For more info on the exhibit, visit www.vmnh.net.)

Although King was a rookie at Daytona, he has raced on Martinsville’s tight oval several times, in both the truck series and in the track’s big Late Model Stock Car race, the Virginia Is For Racing Lovers 300.

“Good racing, good racing” King said in response when asked what came to mind when he thought about Martinsville Speedway. “You know this is THE short track. When grass roots racing, Friday and Saturday night racing come to mind, Martinsville is pretty much it.”

While King has some Martinsville experience, Peters has a ton of laps here, as many as most anyone else who will be in the Kroger 250 field. He’s won both a truck series and late model race here, but that doesn’t mean the track is a pushover for Peters.

“They definitely broke the mold when they made Martinsville (Speedway),” said Peters. “It definitely has its own characteristics and there isn’t another track that will help you get ready for it. You just have to get in there and put what you know to good use.”

Martinsville Speedway PR