Matthew Brannock, a 12-year veteran of the Virginia State Police, has been named Director of Operations for Martinsville Speedway.
Brannock, a Ridgeway native who grew up just a few miles from Martinsville Speedway, will begin his duties immediately.
“We feel very fortunate to land someone of Matt’s caliber, someone with his experience and knowledge,” said Martinsville Speedway President Clay Campbell. “He has been involved with many big events in his duties with the State Police, so he understands what goes into putting on one of our races. And he is from our area, so he also knows our community and that is important for us.”
Brannock, 36, is the speedway’s first full-time Director of Operations in its 65-year history.
Brannock was on the scene during the April 16, 2007 shootings at Virginia Tech, and appeared in an iconic photograph helping three Blacksburg police officers carry a wounded Virginia Tech student from the scene. The photo was distributed to news outlets worldwide.
More recently, Brannock was wounded in a shoot-out with a murder suspect after a high-speed chase on Interstate 81 near Roanoke this past Memorial Day weekend.
Prior to his service with the Virginia State Police, Brannock spent four years as a Law-Enforcement Specialist with the United States Air Force. During his military service, Brannock was part of an Air Base Ground Defense team that was dispatched to Kuwait where he spent six months protecting the Kuwait City International Airport as part of a six-man fire team.
Brannock, a 1993 graduate of Magna Vista High School in Ridgeway, is married and has two children.
Martinsville Speedway PR
