A Friendship Born at Dominion Raceway Heads to Bristol Motor Speedway
FFredericksburg, VA (Sept. 11, 2023) - After testing for the team at Daytona International Speedway in January, ARCA Menards Series driver Landon Pembelton will team up with Mullins Racing for the upcoming Bristol 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway this Thursday.
Pembelton is ready for the opportunity to get back behind the wheel in the ARCA Menards Series, driving the No. 3 for Mullins Racing with support from Pembelton Forest Products, Williams Logging, and Easter Designs around the high-banked 0.533-mile oval.
In his five previous starts on the ARCA Menards Series platform, he has two top fives and five top 10s.
The young driver made national headlines by winning the 2021 ValleyStar Credit Union 300 at Martinsville Speedway, one of Late Model Stock Car racing’s biggest events. That victory helped secure his opportunity to make five ARCA Menards Series starts in 2022.
"It feels amazing to be able to get to race at the famous Bristol Motor Speedway. It’s definitely going to be a great and fun experience," Pembelton said. "Honestly, really looking forward to being back in the seat, especially at Bristol."
The 18-year-old driver from Amelia, Virginia, is also excited to once again partner with Willie and Dinah Mullins, the owners of Mullins Racing. The three have spent many Saturday nights together at Dominion Raceway in Thornburg, Virginia, where the two groups became close.
"Me and my family have known the Mullins family for a little bit, and now it's a really great opportunity to run for them,” Pembelton said. “The Mullins’ want to make me look good, and I want to make sure their program has a good showing. It's going to be a lot of fun."
Pembelton also believes his time as a Late Model Stock Car driver at Dominion, South Boston and elsewhere throughout the Southeast will benefit him.
"I think we have a good baseline going into the race. Knowing Bristol has a lot of grip, it will be very comparable to what I've been running on the late model side," Pembelton said. "Always want to bring the car home in one piece, but a top-five is my main goal and would be a great day."
Team owner and driver Willie Mullins is also excited to help Pembelton in his return to ARCA competition. Bristol marks Mullins Racing’s third event of the year after previously competing in ARCA events at Daytona International Speedway and Elko Speedway.
"We began talking to Landon about three years ago when he was coming up through the late model ranks,” Willie Mullins said. “We’ve known him for about five or six years now. That epic win at Martinsville was pretty cool to be part of.
"We're really excited to try to better our performance from last year at Bristol. We had an oil line break with Mason Diaz in the car. We're excited to come back this year and have a second, real race car driver come back with us. We can't wait to see what happens and, hopefully, it turns out great for us."
You can catch Pembelton and Mullins Racing's return to the track in the Bristol 200 live on FS1 and the Fox Sports App on Thursday, Sept. 14 at 6 p.m. ET.
You can keep up with Mullins Racing on social media on Facebook, X, Instagram, or by visiting mullinsracing.net
