Lee Pulliam hungry to add to South Boston legacy in Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200: 'Gives me chill bumps thinking about it'

The story of the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 at South Boston Speedway would be incomplete without even a casual mention of Lee Pulliam.

Nobody was able to match the efficiency of the four-time NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series national champion in South Boston‘s crown jewel event during the 2010s. That included a stretch that saw him win the race six consecutive times from 2011-16.

Although Pulliam has since retired from active competition, his dominance still lingers over the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200, as Corey Heim drove a Pulliam car to Victory Lane in last year‘s race after leading 191 of the 200 laps.

Pulliam has always cared deeply about South Boston and its vibrant, family-oriented culture, which is why he never pulls any punches when it comes time for the track‘s most prestigious race.

“For me, it‘s one of our marquee events,” Pulliam said. “South Boston is what made me fall in love with racing. I grew up about 15 minutes from the track, and our shop is about 15 minutes from the track. The whole area means a lot to us, and we always put emphasis on running well there.

“It‘s always extra special when you win in front of your hometown crowd.”

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As with any driver who became a hero to fans at their home track, success for Pulliam at South Boston did not happen overnight.

Once Pulliam cut his teeth in South Boston‘s Limited Sportsman division, in which he won a title in 2008, he was thrust into a competitive Late Model Stock class that featured talented drivers such as Nick Smith, Wayne Ramsey and five-time national champion Philip Morris.

Going up against 25-car fields nearly every weekend in his debut Late Model Stock season was both physically and mentally demanding for Pulliam, but he learned a lot about himself and managed to earn a victory and Rookie of the Year honors.

The turn of the decade saw Pulliam emerge as a perennial contender for victories at South Boston. Along with accumulating countless weekly victories and his six straight Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 triumphs, Pulliam joined an elite contingent of South Boston track champions at the end of the 2013 season.

Pulliam remained competitive at South Boston up until his final full-time season in 2019, when he nearly earned a seventh Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 win but finished second following a tight battle with Peyton Sellers.

Whenever an endurance Late Model Stock event came up at South Boston or any other track, Pulliam always felt he had a great chance to bring home a victory because of his knowledge, patience and adaptability to different track conditions.

“The long races have always suited my style,” Pulliam said.  “The longer a race, the more challenging it is for a driver and the more you have to think. I always knew where I wanted to be at certain points in [the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200]. As the track changed, I would find speed, and it‘s hard to tell people how to find speed. You have to feel it in your butt.”

Pulliam has done everything possible to pass down advice to the drivers who have raced for him over the years. The current group consists of Brenden “Butterbean” Queen, Brandon Pierce and Aaron Donnelly, all of whom are entered in this year‘s Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200.

Like Pulliam, Pierce began his career in full-bodied stock cars at South Boston. Being able to lean on the past track champion even before driving for him was instrumental in helping Pierce win his lone South Boston Late Model Stock race in 2018.

Now the longest-tenured driver at Lee Pulliam Performance, Pierce has been grateful for the advice his boss has provided over the years, adding his expertise on Late Model Stocks and tracks across the southeast is almost unparalleled.

“[Pulliam‘s] resume speaks for itself,” Pierce said. “The worst thing he could have told me was no, but he never did and always answered any questions that I had. That‘s how it started, and [Lee] has just taught me so much [since then]. I feel like he‘s made me a better race-car driver, especially when it comes to figuring out what my car needs.”

Pierce said Pulliam has stressed to him the importance of being smooth around South Boston and limiting wheel input to maximize speed. He plans to utilize those helpful tips and share them with his teammates in Queen and Donnelly, who do not have as much experience at the track.

Queen‘s best finish in five Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 appearances is eighth, but he has shined in big Late Model Stock events since joining Lee Pulliam Performance with wins at North Wilkesboro Speedway and the South Carolina 400 at Florence Motor Speedway.

With momentum on his side, Queen would love to give Pulliam his eighth victory in the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 between being a car owner and a driver. Although he admitted South Boston is not one of his best tracks, Queen knows Pulliam will provide a car strong enough to qualify and stay up front.

“I‘ve been able to learn along the way while driving for Lee,” Queen said. “He brings such good, fast cars to the track that it makes my job a little bit easier. Leaning on those guys with their knowledge and notes for all these places really helps, but we‘re just clicking, and we‘re all having a good time. There‘s just a lot of confidence within this organization.”

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Queen considers a potential win in the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 one of the most prestigious of his career — specifically because of the impact Pulliam continues to have not only on South Boston, but short track racing in general.

For Pierce, who is in the middle of his fifth season with Pulliam, he is proud to have played a pivotal role in the growth of Lee Pulliam Performance into an efficient Late Model Stock organization. But he’s still determined to get a crown-jewel win. He said doing so in the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 would be fitting in many regards.

“I‘ve only got two career wins, and I wish I had more, but there‘s a lot of people who raced that can say they‘ve never visited Victory Lane,” Pierce said. “This stuff is very difficult, but to win the Thunder Road [Harley-Davidson] 200 would be amazing because I have Thunder Road as a sponsor, and they‘ve been such a loyal supporter of that race.

“It‘d also be a special accomplishment to win for Lee and his family.”

As Pulliam prepares to tackle the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 with Pierce, Queen and Donnelly, he finds himself impressed with how much the event has grown in both notoriety and participation.

Those qualities have only made the race more challenging and treacherous for Pulliam. He watched as Pierce‘s car was destroyed in a 20-car pileup with a little more than 10 to go in last year‘s event. Heim‘s car also received major damage as he fended off Jacob Borst for the win.

Despite the damage, seeing Heim celebrate in Victory Lane last year was a major source of pride for Pulliam, who has every reason to believe the group assembled for the upcoming Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 can earn him an eighth win.

“[Winning] gives me chill bumps thinking about it,” Pulliam said. “I know how much blood, sweat and tears goes into this every single week, along with the sacrifices everybody makes. For me, I love to see my guys have fun and have success. There‘s no better way to have fun than going to Victory Lane together.

“This race is always circled on my calendar, and we‘re guns blazing when we show up.”

Pulliam admittedly misses the high-speed chess match of competing in Late Model Stocks, but he knows his legacy in the discipline, especially at South Boston, is still growing with his influence on the current generation of drivers.