Posted by Martinsville Speedway on September 22, 2007, 5:35 pm
Board Administrator

Like the Great Houdini or David Cooperfield, Brandon Butler pulled a disappearing act two years ago. Almost in the snap of a finger, the highly-successful Late Model Stock driver vanished from the racing scene. “I was a little burned out,” Butler said recently, recounting his decision to “semi-retire” two years ago. “For years I had always set up my own chassis, pretty much built them from the ground up. I was doing that, driving the hauler to and from the track. My wife and I had just had our first child and I just kind of took some time off. Sometimes you need to take a break and get a breath of fresh air.” Over the past two years, Butler has run less that a half-dozen races and suited up just once this year. But he’ll be back behind the wheel next Sunday for the Bailey’s 300 NASCAR Late Model Stock car race at Martinsville Speedway. In fact, he stealthily slipped back to the work he loves last Wednesday during a big Bailey’s 300 test session at Martinsville. In an almost-bare blue racer without even a driver’s name over the door, Butler turned some of the better laps of the day. His Chevy ended the day near the top of the list of the 123 cars on hand. “Nobody really knew we were there the other day,” said Butler. “I had some folks call me and say they had never seen my times listed among the leaders. Well, we were in an unmarked car and nobody really put their clock on us. I felt we were one of the top five cars when we left Wednesday.” That Butler was among the quicker drivers wasn’t a surprise; he’s always performed well on the difficult half-mile track. It was a surprise, though, that he was at the test, even at the track. When he stepped away a couple of years ago, he didn’t know what the future would hold. And the stars had to align perfectly for him to return. “Part of the reason I’m back is that I’m in a great situation,” said Butler. “I’m with a great group of people who are willing to work hard and give the effort … whatever it takes to win.” Enter Dean McCray, who owns an electrical contracting business in Sutherland, a small stop in the road on U.S. 460 outside of Petersburg. He was looking for someone to help with his business and Butler was looking for a job. He was also looking to get back into Late Model Stock racing and Butler was looking for ride. Now Butler serves as the safety director of McCray Electric during the week and the driver of the Bailey’s/McCray Electric Chevrolet on selected weekends. “He needed somebody here at his place, somebody to help with safety coordination and he wanted to go back racing,” explained Butler. McCray had fielded a Late Model for his son Tyler in the late 1990s, but the two got out of the sport after the 2000 season. They got the itch to get back in this year, though. “He (Dean McCray) had sold all their stuff and stepped away. Tyler had decided he didn’t want to race any more. But now they decided they wanted to get back in,” said Butler. “It all came together about four months or so ago. As soon as we struck a deal for me to go to work for them, we started building a new car. We had to put a team together from the ground up.” The final piece of the puzzle fell into place when Bailey’s owner Mac Bailey decided to re-join forces with Butler as primary sponsor. The pair had been a potent Late Model force through the first half of this decade, with Butler winning a NASCAR Weekly Racing Series regional championship flying the Bailey’s colors in 2001. The Bailey’s 300 will be the first big step back for Butler, his new team and old sponsor. He figured it was the perfect place to resume his career. In both 2001 and 2002 Butler led the most laps in the Bailey’s 300, only to come up short of the victory. He’s started in the top five at Martinsville six times in his career. “I’d like to think Martinsville owes me a little something because I’ve led a lot of laps there without winning. But on the other hand, I’ve been very fortunate to have had the great runs and great finishes I’ve had there,” said the 35-year-old Bailey. “It feels awesome to back in the car, especially at Martinsville. “I was nervous at the test the other day, still had those butterflies and that’s good. I’m still very passionate, very competitive.” And happy to be racing again. Practice and qualifying for the Bailey’s 300 is set for Saturday, September 29. Admission is $5. The fastest 22 cars will make the field through qualifying on Saturday. On Sunday, September 30, the remaining 20 positions will be filled through four, 25-lap heat races, with the top-five finishers in each race advancing to the feature, which will begin at about 3 p.m. Admission to the Bailey’s 300 on Sunday, September 30 is $20. Admission for children six to 12 is $5 and children under six will be admitted free.Tickets may be purchased by calling 877.RACE.TIX or online at racetickets.com. Tickets may also be bought at the ticket office on the day of the race.