The 17th Annual Hampton Heat is just days away, and “America’s hottest race” is already setting records. Incredibly, it’s not for the expected temperature, which sees a heat index of 108-degrees, but instead it’s for the number of entries for the second year in a row.

So far 39 drivers have filed an entry for Saturday’s 200-lap race at Langley Speedway, which is one more than last year and one more than the record for this event that serves as the second leg of the Virginia Triple Crown.

The first entry announced belongs to the three-time and defending winner of this race, Brenden “Butterbean” Queen. The Chesapeake, Virginia driver is reuniting with Lee Pulliam and Lee Pulliam Performance for what is currently a one-off return to Late Model Stock Car racing for the current ARCA Menards Series points leader. Queen and LPP have won this race together the last two years in a row. A victory on Saturday would make Queen the first driver to win three consecutive Hampton Heats, as well as the only driver with four victories. Currently, Queen is tied with C.E. Falk for the most Hampton Heat crowns with three apiece. 

Standing in Queen’s way, however, is his arch-rival and current Virginia Triple Crown points leader, Connor Hall. The Hampton, Virginia native is in search of his second victory in this event, and first since 2019. Hall finished second in a rough, but thrilling battle for the win one year ago. With redemption on his mind, Hall is looking to take JR Motorsports back to victory lane in the Hampton Heat for the first time since Josh Berry won this race in 2021, and just the second time in the team’s history.

Queen and Hall are joined by Peyton Sellers, Woody Howard, and Bobby McCarty as the only previous winners of the Hampton Heat on the entry list for Saturday night.

Howard went to victory lane in the second edition of the Hampton Heat back in 2009, back when Queen was just 10 years old, and Hall was 11 years old. Howard has made eight starts in the Hampton heat since then, with a best finish of second the year after he won. Howard finished sixth in this race last year, and currently sits ninth in the Triple Crown standings after a ninth-place finish at South Boston Speedway a few weeks ago.

For McCarty and Sellers, their night at South Boston Speedway last month wasn’t as smooth. Sellers, who won the Hampton Heat in 2013, saw his night get derailed on the first lap of the race when he was collected in a multi-car crash in turn three. His team made repairs as best as possible, and he limped to a 24th-place finish. McCarty, meanwhile, finished 29th after leaving the race early with mechanical issues.

Incredibly, drivers ranked second through seventh in the Virginia Triple Crown standings, which includes Darren Krantz Jr., Parker Eatmon, Ryan Millington, Ronnie Bassett Jr., Tate Fogleman, and Doug Barnes Jr., are all making their Hampton Heat debut on Saturday night. Saturday’s race is also the first race at Langley in general for Krantz, who finished an impressive second-place at South Boston Speedway last month.

Saturday’s FloRacing broadcast from Langley Speedway will begin at 4 p.m. ET with qualifying set to follow at 4:15 p.m. ET. Racing will begin at 6:30 p.m. ET with the Legends for 25 laps and then the Super Streets for 75 laps. The Hampton Heat 200 is scheduled to take the green flag at 8:45 p.m. ET.

Race fans can watch all of the action live on FloRacing with a FloRacing subscription. Fans can subscribe by clicking here.

Hampton Heat Entry List