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Lee Pulliam

American racing driver (born 1988) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Robert Lee Pulliam (born April 5, 1988) is an American professional stock car racing driver and team owner. He competes part-time in the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series, driving the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro SS for JR Motorsports, and the No. 87 Chevrolet Camaro SS for Peterson Racing.

NationalityAmerican
BornRobert Lee Pulliam
(1988-04-05) April 5, 1988 (age 38)
Debutseason2018
CurrentteamLee Pulliam Performance
JR Motorsports
Quick facts Nationality, Born ...
Lee Pulliam
NationalityAmerican
BornRobert Lee Pulliam
(1988-04-05) April 5, 1988 (age 38)
CARS Late Model Stock Tour career
Debut season2018
Current teamLee Pulliam Performance
JR Motorsports
Car number1/5
8
EngineChevrolet
Starts18
Wins2
Poles2
Best finish2nd in 2018
Finished last season
38th (2020)
Previous series
2011–2017

2014
2013
NASCAR Whelen All-American Series
NASCAR K&N Pro Series East
X-1R Pro Cup Series
Awards
2012, 2013, 2015, 2017 NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series champion
2015, 2019 Virginia Triple Crown champion
2011, 2014 ValleyStar Credit Union 300 winner
2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 Thunder Road 200 winner
2015 Hampton Heat 200 winner
NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series career
1 race run over 1 year
Car no., teamNo. 9 (JR Motorsports)
No. 87 (Peterson Racing)
First race2026 NFPA 250 (Martinsville)
Wins Top tens Poles
0 1 0
ARCA Menards Series East career
6 races run over 1 year
Best finish25th (2014)
First race2014 New Smyrna 150 presented by JEGS (New Smyrna)
Last race2014 Pensacola 150 (Pensacola)
Wins Top tens Poles
0 2 0
Statistics up to date as of September 13, 2026.
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Pulliam is a four-time NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Division I national champion, and is the owner of late model racing team Lee Pulliam Performance. He won the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 a record six times, which he did so consecutively.

Racing career

After graduating high school early and working as a diesel mechanic at Callands Repair in Callands, Virginia while in college to save money, Pulliam purchased his first race car in 2007.[1] He raced his first season at South Boston Speedway and won Rookie of the Year in the Limited Sportsman class; he moved up to the late model class in 2011 and claimed 16 wins at Motor Mile Speedway.[1] He also claimed his first ValleyStar Credit Union 300 win in 2011.[2] A year later, Pulliam claimed his first NASCAR Whelen All-American Series championship.[1] He won a second All-American championship in 2013.[2]

In 2014, Pulliam agreed to a NASCAR K&N Pro Series East effort with Hattori Racing Enterprises. After a crash and two subpar runs, Pulliam was released from the team, and progress stalled on making NASCAR Nationwide Series starts with HRE.[2] Another crash in his K&N debut with Top Gun Motorsports stalled plans on the K&N circuit, and Pulliam again focused on the All-American late models.[2] Later in 2014, Pulliam claimed his second ValleyStar Credit Union 300 win.[3] At the end of the season, Pulliam claimed the Virginia state and Motor Mile track championships in the All-American Series.

At the beginning of the 2015 season, South Boston named a section of its grandstands for Pulliam; he won a track championship there in 2013.[4] At the Denny Hamlin Short Track Showdown, Pulliam was battling Timothy Peters for the win in the final set of corners when he was spun by Josh Berry, dropping Pulliam to tenth. Afterwards, Pulliam described Berry as "the biggest joke in racing".[5] In the Whelen All-American Series, Pulliam claimed his third national championship that year.[6] A spirited five-race weekend late in the year helped vault Pulliam to the title.[7]

Pulliam mainly competed at Myrtle Beach Speedway in 2017, using that track as the backbone of his fourth All-American Series championship.[8] Trevor Huddleston made a late charge on the championship, but Pulliam stayed ahead in the final point standings.[9] The following year, Pulliam did not chase the All-American championship but instead focused on CARS Tour events.[10] He claimed a win in that series at Bristol Motor Speedway in May.[11]

Before the 2019 season, Pulliam switched chassis from one built around 2010 to a new one acquired in the offseason, and announced his intentions to run for the late model championship at South Boston.[12][13] and In a race at South Boston, Pulliam and Phillip Morris made contact, resulting in a red flag. Morris' crew chief tried to climb into Pulliam's car, but Pulliam accelerated and ejected the crew member from the car. For the incident, Pulliam was suspended from NASCAR-sanctioned events for two weeks, fined $1,500, and placed on probation until the end of the calendar year.[14] During the suspension, Pulliam made a one-off return to the CARS Tour and won the Old State Nationals.[15] Later in the year, Pulliam claimed the Virginia Triple Crown of late model stock car racing, winning the title by one position over Peyton Sellers.[16]

Pulliam would only make two starts after 2019, once in 2024 and the other in 2025, both coming in the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 at Martinsville Speedway.

Pulliam announced on January 26, 2026, that he would run the first two races of the 2026 CARS Tour at Coastal Plains Speedway and Southern National Motorsports Park, as well as the Icebreaker at Florence Motor Speedway and the opening race at South Boston Speedway.[17]

O'Reilly Auto Parts Series

On February 24, 2026, it was announced that Pulliam would attempt to make his debut in the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series at Martinsville Speedway, driving the No. 9 Chevrolet for JR Motorsports. He would go on to finish fifth that race.[18]

On August 25, 2026, it was announced that Pulliam will run full-time for Peterson Racing in the No. 87 Chevrolet for the 2027 season.[19]

Lee Pulliam Performance

Quick facts Owner, Series ...
Lee Pulliam Performance
OwnerLee Pulliam
SeriesCARS Late Model Stock Tour
Race driversLate Models:
5B. Carson Brown
ManufacturerChevrolet
Opened2018
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Lee Pulliam Performance is an American professional stock car racing team that currently competes in the CARS Late Model Stock Tour, they field the No. 5B Chevrolet full-time for Carson Brown.

The team was founded in 2018 following Pulliam's exit from full-time racing and has developed many drivers in the CARS Tour and Late Models. The team has been used for many TD2 drivers' development, such as Corey Heim and Isabella Robusto. In 2024, Brenden Queen won the team's first CARS Late Model Stock Tour championship.[20][21]

Personal life

Pulliam is married with a daughter.[22] He lives in Alton, Virginia.[23]

Motorsports career results

NASCAR

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

O'Reilly Auto Parts Series

More information NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series results, Year ...
NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 NOAPSC Pts Ref
2026 JR Motorsports 9 Chevy DAY ATL COA PHO LVS DAR MAR
5
CAR BRI KAN TAL TEX GLN DOV CLT NSH POC COR SON CHI ATL IND IOW DAY DAR GTW BRI -* -* [24]
Peterson Racing 87 Chevy LVS CLT PHO TAL MAR HOM
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K&N Pro Series East

More information NASCAR K&N Pro Series East results, Year ...
NASCAR K&N Pro Series East results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 NKNPSEC Pts Ref
2014 Hattori Racing Enterprises 11 Toyota NSM
5
DAY
5
BRI
31
GRE
18
RCH
21
IOW BGS 25th 165 [25]
Top Gun Motorsports 51 Chevy FIF
19
LGY NHA COL IOW GLN VIR GRE DOV
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CARS Late Model Stock Car Tour

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led. ** – All laps led.)

More information CARS Late Model Stock Car Tour results, Year ...
CARS Late Model Stock Car Tour results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 CLMSCTC Pts Ref
2018 Lee Pulliam Performance 5P Chevy TCM
21
MYB
1
2nd 344 [26]
Eddie Kiker Chevy ROU
4
ROU
8
5 HCY
4
BRI
1*
ACE
4
CCS
9
KPT
3
HCY
2
WKS
2
SBO
3
2019 SNM HCY ROU
1
ACE MMS LGY DOM CCS HCY ROU SBO 38th 34 [27]
2020 Lee Pulliam Performance 2 Chevy SNM ACE HCY HCY DOM FCS LGY CCS FLO
4
GRE 38th 29 [28]
2026 Lee Pulliam Performance 1 Chevy SNM
2*
WCS NSV CRW ACE
10
LGY DOM NWS -* -* [29]
5P HCY
21
AND FLC
JR Motorsports 8 Chevy TCM
13
NPS SBO
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