A.J. Sanders spends a lot of time behind a steering wheel

A.J. Sanders would love to tinker with his Stadium Stock car during the week to prepare for Saturday night’s racing at Bowman Gray Stadium. Unfortunately, he also has a full-time job.

Sanders is a truck driver, and that keeps him behind the wheel and out of town most of the week. He puts in long hours on the road for Parrish Tire Co., driving to three different states during the week, and somehow recharges his own battery to drive on Saturday nights.

“It’s not easy, but I love it,” said the easy-going Sanders, who is the two-time defending Stadium Stock champion and in good shape to win a third straight title.

Sanders, 56, says he loves the action on Saturday nights, and while he looks forward to it each week, he has to count on his crew to get the car ready. He’s on the road so much as a truck driver it’s not feasible to put in the hours working on the car.

“I always have a steering wheel in my hand all week,” Sanders said about driving a truck and driving his car at the Stadium. “I’ll leave (Sunday) morning, and I’m in Pennsylvania and will be gone for about three days.”

Sanders says he’ll be back on Tuesday, but then goes on the road again and has usually traveled to Tennessee and back before the weekend.

“I’ve got it down pretty good to where I can pace myself, get my driving done in the rig and then get ready to race,” Sanders said about his weekly routine.

Whatever he’s been doing the last several years, it’s been working. In his career, he has 63 wins in the Stadium Stock Division and has four career titles in the division.

Sanders and Chuck Wall, who also has won four titles, have dominated the division for a while.

As for maybe moving up in the other divisions, Sanders said he’s thought about it, but the move is too expensive.

“The Stadium Stock is the cheapest to run, and I still love to go to junkyards and hunt for parts,” he said. “That’s really how you can still do it in this division.”

Sanders, who followed in his father’s footsteps driving a truck and racing at the Stadium, said he usually gets back from his road trips hauling tires on Thursday night.

“Then I’ve only got about a day and half to really work on the car before Saturday,” he said.

Sanders loves the thrill of winning, but says there’s more to racing at Bowman Gray Stadium than getting to Victory Lane. He pointed to his young crew who helps him out every week.

“These boys helping me work their butt off to get this car right, and it’s just fun to race for them and see their hard work pay off,” Sanders said. “Really, these guys pump me up to go out there and race and try to win these races.”

Sanders is leading the points’ race over Tyler McDonald and has a 44-point lead. Brad Mickalowski and Connor Keaton are tied for third with Wall in fifth place.

Sanders is trying to win three straight titles, something Wall did from 2013 to 2015. Wall and Sanders each have four points championships. If Sanders wins a fifth title, he would be the all-time leader in points’ championships since the division began in 1977.

Sanders is from Mocksville and said he likes that he’s carried on the family tradition of racing at the Stadium.

“Back when my father was racing, I was a little kid just getting in the way most of the time,” he said.

While Sanders gets the optimal speed out of his car on the race track, he’s proud of the fact that as a truck driver he’s never gotten a speeding ticket.

“Nope, I’ve never had one,” he said. “I hope you didn’t just jinx me by asking.”