After years of interest in racing, Bellamy resident Stephanie Stallings took her turn for the first time on April 19 at Virginia Motor Speedway.

Though her first race was cut short, her plans are big and she plans to persevere, hoping to achieve 2014 Rookie of the Year and place in the top 10 for points at VMS.

Stallings, a native of Gloucester and a 1997 graduate of Gloucester High School, said she grew up at the racetrack at Saluda and was fairly involved with helping out the pit crews at a young age. “I always had an interest and a competitive nature,” Stallings said.

It wasn’t until she reunited with her fiancé, A.J. Johnston, also of Gloucester, that she was able to finally begin her dream of regularly getting behind the wheel of a racecar.

After a stint in the military took her to Washington state, Stallings came back home to Gloucester several years ago.

Johnston, who has a huge background in racing, got Stallings what she needed to start racing in ...