MARTINSVILLE, Va. – Timothy Peters has a bonus opportunity to chase a victory in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series this weekend, and he’s more than ready to make the most of it.

After originally believing his season would be over following the Truck Series race at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway on Oct. 13, a last-lap pass for the win by Peters got GMS Racing to reconsider and ultimately expand their program to include a fifth entry for the 38-year-old native of Danville, Va.

Additional support from Peters’ late model team owner completed the deal and now, Peters is hoping to make some magic happen at the .526-mile paper clip that happens to be his home race track.

“The fire still burns deep in me to win and to want to be competitive. When Mike (Beam, GMS president) first gave me the call to go and drive in Canada, I knew it was an opportunity to go out and execute,” said Peters, who will drive the No. 23 AutosByNelson.com Chevrolet. “We’ve been fast from the time that I got in, and that’s a credit to everyone at GMS that has a hand in putting these trucks together.

“I feel like a kid again, because I’m in competitive trucks, I know I have a shot to win and that’s a feeling that I haven’t had in a while,” he continued. “I hope this can turn into something (more), because I want to be in this series. I love truck racing. I want to win races and I know I have a great opportunity to do that with these guys. That’s the goal and hopefully we can put all the pieces together this weekend.”

With a win, two top fives and three top 10s in four races this season – three of which were as a pinch-hitter for GMS after Dalton Sargeant was released from the team and Spencer Gallagher subsequently suffered a shoulder injury – Peters has proven he still knows how to get it done on the race track.

He admitted that his recent run of success has provided him with a mental boost, as well.

“This has been a pretty cool run,” Peters said. “Being able to go to Talladega and win with GMS and the No. 25 team … it was just a sweet feeling. My last win was in 2015 at Phoenix, and the competition is so tough that you never know when the next one is going to come. I enjoyed it and let it all soak in, but now to come back home and have another shot this weekend … I’m just ready to try and win again.

“Not that I had lost confidence, but that win rejuvenated me,” he continued. “Racing is a humbling sport, and the person that can take the good and the bad … I feel like if you can cope with that and not let it play too many mind games with you, it makes you stronger going forward.”

Peters won at Martinsville in the Truck Series in October of 2009 with Red Horse Racing and has a solid record of eight top-five and 17 top-10 finishes over his 24 starts there in NASCAR’s third-highest tour.

A short-track driver from the early stages of his career, Peters noted it takes a gritty skillset to be successful like he has at the tight Martinsville bullring.

“To be successful here, it takes a lot of patience, balanced with some aggression,” he explained. “I put Martinsville and superspeedway racing together in my mind. It’s a type of deal where you have to know the situation that you’re in, you have to know when to be aggressive and when not to be, and when the laps are winding down you need to be close to the front to execute and get a great finish.”

Though he may already have a win in his back pocket this year, Peters admitted it would mean even more to be able to cap the season off by standing in victory lane virtually in his backyard.

He also wants a grandfather clock from a Truck Series race at Martinsville. When Peters won at the track in 2009, the traditional Ridgeway timepieces were not yet part of the winner’s laurels for the division.

“I have two late model clocks, but I have the cup (trophy) from when I won here nine years ago,” he pointed out. “That’s okay though, because I joined a club that day – the winner’s club – and that’s important. I want one of those clocks though, really bad.

“The biggest thing for me is that I’m a family guy. I love my wife and I love my kids. With my son being five and my little girl being three, they don’t get to travel very much. This is home court for me and nothing would be more special than to get a win here in front of them this weekend.”

While he doesn’t have any concrete plans outlined beyond this weekend, Peters admitted that his wish would be for his current role with GMS Racing to be able to expand into something further.

“I would like to say I hope (that we can do more), but I’m just enjoying the moment right now,” he smiled. I’m thankful for the chances I’m getting and we’ll just see what happens.”