Martinsville Speedway Odds & Ends: Tums Fast Relief 500

History

·         Opened in September 1947 by H. Clay Earles, Martinsville, originally a dirt track, is one of the oldest continuously-operating race tracks in the United States.

·         The first NASCAR-sanctioned race at Martinsville was on July 4, 1948.

·         The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was Sept. 25, 1949.

·         The track was paved in 1955.

·         The first 500-lap event at Martinsville was in 1956.

·         Concrete corners were added atop asphalt in 1976.

Notebook

·         There have been 123 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Martinsville Speedway, one in the inaugural year and two races per year since 1950.

·         Curtis Turner won the pole for the first NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Martinsville in 1949.

·         Red Byron won the first NASCAR Sprint Cup race, which took place on the original – Strictly Stock – schedule.

·         55 drivers have won poles, led by Darrell Waltrip with eight. Jeff Gordon, with seven poles, can tie that mark this weekend.

·         Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin and Darrell Waltrip share the consecutive pole record, each with three.

·         45 different drivers have won, led by Richard Petty’s 15.

·         Jeff Gordon leads active drivers, with seven wins. Jimmie Johnson has six.

·         Denny Hamlin and Jimmie Johnson have combined to win each of the last eight races.

·         18 races have been won from the pole, the last by Jimmie Johnson in October 2008.

·         Petty Enterprises has won 19 races, more than any other organization. Hendrick Motorsports, with 18 wins, can tie that mark this weekend.

·         Kurt Busch won the 2002 fall race from the 36th starting position, the furthest back a race winner has started.

·         Three active drivers average a top-10: Jimmie Johnson (5.4), Jeff Gordon (6.7), Denny Hamlin (6.6).

·         Tony Stewart won his first career series pole at Martinsville, in April of 1999.

·         The last six races that have ended under green have had a margin of victory under one second.

NASCAR in Virginia

·         There have been 269 NASCAR Sprint Cup races in Virginia.

·         159 drivers in NASCAR’s three national series (all-time) have their home state recorded as Virginia.

·         There have been 18 race winners from Virginia in NASCAR’s three national series:

Driver	NSCS	NNS	NCWTS
Joe Weatherly	25	0	0
Ricky Rudd	23	1	0
Jeff Burton	21	27	0
Curtis Turner	17	0	0
Denny Hamlin	14	10	0
Ward Burton	5	4	0
Glen Wood	4	0	0
Elliott Sadler	3	5	1
Emanuel Zervakis	2	0	0
Lennie Pond	1	0	0
Wendell Scott	1	0	0
Tommy Ellis	0	22	0
Jimmy Hensley	0	9	2
Rick Mast	0	9	0
Hermie Sadler	0	2	0
Elton Sawyer	0	2	0
Stacy Compton	0	0	2
Jon Wood	0	0	2

Martinsville Speedway Data

Race #: 32 of 36 (10-24-10)

Track Size: .526 mile

Race Length: 500 laps/263 miles

·     Banking/Corners: 12 degrees

·     Banking/Straights: 0 degrees

·     Frontstretch: 800 feet

·     Backstretch: 800 feet

Driver Rating at MartinsvilleJimmie Johnson            123.8 

Jeff Gordon                  123.0

Denny Hamlin                111.4

Tony Stewart                 108.4

Dale Earnhardt Jr.         98.1

Kevin Harvick                90.1

Kyle Busch                   89.9

Mark Martin                   89.1

Ryan Newman               87.8

Note: Driver Rating compiled from 2005-2010 races (11 total) at Martinsville Speedway.

Qualifying/Race Data

2009 pole winner: Ryan Newman (96.795 mph, 19.563 sec.)

2009 race winner: Denny Hamlin, 73.633 mph, 10-25-09)

Track qualifying record: Tony Stewart (98.083 mph, 19.306 secs., 10-21-05)

Race record: Jeff Gordon (82.223 mph, 9-22-96)

Estimated Pit Window: Every 140-150 laps, based on fuel mileage.

Compiled by Mike Forde, NASCAR Media Services


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