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| Hamlin has won 3 straight Martinsville races |
· 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 124 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.
· 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 and Denny Hamlin has four.
· 19 races have been won from the pole, the last by Denny Hamlin in October 2010.
· 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 (5.3), Denny Hamlin (6.0) and Jeff Gordon (7.0).
NASCAR in Virginia
•There have been 270 NASCAR Sprint Cup races in Virginia.
•160 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.
Martinsville Speedway Data
Race #: 6 of 36 (04-03-11)
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 Martinsville
Jimmie Johnson 122.5
Jeff Gordon 120.5
Denny Hamlin 112.5
Tony Stewart 106.8
Dale Earnhardt Jr. 98.7
Kevin Harvick 92.6
Kyle Busch 91.0
Jeff Burton 91.0
Mark Martin 89.9
Ryan Newman 88.8
Note: Driver Rating compiled from 2005-2010 races (11 total) at Martinsville Speedway.
Qualifying/Race Data
2010 pole winner: None (inclement weather)
2010 race winner: Denny Hamlin, 73.180 mph, 03-29-09)
Track qualifying record: Tony Stewart (98.083 mph, 19.306 seconds.(10-21-05)
Race record: Jeff Gordon (82.223 mph, 09-22-96)
- Compiled by Ray M. Smith, NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications
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