Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Martinsville Speedway Track Facts: 2016 STP 500

Denny Hamlin is 6/1 to win in his home state at Martisnville Sunday.
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 2016 Top 10 at Martinsville Speedway

Rank
Driver
Races
Poles
Wins
Top Fives
Top 10s
DNFs
Average Finish
Driver Rating
1
Kevin Harvick
29
0
1
3
14
1
15.9
94.6
2
Jimmie Johnson
28
3
8
18
22
1
7.5
118.4
3
Carl Edwards
23
0
0
1
5
0
15.9
81.5
4
Denny Hamlin
20
3
5
11
16
1
8.0
110.6
5
Kyle Busch
21
1
0
9
10
1
15.1
96.5
6
Joey Logano
14
2
0
4
5
0
14.9
89.7
7
Kurt Busch
31
1
2
3
5
2
21.5
80.2
8
Dale Earnhardt Jr
32
0
1
13
18
2
12.9
99.4
9
Brad Keselowski
12
0
0
2
6
0
15.5
87.8
10
Austin Dillon
4
0
0
0
0
1
21.5
63.5
* – Based on last 22 races at Martinsville Speedway (2005 – 2015).
                                               


Martinsville Speedway Data
Season Race #: 6 of 36 (04-03-16)
Track Size: 0.526-mile
Banking/Turn 1 & 2: 12 degrees
Banking/Turn 3 & 4: 12 degrees
Banking/Frontstretch: 0 degrees
Banking/Backstretch: 0 degrees
Frontstretch Length:  800 feet
Backstretch Length:  800 feet
Race Length: 500 laps / 263 miles

Top 10 Driver Ratings at Martinsville
Jimmie Johnson........................ 118.4
Denny Hamlin............................ 110.6
Dale Earnhardt Jr........................ 99.4
Kyle Busch................................. 96.5
Kevin Harvick.............................. 94.6
Clint Bowyer............................... 92.5
Joey Logano.............................. 89.7
Brad Keselowski......................... 87.8
Jamie McMurray.......................... 86.9
Ryan Newman............................. 86.5
Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2015 races (22 total) among active drivers at Martinsville Speedway.

Qualifying/Race Data
2015 pole winner:
Joey Logano, Ford
98.461 mph, 19.232 secs. 03-27-15

2015 race winner:
Denny Hamlin, Toyota
68.843 mph, (03:49:13), 03-29-15

Track qualifying record:
Joey Logano, Ford
100.201 mph, 18.898 secs. 03-28-14

Track race record:
Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet
82.223 mph, (3:11:55), 09-22-96
Martinsville Speedway:
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.
Starts
·         There have been 134 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Martinsville Speedway, one in the inaugural year and two races per year since 1950.
·         609 drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Martinsville; 387 in more than one.
·         NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty has the all-time most NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Martinsville with 67; Dale Earnhardt Jr. has the most starts among active drivers with 32.
·         Ryan Newman leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average starting position at Martinsville Speedway with a 9.3. Denny Hamlin (9.8) is the only other active driver with an average starting position at Martinsville inside the top 10.
·         In total 60 drivers have made their first career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start at Martinsville.
·         Chase Elliott (03/29/2015) and Michael McDowell (3/30/2008) are active drivers that made their first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career starts at Martinsville Speedway.
Poles
·         Curtis Turner won the inaugural Coors Light pole at Martinsville Speedway in 1949.
·         59 drivers have Coors Light poles at Martinsville, led by NASCAR Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip with eight;Denny Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson and Ryan Newman lead all active drivers with three each.

·         13 drivers have won two or more consecutive Coors Light poles at Martinsville Speedway; the most recent wasJoey Logano sweeping both poles last season.  
·         Four of the 13 have won three consecutive poles at Martinsville: Glen Wood (Fall of 1959 and 1960 sweep);Darrell Waltrip (1979 sweep and spring 1980); Mark Martin (fall of 1990 and 1991 sweep); Jeff Gordon (2003 sweep and spring 2004).
·         Youngest Martinsville pole winner: Ricky Rudd (4/26/1981 – 24 years, 7 months, 14 days).
·         Oldest Martinsville pole winner: Morgan Shepherd (4/26/1987 – 45 years, 6 months, 14 days).
·         12 drivers have posted their first career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light pole at Martinsville Speedway; the last two most recent are Scott Riggs (4/10/2005) and Tony Stewart (4/18/1999).
Wins
·         48 different drivers have won at Martinsville Speedway, led by Richard Petty with 15; Jimmie Johnson leads the series among active drivers with eight wins.
·         24 drivers have multiple wins at Martinsville Speedway; nine drivers have won five or more times.
·         Hendrick Motorsports leads the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in wins at Martinsville Speedway with 23 – Jeff Gordon (nine), Jimmie Johnson (eight), Darrell Waltrip (four), Geoffrey Bodine (one) and Dale Earnhardt Jr.(one).
·         21 of 134 races (15.6%) at Martinsville Speedway have been won from the Coors Light pole; four of those 21 wins came from active drivers: Jimmie Johnson (2008, 2012, spring 2013) and Denny Hamlin (2010).
·         The Coors Light pole is the most proficient starting spot in the field at Martinsville producing more wins (21) than any other starting position.
·         36 of the 134 (26.8%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Martinsville Speedway have been won from the front row: 21 from the pole and 15 from second-place.
·         96 of the 134 (71.6%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Martinsville Speedway have been won from a top-10 starting position.

·         Seven of the 134 (5.2%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Martinsville Speedway have been won from a starting position outside the top 20 – including both races in 2015
·         The deepest in the field that a race winner has started is 36th, by Kurt Busch in the fall of 2002.
·         Youngest Martinsville winner: Richard Petty (04/10/1960 – 22 years, 9 months, 8 days).
·         Oldest Martinsville winner: Harry Gant (09/22/1991 – 51 years, 8 months, 12 days).
·         12 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers have posted consecutive wins at Martinsville Speedway. Fred Lorenzenwon four NSCS races straight (the most) from the fall of 1963 through the spring of 1965.  Jimmie Johnson is the most recent driver to win consecutive races (fall of 2012 / spring of 2013) at Martinsville.
·         Ryan Newman competed at Martinsville Speedway 20 times before winning in the spring of 2012; the longest span of any the six active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winners.
·         Two active drivers have made 10 or more attempts before their first win at Martinsville Speedway: Kevin Harvick (19) and Ryan Newman (20).
·         11 drivers posted their first career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win at Martinsville Speedway; the most recent was Ricky Craven (10/15/2001).
·         Chevrolet leads series in wins at Martinsville Speedway with 55 victories – including the nine of the last 10 races.

Additional Finishing Positions
·         NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt leads the series in runner-up finishes at Martinsville Speedway with seven; Jimmie Johnson leads all active drivers with five, followed by Dale Earnhardt Jr., Denny Hamlin, Jamie McMurray and Matt Kenseth with two each. 
·         Richard Petty leads the series in top-five finishes at Martinsville Speedway with 30; Jimmie Johnson leads all active drivers with 18, followed by Dale Earnhardt Jr. with 13.
·         Richard Petty and Jeff Gordon lead the series in top-10 finishes at Martinsville Speedway with 37 each;Jimmie Johnson leads all active drivers with 22, followed by Dale Earnhardt Jr with 18.
·         Two active drivers have a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series average finish in the top 10 at Martinsville: Jimmie Johnson (7.5) and Denny Hamlin (8.1).
·         Greg Biffle has participated in the most NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Martinsville Speedway without a DNF (26).

Track Event Specific Stats
·         There have been five NSCS green-white-checkered finishes at Martinsville Speedway: fall 2007 (500/506), fall 2008 (500/504), fall 2009 (500/501), spring 2010 (500/508), and spring 2012 (500/515).
·         Qualifying has been cancelled due to weather conditions eight times in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Martinsville Speedway; the most recent was the fall race of 2011.
·         Since the advent of electronic scoring the closest margin of victory in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Martinsville Speedway is the April 1, 2007 race won by Jimmie Johnson with a MOV of 0.065 second.

Female Competitor Stats
·         Danica Patrick is the only female driver to compete at Martinsville Speedway in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Below are Patrick’s stats at Martinsville.   
Driver
Starting Position
Finishing Position
Date
Driver Rating
Danica Patrick
16
40
11/1/2015
49.8
Danica Patrick
16
7
3/29/2015
86.9
Danica Patrick
30
34
10/26/2014
61.3
Danica Patrick
10
32
3/30/2014
52.4
Danica Patrick
41
17
10/27/2013
64.7
Danica Patrick
32
12
4/7/2013
72.6

NASCAR in Virginia
·         There have been 290 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races among nine tracks in the state of Virginia.
Track Name
City
NSCS
Martinsville Speedway
Martinsville
134
Richmond International Raceway
Richmond
119
South Boston Speedway
South Boston
10
Langley Field Speedway
Hampton
9
Old Dominion Speedway
Manassas
7
Southside Speedway
Richmond
4
Starkey Speedway
Roanoke
4
Norfolk Speedway
Norfolk
2
Princess Anne Speedway
Norfolk
1


NASCAR In Virginia
·         175 drivers in NASCAR national series history have their home state recorded as Virginia.
·         Joe Weatherly and Wendell Scott are both from Virginia and have been inducted into the 2015 Class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame.  
·         Leonard Wood from Stuart, Va. was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2013 and his brother Glen Wood also from (Stuart) Virginia was inducted in 2012.
·         19 drivers from Virginia have won at least one race in NASCAR’s three national series. 11 of the 19 Virginia native NASCAR winners have won in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
Driver
NSCS
NXS
NCWTS
Denny Hamlin
27
14
2
Joe Weatherly
25
0
0
Ricky Rudd
23
1
0
Jeff Burton
21
27
0
Curtis Turner
17
0
0
Ward Burton
5
4
0
Glen Wood
4
0
0
Elliott Sadler
3
10
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
Jeb Burton
0
0
1



NASCAR Pre-Race Loop Data Leaders At Martinsville Speedway
Driver Rating
Jimmie Johnson
118.4
Average Running Position
Jimmie Johnson
8.025
Closers
Greg Biffle
2.3 avg. spots gained
Fastest Driver Early In The Run
Jimmie Johnson
93.054 mph
Fastest Driver Late In  The Run
Jimmie Johnson
90.428 mph
Fastest Laps Run
Jimmie Johnson
9.6% (1,056)
Fastest On Restarts
Jimmie Johnson
99.093 mph
Green Flag Passes
Dale Earnhardt Jr
1,334
Quality Passes
Jimmie Johnson
827
Green Flag Speed
Jimmie Johnson
91.629 mph
Laps Led
Jimmie Johnson
23.3% (2,575)
Laps In The Top 15
Jimmie Johnson
85.4% (9,425)
*Loop Data was established in 2005


NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Milestones
Drivers
Has
Needs
Milestones
Martin Truex Jr.
374
1
Make his 375th career NSCS start; he is 60th on all-time list
Trevor Bayne
99
1
Make his 100th career NSCS start; he is 192nd on all-time list
Matt Kenseth
36
1
Tie Bobby Isaac and Tim Flock for 18th on all-time wins list
Kevin Harvick
32
1
Tie Fireball Roberts for 22nd on all-time wins list
Denny Hamlin
27
1
Tie Rex White for 25th on all-time wins list
Kurt Busch
27
1
Tie Rex White for 25th on all-time wins list
Jimmie Johnson
34
1
Tie Ned Jarrett for 19th on all-time poles list
Denny Hamlin
23
1
Tie Alan Kulwicki for 28th on all-time poles list
Dale Earnhardt Jr
249
1
Post 250th career NSCS top-10 finish; 24th on all-time list
Ryan Newman
215
1
Tie Sterling Marlin for 29th on all-time top 10s list
Jimmie Johnson
17,880
120
To become ninth NSCS driver all-time to lead 18,000 laps
Track Specific Milestones

Drivers
Has
Needs
Milestones
Denny Hamlin
3
1
Break the tie with Jimmie Johnson and Ryan Newman for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series most poles by an active driver at Auto Club Speedway
Jimmie Johnson
3
1
Break the tie with Denny Hamlin and Ryan Newman for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series most poles by an active driver at Auto Club Speedway
Ryan Newman
3
1
Break the tie with Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series most poles by an active driver at Auto Club Speedway
Jimmie Johnson
8
1
To tie Jeff Gordon (9) for third most NSCS Martinsville wins all-time


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