Five co-favorites posted for Martinsville

Hamlin is always a contender at Martinsville. 

LAS VEGAS -- Five drivers have been posted by the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook as 6-to-1 co-favorites to win Sunday's Goody's Headache Relief Shot 500 at Martinsville Speedway, which is showing all kinds of respect to two of those drivers, Joey Logano and Kevin Harvick. You see, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin have combined to win 21 times on the flat half-mile layout. Logano has never won at Martinsville, and Harvick has only one win there in 28 starts.

So what gives? Why so much respect for Logano and Harvick this time around?

For starters, Logano is going for his fourth straight win. He swept through the Contender Round of the Chase like nothing we’ve seen before, and last week’s win came when he had a target on his back as some veterans eyed retaliation at Talladega. Johnson is the last driver to win four straight races (2007), and he accomplished the feat during the Chase (Martinsville was one of the wins). While Logano has never won at Martinsville, he's had three straight top-five finishes there and also led five times for 108 laps in the May 29 race.

Read More Here....complete list of Martinsville odds to win

Kyle Busch hoping to get to 'next level' at Martinsville

Kyle Busch was runner-up last fall and fifth in spring

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (Oct. 22, 2013) – It’s almost time for Halloween and, for Kyle Busch, there are memories of a time when not many things were spookier than having to make one of his semiannual visits to Martinsville (Va.) Speedway.

That’s because, before a three-race stretch starting in the spring of 2008, the Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) driver who will sport a special M&M’s Halloween Fun Size paint scheme for Sunday’s Goody’s Headache Relief Shot 500 never finished better than 24th at the .526-mile paperclip-shaped oval.

Of the 23 venues that will host Sprint Cup events in 2013, Busch has won at least once at 20 of those venues in at least one of NASCAR’s top three divisions – Sprint Cup, Nationwide, and Camping World Truck. There are only three current Sprint Cup tracks – Martinsville, Pocono (Pa.) Raceway, and Indianapolis Motor Speedway – where Busch has not scored a victory in any of NASCAR’s top three series.

Despite the lack of a Martinsville grandfather clock in his trophy case, Busch has plenty of reasons for optimism this weekend, especially considering how he has been able to pick up his game at Martinsville ever since being paired with crew chief Dave Rogers.

Busch finally busted through the 24th-place barrier at NASCAR’s shortest oval with a solid fourth-place finish in the fall of 2009 and, after beginning his first full season with Rogers at the helm in 2010, Busch started posting strong finishes at Martinsville beginning with another fourth-place run in October of that year. In his next trip to the tricky Virginia short track in March 2011, Busch led a race-high 151 laps before scoring his career-best Martinsville finish of third. And, in October 2011, he led another race-high 126 laps before being collected in an accident not of his own doing late in the race.

Indeed, Busch feels like the M&M’s team keeps getting closer and closer to that elusive win at Martinsville with each return. Even though there is still a blank in the win column, Busch’s Martinsville resume now includes eight top-five finishes and nine top-10s in his 17 Sprint Cup starts there, with back-to-back finishes of second last fall and fifth this past spring heading into this weekend. That makes it four top-five finishes in his past seven starts at the Southern Virginia short track.

Even more reason for optimism is that Busch and the M&M’s team are coming off a solid fifth-place finish Sunday at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway that allowed him to gain two spots in the Chase for the Sprint Cup standings, where he now sits 26 points behind the new leader, five-time Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson.

As the Sprint Cup Series returns to Martinsville for another Halloween weekend celebration, will it mean a trick, or a treat, for Busch this Sunday? Despite the lack of a win there, Busch has reason to believe it might finally be time to grab the ultimate treat at Martinsville – his first grandfather clock – as the Chase heats up for the final four races of another exciting season.

KYLE BUSCH, Driver of the No. 18 M&M’s Halloween Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing:

You’ve been so close to winning at Martinsville, lately. Are you hoping this weekend you can finally get that first win there?
“I certainly hope so. We were so close last fall and right on Jimmie’s (Johnson) bumper for the win and we had a good car in the spring, too. I’ve led a bunch of laps there, but we just haven’t been able to hold it for the end of the 500 laps. It’s certainly a racetrack where you can be leading the race and think you’ve got a shot to win the thing in the last 30 laps, and then get beat on from behind and moved out of the way. It’s certainly a racetrack where it’s indicative that, if you’re just a little bit off, then the guys are going to be right on your rear bumper and trying to get by you. For us, it’s been a challenge, but we’re getting better at it and learning some more as we go along. We would like to be able to continue that, but also take it to the next level with a win for our M&M’s Camry team.”

What is the key to you getting a win at Martinsville?
“I’d like to think we’re really close. We’ve been good there – especially the last couple of races there we’ve been really good. It’s a tough racetrack and, anytime you come in the pits and make an adjustment on your car, you certainly hope it goes the right way, or you make enough of it, or you don’t make too much of an adjustment. It seems like I haven’t quite scienced that out for the last run there. The last run can be tricky, too, because you can be coming off a 50-lap run on right-side tires and take four and you’ve only got 30 (laps) to go, or you could have 80 to go and you know you have to manage that run all the way to the end.”

Your racecar is sporting the special M&M’s Halloween paint scheme again this week. What was your favorite Halloween costume you wore as a kid?
“Actually, one year I went as a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. I think that was my favorite costume as a kid. I was Michelangelo and I even had the fake nunchuk. One year, I was a football player and, one year, I even dressed up as Jeff Gordon since he was my favorite racecar driver when I was a kid.”

Growing up in Las Vegas, what do you remember about Halloween and trick-or-treating?
“It was always cold in Las Vegas during Halloween, even though it can be really hot most of the year. I guess the biggest memory was going out to everyone’s house and trick-or-treating and hanging out with friends as a group. Sometimes, people wouldn’t be home, so they had a bucket out and you would reach in and grab whatever you wanted out of the bucket. It was all about how much candy you could collect, not necessarily about how much you would eat when you got home.”

What was your favorite kind of candy?
“Mainly, everyone always had the fun size packs. Back then, which wasn’t that long ago, the fun size pack of M&M’s was always really popular, and I’m sure that hasn’t changed too much, even now.”

- True Speed Communication for Kyle Busch Motorsports

Jimmie Johnson 9/5 favorite to win ninth Martinsville race

Jimmie Johnson has won 8 times at Martinsville; he's easy favorite Sunday

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (Oct. 23, 2013) – “If you’re lost, you can look and you will find me, time after time.” Cyndi Lauper, who recorded the pop song “Time After Time” in 1984, may not be looking for Jimmie Johnson. But perhaps the best advice for anyone trying to find Johnson at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway after Sunday’s Goody’s Headache Relief Shot 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race is to head to victory lane.

That’s because Johnson is third on the all-time win list at Martinsville. His win at the paper-clip shaped track last April made him the all-time winner among active drivers with eight victories, breaking a tie he had held with Rusty Wallace and Jeff Gordon. Only Richard Petty, with 15, and Darrell Waltrip, with 11, have more. Johnson also holds the series’ best driver rating at the track and has finished outside the top-10 only three times in 23 races. And two of those three finishes were 12th- and 11th-place runs.

Johnson will be going for his third consecutive win at the half-mile oval this weekend. And after taking over the lead in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup by four points from Matt Kenseth last Sunday at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, he may take some solace in the fact he is headed to a track where he has managed to find victory lane “Time After Time.”

Martinsville Speedway Notes of Interest:
Eight wins (October 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2012, April 2007, 2009 and 2013) in 23 starts. The total is a career best and ties Johnson’s total at Dover (Del.) International Speedway.
Five of Johnson’s Martinsville victories occurred during the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.
Three poles (April 2006 and 2013, October 2012).
16 top-five finishes (69.6 percent) and 20 top-10s (87.0 percent) in 23 starts.
In 23 races, has finished outside the top-10 only three times (35th in April 2002, 11th in April 2011, 12th in April 2012).
Average start is 11.4 and average finish is 5.3.
One DNF (Did Not Finish) – April 2002.
Has completed 11,480 of 11,534 laps (99.5 percent) and led 2,327.
Sprint Cup’s best average running position of 5.9.
Sprint Cup’s best driver rating (123.8 average of a possible 150 points).
Sprint Cup’s second-best in fastest laps run (889).
Sprint Cup’s best in most laps in the top-15 with 7,849 (92.0 percent).
Sprint Cup’s best green-flag speed of 91.569 mph.

2013 Season Notes of Interest:
Currently first in points, four ahead of second-place Matt Kenseth in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.
Five wins (February and July Daytona, April Martinsville, June Pocono, September Dover).
Two poles (Martinsville, August Pocono).
13 top-five and 20 top-10 finishes.
Sprint-Cup’s best in laps led (20 races for 1,606 laps).

JIMMIE JOHNSON, Driver of the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet SS for Hendrick Motorsports:

Are you looking forward to going to Martinsville?
“Martinsville has been good to us in the past. We’ve got to go there and race. There is going to be a lot of strong competition. We will make sure we get buttoned up and ready to go for this weekend’s race and go up there to that paperclip and see what we can do.”

Having survived Talladega, what’s your outlook for the remaining four races?
“You know, I feel that the races looking forward, now, are up to where the competitors go earn it. You don’t have this luck issue that can take place at (restrictor) plate tracks. So, I am happy to have the points lead. We went through a lot of work to get there. We were just getting one point at a time (at Talladega) and we got a few more than normal and were able to get the lead. We just go racing from here and that is the thing I am most excited for. Great racetracks, great racecars, and it’s just going to be a dogfight to the end.”

- True Speed Communication for Team Lowe’s Racing

Johnson a Massive 9/5 Favorite at Martinsville

Kenseth might be able to use Hamlin's skills to help in Chase

LAS VEGAS - Jimmie Johnson has moved to the front of the standings in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, and while his four-point lead is slim, it was enough for the LVH SuperBook to make him the 1-to-3 favorite to take home his sixth Sprint Cup title. Matt Kenseth can be bought at 2-to-1 odds for those who still believe in his chances.

The biggest reason for the odds move is that Kenseth didn't do enough at Talladega, a track he won at last season and a track he led 142 of the 192 laps in the spring. Kenseth came away with only a 20th-place finish, while Johnson led the most laps and finished 13th, good enough for a margin of eight points and a flip-flop at the top of the standings.

Kenseth's chances to win his first Cup Championship since 2003 appear even bleaker when looking at his track record at Martinsville Speedway, the site of this week's Goody's Headache Relief Shot 500 where the LVH installed him at 12-to-1 odds. It could be argued Kenseth should be much higher, like in the 20-to-1 range, because he's never won at Martinsville in 27 starts, a span in which he's only mustered three top-5 finishes.

Johnson, meanwhile, comes in at the shortest odds of the season as the 9-to-5 favorite, and for good reason. Not only has Johnson won the past two races at the half-mile flat track, but he's also compiled eight wins and a 5.3 average finish in career 23 starts. No one has been better than Johnson at Martinsville over the last decade.

Despite the appearance that Johnson looks as though he's going to run away with the title, there is still plenty of reason to support Kenseth and take a shot with 2-to-1 Sprint Cup odds. Some of the reasoning stems from the April Martinsville race where Kenseth was having one of his better runs. He only finished 14th, but he was able to lead three times for 96 laps, and was actually leading with 37 laps to go before Johnson made the pass.

Kenseth could always get some good fortune and have Johnson falter, but Johnson's worst finish over his past 20 Martinsville races has been 12th. Kenseth's best plan is to stay within the top-10 this week and then make his move back to the top of the standings on the two 1.5-mile tracks remaining at Texas and Homestead. He has four wins this season on the nine 1.5-mile tracks while Johnson doesn't have any.

The driver that could really help matters out for Kenseth is his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin, a driver with four grandfather clocks - the Martinsville trophy - of his own. Not only can Kenseth pick up some advice from Hamlin on the best way to roll in and out of the turns, but he can also root for Hamlin to compete for the win to block Johnson from having a max-points day. There aren't many drivers in the series capable of going toe-to-toe with Johnson at Martinsville, but Hamlin, a native Virginian, is one of them.

The reason Hamlin has high odds of 12-to-1 on him this week is because of recent poor performances that has seen him go without a top-5 finish in his past 20 starts, dating back to the Coca-Cola 600 in late May. This is new for all of us, including Hamlin. This is a driver that has come into the series and been fast from the start, and now JGR is giving him a car that resembles the one they gave Bobby Labonte at the end of his run with the team.

Hamlin was out of the Chase - in part because of his altercation with Joey Logano that forced him to miss four races - and it was almost as if they took his car away. He still could have raced himself in with wins, but it never happened.

But this is a team racing on Sunday, and the team needs Hamlin to make a big block on Johnson. If Kenseth can come out of this race with a deficit of only 10 in the Sprint Cup, he should be considered more of a co-favorite with Johnson for the final three races. Hamlin could be huge in helping that happen.

A driver sure to be in the top-5 mix at Martinsville is Jeff Gordon. He has 26 top-5 finishes in his 41 career starts, but hasn't won there since sweeping the 2005 season. However, he is right there with Johnson and Hamlin as the best at this track. The three of them have combined to win 15 of the past 20 races at Martinsville. Gordon is 6-to-1 to win this week.

Read More Here........LVH Martinsville and Sprint Cup Odds to win

Video: Roberts talks Martinsville odds

Newman at Right Place, Right Time, Wins at Martinsville

USA Today

Newman got a big assist from SHR teammate Reutimann

MARTINSVILLE, Va. – Ryan Newman held off A.J. Allmendinger on a green-white checkered finish Sunday to win the Goody's Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway in a wild ending.

Newman took the lead after the top three cars of Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon and Clint Bowyer were knocked out of contention in the first attempt at an overtime finish. Gordon was leading when Bowyer attempted to dive below him in Turn 1. Gordon's Chevrolet and Bowyer's Toyota made contact, collecting the Chevy of Johnson.

Newman emerged in the lead and held it for the final two laps under green ahead of Allmendinger, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Matt Kenseth and Martin Truex Jr.

It was Newman's first win in NASCAR's premier series at the 0.526-mile oval.

"We were at best a fourth-place car and sometimes a 15th-place car," Newman said. "We did everything we could."

The rest of the top 10 was Denny Hamlin, Tony Stewart, Aric Almirola, Brad Keselowski and Bowyer.

Johnson finished 12th, the last car on the lead lap. Gordon, who ran out of gas during the final caution, was 14th.

For most of the afternoon, it seemed as if a Hendrick car was destined to win and give team owner Rick Hendrick his long-awaited 200th victory.

Johnson, Gordon and Earnhardt Jr. were running 1-2-3 with 20 laps remaining before the chaos began with a caution with three laps left for David Reutimann's stalled car on the track.

"I don't know what the hell (Reutimann) was doing," Bowyer said. "He drove around for 10 laps with no brakes and finally just stopped."

In a postrace interview, Gordon said he was initially mad at Bowyer but realized later that Newman's bump of Bowyer triggered the mayhem.

But many drivers, including Earnhardt, seemed to be steaming at Reutimann.

In a postrace interview on Fox, Reutimann said he was staying on the track to stay in the top 35 in owner points for Tommy Baldwin Racing.

"I would not have stopped on the freakin' racetrack. The thing quit going on the back straightaway," Reutimann said. "I know it sucks, and I hate it for everybody it affected. But I can't get out and push the thing. I was just trying to finish the day out and stay in the top 35."

Newman, however, wasn't blaming anyone for the result.

"I'm not in a position to point fingers, because I won," he said, laughing. "In all honesty, I gave Clint a pretty good shove at the start-finish line.

"The seas kind of parted and opened up, and we went right through there."

Pole-sitter Kasey Kahne's horrendous luck continued when his No. 5 Chevrolet suffered an engine problem after 200 laps. Kahne entered the garage during a lap 246 caution and remained there until lap 300. He brought out a caution 15 laps later when he spun in his own oil entering pit road as his engine finally expired, and he finished 38th.

It was Kahne's fourth finish of 29th or worse this season, and it puts his car back in the danger zone of falling outside the top 35 in points and a guaranteed starting spot in each race.

Kahne has qualified first twice this year but hasn't led a lap. He was passed by Kevin Harvick on the first lap Sunday and by teammate Earnhardt Jr. in the March 11 race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Martinsville Results

Martinsville Practice Notes: Gordon Dominates the Day, Fastest in Both Sessions

By Micah Roberts

Gordon gave us a blast from the past on Friday (Getty)

It’s been a while since we’ve seen Jeff Gordon thoroughly dominate a weekend practice schedule the way he did Friday in preparation for Sunday’s Goody’s Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway. In the only two practices of the weekend, Gordon came out on top with the fastest individual lap of each.

Gordon not only had the fastest lap of 97.028 mph in the final session, but it was almost 2 mph faster than the second fastest, Kurt Busch (95.937). Brad Keselowski was third fastest (95.728) followed by Ryan Newman (95.550) and a surprising name in the mix, David Stremme (95.463).

For Keselowski, who just won two weeks ago on the half-mile track of Bristol, he ran the second most laps (113) of the session just behind Kyle Busch (116). Busch came in 29th fastest, well off his second fastest run from the early practice. Newman also showed in practice once again that his car is capable of capturing his first Martinsville win.

Jimmie Johnson, who struggled in the earlier session, improved dramatically to 13th fastest but still doesn’t have the look of past No. 48 practices at Martinsville.

What Jeff Gordon did today is close, or better, to the standard Johnson has set at over the last few seasons at Martinsville. The fact that we rarely see this type of practice out of Gordon should say something about the seven-time Martinsville winner's chances on Sunday. Gordon’s domination in speeds were reminiscent of his practice times from his early years at Sonoma.

Gordon was also fastest in average speeds among all drivers that ran at least 30 laps. Having another good show in this category was Kevin Harvick along with Keselowski, Newman, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Clint Bowyer.

For whatever it’s worth, Harvick also had the best 10-consecutive lap average followed by Gordon, Bowyer, Martin Truex Jr, Earnhardt Jr and Johnson.

In short track racing with lots of laps being run on a single tank of fuel, I usually throw out the 10-lap averages because it’s not enough data to go off of in the grand scheme of things. 10 laps is hardly enough data to form an opinion like at the bigger tracks. But in this instance, almost all the speeds correlate with the overall averages.

I’m not a fan of any particular driver, but I must say I was excited for Jeff Gordon giving us a blast from the past on Friday. He has easily surpassed Denny Hamlin, who struggled in the final session, as the favorite to win Sunday. It's also encouraging that Junior looks like he has a car that can win and end his 134-race winless streak. Should be a good show!

Top-5 Practice 2 Speeds
1) Jeff Gordon 97.028
2) Kurt Busch 95.937
3) Brad Keselowski 95.728
4) Ryan Newman 95.550
5) David Stremme 95.463

Practice 2 (Final) Speeds



Gordon Fastest in First Session, Hamlin Best Average Speeds

Jeff Gordon looking for Martinsville win No. 8 (Getty)

With only three minutes remaining in the first Goody’s Fast Relief 500 practice session at Martinsville Speedway, Jeff Gordon laid down the fastest lap of the day at 97.048 mph. The seven-time Martinsville winner eclipsed the lap of Kyle Busch (96.595), who was second fastest, that had stood at the top of the charts for about 45 of the 90 minute session.

Denny Hamlin had the third fastest lap (96.835) at about the same juncture Gordon did in the final stages. Hamlin will be looking for his fifth Martinsville win and if average time is any indicator (it is), he’s well on his way. Hamlin had a session high average speed of 94.077 mph while running 36 laps.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished runner-up in this race last season and all indications from the first practice is that he’ll be right there contending again for his first Martinsville win. Junior ran the fourth fastest lap (96.686) and finished with a very respectable average of 93.798 mph.

Ryan Newman brought his winning New Hampshire chassis from last year in hopes of recreating some flat track magic and finished with the fifth fastest lap (96.376) of the session. Newman also raced this car in both Martinsville events last season and led a combined 44 laps.

The surprise of the entire practice may have been the absence of Jimmie Johnson among the top-10, top-20 and even top-30. Johnson ran a session high 67 laps, but was only able to muster the 38th best time, or better yet, ninth worse among the 46 drivers attempting to qualify Saturday.

Friday’s final session will surely decide the fate of the six-time Martinsville winner and something tells me they’ll be just fine. The car Johnson's using this week is the same one that was runner-up last fall at Martinsville.

A driver who didn’t place in the top-10 during individual lap times, but excelled with his average speed was last year’s winner Kevin Harvick. He was best lap of 96.111 was good enough for 12th fastest, but his average speed of 94.053 was second best to Hamlin’s. Hamlin and Harvick were the only two drivers to average over 94 mph.

The final 90 minute practice session is for 3:30 pm (ET).

Top-5 Practice 1 Speeds:
1) Jeff Gordon 97.048
2) Kyle Busch 96.959
3) Denny Hamlin 96.835
4) Dale Earnhardt, Jr 96.686
5) Ryan Newman 96.376

Practice 1 Speeds

2012 Martinsville Goody's Fast Relief 500 Preview

By Micah Roberts
VegasInsider.com

Martinsville is now is alone with short track racing 'the way it oughta be'

In the last couple of decades, Martinsville has taken a back seat to Bristol because the higher banked Bristol produced more excitement. Although each track is essentially the same half-mile in distance, drivers at Martinsville go nearly 30 mph slower.

But over the last two seasons a massive change of opinion has shifted with fans all over the country where Martinsville has become the most attractive brand of short track racing in NASCAR.

The main culprit in the perception shift is action, with drivers getting angry with one another and Bristol doesn’t have that anymore ever since they changed the surface in 2007 making it a multi-grooved track.

At Martinsville, the fastest way around the track is on the bottom and drivers fight like hungry wolves to get there, and stay there. If a slower driver doesn’t want to do the gentlemanly thing and let the faster one pass, NASCAR justice occurs in an instant with the slower driver getting bumped out of the way against his wishes. This is where the action happens and the fun begins, and it‘s something that only Martinsville provides making it the most unique track on the circuit.

“It’s still that old short-track feel," Tony Stewart said about Martinsville. "That’s what I like. We run a lot of 1.5-mile tracks during the year and it’s the only place that races like this. We’ve got two half-mile tracks that we race on. This one’s quite a bit different than Bristol, and that’s what makes it fun. You can out-brake guys and you can run the outside if you get a shot. It’s racing the way we all grew up racing.”

Over the last decade, only a select few drivers have been able to master it. The combination of Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon and Denny Hamlin have won 14 of the last 18 Martinsville races. Just by playing the odds, it’s likely that one of them will win again this week.

However, we do have last season to account for where neither of the Martinsville Big-3 won. Kevin Harvick won for the first time in the spring and Tony Stewart won in the fall during his incredible Chase run. For Harvick, he’s on a run of finishing fourth or better in his last three starts there. For Stewart, it broke a string of poor finishes there and gave him his third career win on the track.

The driver to key on this week out of all of them has to be Denny Hamlin. It would take a lot of work for the native Virginian not to win this race because of how dialed in this team is. He’s got a Phoenix win under his belt already this season and probably could have won at California last week had it not been for rain because he had the best car on the track.

Beyond all of Hamlin’s past exploits at Martinsville that has seen him capture four wins with an average finish of 6.5, we also have to give him the nod because of new crew chief Darian Grubb. Not only did Grubb set-up cars for Jimmie Johnson’s six Martinsville wins, but he also helped Stewart get there last year. The combination of Hamlin’s natural skills here and Grubb setting up the car will be a formidable opponent for every driver on Sunday.

The one outsider who could break his winless streak of 134 races is Dale Earnhardt Jr. and he's excited about racing there this week.

“I look forward going to Martinsville," Earnhardt Jr. said earlier this week. "I always have a lot of fun there. I think everybody really enjoys running there. It’s a pretty fun track. We’ve had some good success there. I’m hoping to have a good race like we did last year and maybe have an opportunity to try to be in the battle for the win.”

Junior has finished seventh or better in seven of his last 10 Martinsville starts that includes two runner-up finishes, including this race last year. He’s never won at Martinsville, but he’s been running very well this season which should give the team some momentum coming in.

This race ultimately runs through Hamlin and if looking to play anyone else, it’s with the hope that something either happens to Hamlin’s car or the pit crew makes an error late in the race. There is just too much in Hamlin’s favor this week.

Top-5 Finish Prediction:
1) #11 Denny Hamlin (6/1)
2) #88 Dale Earnhardt Jr (14/1)
3) #24 Jeff Gordon (7/1)
4) #48 Jimmie Johnson (7/1)
5) #29 Kevin Harvick (10/1)

Driver Notes & Quotes for Martinsville Goody's Fast Relief 500

Harvick first time winner at Martinsville in '11

KEVIN HARVICK ON WINNING AT MARTINSVILLE LAST YEAR: “For us it was good to get the win out of our way and getting those solid finishes over the last couple of years has been good for us. We felt like we have always run fairly well there, we just never could put together a complete day.Really, the spring race last year, when we won, we had a tough go at it in the first half of the race, and actually wrecked and got a car tore up and were able to fix it and keep ourselves on the lead lap and make our car a lot better as we went through into the second half of the race. You know, it all worked out in the end.So it’s a race track we feel confident at. All of our cars have run well there in the past. It’s really keeping yourself out of trouble and getting to the end and hopefully by the end of the day you’re in position to do something in the top-five.”

HARVICK CHASSIS CHOICE: Kevin Harvick will pilot Chassis No. 320 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable in this weekend’s Goody’s Fast Relief 500. This former No. 33 racer was transformed to a No. 29 entry during the off-season and will turn its first competitive laps as a Budweiser is Back Chevrolet during Friday’s opening practice session.

PAUL MENARD CHASSIS CHOICE: Paul Menard will pilot Chassis No. 349 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. This No. 27 Chevrolet was last seen on track at Martinsville in October 2011 where Menard finished 24th after starting in the 21st position.

JEFF BURTON CHASSIS CHOICE: Jeff Burton will race chassis No. 329 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable this weekend. This No. 31 Chevrolet, originally built in 2010, has seen significant track time over the last two seasons including Texas Motor Speedway in Nov. 2010 (started-16th, finished-36th), Bristol Motor Speedway in Aug. 2011 (started-21st, finished-15th) and New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Sept. 2011 (started-18th, finished-13th). Burton also tallied a top-five finish at Phoenix International Raceway last November, finishing fourth after starting 14th.

JEFF GORDON ON MARTINSVILLE: "The one place on the schedule that has changed the least is Martinsville. I believe the track, the setups and the tires have changed the least here compared to other tracks over the course of 20 seasons. And that’s where experience can really pay off. At other tracks, sometimes you have to reinvent yourself – along with how we reinvent the setups and the aero package that we’re racing – and that’s tough to do. The longer you’re in the sport, the tougher that is to do. Somebody like me – who has a lot of experience and who has also had success at a place like Martinsville – can continue to have that success because it’s not all about aerodynamics. It’s not about a spring and shock and sway bar combination that all of the sudden makes your car fly. I feel like Martinsville is that one place that I can go to every time and give good information back to the team to keep us fast throughout the race.”

JAMIE McMURRAY CHASSIS CHOICE: Chassis #1210. Crew Chief Kevin “Bono” Manion and the No.1 Belkin team will bring Chassis #1210 to Martinsville Speedway this weekend. This is a brand new chassis.

JUAN PABLO MONTOYA CHASSIS CHOICE: Chassis #1207. Crew Chief Chris Heroy and the No.42 Target team will bring Chassis #1207 to Martinsville Speedway this weekend. This is a brand new chassis.

JIMMIE JOHNSON ON MARTINSVILLE: “I do have a lot of success at Martinsville, but it took me a few tries to get it right. And since then, it’s been a very good track for me. I certainly want to get back to my winning ways there. But at a minimum, we always end up with a real strong finish. When I think of how close we were to victory last fall; it didn’t happen, but we led a lot of laps and was a factor in the end. I’m looking forward to going back and trying to win there again. Martinsville is really rhythm-based. That’s me as a driver, and really takes place at any track, but that is one of the tracks where the rhythm is so important and so specific. And I have a very good rhythm for the race in the long run and have always struggled a little bit with qualifying in the short-run rhythm there. I feel like I get better each year. I did get a pole there at one point and I hope to find that magic once again when we go back because qualifying is so important. But it really is a rhythm race track.”

JOHNSON CHASSIS CHOICE: Will return in the same car (chassis No. 653) that he finished 11th and second with in both Martinsville races last season.

KASEY KAHNE CHASSIS CHOICE: Crew chief Kenny Francis has selected Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 5-651. Built in 2011, Mark Martin drove this car in both Martinsville races last year, collecting a top-10 finish in April.

RYAN NEWMAN CHASSIS CHOICE: This will be the fifth start for Chassis No. 39-645, its first this season and its third start at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. The chassis made its first start last April at Martinsville, where Newman started second and finished 20th, two laps down. Newman led three laps and was in the top-10 for much of the first 300 laps of the 500-lap race, but a broken header pipe and a flat left-rear tire caused him to lose two laps. The next start for Chassis 39-645 was in July at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, where Newman started on the pole and led 119 of 301 laps en route to his 15th career Sprint Cup Series victory. The chassis returned to Loudon in September, when Newman again started on the pole and then led the first 62 laps before finishing a disappointing 25th. A cut tire with less than five laps remaining dropped Newman from 11th to 25th.

The last on-track action for this chassis came at Martinsville last fall. Newman led 41 laps and recovered from a late-race spin and made up 10 spots in the race’s final 25 laps to finish in the top-10. The car has been updated for the 2012 season and returns to action for the first time this weekend at Martinsville.

2 SHR winning cars: Newman NHMS, Stewart Martinsville

TONY STEWART CHASSIS CHOICE: No. 14-587 - This car made its debut in March 2010 at Martinsville, where it qualified fifth and finished 26th. Prior to Martinsville, Chassis No. 14-587 never turned a wheel on the racetrack. With a new body honed in the wind tunnel, it was tested at The Milwaukee Mile June 1 in preparation for its second career start in June at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon. There, Chassis No. 14-587 earned a hard-fought second-place finish, for after starting 25th, it fell to 33rd after a lap-36 pit miscue on the team’s first stop. Two late-race cautions allowed Stewart to regain his lost track position, and with a savvy two-tire pit call, Stewart wheeled Chassis No. 14-587 to pass second-place Kurt Busch on the penultimate lap.

The car returned to New Hampshire for the first event of the 10-race Chase for the Championship, where in its third career start, it qualified third before leading three times for 100 laps. But while leading with less than two laps to go, it ran out of fuel. Stewart coasted around the 1.058-mile oval for the final circuit of the 300-lap race and finished 24th, the last driver on the lead lap. Clint Bowyer, who served as Stewart’s primary competition for much of the race, wound up with the victory. Chassis No. 14-587 revisited Martinsville for round six of the Chase, where it qualified sixth and rallied back from two pitroad miscues during the race, but a flat right-front tire with less than 10 laps remaining relegated it to a 24th-place finish.

With another new body, this car made its first start of 2011 and fifth overall at Phoenix International Raceway in February. It started 18th and led four times for 59 laps before an ill-timed caution period late in the race jettisoned solid pit strategy and left it with a seventh-place finish. Chassis No. 14-587’s second start of 2011 came at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway back in April, where it qualified 31st and rallied its way to a ninth-place finish. The car sat idle until returning to Richmond in early September for it seventh career start, where it logged its third straight top-10 finish.

In its final start of 2011, Chassis No. 14-587 went out on top. The site was Martinsville in late October, where it started fourth, nearly fell off the lead lap midway through the 500-lap race, and overcame an unscheduled pit stop on lap 415 to replace a perceived flat tire. Stewart used Chassis No. 14-587 to rally his way from 20th to take the lead from five-time Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson on a restart with three laps to go. When the checkered flag dropped, Stewart had his third Sprint Cup win at Martinsville and was on his way to his third career Sprint Cup championship.

This weekend, Chassis No. 14-587 makes its ninth career start, its fourth at Martinsville and first of 2012 in Sunday’s Goody’s Fast Relief 500.

KURT BUSCH CHASSIS CHOICE: This weekend’s Goody’s Fast Relief 500 will be the first race of the 2012 season for this chassis. The No. 51 Phoenix Racing team competed with this chassis at a number of short-track races during the 2011 season. Prior to the 2011 season, this chassis was used by the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports team and driver Jeff Gordon.

DALE EARNHARDT JR ON MARTINSVILLE: “I look forward going to Martinsville. I always have a lot of fun there. I think everybody really enjoys running there. It's a pretty fun track. We've had some good success there. I'm hoping to have a good race like we did last year and maybe have an opportunity to try to be in the battle for the win.”

EARNHARDT JR CHASSIS CHOICE: Crew chief Steve Letarte will unload Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 88-654 for this weekend's race at Martinsville Speedway. This will be the third time that Earnhardt has raced this car, which he drove last season to a second-place finish at Martinsville in April and a seventh-place finish in October at Martinsville.

CARL EDWARDS ON MARTINSVILLE: “The Roush Fenway Fords were fast at Bristol and fast at California, and we’re going to Martinsville to put a Ford in victory lane. It will be a huge accomplishment for me as a race car driver to get my first victory at Martinsville. We got a top-10 finish the last time we were there and as an organization we’ve put a lot of focus on our short-track program. We’ve got the best cars we’ve ever had.”

EDWARDS CHASSIS CHOICE: RK-791 - This car debuted at Martinsville last fall where it finished ninth.

MATT KENSETH ON MARTINSVILLE: “Martinsville is a challenging track because it’s easy to get caught up in things that are beyond your control and you need to make sure that you try and remain patient. I never like getting run into or running into others during the race but most times, things like that happen at short tracks like Martinsville, I think that’s the most challenging aspect of racing there. There’s not a lot of room to maneuver for position since we don’t really have an outside groove as an option. We have a special paint scheme this weekend honoring USMC Corporal Josh ‘JB’ Kerns and I really hope that we can earn a finish that would make him proud.”

KENSETH CREW CHIEF JIMMY FENNIG ON MARTINSVILLE: “Martinsville is a challenging short track for drivers because it’s a place where there is such limited room to pass since there aren’t long straightaways so qualifying and handling are two aspects that we’ll spend a lot of time on this weekend. The last time we raced here we got beat off the corners a bit so we will also work on making sure our No. 17 Ford has good drive off the corners. My plan is to work on race trim and then switch over to qualifying trim so that we can get a good session working with that set-up as well.”

KENSETH CHASSIS CHOICE: Primary: RK-790 (Last ran at Martinsville, Oct. 2011 FINISHED 31ST)

GREG BIFFLE ON MARTINSVILLE: “Believe it or not, I’m actually looking forward to Martinsville. We have a brand new, super light, great car for this weekend. We’ve been working on brake packages and we feel like we have a great brake package. We’ve actually qualified well, for the most part, in the past at Martinsville. I’m really excited about Martinsville, but even more excited for the week off after.”

BIFFLE CHASSIS CHOICE: Primary: RK-807 Brand new chassis; Backup: RK-759 Last ran Phoenix as the No. 6 – finished 33rd.

MARCOS AMBROSE CHASSIS CHOICE: The No. 9 RPM team has prepared chassis No. 754 for the 500-lap race at Martinsville Speedway. This DEWALT Ford Fusion ran in both Martinsville races last season.

ARIC ALMIROLA CHASSIS CHOICE: The No. 43 Smithfield Ford will be chassis number 736. The chassis was last used at Phoenix last November and the team finished sixth.

KYLE BUSCH ON MARTINSVILLE: “I didn’t used to like Martinsville but, ever since I started working with Dave (Rogers, crew chief), we feel like we get better every time we go there and we’re getting close to finally winning one. I’ve had some decent runs there, where I’ve felt like we’ve had a car to win and had a shot to win. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to get the track position toward the end of the race. Jeff (Gordon) is so good there, and Jimmie (Johnson) and Denny (Hamlin) are also good there. They’re probably the three most difficult guys to pass there because they know the place. They know how to get off the corner and how to roll the middle of the corner there. Everything is timing, and their stuff just works, whatever it is.” (NOTE: FOR SOME REASON, BUSCH'S PR PEOPLE HAVEN'T LISTED HIS CHASSIS THE LAST 2 WEEKS)

DENNY HAMLIN ON MARTINSVILLE: “I think we have a great chance to get back to victory lane at Martinsville. We have always been strong there and hopefully will be again this weekend. Darian (Grubb) and the FedEx guys have been giving me fast race cars each week and I think we’re close to another victory. I always enjoy going to Martinsville and being from Virginia, it’s good to get in front of the fans and run well.”

CLINT BOWYER ON MARTINSVILLE: “Martinsville is a great racetrack! I love that place as a driver and as a fan. It’s short track racing the way it should be. Track position is king at Martinsville. You talk about a place where qualifying is a big deal – Martinsville is it. You want to make sure you turn in a good lap on Saturday, because it’s hard to gain ground on race day!

BOWYER CHASSIS CHOICE: The No. 15 5-hour ENERGY team will race chassis No. 701 at Martinsville. Chassis No. 693 will serve as the backup. Both chassis are new in 2012.

BRIAN VICKERS CHASSIS CHOICE: Vickers will drive chassis 703 and chassis 694 will serve as a backup car. Neither has raced in 2012.

A.J. ALLMENDINGER CHASSIS CHOICE: and his Todd Gordon-led Penske Racing No. 22 Team will be racing their new "PRS-819" Shell-Pennzoil Dodge Charger this weekend at Martinsville. The "PRS-807" is the backup Dodge Charger for the "Double-Deuce" team. It was in the transporter serving as the backup at Phoenix and at Bristol, but has never seen any track time.

- From team PR releases

LVH Super Book Odds to Win 2012 Martinsville Goody's Fast Relief 500

Junior and Harvick had a nice late duel at Martinsville last year (Getty)

GOODY'S FAST RELIEF 500
MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY
SUNDAY, APRIL 1, 2012

JIMMIE JOHNSON 9-2
CARL EDWARDS 15
KYLE BUSCH 6
MATT KENSETH 40
JEFF GORDON 7
TONY STEWART 6
KEVIN HARVICK 10
KASEY KAHNE 20
DENNY HAMLIN 4
GREG BIFFLE 40
BRAD KESELOWSKI 20
DALE EARNHARDT JR 15
CLINT BOWYER 25
RYAN NEWMAN 25
AJ ALLMENDINGER 40
MARTIN TRUEX JR 40
BRIAN VICKERS 100
JEFF BURTON 30
JOEY LOGANO 50
JUAN MONTOYA 50
JAMIE McMURRAY 30
KURT BUSCH 100
PAUL MENARD 100
MARCOS AMBROSE 100
ARIC ALMIROLA 100
REGAN SMITH 300
DAVID GILLILAND 1000
BOBBY LABONTE 1000
DAVID RAGAN 1000
FIELD 300

GOODY'S FAST RELIEF 500 MATCHUPS
MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY
SUNDAY, APRIL 1, 2012

DENNY HAMLIN -130
JIMMIE JOHNSON +110

DENNY HAMLIN -150
JEFF GORDON +130

JIMMIE JOHNSON -130
JEFF GORDON +110

TONY STEWART -110
KYLE BUSCH -110

TONY STEWART -110
KEVIN HARVICK -110

KYLE BUSCH -110
KEVIN HARVICK -110

DALE EARNHARDT JR -165
BRAD KESELOWSKI +145

BRAD KESELOWSKI -110
RYAN NEWMAN -110

DALE EARNHARDT JR -165
RYAN NEWMAN +145

JEFF BURTON -120
CLINT BOWYER EVEN

JEFF BURTON -130
CARL EDWARDS +110

CLINT BOWYER -120
CARL EDWARDS EVEN

MARTIN TRUEX JR -110
JAMIE McMURRAY -110

AJ ALLMENDINGER -110
JUAN MONTOYA -110

MATT KENSETH -130
GREG BIFFLE +110

GREG BIFFLE -110
JOEY LOGANO -110

JOEY LOGANO +110
MATT KENSETH -130

2012 Martinsville Goody's Fast Relief 500 Storylines

Stewart won his second career Martinsville race last fall

None of what Tony Stewart has accomplished recently makes sense.

For one, he never wins this early in a season. Of his 46 career victories, only six came before June. And only four came prior to race No. 10. Yet, he’s 2-for-5 in this young season.

Two, with seven wins in the last 15 races, Stewart’s on a rare run. Jimmie Johnson ripped off a similar clip in 2009-10, winning four Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup races in 2009 and then three of the first five in 2010. But this has seemingly come out of nowhere for Stewart. Remember, he entered last year’s Chase winless.

Now, the three time – and defending – series champion has catapulted to fourth in the points. Impressive, especially considering Stewart has an average finish of 17.3 in his non-wins this season.

Why stop now? Martinsville Speedway’s on deck, site of Stewart’s thrilling pass – and eventual win – during last year’s Chase. Race No. 6 – the Goody’s Fast Relief 500 – is Sunday at 1 p.m. on FOX.

With much anticipation, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series returns to action this week for its second race, the Kroger 250, on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. on SPEED.

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES – SUNDAY, APRIL 1 AT 1 P.M. ON FOX

Who’s The King Of Martinsville?

Hamlin and Johnson have won 10 of last 18 at Martisnville

Here are the contenders for the crown: Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin.

Oddly, neither won a Martinsville race last year (Kevin Harvick and Tony Stewart did), but that was a rarity.

Every year since 2003, at least one of those three drivers has won a Martinsville race. And even though Martinsville’s history goes all the way back to 1949, the three already reside near the top of the track’s wins list. Gordon has seven wins (tied for third-most); Johnson has six wins (tied for fifth); and Hamlin has four wins (tied for ninth).

Gordon needs the usual Martinsville success most – he currently sits 25th (the lowest points position through five races of his career), 51 points outside the top 10.

If a Gordon victory occurs (or a Johnson, Kasey Kahne or Dale Earnhardt Jr. win), it’ll be Hendrick Motorsports’ 200th win. That scene would be fitting – Martinsville was the site of Hendrick’s first win in 1984. Hendrick would also tie Petty Enterprises from most wins all time at the Virginia short track.

Junior A Fine Pick At Martinsville
Teammates Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson will likely attract much of the "favorites" attention this weekend. But Dale Earnhardt Jr. best not be counted out.

Owning a Driver Rating of 99.0, Martinsville is Earnhardt’s top track in terms of the Loop Data statistic.

Earnhardt has finished in the top 10 in each of the last three Martinsville races, and was runner up to Kevin Harvick in this race last year.

Harvick Milestone Weekend At Track With ‘Happy’ Memories
Kevin Harvick, defending winner of this weekend’s race, will start his 400th career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race on Sunday.

Harvick, currently second in the points, has enjoyed a prolific first 399 races. The Bakersfield, Calif., native has 18 career wins including the 2007 Daytona 500. Harvick will also race in Saturday’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race.

This Year’s Owner Points Now Determine Guaranteed Status
Last season’s top 35 cars in owner points were locked into each of the first five races of 2012. Now, that luxury is gone.

From now until the end of the season, the 2012 owner points determine guaranteed status. That means a tougher challenge for Landon Cassill and the No. 83 BK Racing Toyota. Owner of guaranteed spot in the first five races, Cassill and his team will now have to qualify their way into this weekend’s event at Martinsville.

- NASCAR Media Services

Martinsville Odds & Ends: 2012 Goody's Fast Relief 500

At Martinsville Speedway:

Martinsville Speedway has been running strong in NASCAR since 1949

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 126 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.
· 56 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.
· 46 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 (5.4), Denny Hamlin (6.4) and Jeff Gordon (6.8).
· Youngest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Martinsville Speedway winner: Richard Petty (4/10/1960 – 22 years, 9 months, 8 days).
· Oldest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Martinsville Speedway winner: Harry Gant (9/22/1996 – 51 years, 8 months, 12 days)

NASCAR in Virginia
· There have been 274 NASCAR Sprint Cup races in Virginia.
· 162 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.

Harvick Comes From Behind Late Again, Wins First Martinsville Race

Sporting News Wire Service

Harvick gets first career win at Martinsville

MARTINSVILLE, Va. -- Kevin Harvick won his second consecutive race -- and in the process may have become the most unpopular man in Virginia.

Harvick passed Dale Earnhardt Jr. for the lead on Lap 497 of 500 and pulled away to win the Goody's Fast Relief 500 Sprint Cup race Sunday at Martinsville Speedway. Earnhardt ran second, extending his winless streak to 99 races.

The victory was Harvick's second of the season and his first at Martinsville. Harvick has 16 victories in the Cup Series.

Earnhardt had muscled past third-place finisher Kyle Busch on Lap 480 and held the lead until Harvick made the winning pass in Turn 2.

Juan Montoya ran fourth, followed by Jeff Gordon, Matt Kenseth and pole-sitter Jamie McMurray. David Ragan and Clint Bowyer were eighth and ninth, respectively. Mark Martin finished 10th in his 800th race in the Cup Series.

"I hate to be the bad guy here, but we're in it to win it," said Harvick, who ended Denny Hamlin's string of three consecutive victories at Martinsville and became the first driver other than Hamlin or Jimmie Johnson to win at the .526-mile short track since Tony Stewart on April 2, 2006.

Harvick's pass accounted for the last of a track-record 31 lead changes, but it was one Harvick knew would be unpopular in some quarters.

"I could see people going crazy in Turn 2 when he took the lead from Kyle, and I was catching him, and I'm like, 'Man, I'm going to be the bad guy here,' " Harvick said. "But I've got to do what I've got to do.

"To race with Dale Jr. and win the race at Martinsville, I think it's pretty cool. ... I know the fans want to see him win -- I want to see him win. It would be great for the sport, and I think today went a long way to showing how competitive they can be, racing for wins.

"That's what we need. We all need him to win, but I'm not going to back down."

It looked like Junior might get the win late, but Harvick came strong  

Before Harvick spoiled Earnhardt's party, the driver of the No. 88 appeared likely to take advantage of astute pit strategy on the part of crew chief Steve Letarte. A two-tire call on Lap 205 got Earnhardt out of the pits in second place. Under a caution on Lap 373, Letarte brought Earnhardt to pit road for four tires and fuel without losing a position, even though the eight cars ahead of him stayed out.

"We had the opportunity there to win a race, and I'm disappointed that I didn't get the job done," Earnhardt said. "It'll probably bother me more and more as the night goes on -- I'll probably think about it a million times, what I could have done differently -- but, you know, if I know what's best for me, I should probably have a good attitude about what happened today.

"I'll probably go into the next race and use it as momentum and confidence, as any other good driver would do, instead of worrying about how close we came. I should be thankful and grateful for the opportunity I had today and the opportunity I got to work with the team I'm with, and to even be here competing.

"Steve's a good crew chief, and he's going to give me more opportunities like this, I feel."

Busch took the series lead by five points over Carl Edwards, who finished 18th.

Goody's 500 Results

Post Race Notes

• With his 16th victory in his 364th Cup Series start, Kevin Harvick tied Greg Biffle and Denny Hamlin for 46th on the all-time victories list.
• Kevin Harvick became the first repeat winner in the Cup Series in 2011.
• Kevin Harvick earned his first victory at Martinsville, giving him wins on 13 current Cup Series tracks.
• Kevin Harvick joined Bobby Labonte as the only drivers to have won at Martinsville in all three of NASCAR's top touring series.
• Dale Earnhardt Jr. (second) earned his best finish since coming home second in the 2010 Daytona 500.
• Kyle Busch (third) earned his best finish at Martinsville, topping his previous best of fourth. He is the only driver to have top-fives in four of the first six races.
• Juan Montoya (fourth) got his fourth top-10 finish in six races this season.
• Jeff Gordon (fifth) got his second top-1o finish of 2011, and he's finished in the top five in 12 of the past 13 Martinsville races.
• Jeff Gordon moved into fourth all time in laps led at Martinsville,with 2,981, passing Richard Petty's mark of 2,964.
• Jimmie Johnson (11th) ended a 17-race streak of top-10 finishes at Martinsville.

Final Martinsville Driver Ratings Following All Practice & Q Sessions: Goody's Fast Relief 500

Micah Roberts Top 10 Driver Ratings
Goody’s Fast Relief 500
Martinsville Speedway
Sunday, April 3, 2011 - 10:16 am (PDT)

Rating    Driver     Odds       Practice 1   Practice 2    Qualified    Fall ‘10*

 1. Denny Hamlin 4/1                8th              20th             5th          1st 
Native Virginian won four of the last six Martinsville races, including the last three in a row.
 2. Jimmie Johnson 4/1             9th              16th            17th          5th 
Six-time winner with 17 straight races within top-nine; using new chassis this week.
 3. Kyle Busch 8/1                    1st              23rd            11th         4th 
Finished career best fourth on four occasions; fastest average speeds in Practice 1.
 4. Kevin Harvick 8/1               3rd              30th              9th          3rd 
Career best finish of third last fall; using fourth place Phoenix chassis from February.
 5. Mark Martin 25/1               17th             13th             12th         2nd 
Two-time winner, the last coming in 2000. Strong 10-consecutive lap averages in practices.
 6. Jamie McMurray 25/1         5th              11th              1st         11th 
Career best of runner-up in 2004; had the top 10-consecutive lap average in final practice.
 7. Jeff Burton 15/1                  6th              17th             32nd        9th 
1997 winner; led 140 laps in the spring last year and then the most laps (134) in the fall.
 8. Jeff Gordon 8/1                  20th             2nd              21st         20th 
Seven-time winner who was on a run of 15 straight top-nine finishes until last fall.
 9. Ryan Newman 25/1           13th              6th               2nd         30th 
Three top-10 finishes in four starts for current team; has led 55 laps in last three races there.
10. Joey Logano 30/1              2nd              31st              4th          6th 
Wrecked primary car in Prac.2, back-up is the same car from last fall; finished runner-up in spring.                
                    
* Results from the October 24, 2010 race at Martinsville Speedway.

Note: Only two scheduled practice sessions Friday with qualifying held on Saturday.

Alert: Tires may be an issue for all drivers on Sunday. Several complained about the tires coming apart and being good for only 12 to 15 laps. This could be a major player in Sunday's race and possibly help a newcomer crack the Johnson and Hamlin show.

Odds courtesy of the Las Vegas Hilton Super Book.

Micah Roberts, a former race and sports Director, has been setting NASCAR lines in Las Vegas since 1995. For more Roberts insights and post-practice analysis on the race, go to VegasInsider.com.

Kyle Busch Looks Better Than Ever At Martinsville After Two Friday Practices

By Micah Roberts
VegasInsider.com

Kyle Busch has never looked better at Martinsville

The first practice session looks to be the most telling of all for Sunday's Goody's Fast Relief 500 race at Martinsville just because of it being completed entirely in race trim. The final practice session was more to do with a qualifying set-up and the times are not as clear to who will be really fast on race day.

Seeing Kyle Busch at the top of the charts is quite a change from what we saw last year. Kyle has never warmed up to Martinsville like we have seen him do to all other short tracks in his career, including the Bull Ring at his home town of Las Vegas before he even had a drivers license. It's kind of been shocking considering his nature, but this is the first time he's ever looked like he has a car that can take on both Denny Hamlin and Jimmie Johnson who have owned Martinsville over the last five years.

When looking back at 2010's Martinsville practices, Busch looked like an also-ran even though he finished 22nd in the spring and a respectable fourth in the fall, which tied his all-time best on the track. His six combined practice times for both Martinsville races in 2010 looked like this: 32nd, 25th, 27th, 21st, 26th, and 26th. Those are awful times for someone of his caliber, especially considering that his teammate has won three straight races on the track.

We've seen either Johnson or Hamlin win the last nine races in a row at Martinsville, but it looks like Kyle Busch just entered his name to the small list of probable candidates to win Sunday with such a fine performance in practice.

Joey Logano wrecked his primary car in happy hour, a car that was running very well, but his back-up car may be even better. That primary car was brand new, but the back-up chassis was the same one he used to finish sixth in the fall Martinsville race last year. In the two races run there last season, Logano finished runner-up and sixth. The back-up may be the ideal situation for him.

A car that stood out more than normal was Brad Keselowski's who was good in both race and qualifying trim. He will be a good candidate to sit on the pole during Saturday's qualifying. Martinsville was one of his best tracks collectively last season on his first two attempts at it with 10th and 12th place finishes.

Be sure to check back Saturday afternoon for my Final Martinsville Driver Ratings which are sure to have Busch near the top.

1st Friday practice - Martinsville Goody's Fast Relief 500 (90 minutes):
#18-Busch 95.617
#20-Logano 95.612
#29-Harvick 95.314
#2-Keselowski 95.266
#1-McMurray 95.228
slowest: #34-Gilliland 92.583 and #37-Raines 92.737
incidents: #48-Johnson spun in trun 2, but didn't hit anything and had no damage. (Jayski.com)

Happy Hour practice - Goody's Fast Relief 500 (90 minutes):
#6-Ragan 96.268
#24-Gordon 96.220
#2-Keselowski 96.166
#00-Reutimann 95.864
#4-Kahne 95.811
slowest: #32-Schrader 92.547 and #37-Raines 92.814
incidents: #20-Logano wrecked and will go to a backup car. #92-Setzer lost the brakes and wrecked hard, he is ok, but the car is totaled and he says the team doesn't have a backup car, so will have 43 cars going for 43 spots on Saturday in qualifying. (Jayski.com)

Practice Results - Jayski.com practice page

Driver Chassis Selections For Goody's Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville

Edwards car from Phoenix will be used this week 

1. Carl Edwards: Finished eighth in both events last year; 16.8 average finish in 13 starts; Has yet to lead a lap; 12.8 average finish in the eight races with the COT; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 726) that he finished 28th with at Phoenix after being involved in an accident.

2. Ryan Newman: Three top-10s in four starts with Stewart-Haas Racing; Scored six top-10s in previous 14 starts with Penske Racing; 13.1 average finish in the eight races with the COT; Has combined to lead 55 laps in the past three races; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 645) in the Goody's Fast Relief 500.

3. Kurt Busch: 22.4 average finish in 10 starts with Penske Racing; Four top-10s, including one win, came in previous 11 starts with Roush Racing; 23.2 average finish and 19 laps led in the eight races with the COT; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 741) in the Goody's Fast Relief 500; This car was tested at Gresham Motorsports Park last week.

4. Kyle Busch: Coming off second top five in six starts with Joe Gibbs Racing; Previous four top-10s came with Hendrick Motorsports; Led 106 laps in the 2007 fall race; 16.1 average finish in the eight races with the COT; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 302) in the Goody's Fast Relief 500.

Johnson is bringing a new chassis to Martinsville

5. Jimmie Johnson: Six-time winner; Has won five of the last nine races; 5.3 average finish leads all drivers; Second-best average finish (3.0) in the eight races with the COT; Second in laps led with 1,551; Will pilot a new car (chassis No. 653) in the Goody's Fast Relief 500.

6. Tony Stewart: Two top-10s and a 15.5 average finish in four starts with Stewart-Haas; Posted 11 top-10s and two wins in previous 20 starts with Joe Gibbs Racing; 14.1 average finish in eight starts with the COT; Will pilot a new car (chassis No. 637) that was tested at Little Rock Speedway.

7. Paul Menard: Coming off best finish in seven starts in 13th; 20.3 average finish; Will make first track start with Richard Childress Racing in a new car (chassis No. 349).

8. Juan Pablo Montoya: 15.1 average finish in eight starts; 17.5 average finish in four starts in an Earnhardt-Ganassi Chevrolet; Led 37 laps in the 2009 fall race en route to only top five; Will pilot a new car (chassis No. 1110) in the Goody's Fast Relief 500.

Looking for first Martinsville win

9. Kevin Harvick: Coming off eighth top 10 in 19 starts after leading 97 laps en route to a third-place finish; Led 57 laps in this event last year before brake problems relegated him to a 35th-place finish; 16.1 average finish in the eight races with the COT; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 332) that he finished fourth with at Phoenix International Raceway last month.

10. Matt Kenseth: Last of six top-10s came in the 2008 fall race; Finished 18th and 15th, respectively, in 2010; 15.4 average finish in the eight races with the COT; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 725) that he finished 12th with at Phoenix International Raceway last month.

11. Kasey Kahne: Finished 14th in first track start with Team Red Bull last fall; Two top-10s in 14 starts; 19.1 average finish; Has yet to lead a lap in last 12 starts.

12. Dale Earnhardt Jr: 11.2 average finish in six starts with Hendrick Motorsports; Posted seven top-10s in previous 16 starts with Dale Earnhardt, Inc; Best finish came in the 2008 fall race in second; Fifth-best driver rating in past 12 races; Best track on the circuit based on laps led with 848; Will pilot a new car (chassis No. 654) in the Goody's Fast Relief 500.

13. Martin Truex Jr: Best finish came in this event last year in fifth; 17.0 average finish in two starts with Michael Waltrip Racing; Other top-10 finish came in the 2008 fall race with Dale Earnhardt, Inc.

14. Mark Martin: 9.5 average finish in four starts with Hendrick Motorsports; Finished second last fall; Won the spring race in 1992 and 2000 with Roush Racing; 13.1 average finish in 46 starts; Will pilot a new car (chassis No. 651) in the Goody's Fast Relief 500.

15. AJ Allmendinger: Only top 10 in seven starts came in the 2009 spring race; Finished 38th in this event last year after a crash took him out of contention; 12th-place finish last fall lowered average finish to 25.9; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 729) that he finished ninth with at Phoenix International Raceway last month.

Owns seven grand father clocks

16. Jeff Gordon: Leads active drivers in wins (7), top fives (23), top-10s (29), laps led (2,944) and poles (7); 20th-place finish last fall was first outside the top 10 in last 16 races; Led 92 laps and finished third in this event last year.

17. Clint Bowyer: Scored fifth top 10 in this event last year with a seventh-place finish; 15.3 average finish in 10 starts; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 340) that he finished 27th with at Phoenix after being involved in an accident.

18. Bobby Labonte: 18.0 average finish in 36 starts; Won the 2002 spring race with Joe Gibbs Racing; 28.5 average finish in the eight races with the COT; Will make first track start with JTG-Daugherty Racing.

19. Marcos Ambrose: 21.5 average finish in four starts; Best finish came in this event last year in 11th; Will make first track start with Richard Petty Motorsports in a new car (chassis No. 754).

20. Greg Biffle: Finished 10th in this event last year for second top 10 in 16 starts; 20.9 average finish in the eight races with the COT; Will pilot a new car (chassis No. 740) in the Goody's Fast Relief 500.

Notable Drivers Outside the Top 20

Hamlin should make a move in points this week

Denny Hamlin: Winner of the last three races; 1.3 average finish and 714 laps led in last four races; Four wins and a 2.5 average finish in the eight races with the COT.

David Ragan: 18.4 average finish in the eight races with the COT; Has yet to finish in the top 10 in nine starts; Will pilot a new car (chassis No. 747) in the Goody’s Fast Relief 500.

Brad Keselowski: Second-best track on the circuit based on finishing average (11.0); Scored first top 10 last fall in 10th; Will pilot a new car (chassis No. 740) in the Goody’s Fast Relief 500.

Brian Vickers: Recorded second top 10 (sixth) in 11 starts in this event last year; 16.8 average finish in six starts with Team Red Bull; Has yet to lead a lap in 11 starts.

Burton had bad luck in 2010, but was one of the best at M'Ville

Jeff Burton: Coming off 15th top 10 in 33 starts; 15.7 average finish in 13 starts with Richard Childress Racing; Scored one win and 11 top 10s with Roush Racing; 12.1 average finish and 366 laps led in the eight races with the COT; Led 140 laps in this event last year before a cut right-front tire in the closing laps relegated him to a 20th-place finish; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 319) that he last finished 19th at Phoenix International Raceway after he was forced to pit for fuel in the closing laps.

David Reutimann: Has yet to finish in the top 10 in eight starts; Best finish came in the 2009 fall race in 16th; 25.5 average finish.

Jamie McMurray: 20.5 average finish in two starts behind the wheel of an Earnhardt-Ganassi Chevrolet; Posted nine top-10s in previous 14 starts; 18.0 average finish in the eight races with the COT; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 1007) that he raced in both the 2010 spring and fall races at Martinsville Speedway and Richmond International Raceway.

Joey Logano: Finished in the top 10 in both races in 2010; Best finish came in this event in second; 13.0 average finish in four starts; Will pilot a new car (chassis No. 303) in the Goody’s Fast Relief 500.

Regan Smith: 29.0 average finish in five starts; Leads all drivers with a 5.8 average start in 2011.

Note: Not all teams list their chassis' in their press releases

- compiled by Jeff Wackerlin, MotorRacingNetwork.com

Driver Notes & Quotes For the Goody's Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville

Big Milestone for Martin on Sunday

MARK MARTIN ON MAKING HIS 800TH CUP START THIS WEEK AT MARTINSVILLE:
“I hate to say this isn’t a big deal, because it is. But, to me, the bigger deal is what you accomplished in those starts, not just the starts themselves. I’ve had a really good 799 starts. We’ve had a lot of wins, a lot of success and a lot of fun. I’ve made friends out here that will be friends forever, and I can’t imagine anything else I would have rather been doing than racing all of those days. Beyond the stat itself or the records or whatever, it’s the experiences of it all that are the most important to me.”

MARK MARTIN TIMELINE OF NOTABLE STARTS ON HIS WAY TO 800:
1 – On April 5, 1981, Martin made his first series start at North Wilkesboro Speedway, finishing 27th. Martin made five starts in 1981, scoring two top 10s and two poles.
6 – In his first Daytona 500, on Feb. 14, 1982, he finished 30th.
58 – On Feb. 14, 1988 in the Daytona 500, Martin made his first start with owner Jack Roush. Together, they started 617 races, winning 35 of them.
100 – On June 25, 1989, at Michigan International Speedway, Martin made milestone start No. 100. He finished 12th.
113 – On Oct. 22, 1989, at North Carolina Speedway (Rockingham), Martin led 101 laps en route to his first career win.
200 – On Oct. 25, 1992, at Rockingham, Martin made milestone start No. 200. He finished 30th.
223 – Martin reached double digits in wins with a victory at Bristol Motor Speedway on Aug. 28, 1993. The win was the third of four consecutive victories for Martin, the longest win streak of his career.
300 – On March 31, 1996, at Bristol, Martin made milestone start No. 300. He finished third.
326 – Finished seventh in the Daytona 500 on Feb. 16, 1997, his 16th-consecutive top-10 finish, dating back to the previous season. That is tied for the 16th-longest streak in series history.
383 – In a victory at Dover International Speedway on Sept. 20, 1998, Martin led 379 laps, the most of his career.
400 – On May 2, 1999, at Auto Club Speedway, Martin made milestone start No. 400. He finished 38th.
500 – Reached career milestone start No. 500 on March 24, 2002 at Bristol. He finished 11th.
506 – Won NASCAR’s longest race, the Coca-Cola 600 (then named the Coca-Cola Racing Family 600) at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 26, 2002.
600 – On Nov. 7, 2004, at Phoenix International Raceway, Martin made milestone start No. 600. He finished 15th.
700 – On Feb. 25, 2008, at Auto Club Speedway, Martin made milestone start No. 700. He finished 16th.
723 – On Feb. 15, 2009 at the Daytona 500, made his first start for Hendrick Motorsports, finishing 16th.
730 – At the age of 50 years, three months and nine days, Martin won at Phoenix on April 18, 2009, to join Harry Gant, Morgan Shepherd and Bobby Allison as the fourth over-50 driver to win a NASCAR Sprint Cup race.
733 – Won one of NASCAR’s crown jewels: the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway on May 9, 2009.

Milestones For Biffle, McMurray: Greg Biffle and Jamie McMurray will also celebrate milestone starts this weekend. Both drivers will make start No. 300 in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Sunday at Martinsville.

Over his first 299 starts, Biffle has 16 wins, 66 top fives and 114 top 10s. McMurray has six wins, 39 top fives and 92 top 10s.

GREG BIFFLE ON MAKING HIS 300TH CUP START AT MARTINSVILLE THIS WEEKEND: “I guess these sort of milestones just sneak up on you but I’m excited to make my 300th start this weekend. It’s kind of ironic because Martinsville is historically one of my worst tracks but maybe we’ll have a good finish there on Sunday and make this 300th start a memorable one.”

JAMIE McMURRAY CHASSIS CHOICE: No. 1 WIDIA Chevrolet: Kevin “Bono” Manion will bring chassis #1007. McMurray ran this chassis in both the 2010 spring and fall races at Martinsville and Richmond.

JUAN PABLO MONTOYA CHASSIS CHOICE: No. 42 Target Chevrolet: Crew chief Brian Pattie and the Target Team will bring chassis #1110 this weekend. This is a brand new chassis.

Logano finished 2nd and 6th in 2010

JOEY LOGANO ON RACING AT MARTINSVILLE: “The first race I ran there was tough, but I feel like I’ve gotten so much better. It’s one of those tracks where the more you get used to the type of braking it takes the better off you are. I also know now how I want the balance to be on the car because it’s a tricky track. Typically I’ve been better there on the long runs, but you have to be decent on the short run too or else you lose a ton of spots initially and they are tough to get back. The track and handling changes so much over the course of a run it’s unreal. I just need to stay out of trouble, try not to hit anything and bring home a solid finish.”

LOGANO CHASSIS CHOICE: The No. 20 Home Depot Team is taking chassis #303 to the paperclip this weekend for the 500-lap race. This is a new short-track chassis for the team. The back-up chassis is #275 that Logano most recently drove to a sixth-place finish at Martinsville in October.

BRAD KESELOWSKI ON RACING AT MARTINSVILLE: “Martinsville will always be a track that is hard on brakes. Yes, the braking systems have come a long way over the last 10 years or so. But if you give us more brakes or better brakes, we are going to use more brakes to the point that we will damage the sidewall of the tire. Overheating the brakes is something that is easy to do because you are going so hard every lap as passing is difficult at Martinsville. Managing your brakes is part of being a successful short-track racer. Last year we were able to keep the brakes on the car and have two good finishes. We need to progress and build on those finishes in 2011.”

KESELOWSKI CHASSIS CHOICE: This Week’s Charger…The No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger team will use chassis PRS-740 during Sunday’s Goody’s Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway. This is a new chassis to the No. 2 team.

BOBBY LABONTE ON MARTINSVILLE: “Martinsville Speedway is another track that I love and it is going to be a great track for us to go to. It’s always nice to go back to a track where you have won before. If we can stay out of harm’s way, we’ll have a shot at it. Martinsville has been a track where I have excelled and I’m confident our short track program is going to be strong. JTG Daugherty Racing ran well there last year. Actually, I tested for them before they went to Martinsville when Marcos (Ambrose) qualified second. I drove a car similar to what they had and I was like, ‘Man, this thing is awesome.’ I’m really looking forward to this race.”

MARTIN TRUEX JR ON HIS TEAM HEADING TO MARTINSVILLE: “We’re scratching our heads a little bit trying to figure out what we are missing. The last two weeks we have started off extremely strong and then faded in the second half of the race. What we faced at Bristol is very similar to what we experienced at Fontana. I was able to run fast by moving the line up and finding clean track. Once the clean track is up against the wall and there isn’t a clean surface left, that’s when we seem to struggle. We experienced this issue last year as well. It’s just magnified now with how strong we come out of the box. I expect we’ll get another chance to figure this issue out in Martinsville because it’s concrete like Bristol. We’ll continue to work hard to come up with a solution. It’s something that’s hard to test for so it’s up to us to find the right adjustment during the race that will get grip in the car when the track is rubbered up and slick. Once we figure it out, and I hope it’s at Martinsville, the NAPA team is going to be in really, really good shape.”

Newman using a new chassis this week at Martinsville

RYAN NEWMAN ON WHY HE LIKES RACING ON SHORTS TRACKS: “I like using the middle (brake) pedal. In all seriousness, I think it adds another parameter of a driver’s input when you have to modulate that third pedal. We have to go to places like Las Vegas and you’re using very little brake. When you are using a little bit, it’s hard to screw it up. I think our team has done a really good job with the brake package that we have. I like the short tracks. I like having the character added to the program of modulating the brake. In my opinion, the driver has a little more of an impact on the end result at short tracks than some of the bigger racetracks, and I like that. The more the drivers are involved, the more I think you get to race and, from that standpoint, I think it’s more fun. Tony Gibson (crew chief) has some great setups with our short-track program. I enjoy them, he enjoys them, and we just go out there and have some fun. We’ve had a good car each time we’ve been to Martinsville. Gibson is a great fan of Martinsville and short-track racing, and he’s got a great understanding of the racecar there and what I like, and that makes a big difference, obviously, for me. We’ve been able to get three top-10 finishes in our four trips to Martinsville. Last fall, we had a rare issue that took us out of contention, so we’re looking forward to getting back on a streak of good runs at Martinsville.”

RYAN NEWMAN CHASSIS CHOICE: After last year’s fall race, Newman & Company retired No. 39-492, which had been the team’s “Martinsville Special” for four races during the 2009 and 2010 seasons. In four starts at Martinsville with that chassis, Newman earned one pole and posted one top-five and two top-10 finishes. This weekend, the No. 39 team will debut a new chassis –No. 39-645 – that it hopes will be just as strong at the .526-mile paperclip-shaped oval. No. 39-645 is a brand new short-track car for the No. 39 team.

KURT BUSCH ON MARTINSVILLE: “We’re coming back into Martinsville with a lot of confidence and a really positive attitude about racing there this weekend. I’ll be the first to admit that the Martinsville races have always been so challenging to me and that goes all the way back through my career. But ever since Steve Addington came aboard as our crew chief at the beginning of last season, things have really begun to turn for the better.

BUSCH CHASSIS CHOICE: Kurt Busch and his Steve Addington-led Penske Racing “Double-Deuce” team will be racing their “PRS-741” Shell-Pennzoil Dodge Charger this weekend at Martinsville Speedway. This is a brand new chassis that the team tested with last Tuesday (March 22) at Gresham Motorsports Park, the half-mile asphalt oval located near Jefferson, Ga. “We should be good to go with this new car,” offered crew chief Addington. “We used the Gresham test as a good shakedown for the car, so when we unload there at Martinsville on Friday we should be able to really get after it. The format is a little different this time around, with practice on Friday and qualifying on Saturday. We’ll utilize most of the time on getting our race trim dialed in. As always, Sunday’s race will be all about exercising patience and having your car in one piece for the final 100 laps.”

LINKS TO OTHER DRIVER NOTES & QUOTES FROM THE WEEK:

TONY STEWART NOTES & QUOTES

KYLE BUSCH LOOKING FOR FIRST MARTINSVILLE WIN


RCR MARTINSVILLE PREVIEW


ROUSH-FENWAY RACING MARTINSVILLE NOTES & QUOTES


JIMMIE JOHNSON NOTES & QUOTES


JEFF GORDON NOTES & QUOTES


DENNY HAMLIN LOOKING FOR 4TH STRAIGHT MARTINSVILLE WIN