Talladega Storylines

The most competitive Chase yet is coming to NASCAR’s most competitive track.

Since the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup format was introduced in 2004, we have the closest margin ever between first and second place with four races remaining in the season; only six points separate Jimmie Johnson from Denny Hamlin. And … third place Kevin Harvick is only 62 back of Johnson.

Talladega Superspeedway, site of Sunday’s AMP Energy Juice 500, is a perfect match for such a situation.

The unpredictable 2.66-mile tri-oval had the most competitive race in NASCAR history this past April, with NASCAR Sprint Cup Series records established for lead changes (88) and leaders (29).

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series also races at ‘Dega this weekend, with Saturday’s Mountain Dew 250. The NASCAR Nationwide Series has its final open week of the year.

 

The GRAND-AM Road Racing season, meanwhile, is complete, with the Rolex Series and Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge looking to the 2011 season-opening races at Daytona International Speedway Jan. 28-30.

 

Storylines follow:

  

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
Harvick Returning RCR To Restrictor-Plate DominanceComing off of his first top-five finish at Martinsville and closing to within 62 points of the Chase lead, Kevin Harvick attempts to win his third consecutive restrictor-plate race this week.

At Talladega in April, he completed a slingshot pass on Jamie McMurray to win by .011 seconds, the eighth-closest finish in NASCAR Sprint Cup history. Harvick went on to win a second-straight plate race at Daytona in July.

Harvick’s April win provided car owner Richard Childress with his first Talladega triumph since 2000. Harvick is going for the first Talladega season sweep in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series since Jeff Gordon in 2007.

 

 

Chase Spoiler Could Be McMurray – AgainJamie McMurray will attempt to play Chase spoiler for the second time in this Chase, in the process trying to repeat as Amp Energy Juice 500 race winner.

It could happen. McMurray has come up big in his three previous 2010 wins – capturing the Daytona 500, the Brickyard 400 and the Bank of America 500(at Charlotte).

Is Dale Jr. Back?After leading 90 laps at Martinsville – the most he’s led in a race since Richmond in September of 2008 – Dale Earnhardt Jr. returns to Talladega with a chance to tie Gordon for second on the NASCAR Sprint Cup win list at the track with six, behind his father’s record 10 victories.

Despite his obvious struggles this season, Dale Jr. has looked just fine in this year’s three previous restrictor-plate events, with finishing second and fourth, respectively, at Daytona and 13^th at Talladega).

NASCAR Media Services

 

Hamlin Wins Third Straight at Martinsville, Cuts Johnson's Point Lead to 6

Sporting News Wire Service

MARTINSVILLE, Va. -- Dead heat.

Well, almost.

Denny Hamlin won Sunday's Tums Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville and trimmed fifth-place finisher Jimmie Johnson's lead in the Chase for the Sprint Cup to six points with four races left in the season.

The closest Chase ever through six races is on a collision course toward next Sunday's AMP Energy Juice 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, the most dangerous and unpredictable race in the Chase.

"We're back, baby," Hamlin exulted in the radio as he approached the finish line. "Awesome job."

Hamlin showed his appreciation where it was well-deserved. Crew chief Mike Ford and his over-the-wall crew gained three spots for their driver during their final pit stop, before a restart on Lap 394. Hamlin was third off pit road and fourth overall (because Ken Schrader stayed out) when he took the green flag.

"I love you, Mike. Great job of adjusting the car," Hamlin radioed when the race was over. "Best it's been all day. Awesome job. Pit crew, you did it right there. You got me out. Thank you, guys."

Kevin Harvick, third in the standings, stayed within striking distance with a third-place run at the .526-mile short track, as the top three drivers continued to separate themselves from the rest of the Chase field. Harvick gained 15 points on Johnson and is 62 behind the four-time defending champion.

Hamlin could have a yard sale on grandfather clocks, after winning the distinctive Martinsville trophy for the fourth time and third in a row. The victory was Hamlin's series-best seventh of the season and the 15th of his career.

"Who said it was over?" Hamlin said of the Chase. "I told you it wasn't over."

Mark Martin rallied from a lap down to finish second, followed by Harvick, Kyle Busch and Johnson. Joey Logano, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Carl Edwards, Jeff Burton and Brad Keselowski completed the top 10.

Harvick, who has had issues on pit road during the Chase, swapped pit crews with teammate Clint Bowyer earlier this week. Bowyer's crew performed flawlessly, and after the race, Harvick offered to kiss his teammate as an expression of gratitude.

"Coming into this race, no one gave us a chance to even run anywhere toward the front," said Harvick, who posted his first top-five finish in 19 starts at Martinsville. "So it's nice to come here, get the finishes we feel like we deserve. We've run well over the last few years -- just hadn't got the finishes to show for it.

"Great day for us. Everybody did a great job on pit road and in the pits, doing everything they had to do to keep the car up front."

Earnhardt briefly gave Junior Nation something to cheer about. Before Earnhardt restarted third on Lap 247, crew chief Chad Knaus radioed to Johnson, "If you hear a great scream and roar [inside] the car, you'll know that Dale took the lead in the race."

Martinsville Results

Longshot Winners at Martinsville Are Thing of the Past; Only The Favorites Win Now

By Micah Roberts

Las Vegas Review-Journal

When NASCAR wagering at Las Vegas sports books began to take off in the late 1990’s, races at Martinsville Speedway were highly anticipated by bettors because there were always opportunities to cash in on a long shot underdog. The likes of Bobby Hamilton (25/1), Ricky Rudd (50/1), John Andretti (40/1) and Ricky Craven (25/1) all cashed in with high paying odds.

Seeing the long shot winners come at Martinsville was strange because all four of the drivers came from low budget teams compared to all the mega teams that were being formulated throughout NASCAR at the time. Martinsville had always been a track that had been traditionally dominated by a single driver over long stretches of time from Richard Petty, Cale Yarborough, Darrell Waltrip and then Rusty Wallace.

Explaining the surprise winners from 1998 to 2001 was difficult because of the past history. It was thought by many at the time that Martinsville’s half-mile layout became somewhat of an equalizer against the high powered teams with less emphasis on horsepower, more on chassis set-up and how well a driver enters and exits the tight turns while managing their brakes throughout 500 laps. The theory still applies somewhat, but Martinsville races have now resorted back to their traditional ways with only a select few winning races since the anomaly began.

In the last eight Martinsville races to date, only Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin have won. Mix in Jeff Gordon’s sweeps from 2003 and 2005 and it leaves us with only two other drivers to win there in eight years. And one of those drivers, Rusty Wallace, is retired.

Johnson came onto the Martinsville scene as a rookie in 2002 and finished 35th his first time out. Since then, he’s never finished worse than ninth, a stretch of 16 races. His ninth-place finish in the spring broke a streak a nine consecutive races that saw him finish no worse than fourth. Since 2004, Johnson has accumulated six wins at Martinsville.

Hamlin takes things up a notch when racing in front of his home-state crowds at Richmond and Martinsville. He’s already won at both tracks this season. His Martinsville win in March was his second straight there and third overall. Since finishing 37th in the spring of 2006, Hamlin has gone eight straight races finishing sixth or better.

Gordon has always been good at Martinsville, as his seven wins suggest. It was his success at Martinsville that propelled Johnson to the heights he’s reached now on the track. Gordon shared all his winning set-up notes with Johnson’s young team after he swept the 2003 season. Johnson would go on to win for the first time there in 2004. Gordon swept again in 2005, but hasn’t won since as his protégé has taken over and hasn’t let up since.  

However, Gordon hasn’t struggled by any means since Johnson went on his run. Gordon has nearly matched Johnson’s consistency at Martinsville over the same span finishing no worse than ninth in 15 straight races. For 11 straight races, Gordon has been a top-five finisher.

The trio of drivers have some pretty formidable statistics for the others to contend with which is why the sports books have their odds placed so low on them this week. Hamlin and Johnson are listed as 3 to 1 co-favorites at the Las Vegas Hilton Super Book while Gordon is posted at 6 to 1. Each of them had good practice sessions with none having any significant edge. Johnson’s only issue is that he’s starting 19th and will have to traverse through the tight surroundings -- hoping to escape other drivers wrecks -- while attempting to advance.   

It’s been almost a decade since we’ve seen a large payout for a Martinsville race, but there is nothing wrong with taking a shot and hoping for the unexpected cycle to return. Here’s a look at the top candidates to unseat the kings of Martinsville:

Jeff Burton (20/1) led five times for 140 laps in the spring race but blew a tire with nine laps remaining. Burton battled his fellow Virginian all day, but didn’t have the final results to show for it. In the box score, it looks like a poor 20th-place finish, but in reality, Burton was better than 41 others cars all race long. After watching practice on Saturday where he was second fastest during happy hour, Burton again looks to be the one of the best on Sunday.

Tony Stewart (10/1) is the lone remaining driver to have won a race at Martinsville since 2003, having done so in 2006. He practiced well Friday in qualifying trim and will start sixth, but didn’t look so great in either of Saturday’s practices. However, with Stewart, practices aren’t the best gauge of what’s in store for race day.

Ryan Newman (30/1) is a candidate because he’s driving the same car that’s averaged a 5.7 finish in his last three Martinsville starts. He’s no stranger to success on the short track and has six top-five finishes to show for it.

Clint Bowyer (15/1) had very good practice times Saturday finishing second fastest in the early session and then following it up with third best during happy hour. Bowyer has always been one of the better flat track drivers on the circuit having just claimed a win five weeks ago at New Hampshire.

Several drivers are using their New Hampshire chassis’ this week because of the similarities in banking with Martinsville. Kevin Harvick (12/1) is one of them and looked outstanding in final practice runs. During happy hour, Harvick had the fastest consecutive 10 lap averages as well as the fastest overall average speeds. The only issue with Harvick this week is that he’s never performed well at Martinsville and he’s starting 36th. If he can stay out of trouble while passing the 35 other cars in front of him, Harvick should be able to duplicate his fifth-place run the chassis had for him at New Hampshire.

The long shots to take a look at for consideration are Mark Martin (50/1), Brad Keselowski (200/1) and Marcos Ambrose (100/1). Each showed signs of being able to compete with the elite drivers which should result in good finishes with a remote shot at winning. You never know, or at least, you never used to know for a brief four year stretch.    

Read More here for Vegas Odds, Stats, Facts and Quotes        

Final Martinsville Driver Ratings Following All Practice Sessions

Micah Roberts Top 10 Driver Ratings
Tums Fast Relief 500
Martinsville Speedway
Sunday, October 24, 2010 - 10:16 am (PDT)

Rating    Driver     Odds   Practice 1  Qualifying  Practice 2  Practice 3

 1. Denny Hamlin 3/1          2nd               1st             17th             8th 
Native Virginian has won last two Martinsville races and three overall; 6.6 average finish.
 2. Jimmie Johnson 3/1     13th              19th            10th             6th 
Six-time winner with track best 5.4 average finish in 17 starts; using winning Loudon chassis.
 3. Jeff Gordon 6/1              8th              11th            13th             7th 
Seven time winner on track with last coming in 2005 sweep, 11 straight top-five finishes.
 4. Jeff Burton 20/1            19th              18th             6th              2nd 
Native Virginian claimed 1997 win; led five times for 140 laps in the spring race.
 5. Tony Stewart 10/1         1st                6th             18th             35th 
Two-time winner with the last coming in spring of 2006; using Loudon chassis this week.
 6. Clint Bowyer 15/1           6th               17th            2nd              3rd 
One of the better flat track drivers. 12.8 average finish in nine starts; debuts new car this week..
 7. Ryan Newman 30/1       25th              4th            12th              15th 
Using same chassis that has averaged a finish of 5.7 in last three Martinsville starts.
 8. Greg Biffle 50/1              4th               3rd             22nd             1st 
No top five finishes in 15 career Martinsville starts, but fast in practice; using Loudon chassis.
 9. Kevin Harvick 12/1        28th              36th            3rd               5th
No top five finishes in 18 starts, but had fastest average speeds during happy hour; using Loudon chassis.
10. Mark Martin 50/1          20th              21st            32nd            10th        
Two-time winner with the last coming in 2000; fourth fastest average speeds during happy hour.
                            
Note: Martinsville’s flat 0.526-mile layout is unlike any other track on the circuit, but some crew chiefs do use notes from their Loudon, New Hampshire set-ups.

Odds courtesy of the Las Vegas Hilton Super Book.

Micah Roberts, a former Race and Sports Book Director, has been setting NASCAR lines in Las Vegas since 1995. He currently writes for multiple publications covering all sports. He can be reached at MM.Roberts7Gmail.com.

Write-up on race to follow later today

Biffle Tops Happy Hour Speed Chart at Martisnville; Keselowski Fastest in Easrly Session

PRACTICE 3

It was Greg Biffle, with a lap speed of 95.641 mph, showing the fastest way around Martinsville Speedway during the final NSCS TUMS Fast Relief 500 practice session.

Jeff Burton was second fastest with a speed of 95.319 mph, while Clint Bowyer (95.314) was third fastest, Jamie McMurray (95.127) fourth fastest, Kevin Harvick (95.113) fifth, Jimmie Johnson (95.103) sixth, Jeff Gordon (95.079) seventh, Denny Hamlin (95.027) eighth, Aric Almirola (95.022) ninth and Mark Martin (95.017) rounds out the top-ten fastest in “Happy Hour.”

The teams will return on Sunday for the TUMS Fast Relief 500, which is scheduled to get underway a little after 1:00 PM (EST).

PRACTICE 2
Saturday morning NSCS practice had Brad Keselowski, with a lap speed of 95.864 mph, on top of the speed chart during the second TUMS Fast Relief 500 practice session at Martinsville Speedway.

Clint Bowyer, with a speed of 95.820 mph, was second fastest, and was followed by Kevin Harvick (95.796) who was third fastest, A.J. Allmendinger (95.738) fourth fastest, Marcos Ambrose (95.709) fifth, Jeff Burton (95.583) sixth, Jamie McMurray (95.540) seventh, Bobby Labonte (95.530) eighth, David Ragan (95.492) ninth and Jimmie Johnson (95.400) rounds out the top-ten fastest.

Practice 2 & 3 Speeds

Johnson and Gordon Martinsville Quotes From Friday

JEFF GORDON
THIS IS ONE OF YOUR BEST TRACKS, BUT THE NO. 48 (JIMMIE JOHNSON) AND THE NO. 11 (DENNY HAMLIN) HAVE BEEN BETTER RECENTLY. HOW FRUSTRATING IS IT THAT THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A GREAT OPPORTUNITY EXCEPT FOR THOSE GUYS?
“Yeah, you know it’s just the cycle with the way things go in racing. It doesn’t matter how good you were the last race or in the past, it’s what you’re doing currently in putting up those numbers. While we still come here and lead laps and at certain parts of the race I feel like we’ve got the best car; it seems like the second half of the race we haven’t been as strong as the guys you mentioned like Hamlin and Jimmie. We’re always taking notes and trying to come back stronger and address those things.

“So far we’re just kind of business as usual here at Martinsville and tomorrow we’ll focus on some things. One thing that’s difficult is to mimic exactly what the track does during the race because this track lays rubber in the middle part of the race towards the end and it never does that in practice. So, you’re working around it. In the race I’m having to change my line and change the car and in practice we are never having to deal with that. So it’s hard to try to find out exactly what we need to be better in that situation. And it seems like some of our competitors have done a little bit better job of that.”

JIMMIE JOHNSON

YOU HAVE A 41 POINT LEAD COMING HERE TO MARTINSVILLE TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR THOUGHTS ON RACING HERE ON SUNDAY:
“Yeah, you know we are excited to be back at Martinsville. Martinsville has been a great track for the 48 team over the years and there is a certain rhythm to this track that took me a while to figure out but once I found the rhythm the results have been really good for me here and its just a fun place to race. It can be frustrating at times and there is no doubt about that but when you get in the right rhythm and things are clicking off like you would hope you can have a lot of fun on this race track. It’s cool and I am glad to be back and we will just see how the weekend unfolds.”

YOU AND DENNY HAMLIN HAVE WON BETWEEN YOU THE LAST 8 RACES AT MARTINSVILLE. DOES ONE OF YOU HAVE TO RUN WELL AND ONE OF YOU HAVE TO HAVE A TOUGH DAY TO CHANGE MOMENTUM?
“Yeah, I know there is a lot of hype coming into this race but at the end of the day there are four more races left and there are so many points to be won and lost in those four races and I still can’t stress it enough that Talladega can equal this whole thing up and its an eight car race or a ten car race for the championship so at this point its really about doing the best job I can do here as possible and if that’s eighth, then so be it. We did all we could and we finished eighth and we have to go to Talladega and do our best there. But I am not going to get caught up in just worrying about one guy. Its just not worth it at this point.

“After we get out of Talladega there will be more of a clear strategy kind of unfolds and we know who we really need to race and what to do from there. Hopefully we are in a position to protect. That’s the position I want to be in. I want to leave here with a win, there is no doubt about that. But I want to go to Talladega and win that race, but you just don’t know. I just want to keep a realistic approach to all this and score every point I can and then after Talladega, I know what I need to do then.”

Cope Twins Qualify for Martinsville Truck Race and Grab Attention While Doing It

NASCAR fans -- start your engines! Yes, two women will be making their official debut Saturday as NASCAR truck drivers, and they will be drawing a lot of attention, that's for sure! Amber and Angela Cope are 27-year-old twins who not only have the skill to drive for NASCAR, but the stunning looks of supermodels. You don't have to look too far to see how they got their driving skills. They are the nieces of 1990 Daytona 500 winner Derrike Cope, and these beauties are scheduled to make their NASCAR debut in Saturday's Camping World Truck Series race.

“This is what we have strived for since we started racing go-carts,” said Angela . “We successfully ran go-carts for years across the Northwest, then moved to North Carolina over five years ago with a dream to race stock cars or trucks. We will now get the opportunity to earn the respect of our competitors.”

The sisters didn't practice or qualify well on Saturday, but it doesn't matter. Their looks have caught the attention of many, including this page earlier in the week, which rarely posts anything regarding the Truck Series.

I can see a reality show and sponsorship opportunities coming their way just because of being able to market them well. They would cross-over into a lot of markets that directly hits NASCAR fans. Guess what the top selling perfumes are at Wal-Mart? Kim Kardashian, Paris Hilton and some other princess star. Kardashian's people actually got involved with NASCAR at the Las Vegas race sponsoring a Cup car with her pink logo and face on it.

It's not so much about how well you can drive anymore, but about how well you can get sponsorship dollars. There are dozens of good drivers out there who aren't driving because they can't sell themselves. They can say that winning, or doing well, will create business, but with these girls, you don't care how they finish. They'll get face time because people want to look at them.

I hope they do well enough to stick around for a while. NASCAR could use a boost of something like this. We anticipated Danica Patrick being something special for NASCAR, but she's turned out to be a grouch who can't seem to change her ways for the betterment of advancing her skills. She thinks she knows a lot more than she does about racing and is unwilling to completely listen. That's what star power does to people and it's why Jack Roush rarely goes with a veteran driver opting to go with fresh listeners right of the gate who will listen and learn.

Good Luck Girls!

The first two paragraphs of this post was taken from some web page, somewhere that I can't find again. If I find it, I'll post the credit.
  

    

Denny Hamlin Pole Sitting at Martinsville, His First Step Accomplished In Chasing Johnson

Denny Hamlin came into Friday’s session knowing he had to out qualify Jimmie Johnson in his quest for the Sprint Cup title, and he did just that taking the pole for the TUMS Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway.

While Hamlin was scoring the number one starting position for Sunday’s sixth race of the Chase for the Sprint Cup, Johnson was able to only turn the 19th quickest time of the afternoon.

It was Hamlin’s second pole at Martinsville and the ninth of his career. He’ll shoot for his third straight win at the .525-mile track Sunday.

For Hamlin it’s the first step of his strategy to overcome Johnson’s 41-point lead in the series standings and claim his first career title.

“I think it’s all going to start today for myself,” Hamlin said earlier Friday morning. “I feel like if I can out-qualify the 48 I can potentially keep him from leading one lap. We spent all day working on qualifying trying to get the pole – trying to get that first pit stall because obviously we do feel like it’s very important.”

Hamlin's belief was by outrunning Johnson in qualifying he would have both the mental as well as strategic advantage for Sunday’s race.

“I think it’s going to be key for me today to try to out-qualify the 48, not worry about him specifically, but get the best lap out of my car and if I’m ahead of the 48 then I could possibly set the tone in whether he leads a lap or not,” he said. “That’s a 10-point swing. That’s a little bit of it. It all starts today and that’s where our strategy’s at.”

Marcos Ambrose qualified second for his fifth top-10 start of 2010 and his first in four races at Martinsville.

Greg Biffle, Ryan Newman and Juan Pablo Montoya rounded out the top five.

Martinsville Starting Lineup

Montoya Dominated First Martinsville Practice; Stewart Fastest Late

Tony Stewart and Denny Hamlin both jumped over Juan Pablo Montoya in the closing minutes of the first practice session at Martinsville Speedway. Montoya had dominated the leader board throughout in race trim as well as qualifying trim. Jeff Gordon and Hamlin were consistent throughout in both set-ups, but Jimmie Johnson never got up to speed. Gordon finished ninth while Johnson finished 13th fastest.

Practice 1 Speeds

Friday's First practice for the Tum's Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway is being over, after 90 scheduled minutes, the top-5, slowest and notes:
#14-Stewart 97.548 
#11-Hamlin 97.422
#42-Montoya 97.312
#16-Biffle 97.202
#00-Reutimann 97.172
#83-Kahne = 29th
#9-Almirola = 36th
slowest: #7-Conway 93.999 and #66-Johnny Sauter 94.097
incidents: #66-Sauter said he had something go wrong with the car and backed the car in to the wall, looks like the team will need a backup. #92-Setzer and smacked the wall and looks like the team will need a backup but has none, so the team has withdrawn from the race. #47-Ambrose spun out in turn 2, looks like no damage, cool looking paint scheme on the #47.(10-22-2010) From Jayski.com

Driver Chassis Selections for Martinsville Tums Fast Relief 500

MotorRacingNetwork.com


1. Jimmie Johnson: Six-time winner; Has won five of the last eight races; 5.4 average finish leads all drivers; Tied with Denny Hamlin for the best average finish (2.7) in the seven races with the COT; Has led 1,551 laps in 17 starts; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 540) that finished first and 25th, respectively, with this season at New Hampshire.

2. Denny Hamlin: Winner of the last two races; 1.3 average finish and 674 laps led in last three races; Three wins and a 2.7 average finish in the seven races with the COT.

3. Kevin Harvick: Scored seventh top 10 in 18 starts last year in this event; Led 57 laps in the spring before brake problems relegated him to a 35th-place finish; 18.0 average finish in the seven races with the COT; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 322) that he finished fifth with at New Hampshire last month.

4. Jeff Gordon: Leads active drivers in wins (7), top fives (23), top 10s (29), laps led (2,888) and poles (7); Has finished ninth or better in last 15 starts; Led 92 laps and finished third in the spring; 3.3 average finish in the seven races with the COT; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 616) that he finished sixth with at New Hampshire last month; This car was also tested at Rockingham.

5. Kyle Busch: Fourth-place finish in this event last year is only top 20 in five starts with Joe Gibbs Racing; Previous four top 10s came with Hendrick Motorsports; Led 106 laps in the 2007 fall race; 17.9 average finish in the seven races with the COT; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 277) that he most recently finished second with at Richmond.

6. Tony Stewart: Two top 10s and a 12.7 average finish in three starts with Stewart-Haas; Posted 11 top 10s and two wins in previous 20 starts with Joe Gibbs Racing; 12.7 average finish in seven starts with the COT; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 587) that he most recently finished 24th with at New Hampshire last month.

7. Carl Edwards: Coming off third top 10 in 12 starts; Best finish came in this event in 2008 in third; Has yet to lead a lap; 13.4 average finish in the seven races with the COT; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 647) that he finished 11th with at New Hampshire last month.

8. Greg Biffle: Coming off second top 10 in 15 starts; 15 of 21 laps led have come in the last two fall events; 19.1 average finish in the seven races with the COT; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 700) that he finished 17th with at New Hampshire last month.

9. Kurt Busch: 23.1 average finish in nine starts with Penske Racing; Four top 10s, including one win, came in previous 11 starts with Roush Racing; 24.3 average finish and 19 laps led in the seven races with the COT; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 740) in the TUMS Fast Relief 500; This car was tested at Gresham Motorsports Park.

10. Jeff Burton: Three top 10s in 12 starts with Richard Childress Racing; Scored one win and 11 top 10s with Roush Racing; 12.6 average finish and 232 laps led in the seven races with the COT; Led 140 laps in the spring 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. 293) that he finished 10th with at Bristol in March.

11. Matt Kenseth: Last of six top 10s came in the 2008 fall race; Finished 18th in the spring; 15.4 average finish in the seven races with the COT; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 704) that he finished 23rd with at New Hampshire.

12. Clint Bowyer: Coming off fifth top 10 in nine starts; 19th-place finish in this event last year ended a streak of four consecutive top 10s; Fourth-best average finish (10.0) in the seven races with the COT; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 327) in the TUMS Fast Relief 500.

13. Jamie McMurray: Finished 30th in the spring in first track start in an Earnhardt-Ganassi Chevrolet; Posted nine top 10s in previous 14 starts; 19.0 average finish in the seven races with the COT; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 1007) that he most recently finished 17th with at Richmond last month.

14. Ryan Newman: Has finished in the top 10 in his three starts with Stewart-Haas; Scored six top 10s in previous 14 starts with Penske Racing; 7.7 average finish in 11 combined starts on the short-tracks with Stewart-Haas; Fifth-best average finish (10.7) in the seven races with the COT; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 492) that he's posted an average finish of 5.7 with in three starts at Martinsville.

15. Mark Martin: 12.0 average finish in three starts with Hendrick Motorsports; Starts with HMS are his only in a COT; Won the spring race in 1992 and 2000 with Roush Racing; 13.3 average finish in 45 starts; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 561) that he posted respective finishes of eighth and 21st in his last two trips to Martinsville.

16. Juan Pablo Montoya: Best oval on the schedule based on his 14.6 average finish; 13.0 average finish in three track starts in an Earnhardt-Ganassi Chevrolet; Led 37 laps in this event last year en route to first top five; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 1005) that he most recently finished seventh with at Richmond last month.

17. David Reutimann: Has yet to finish in the top 10 in seven starts; Best finish came in this event last year in 16th; 25.3 average finish in the seven races with the COT.

18. Joey Logano: Coming off best finish in three starts in second; 15.3 average finish; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 275) that he most recently finished third with at Dover last month.

19. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: 12.0 average finish in five 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; Best track on the circuit based on laps led with 758; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 562) that he finished 15th with at Martinsville in March.

20. AJ Allmendinger: Only top 10 in six starts came in the 2009 spring race; Finished 38th in the spring after a crash took him out of contention; 28.2 average finish in six starts with the COT; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 289) that he most recently finished eighth with at Richmond last month.

Denny Hamlin Martinsville Tums Fast Relief 500 Preview

Event: TUMS Fast Relief 500
Date/Time: Oct. 24, 2010/1 p.m. EST 
2009 winner: Denny Hamlin 
2009 polesitter: Ryan Newman
Distance: 500 laps/263 miles 
Track Length: .526 miles 
Banking: 12 degrees
Track Shape: Oval

EXPRESS NOTES:

Hamlin, FedEx Racing Fourth at Charlotte: On a night when Denny Hamlin and the #11 FedEx Racing team knew there was no room for error in their championship pursuit, the team battled back through the field to claim an impressive fourth-place finish. Hamlin started from the 23^rd spot on the grid but was forced deep in the pack early on after a Ryan Newman spin, which caused the #11 to restart 36^th on lap six. Despite the early setback, Hamlin and team fought forward through skillful driving and stellar work on pit road.  Hamlin ran in the top-five for the balance of the evening, moving into the top-three by the end of the evening. The result, a best-ever finish for Hamlin at the 1.5-mile track, sees Hamlin head to the friendly confines of Martinsville Speedway this weekend trailing current Chase for the Sprint Cup points leader  Jimmie Johnson by only 41 points.

Hamlin at Martinsville Speedway: This weekend will mark Hamlin’s eleventh career Sprint Cup start at Martinsville Speedway and he returns to southern Virginia as the winner of the past two races at the half-mile track. Earlier this season, Martinsville Speedway provided the backdrop for one of the best finishes and memorable wins of Hamlin’s career. The decision to pit from the lead with less than ten laps remaining appeared to have ended Hamlin’s chances of winning, but the strategy worked and the combination of four fresh tires, Hamlin’s sterling drive, and a well-timed caution put Hamlin in position to claim the win. 

The Virginia native led 172 laps on the day to claim his first win of the 2010 season and a third grandfather clock trophy.  A year ago, Hamlin worked to the front and left perennial Martinsville contender Johnson chasing him, attempting to close the gap over the final 137 laps and though three late-race restarts. However, he could only get as close as the bumper of the #11 as Hamlin fended off the challenge to take the checkered flag. The win marked a second visit to Martinsville Speedway’s Victory Lane for the #11 team. Hamlin led a race-high 296 laps in March of 2009 and, after grabbing the lead from Johnson on lap 456, was well-positioned to claim a second Grandfather clock. However, two consecutive cautions tightened the field and Johnson worked his way to Hamlin’s bumper as the laps counted down. On lap 485, Johnson made contact with Hamlin, forcing the #11 FedEx Freight Camry up the track and allowing the #48 Chevrolet to sneak by on the inside. Hamlin had little recourse but to finish the race in second place. 

In March of 2008 Hamlin led 82 laps and held off a furious charge from Jeff Gordon to claim his sole win of the season. In the fall of 2008, Hamlin and the #11 team fought handling issues but managed an impressive fifth-place finish. In 2007, Hamlin sat on the pole for the spring race and led 125 laps before taking third place and then posted a sixth place finish in the 2007 Chase race.  Hamlin has only finished out of the top-10 once at Martinsville – a 41^st place finish in the spring event in 2006.

FedEx Express World Hub Along for the Ride in Martinsville: The #11 FedEx Express Toyota will carry the lettersMEMH on the b-posts this weekend at Martinsville in recognition of the more than 10,000 Air, Ground & Freight Services team members who work at FedEx Express’ largest hub in Memphis, Tenn. Recently, the Memphis World Hub team was recognized by the Institute of Transport Management as the 2010 “Best Global Cargo Hub.” The hub operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week and processes approximately 1.6 million shipments each weeknight.

HAMLIN CONVERSATION – Martinsville:

You come back to Martinsville as the two-time defending race winner – what is it about this track that suits you?: “It’s really a combination of things. I have raced here more than I have raced at any other track when you consider total laps. Growing up in Virginia I had the chance to race here in some other series and all that track time definitely gave me a comfort level at Martinsville. That carried over to trucks and Nationwide Series and now to the Cup Series.  I feel really confident at this track and I know we bring great cars – those things together usually lead to success. It’s also a lot of pressure because this is a race we circled as one where we expect to be really competitive.”

What is the key to success at Martinsville?: “It definitely starts with having confidence there. It’s not an easy place to race so you know you are in for a battle. It’s really tight and there is no room for error.  For me it’s always been about braking at Martinsville – that is where I find I have an advantage. You are always searching for grip coming off the turn there but if you can be smooth in and get the car situated on entry, you put yourself in much better position getting back to the throttle. You also have to be very patient. It’s not an easy place to pass so you have to take the oppprtunities when you have them – you don’t want to be in position like I was last year, needing to make up a lot of ground in just a few laps.”

2010 FEDEX RACING – TEAM ROSTER

Crew Chief: Mike Ford – Morristown, Tenn.

Car Chief: Chris “Spider” Gillin – Smithtown, NY

Shocks: Tim Sparkman – St. Louis, Mo.

Engineer: Mike Wheeler – Southholt, NY

Tire Specialist: Patrick Mullen – Brick, N.J.

Mechanic: John Furino – Long Island, NY

Mechanic:  Rick Bray – Placerville, Calif.

Hauler Driver: Jerry Hess – Lancaster, Pa.

Hauler Driver: Frank Hodel – Blythe, Calif.

Spotter: Curtis Markham – Fredericksburg, Va.

Front Tire Changer: Jonathan Sherman – Monroe, La.      

Rear Tire Changer: Mike Hicks – Salisbury, N.C.

Rear Tire Carrier: Heath Cherry – Belmont, N.C.

Front Tire Carrier: Brandon Pegram – Statesville, N.C.

Jackman: Nate Bolling – Swanton, Ohio

Motor Specialist: Chris Woodward – Franklin, NH

Gas can: Scott Wood – Liberty, S.C.

Catch Can: John Eicher – London, Ky..

JGR Athletic Director: Michael Lepp – Charlotte, N.C.

- Weber Shandwick Worldwide for FedEx Racing, Press Release

Driver Notes & Quotes: Martinsville Tums Fast Relief 500

RYAN NEWMAN ON HAVING SUCCESS AT MARTINSVILLE: “I like the short-track racing. The more a driver has input – especially with some of the racetracks we go to, you don’t have to brake a lot – the more the driver has input, the more the driver has an effect. The short-track racing I definitely enjoy because of that. You go to a place like Michigan or California, it takes less driver and more car than it does at a short track, in my opinion. That is one of the things I enjoy about Martinsville. We had a good run there in the spring. We were fastest in practice, but we had to start pretty deep in the field because qualifying got rained out. But we had a good enough car that I was able to drive it into the top-10 and race there all day. And there, at the end, Tony Gibson used some strategy and made a pit call that put us in position to win the race with just a handful of laps to go. I was just unlucky on the outside there on the last restart. To get a top-four out of that and on older tires, I can’t complain. So, I look forward to going back. 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 three trips to Martinsville, and we’re looking forward to continuing that streak. It’s a fun racetrack, as long as you stay out of trouble and keep your brakes cool.”

KYLE BUSCH ON GETTING CLOSE TO THE DOMINANCE OF HAMLIN AND JOHNSON AT MARTINSVILLE: “No, they’ve had the dominating cars and they’ve been the dominating drivers. I’m not going to say I can get in Denny’s car. I’ve been in equipment that’s pretty close. I’ve been in equipment that’s been pretty close to Jimmie’s, too. I think I ran fourth to him that time. I think my best finish there was fourth, three times. It’s a difficult racetrack. It’s not easy for everyone. I mean, Jeff Gordon went through a spell of being one of the best guys there. Dale Earnhardt was one of those guys. Richard Petty, back before that. You know, I feel like I’ve gotten better there but, still, I’ve never really been one of the drivers who’s been the one to worry about going into Martinsville. I think I had the best car in the spring that I’ve ever had at Martinsville since I joined JGR, so I’m hoping we can finally get our M&M’s Camry to victory lane there.”

CLINT BOWYER ON LIKING MARTINSVILLE: “I do like it. It took awhile to learn it. I’ll tell you what, it’s very challenging and it’s a lot of fun. You have to look at it like that – that it’s challenging. It’s one of those tracks that I feel like I could win a race.”

BOWYER CHASSIS SELECTION: Clint Bowyer will race Chassis No. 327 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. This is a brand new No. 33 racer that will be put through its first paces in this weekend’s 500-lap contest.

JEFF BURTON ON WHY HE LIKES MARTINSVILLE: “It’s cool to race in your hometown. I grew up about an hour from Martinsville and ran late model races there when I was a kid. I can remember when they announced we were going to run late model races at Martinsville. I remember thinking that it was the coolest thing ever that we would have a chance to do that. That track has always meant a lot. I was able to win my first Nationwide Series race there. We’ve run well there. The spring race was really good for us. We had a shot to win that race but ended up cutting a right-front tire real late. We led a lot of laps and thought we had a great opportunity to win, but it got away from us. I’d like to go back and redeem that.”

BURTON CHASSIS CHOICE: Jeff Burton will race chassis No. 293 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. Built new for the 2010 season, the South Boston, Va., native drove this Caterpillar Chevrolet Impala to an 11th-place finish in February at Las Vegas Motor Speedway before achieving a 10th-place result at Bristol Motor Speedway three weeks later.

KEVIN HARVICK ON MARTINSVILLE: “I think we’ve run well there. We ran well at the first race and had some mechanical issues. We just have to keep doing what we’ve been doing. I think (Jeff) Burton had the fastest car there last time and wound up getting a flat tire, so we will look at those notes and go from there and see what happens.”

HARVICK CHASSIS CHOICE: Kevin Harvick will pilot Chassis No. 322 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. Built new for 2010, this Chevrolet made its debut at New Hampshire Motor Speedway last month, where Harvick finished fifth.

MARTIN TRUEX JR ON RACING AT MARTINSVILLE: “I have a love-hate relationship with Martinsville and if you ask (crew chief) Pat (Tryson) so does he. So far, our best finish of the season has been Martinsville. We’re proud of that top-five and I would never have predicted it. I’ve really learned a lot about the place during the last few times I’ve raced there. We just need to take what we learned in the spring and try to better ourselves. Obviously, that’s the plan going into each weekend, but sometimes it doesn’t always work out as planned. For now, we are going with a game plan and I am looking forward to it. It should be good.”

GREG BIFFLE ON MARTINSVILLE: “Well, it’s obvious by looking at my stats that Martinsville has been a tough place for me. We’ve had a few decent runs there but getting your car to turn can make the difference between a fun race at Martinsville and a long day at Martinsville. When the car is turning and you can get off of the corners on the gas, the race at Martinsville can be one of the most fun races of the season but when it won’t turn or your brakes a failing, it is probably my least favorite track on the circuit. I would say our goal this weekend is to leave Martinsville with a top-10 finish like we did in the spring.”

MATT KENSETH ON MARTINSVILLE: “It’s really hard to be patient at Martinsville because it always seems like you’re getting run into or you’re running into somebody. We’re always racing for the little bit of room we have on the track, so it can easily become a frustrating place. It’s not a tricky racetrack to get around, but a lot of times, it gets tough to be able to tell my crew what we need to change on the car in order to have it handle exactly how I need it to. It’s a place where you race hard all day long in order to get good track position, but you have to be patient as well in order to get a solid finish.”

KENSETH CHASSIS CHOICE: Primary: RK-704 (last run at New Hampshire)

CARL EDWARDS ON RACING AT MARTINSVILLE: “Martinsville is so tough, especially with the double-file restarts. It’s kind of a chaotic moment when you go down into turn one and it really depends who is over-aggressive, who bumps who, how things shake out. If everybody runs like they should, it’s really hard to pass people two-wide at Martinsville already. It’s when people are over-aggressive that you can take advantage. Hopefully, we can do that. Matt (Kenseth) almost won the thing the last time we were there, so I feel like we can run well enough, we just have to make the right calls.”

EDWARDS CHASSIS CHOICE: RK-647 - This car last raced at Loudon in Sept. ’10, Finished 11th

JAMIE McMURRAY CHASSIS CHOICE: Chassis #1007. Bono and the No. 1 team will bring chassis #1007 to Martinsville Speedway this weekend. This chassis was used just last month at Richmond where McMurray finished 17th. The team also used this chassis earlier in the season at the first Richmond event finishing 19th and first Martinsville where McMurray battled handling issues after an on track altercation forcing a 30th-place finish. McMurray and team tested this chassis at Gresham Motorsports Park in August.

JUAN PABLO MONTOYA CHASSIS CHOICE: Chassis #1005. Pattie and the No. 42 Target team are bringing chassis #1005 to Martinsville Speedway this weekend. This chassis was last run in September at Richmond where Montoya started second and finished seventh. The chassis was also used at the first Martinsville event where Montoya had a tire expire forcing a 36th-place finish.