Kurt Busch takes ugly car to Martnsville checkers

Great early battle between Kurt Busch and Brad Keselowski

MARTINSVILLE, Va. — Brad Keselowski said he will remember what Kurt Busch did Sunday afternoon at Martinsville Speedway.

Not Busch winning the STP 500 but making contact with Keselowski on pit road less than 50 laps into the race, damaging Keselowski's car and sending him to the garage.

MORE: Winners & Losers | Race results | Busch wins | Keselowski rips Busch after pit-road incident

Keselowski finished 31 laps down in 38th, and after Keselowski banged doors with Busch in retaliation for the Lap-41 incident, Busch told his team: "Well, I guess we get to get in a fight afterwards because I’m going to go (expletive) that dude’s (expletive) face up."

When told after the race that Busch wanted to rearrange his face, Keselowski had a response:

“Tell him to come here,” Keselowski said. “I’m right here. He knows where I’m at. Leave victory lane. We’ll go.”

Busch and Keselowski used to be teammates at Penske Racing, where they enjoyed a good relationship. Now? Not so much.

“He does awesome things for charity, and he’s probably the most talented racecar driver,” Keselowski said. “He’s also one of the dumbest. Put those three together.”

Keselowski wasn’t the only one interested in retaliation. Busch said in his postrace news conference that Keselowski over-reacted to a pit-road incident and vowed to retaliate for attempting to ruin his day by trying to flatten his tires.

“He targeted us,” Busch said. “He was aiming for us. He tried to flatten all four of my tires. That’s a no-fly zone. That’s a punk-ass move, and he will get what he gets back when I decide to give it back.”

When told that Keselowski pretty much said the same thing, Busch responded: “That’s great.”

Read More Here...Sporting News

Final Results

Final 2014 Martinsville STP 500 Driver Ratings: Hamlin guarantees win

Martinsville heavyweights Hamlin and Johnson tough to beat

LAS VEGAS – Saturday’s final two practice sessions at Martinsville Speedway were rained out, but because we got to see a few drivers run in race trim during Friday’s 90-minute practice, we’re not entirely without data coming into Sunday’s STP 500 like we might be at another track.

Still, the track could make a complete 180-degree turn from what we saw Friday, so it’s best to focus on past results. When three drivers -- Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon and Denny Hamlin -- have combined to win 15 of the past 19 Martinsville races, that's where you start. It doesn't hurt Johnson's or Gordon's chances that both will be using their winning Martinsville chassis from last season.

We came into the week liking Jeff Gordon the most, and we still do, but Hamlin has been elevated to the top of our ratings not only because of his outstanding Friday practice where he topped the charts -- and not just because he’s a native Virginian that has four career wins on his home track -- but also because he guaranteed the win Sunday.

It’s rare to hear a driver guarantee a win, but the last time it happened -- coincidentally enough by Hamlin -- he came through with a win at another flat track at New Hampshire in 2012. When he got out of his car to grab the checkered flag, he did his imitation of Babe Ruth’s called shot -- pointing at the fences -- for the fans. Who doesn’t want to bet a driver that has placed that weight on his shoulders, who is going to scratch and claw for everything in front of him to save face with the media who will surely remind him about his prediction if he doesn’t win?

This is better than a jockey betting on himself to win a horse race. Every driver wants to win more than anything, but the extra pressure to win for something else is very cool. It’s like the driver is all-in on your bet with you.

Because Hamlin looked so good Friday, his odds have been dropped at the LVH Super Book from 8-to-1 down to 9-to-2, making him the co-second choice to win with Gordon. Johnson’s odds were raised from 2-to-1 to 5-to-2 just because of a healthy Hamlin making it a three-way party again at the top. Remember, 15 of the past 19 Martinsville races have been won by these three -- an absolutely insane figure.

The best odds currently available -- from a value standpoint -- might be three-time Martinsville winner Tony Stewart at 20-to-1. It’s tough betting on a driver that is still gimpy from a leg injury -- and Martinsville’s flat half-mile layout is tough on drivers -- but Stewart looked great during Friday’s practice. Stewart also comes into this race having two consecutive top-five finishes (Bristol and Fontana), which seems to indicate that he feels good.

Read More Here.....Final Driver Ratings

Martinsville Driver Chassis Selections: 2014 STP 500

Jeff Gordon using chassis from last year that finished 3rd and 1st

#2-Brad Keselowski: Primary Chassis - PRS-901. Last Raced: New Chassis. Backup Chassis: PRS-853. Last Raced: Texas 2013 (finished 3rd as No. 22 car)

#3-Austin Dillon: will pilot chassis No. 420 in the Martinsville 500 at Martinsville Speedway. This Chevrolet SS was utilized five times during the 2013 season by the Gil Martin-led team with driver Kevin Harvick posting a sixth-place finish at Martinsville Speedway in October, an 11th-place finish at Richmond International Raceway (September), a seventh-place finish at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (July), a first-place finish at Richmond International Raceway (April) and a 13th-place finish at Martinsville Speedway (April).

#5-Kasey Kahne: Crew chief Kenny Francis has selected Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 5-787 for Sunday's race at Martinsville. Kahne drove this chassis twice at Martinsville last year, notably recording a fourth-place result at the paper-clip oval in April 2013

#10-Danica Patrick: Chassis No. 10-865: is a new car that has not been used previously. Backup Racecar - Chassis No. 10-811: Chassis No. 10-811 was first used during a test Aug. 26-27, 2013 at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway. Danica Patrick tested the car on Aug. 26, while teammate Mark Martin tested it Aug. 27. Patrick then drove the car in the September 2013 race at Richmond, where she started 36th and finished 30th, four laps down. Chassis No. 10-811 then served as a backup at Phoenix in November 2013 and March 2014.

#14-Tony Stewart: Chassis No. 14-742: This car first turned its wheels on a racetrack in 2012 during a test session Sept. 4-5 at the Milwaukee Mile in West Allis, Wis., which prepared Chassis No. 14-742 for its debut in the Sept. 23 Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon. There, the car qualified third and led 38 laps before finishing seventh. Chassis No. 14-742 returned to another relatively flat, 1-mile oval when it made its second career start in the penultimate race of the 2012 season at Phoenix International Raceway. After qualifying ninth, a pit road miscue and a lap-282 spin conspired for a 19th-place finish. With a new 2013 Chevrolet SS body, Chassis No. 14-742 returned to Phoenix in February for its third career start, where it had a solid outing, qualifying sixth and finishing eighth. With the exception of a test June 25-26 at New Hampshire, the car sat idle for the remainder of the 2013 season. Chassis No. 14-742 reprised its testing regimen in 2014, with tests Jan. 30-31 at New Smyrna (Fla.) Speedway and Feb. 6 at Gresham Motorsports Park in Jefferson, Ga. The STP 500 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway marks Chassis No. 14-742's first start in more than a year and its fourth overall.

#15-Clint Bowyer: Chassis No. 806 serves as the primary chassis for Bowyer at Martinsville Speedway. It's a new Chassis for the 2014 season. Chassis No. 787 serves as the back-up chassis. Martin Truex Jr. drove this Chassis to a 16th-place finish last October in Martinsville.

#16-Greg Biffle: Primary Chassis: RK-856 Last ran Martinsville - finished 9th. Backup Chassis: RK-867 Last ran Phoenix - finished 17th.

#17-Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: Chassis RK-858 is a chassis that the No. 17 team ran various times in 2013, but most recently at Martinsville where Stenhouse finished 31st after being involved in a wreck early on in the 500-mile race. Backup Chassis: RK-815 - last raced at Dover - finished 17th

#22-Joey Logano: Primary Chassis: PRS-902. Last Raced: New chassis. Bacckup Chassis: PRS-858. Last Raced: Backup at Bristol.

#24-Jeff Gordon: #24 crew chief Alan Gustafson has selected Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 24-788 for this Sunday's race. This chassis has been used in competition twice with both occurring at Martinsville in 2013. Last October, Gordon qualified the car ninth and won the event, while he started sixth and finished third in the April race.

#27-Paul Menard: will pilot chassis No. 419 in the 500-lap race at Martinsville Speedway. This No. 27 Chevrolet SS was utilized five times in 2013 having raced both Martinsville races finishing 19th and 22nd, and Richmond International Raceway events finishing 13th and fifth, and the July race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway where it took the checkered flag in 17th place.

#31-Ryan Newman: will drive chassis No. 435 in Sunday's Martinsville 500 at Martinsville Speedway. This No. 31 Chevrolet SS is brand new in competition and will make its debut for the first time during Friday's practice and qualifying activities.

#41-Kurt Busch: will pilot Chassis No. 867 in Sunday's STP 500 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. Built new for 2014, Chassis 867 will see its first laps of racing competition this weekend.

#48-Jimmie Johnson: Crew chief Chad Knaus has selected Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 48-749 which Johnson drove to Victory Lane last April at Martinsville. Johnson also raced this chassis to a fifth-place finish at the paper-clip shaped oval in October 2013. The backup car is Chassis No. 48-806 which Johnson raced last season at both events in New Hampshire.

#55-Brian Vickers: Primary 807- Never raced. Backup 785 - Elliott Sadler finished 25th subbing for Vickers at Martinsville in October.

#88-Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Crew chief Steve Letarte will unload Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 88-789 for this weekend's race at Martinsville Speedway. Earnhardt most recently raced this chassis to an eighth-place finish at Martinsville last October.

#95-Michael McDowell: will pilot Chassis No. PRS-838 in the STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway. McDowell drove this LFR-prepared Ford Fusion to a 33rd-place finish at Phoenix International Raceway on March 2, as well as driving it at Bristol Motor Speedway on March 16 with a qualifying effort of 24th and finishing 37th.

#99-Carl Edwards: Primary chassis: RK-866 was last run in November 2013 at Phoenix, finishing 21st. Backup chassis: RK-831 was last used in 2014 as a primary at Phoenix, finishing 8th

- compiled by Jayski.com

Updated LVH odds to win 2014 STP 500 at Martinsville

Hamlin odds down to 9/2

STP 500
MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY
SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014

JIMMIE JOHNSON 5-2
BRAD KESELOWSKI 12
KYLE BUSCH 6
MATT KENSETH 18
KEVIN HARVICK 12
DALE EARNHARDT JR 20
KASEY KAHNE 30
JOEY LOGANO 15
JEFF GORDON 9-2
DENNY HAMLIN 9-2
CARL EDWARDS 40
CLINT BOWYER 10
RYAN NEWMAN 50
KURT BUSCH 50
TONY STEWART 20
MARTIN TRUEX JR 100
GREG BIFFLE 100
BRIAN VICKERS 100
AUSTIN DILLON 100
JAMIE McMURRAY 40
RICKY STENHOUSE JR 200
PAUL MENARD 200
KYLE LARSON 100
ARIC ALMIROLA 200
MARCOS AMBROSE 200
AJ ALLMENDINGER 500
CASEY MEARS 500
DANICA PATRICK 200
JUSTIN ALLGAIER 2000
FIELD 500

Kyle Busch on pole at Martinsville, teammate Hamlin right next to him

Kyle Busch grabs his first pole of the season

MARTINSVILLE, Va. — Kyle Busch won the pole Friday at Martinsville Speedway and didn’t set the track record. That belonged to Joey Logano.

In one of the quirks of the new NASCAR qualifying procedure, Busch posted the top speed at 99.674 mph in the final qualifying round to win the pole and the right to lead the STP 500 field to green Sunday.

MORE: STP 500 qualifying results | Martinsville picks | Hendrick's success at track |Hamlin's defense

In the opening round, which determined the 12 drivers who advanced to the pole-setting round as part of NASCAR's new 2014 qualifying format, Joey Logano turned a lap of 100.201 to set the track record.

Logano (99.428 mph in the final round) will start third, behind the Joe Gibbs Racing front row of Busch and Denny Hamlin (99.548).

“(Winning the pole here) is something that doesn’t happen very often, with at least me behind the wheel,” said Busch, who was third in the opening round. “It is a great day for us and the whole team.”

It was Busch’s first pole of the season and first career pole at Martinsville. Of all the JGR drivers, it was expected Hamlin, with four wins at Martinsville, would have the best chance of capturing the pole.

“Denny is always really good here at Martinsville,” Busch said. “We always come here, we always predict Denny to win or finish second to the 48 (of Jimmie Johnson). … It’s just a matter of fighting out to the end.”

Hendrick Motorsports teammates Johnson and Jeff Gordon will start fourth and fifth. Matt Kenseth, Tony Stewart, Carl Edwards, Jamie McMurray and Danica Patrick rounded out the top-10.

Read More Here....Sporting News

Starting Lineup

All question marks about Hamlin answered at first Martinsville practice

Denny Hamlin looks go to go for Sunday

LAS VEGAS -- If there were any doubts about Denny Hamlin’s vision coming into Sunday’s STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway, those concerns should have been erased during Friday’s first practice session. Hamlin, who missed last week's race in Fontana with a sinus infection that affected his vision, flew to the top of the charts as the only driver to top 100 mph.

What was also interesting about the 90-minute practice session is that several drivers used the extra time to run their race set-ups despite having two practice sessions coming up on Saturday. A normal practice on Friday usually has teams running minimal laps exclusively in mock-qualifying trim, but on this Friday six drivers ran 50 laps or more and 17 drivers ran at least 10-consecutive laps.

Brad Keselowski ran the most laps, and on his 67th and final lap, he found his fastest time of the day -- but it was just the 23rd fastest (98.023 mph) among drivers. But Keselowski also had the fastest 10-consecutive lap average. Key drivers Keselowski bested in that category include 2-to-1 favorite and eight-time Martinsville winner Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr, Tony Stewart and Matt Kenseth.

Jeff Gordon and Hamlin, who are just behind Johnson on the oddsboard for Sunday’s race, didn’t run 10-consecutive laps. Gordon, another eight-time Martinsville winner, ran only 32 laps and had the 12th fastest lap (98.615).

The driver Hamlin beat for the top time was Joey Logano (99.313), who ran a total of 42 laps. Kenseth (99.173) was third fastest, followed by Clint Bowyer (99.147) and Stewart (99.126) to round out the top five.

Read More Here.......The Linemakers on Sporting News

Martinsville Practice 1 Speeds

Hamlin opens up with media, guarantees a win Sunday

Denny Hamlin 'confident' at being 'able to run up front' at Martinsville

Hamlin loves Martinsville. He's 8/1 to win there on Sunday

Event: STP 500
Date/Time: March 30/1:00 p.m. ET
2013 winner: Jimmie Johnson
2013 polesitter: Jimmie Johnson
Distance: 500 laps/263 miles
Track Length: 0.526-mile
Banking: 12 degrees
Track Shape: Oval

EXPRESS NOTES:

Fontana Recap: Sam Hornish Jr. filled in for Denny Hamlin and finished 17th in Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., in the #11 FedEx Express Toyota. Hornish, who found out less than an hour before the green flag that Hamlin was unable to participate, started from the rear of the field in his first Cup race in nearly a year to record a top-20 finish in the event won by Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch. Hamlin qualified 13th on Friday, but just before the race on Sunday, was not cleared by medical personnel to race due to an eye irritation that was affecting his vision, later discovered to be a small sliver of metal. Although he had to start from the rear due to the driver change, Hornish immediately moved forward in the running order. Learning about the car on each lap, Hornish avoided a rash of tire problems that plagued many teams, and moved into the top-20 for the final half of the race. Quick work on pit road by the FedEx crew and increased confidence behind the wheel had Hornish on the cusp of the top-10 with less than 50 laps remaining. However, contact from behind in Turn 2 sent the #11 machine up the race track and nearly into the wall, with Hornish saving the car from spinning but losing 10 spots on the track. He made his way back up to 15th for the “green-white-checkered” restart following a caution flag with two laps remaining, and settled for 17th at the end.

Martinsville Preview: Denny Hamlin returns to the seat of the #11 FedEx Freight Toyota for Sunday’s 500-lap race at Martinsville Speedway. Arguably one of Hamlin’s best tracks on the circuit, the 33-year-old Virginia native has four wins at the half-mile ‘paper clip,’ including three in a row from 2009 to 2010. Hamlin has three poles at Martinsville, including the fall race at the track last October, where he led 14 laps and finished seventh. In 16 career Martinsville starts, Hamlin has recorded 13 top-10 finishes and has led at least 12 laps in 12 events. He missed the spring 2013 event due to injury, and Mark Martin drove the #11 FedEx Toyota to a 10th-place finish.

FedEx Office – Closest to Martinsville Speedway: 3731 Battleground Ave., Greensboro, NC 27410, (336) 282-5650

HAMLIN CONVERSATION – MARTINSVILLE:

Are you eager to get back in the car at Martinsville, one of your best tracks?
“It crushed me last week not being able to compete for the guys on the FedEx team. I definitely have extra motivation this weekend at Martinsville, a place that has been a pretty good track for our team over the years. Obviously, with my injury last year, I missed the race one year ago, and we were a little off last fall. But, I’m confident that we will be able to run up front and compete for the win this weekend. I’m feeling better and can’t wait to get back in the car on Friday for practice.”

- Weber Shandwick Worldwide for FedEx Racing

Carl Edwards excited heading to Martinsville as point leader

Carl Edwards is 40/1 to win Sunday at Martinsville

Carl Edwards – STP 500 ADVANCE
Team: No. 99 Fastenal Ford Fusion
Crew Chief: Jimmy Fennig
Primary Chassis: RK-866
Backup Chassis: RK-874
Twitter: @99_RFRracing

ADVANCE NOTES

Edwards at Martinsville Speedway
o Edwards is heading into Martinsville as the points leader and is looking to capture his first win at the half mile track
o Edwards has 19 Sprint Cup starts at Martinsville Speedway with an average start of 17.4 and an average finish of 15.8
o Edwards has finished in the top five one time and in the top ten five times

The Car
o Primary chassis RK-866 was last run in November 2013 at Phoenix, finishing 21st
o Backup chassis RK-831 was last used in 2014 as a primary at Phoenix, finishing 8th

Fastenal
o 2014 marks Fastenal’s sixth year with Roush Fenway Racing and third year in the Sprint Cup Series.
o Edwards earned Fastenal its first victory in 2010 at Road America in the NNS.
o Make sure to follow @FastenalRacing for updates on Carl Edwards and the No. 99 team.

Edwards on Martinsville:
“We are going into Martinsville as the points leader, which is huge. The Fords have been really strong, and we are hoping to turn a corner at Martinsville. We’ve always had a little bit of trouble there. We have struggled at Martinsville, it’s a tough place. It looks like there might be a little bit of weather there on Friday. We are in the best position we can be if it does happen to rain out qualifying, being in the points lead. Overall, it is nice to go there with a win and to be in the points lead because we can go and have some fun. That place really is fun when the car is good. It’s a crazy race track, the fans fill it up because they know it’s a wild race. The last restart is always insane. At this point, the way that the season is going, anything can happen. A clock would be nice. I’d like it because I need a win at Martinsville, everybody else would like it because I’m always late.”

- Roush Fenway Racing

Denny Hamlin cleared to race at Martinsville Sunday

Sam Hornish Jr. drove the No. 11 last week at Fontana

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (March 26, 2014) - Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) driver Denny Hamlin will race this weekend at Martinsville Speedway after NASCAR received official confirmation from his doctors that he has been medically cleared to return to regular racing activities.

Hamlin first visited the infield care center at Auto Club Speedway Saturday night bothered with an irritation in his eye. He returned to the infield care center again on Sunday morning because his condition had worsened. It was at this time that it was determined by the medical team onsite that he would not be allowed to race due to a sinus infection that was impacting his vision. The doctors at the infield care center referred him to the local hospital for further evaluation.

During the evaluation at the hospital a small piece of metal was also found to be in Hamlin’s eye. Doctors were able to remove the sliver of metal and Hamlin felt immediate improvement to his condition. A CT Scan did not find any other complications and thus it is believed that the metal was actually the source of Hamlin’s vision issues. He was released from the hospital Sunday afternoon and was given the doctor’s approval to fly home.

Hamlin was then evaluated by a doctor in the Charlotte area on Monday and was sent home to rest. He was instructed to return Wednesday for a follow-up examination. Following today’s examination, his doctors provided the necessary approval for Hamlin to resume all racing activity without restriction. NASCAR has received official confirmation from his doctors clearing him to resume racing this weekend at Martinsville Speedway.

Hamlin is scheduled to meet with the press in the media room of Martinsville Speedway this Friday at 2 PM ET.

- Joe Gibbs Racing

Clint Bowyer's flat track success should help at Martinsville

Clint Bowyer is 8/1 to win Sunday at Martinsville

CORNELIUS, N.C. — Martinsville Speedway is the smallest track on which the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races. The half-mile oval also has one of the most iconic trophies on the circuit. A seven-foot tall grandfather clock serves as the track’s official award for making it to victory lane.

Clint Bowyer has never won one of those coveted trophies but he has come close numerous times including last year’s race when he finished second. That finish was followed by a third-place run in the fall. In total Bowyer has 10 top-10 finishes in 16 starts at the paper-clip-shaped track. He also ranks in the top 10 in NASCAR’s loop data, a statistical analysis of key categories used to rate drivers.

His stats coupled with a strong run last weekend at Auto Club Speedway leave little doubt that Bowyer, driving the No. 15 5-hour ENERGY Toyota, will once again be a contender this weekend. For Bowyer, it’s time to add a grandfather clock to his trophy collection and Martinsville is the perfect place to accomplish that.

What are your secrets to short track racing at Martinsville? “I wish I knew. I guess I’ve learned Martinsville because when I first went there the first couple of seasons in the sport that was the one race track that I couldn’t wait to leave — I was terrible, I hated it — every aspect of it. Everything in your natural tendencies as a race car driver doesn’t hold true there. Alright, I have to pass this guy in front of me, well I have to get in the corner deeper than him, I have to pick up the gas sooner than him and both of those things it took me about 27 times there before I ever figured it out. It seems like we’re onto something. (Brian) Pattie (crew chief) has really helped me. We’ve focused hard on Martinsville. Studied it, tested a lot of tracks in preparation for Martinsville and got a good setup underneath of us. We’ve taken that all there and have been solid ever since.”

How would you assess your season so far? “We’ve been fast off the truck every weekend. We’ve had speed and been good in practice and qualifying. Our finishes just don’t show it. We had a good run going at Las Vegas and were going to have a great finish last weekend at California. Shoot we had a shot at the win there and just had more bad luck with the tire going down there at the end. We’ve got things going in the right direction. We just need a little luck to go our way. We’ve been running too well not to have better finishes to show for all our hard work.”

CHASSIS
Chassis: Chassis No. 806 serves as the primary chassis for Bowyer at Martinsville Speedway.
It’s a new Chassis for the 2014 season. Chassis No. 787 serves as the back-up chassis.
Martin Truex Jr. drove this Chassis to a 16th-place finish last October in Martinsville.

MARTINSVILLE STATS
Four top-five and 10 top-10 finishes in 16 starts
Completed 7,889 of 8,034 laps (98.2%) of competition and has led 307 laps
Average start 15.6 and average finish 12.6
Best finish of second came in April 2013

NOTES
· Bowyer has a better qualifying average after the first five races than in any other season during his Sprint Cup Series career (11.4).
· In 49 short-track Sprint Cup races, Bowyer has racked up 27 top-10 and 12 top-five finishes and won twice.
· Bowyer ranks in the top 10 in NASCAR’s driver rating (7th)at Martinsville Speedway as well as in other key statistical categories, including: laps led (9th), laps in the top 15 (8th), green flag speed (7th), fastest on restarts (4th), fastest laps run (8th), average running position (6th)and fastest drivers early (5th)and late in a run (4th).
· Since Feb. 2012, Bowyer leads all drivers with an average finish of 7.7 at short tracks and is second to Jimmie Johnson in finishes at Martinsville with an average of 5.0 to Johnson’s 4.75.

- Michael Waltrip Racing

LVH odds to win 2014 Firestone GP of St. Petersburg

JPM back in Indy cars, is 4/1 to win Sunday at St. Pete

FIRESTONE GRAND PRIX OF ST PETERSBURG
ST PETERSBURG STREET CIRCUIT
SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014

WILL POWER 5-2
SCOTT DIXON 7-2
JUAN PABLO MONTOYA 4
HELIO CASTRONEVES 8
RYAN HUNTER-REAY 10
SIMON PAGENAUD 15
JAMES HINCHCLIFFE 18
SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS 20
RYAN BRISCOE 25
TAKUMA SATO 40
JUSTIN WILSON 15
CHARLIE KIMBALL 30
MIKE CONWAY 30
MARCO ANDRETTI 30
TONY KANAAN 30
GRAHAM RAHAL 60
JOSEF NEWGARDEN 100
CARLOS MUNOZ 100
SEBASTIAN SAAVEDRA 100
FIELD 30

Kyle Busch hoping to add Grandfather clock to growing trophy collection

Kyle Busch is 8/1 to win Sunday at Martinsville

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (March 25, 2014) – One look at Kyle Busch’s ever-growing trophy case at his Kyle Busch Motorsports race shop reveals an assortment of impressive hardware for his now 130 overall wins in NASCAR’s top three levels of competition. The latest addition for his 29th career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win came after his exciting last-lap pass Sunday at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif.

One entire display in Busch’s race shop features 16 trophies just from the Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway high-banked, half-mile oval, where the Las Vegas native has been dominant in all three of NASCAR’s top series.

But even though Busch, driver of the No. 18 M&M’s Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR), has more trophies than he probably knows what to do with, there’s one glaring omission from another famous half-mile short track – the traditional, 7-foot-tall clock that Martinsville (Va.) Speedway president Clay Campbell’s late grandfather and track founder H. Clay Earles began awarding Martinsville race winners more than five decades ago.

Needless to say, Busch has his sights set on getting that long-awaited maiden victory at Martinsville, the site of Sunday’s STP 500Sprint Cup race.

Of the 23 venues that will host Sprint Cup events in 2014, 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, Busch has plenty of reasons for optimism this weekend, considering how he has been able to pick up his game at the .526-mile paperclip-shaped oval since he was paired with crew chief Dave Rogers.

During a three-race stretch starting when he joined JGR in the spring of 2008, Busch never finished better than 24th at Martinsville. But his fortunes there began to turn around with a solid fourth-place finish in the fall of 2009.

Enter crew chief Rogers in March 2010. During his first full season under Rogers’ guidance, Busch started a strong string of races at Martinsville with a fourth-place run in October 2010.

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. It continued with another career-best Martinsville finish of third in October 2012, followed by a fifth-place run in October 2013.

Indeed, Busch feels like the M&M’s team keeps getting closer and closer to that elusive win at Martinsville with each return. Despite a blank in the win column, Busch’s solid career totals show eight top-five finishes and nine top-10s in his 18 Sprint Cup starts there with five of those top-five finishes coming over the last nine races there.

Busch will hope to ride the wave of momentum generated by his first victory of the season last weekend at Fontana. It qualified him for the Chase for the Sprint Cup as long as he stays within the top-30 in the standings and starts every race between now and the Chase cutoff following race 26 at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway. At Fontana, Busch led just five laps but brought home the checkered flag in dramatic fashion as he slid by Stewart-Haas Racing teammates Tony Stewart and Kurt Busch, then held off hard-charging rookie Kyle Larson, all on the last lap, to capture the win.

He’ll hope that momentum continues as he aims for his first Martinsville grandfather clock after knocking on the door during several recent visits to the Southern Virginia short track.

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

What did it mean to get a win early in the season at Fontana because of the new Chase rules?
“To put that winner sticker above the door this early in the season is a big deal. It certainly takes the pressure off to win a race to get into the Chase, that’s for sure. That being said, myself and this M&M’s team are pretty intense, so we’ll keep working hard, trying to make our racecars go faster and keep trying to add some more wins. But it certainly helps with the pressure of getting that win, that’s for sure.”

Do you expect the intensity to pick up as the Chase gets closer with the “win-and-you’re-in” scenario for 2014?
“I think you’re going to see it pick up, for sure, and I would especially expect it to pick up also if there are guys leading races who have wins like our team has now, and guys running second who don’t have wins to get themselves in the Chase. I think you’re going to see some things happening, so it’s going to be interesting how all that plays out. It’s a part of what this sport is, it’s what the rules grant it, now, and everybody is playing by the same ones, but some might play a little harder than others.”

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 a couple of times, especially in 2012. 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 that you can be leading the race and think you’ve got a shot to win the thing in the last 30 laps and then getting beat on from behind and getting moved out of the way. It’s certainly a racetrack that’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.”

Is Martinsville similar to any other short tracks you’ve raced on?
“You say it’s similar probably just because the size of it being a half-mile, but Martinsville is not like any other racetrack that I’ve ever raced on. Not even close. Denny Hamlin would probably be able to assess that statement a little closer because he grew up at Southside (Speedway in Midlothian, Va.) and that is a lot closer to this place. Although it’s a quarter-mile, it’s flat and it’s like racing in a parking lot. For me, I’ve raced on three-eighths-mile, half-mile and three-quarter-mile racetracks all across the West and they were banked, they were flat, but nothing that was so conducive to heavy braking and all that kind of stuff. It’s certainly a challenge to figure out how to get around here and it makes it tough on you because the guys who are good here have run here for that many years. There’s always that transition period of younger guys coming in here and having to spend their time and cut their teeth and learn what it takes to run around this place.”

What is it that makes Martinsville so different when it looks so similar to other short tracks?
“Every track is different. There aren’t two racetracks out there that are the same. I would say probably the closest racetrack I grew up racing on was in San Bernardino, Calif. – it was Orange Show Speedway. That’s closest to what Martinsville is. I only ran Legends cars there, so it’s not a true telling. It was only a quarter-mile. It’s just a tough place because you’re so hard on brakes, but your minimum speed there – everybody’s is – the same, pretty much. You’re looking to find things that will make your car just that much faster there. You want to drive into the corner one foot deeper than that other guy. You want to step on the gas a foot sooner than that other guy, and you want to roll a half-mile-an-hour better than that other guy. That’s why it’s so finicky and so hard there, because everybody runs so tight that, any little thing you can find, it can help a lot.”

- True Speed Communication for Kyle Busch Motorsports/Joe Gibbs Racing

Kurt Busch has 'struggled' with the new cars at Martinsville

Kurt Busch is 50/1 to win Sunday at Martinsville

MARTINSVILLE, Va. (March 25, 2014) – Kurt Busch had barely shed his rookie status when he picked up his first victory at Martinsville Speedway. It was way back in 2002 and he was just a year removed from his rookie campaign.

Since then he’s won a NASCAR Sprint Cup championship and a total of 24 Sprint Cup races, but he’s never come close to that early success on Martinsville’s difficult oval.

“It’s been one of those tracks for me,” Busch said of his Martinsville struggles. “I won there early when I was young and naïve. And I enjoyed it when the new concrete was put down (2004). But with the new cars, the Gen 5 and the Gen 6, I’ve struggled.”

And that’s putting it mildly. In 27 Martinsville starts, Busch has just two top-five finishes, including the win, and four top-10 finishes.

He hopes though, that his alignment with Stewart-Haas Racing this season may help solve some of those problems. Teammate and boss Tony Stewart has three Martinsville wins and teammate Kevin Harvick has one and he expects some help from them.
It also doesn’t hurt, he says, that Stewart-Haas has a solid technical alliance with Hendrick Motorsports, and Hendrick cars have been tough to beat at Martinsville in recent years.

“Running well at Martinsville is a matter of understanding what set-ups run well. Hendrick Motorsports has had a clamp-down on Martinsville for a long time,” said Busch. “With having access to their notes through the Stewart-Haas relationship with them, I’m just going to be a good student of Hendrick Motorsports.”

Busch will get the opportunity to put his recently-gathered information to test on Friday at noon when the first practice session for the STP 500 kicks off.

Friday’s action will begin at 9 a.m. on Friday with a 2-hour, 45-minute practice session for the Kroger 250. The final Kroger 250 practice is at 3 p.m. followed by Sprint Cup qualifying at 4:40 p.m.

Saturday’s action begins with a Sprint Cup practice at 10 a.m. followed by qualifying for the Kroger 250 at 11:10 a.m. The final practice session for the STP 500 is scheduled for 1 p.m. The Kroger 250 will take the green flag at 2:30 p.m.

The STP 500 is slated to begin at 1 p.m. on Sunday.

Fan gates open at 9 a.m. each day.

Tickets are available for all three days of racing action and may be purchased by calling 877.RACE.TIX or online at www.martinsvillespeedway.com.

- Martinsville Speedway

Matt Kenseth looking forward to Martinsville return; led 202 laps last fall

Matt Kenseth is 18/1 to win on Sunday at Martinsville

Matt Kenseth/No. 20 Dollar General Toyota Preview
STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway
No. 20 Dollar General Toyota News and Notes:

JOE GIBBS RACING AT MARTINSVILLE: Joe Gibbs Racing has 92 Sprint Cup Series starts at Martinsville Speedway earning a total of seven wins, 31 top-five, 48 top-ten finishes, and seven poles. The organization also has led for a total of 3,267 laps and has an average finish of 13.5 at the 0.526-mile short track.

KENSETH BY THE NUMBERS: In 28 Sprint Cup Series starts at Martinsville, Kenseth has completed 13,901 of 14,034 laps (99.1 percent). Kenseth has led for a total of 371 laps and has earned four top-five and nine top-ten finishes at the half-mile track. A runner-up finish is Kenseth’s career best finish at Martinsville, which he earned in April 2002 and his last race at the track in October of 2013.

DOLLAR GENERAL PARTNER SUPPORT: Dollar General would like to thank vendor partners Angel Soft, Betty Crocker, Brawny, Bugles, Clorox Wipes, Colgate, Energizer, Gain, Gatorade, Hamburger Helper, Hanes, Hefty Reynolds Wrap, Honey Nut Cheerios, Lays, Old Spice, Snuggle, Sparkle, Stacker2, Sun and Windex for their support of the DG Racing program.

RACE INFO: The STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway (0.526-mile) begins at 1:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, March 30th. The race will be broadcast live on FOX, Sirius XM Channel 90 and MRN Radio.

From the Cockpit:
Matt Kenseth: “I think the biggest challenge for Martinsville, probably more than all the tracks we go, is the new qualifying procedure. The challenge is not getting in someone else’s way and not having someone else in your way, so I think that qualifying session is going to be a big deal. I’m not sure that qualifying will be all that different from what we had before there, but there’s definitely the potential of either being in the way, or having someone else in the way, because there’s only one groove there. I think it will make qualifying much tenser just in the aspect of making sure you get a clean lap. You might want to run three laps, or you might want to run four, and you just have to make sure that you don’t have cars in the way. I thought that we had two really great runs last year at Martinsville, which hasn’t always been the case for me, so I’m looking forward to getting back there this weekend with our DG team.”

From the Pit Box:
Jason Ratcliff: “Thankfully we have a good baseline to go off of from our races at Martinsville last year, so it will be a similar plan of attack heading into this weekend, even with the new rules package. We had two really good races at Martinsville last year for our No. 20 team and my goal is to keep that rolling. I really thought we even improved from the first race to the second race at Martinsville last year even. I definitely thought we were a top-five car there last spring, and felt we had a top-two car with a shot to win it last fall, so it’s a race weekend that’s high on our list of places we want to pull out all the stops at.”

Find the Dollar General store nearest you or learn more about the company at www.dollargeneral.com or on Dollar General’s Facebook or Twitter pages.

- Joe Gibbs Racing

Elvis' '73 Stutz Blackhawk III to be display at Charlotte Motor Speedway in April

CONCORD, N.C. (March 25, 2014) – Elvis Presley’s 1973 Stutz Blackhawk III, one of his most famous vehicles and the last car he ever drove through the gates of Graceland, will be the centerpiece display in the Nationwide Insurance Classic Car Showcase Pavilion at the upcoming Charlotte Motor Speedway AutoFair hosted by OldRide.com, April 3-6.

Elvis famously bought dozens of cars for himself and friends during his career, but by all accounts, Elvis’ favorite car and the last automobile he drove in public was his 1973 Stutz Blackhawk III. Because the ’73 Blackhawk enjoyed special status among Elvis fans, as well as being so beloved by the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll himself, officials from Elvis Presley Enterprises recently decided to have the car undergo a special preservation process.

“Elvis Presley’s love of unique and fast cars is legendary, something he shared with millions of other Americans,” said Jack Soden, CEO of Elvis Presley Enterprises. “Graceland in Memphis is honored to work with the team at Charlotte Motor Speedway on the preservation of Elvis’ 1973 Stutz Blackhawk III, one of over 30 vehicles in the Graceland Archives. We look forward to having this historic vehicle on display at the speedway’s AutoFair, and then bringing it back to Graceland, where visitors can see it on permanent display in the Elvis Presley Automobile Museum.”

Soden and his team at Elvis Presley Enterprises entrusted Pontiac collector and restorer Walt Hollifield to return the car to the condition it was in when Elvis last drove the Stutz.

“We did not ‘restore’ the car,” said Hollifield. “That would suggest we stripped off the car’s history with Elvis and made it like it just came from the factory. No, what we did was take it back to exactly how it was when Elvis drove it. We replaced the dry-rotted Firestone tires with a fresh set from that period. We buffed out every inch of the paint. We replaced a few mechanical parts that had decayed from sitting, like sparkplug wires and the muffler. Rather than take the engine apart to inspect it, we looked inside with a camera scope. The doors were sagging, so we fixed the hinges.

“That’s how you do a ‘preservation.’ We preserved Elvis’ time with the car.”

In 1970, the first Blackhawk under the Stutz Motor Car of America banner (a black 1971 model) was air-freighted to the United States to be shown to potential rich clients. Elvis saw it and paid $26,500 for it in October of the same year. Elvis so loved his first Blackhawk that he purchased three more by 1974 – another black ’71, a white ’72, and the black ’73.

Elvis purchased the ’73 Blackhawk III on Sept. 6, 1974, through a General Motors lease agreement after putting down a $20,000 deposit. It had Pontiac’s 230-horsepower V-8, a red leather interior,and an 18-karat gold trim package.The singer made it known that only he would be driving this one, perhaps a caution he developed after the first ’71 was severely damaged in an accident. According to Elvis lore, the King often invited members of his entourage to ride with him in other cars, but in the Blackhawk III he was just as likely to be by himself. Over the next three years, Elvis put 8,450 miles on the ’73.

Shortly after midnight on Aug. 16, 1977, he drove it through the gates of Graceland. As was typical any time Elvis wasn’t touring or in Las Vegas, the Graceland gates were thick with loyal fans, and one managed to photograph him as he enjoyed one final drive with his favorite Stutz and passed away later that day.

“There is such a history behind this car and we are grateful that Elvis Presley Enterprises gave us the prestigious honor of displaying it at AutoFair for the first time in public since its preservation,” said Marcus Smith, president and general manager of Charlotte Motor Speedway. “Elvis’ passion for cars is something that speaks to auto enthusiasts around the globe and we know that they are going to enjoy seeing his most prized vehicle.”

The AutoFair features more than 50 car club displays and more than 10,000 vendor spaces offering an array of automotive parts and memorabilia. More than 1,500 collectible vehicles of all makes and models will be available for sale in the car corral that rings the 1.5-mile superspeedway. In addition, up to 200 cars will be auctioned by Dealer Auctions Inc., and kids can enjoy face-painting, bounce houses, and other games and entertainment in the Play Zone.

Hours for the April 3-6 AutoFair hosted by OldRide.com are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday throughSaturday, and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday. Ticket prices are $10 per day for adults, and children 13 and under are admitted free when accompanied by an adult. Fans who buy three tickets get the fourth day free. Parking for the event is $5. For more information on the four-day event, contact the speedway events department at (704) 455-3205 or visit www.charlottemotorspeedway.com.

To purchase tickets, call the Charlotte Motor Speedway ticket office at 1-800-455-FANS (3267), or visit www.charlottemotorspeedway.com.

- Charlotte Motor Speedway

Brian Vickers says he 'needs to get a (Grandfather) clock' from Martinsville

Brian Vickers is 50/1 to win Sunday at Martinsville

CORNELIUS, N.C. — Do you ever watch a NASCAR race and wish you could ask a racing expert a question? Is there something about the sport you’ve always wanted to know?

Now’s your chance to get those answers. Throughout race weekends in 2014 MWR will collect questions hash-tagged #AskMWR on its @MWRteam Twitter handle.

No. 55 Aaron’s Dream Machine Jackman Wes Evans will host a 3-minute video each Wednesday on www.michaelwaltripracing.com featuring MWR experts answering the best fan questions from the weekend.

If you think you know everything about the sport take a look at the videos from the first few weeks of the season and see if there is a gem of knowledge that might have slipped through the cracks during your years of race watching.

Evans has already answered questions about pit crew communication through hand signals, transportation challenges posed by west coast races, the weight of tire inner liners and car setups in night versus day races.

Sarah Vickers, Brian Vickers’ wife, tweeted #AskMWR for an explanation of how the teams calculate fuel mileage without gauges in the car.

Her husband is a viewer.

“This is a really cool idea and a great way to connect with our fans no matter how much they know about racing,” said Brian Vickers. “You have to be a hardcore race fan to ask about the weight of inner liners and some of the things that are asked. Wes also takes the time to explain some of the stuff new fans might not know. They do a good job with the videos and you get answers from the people that know best.”

Vickers hopes next week’s questions will be about where he’ll showcase his new grandfather clock— the unique trophy presented to the winner at Martinsville Speedway where the Sprint Cup Series races this weekend.

“I’d love to get a clock. I don’t have one of those yet. We’ve come close. We’ve led laps, but we need to get a clock. I think it’s a beautiful piece. It’s one of the most unique and special trophies I think on the circuit. I know a few guys that have one — it’s one of their prized trophies,” said Vickers who is 14th in points after two consecutive top-10 finishes in the Aaron’s Dream Machine.

“I actually remember coming to Martinsville as a kid and watching races. We stood in the corners before pit road changed and watched the cars go by. As a kid I always thought it was pretty cool the train went by the race track. Martinsville has always been a special place for me whether it was coming as a fan, running my first stock car race there, running Late Models or now running in the Cup Series here.”

NOTES:
· CHASSIS: Primary 807— Never raced. Backup 785 — Elliott Sadler finished 25th subbing for Vickers at Martinsville in October.
· TESTING: The No. 55 team tested at Sonoma Raceway Tuesday and Wednesday as part of a Goodyear tire test.
· MWR AT MARTINSVILLE: In 2012 and 2013 only Penske Racing’s 9.63 and Hendrick Motorsports’ 10.75 average finish is better than MWR’s 13.83 average finish at Martinsville.
· CREW CHIEF BILLY SCOTT: The Daytona 500 marked the first race for No. 55 Aaron’s Dream Machine Crew Chief Billy Scott. The 36-year-old began racing motorcycles as a 5-year-old and stock cars when he turned 15. He worked in the truck series as a mechanic before he returned to college to obtain an engineering degree. After graduating in 2005 Scott worked at Robert Yates Racing and began as an engineer at MWR in 2008. He has served exclusively as the No. 55 team’s lead engineer the last two seasons.
· AARON’S: Aaron’s joined MWR in 2000 serving as a primary sponsor in Sprint Cup and Nationwide races. The Atlanta-based company has grown from 500 to 2,100 stores in that time. Aaron’s carries only the best brand names in furniture, electronics, appliances and computers and offers a variety of flexible payment options. It’s really easy to get started owning at Aaron’s – you are pre-approved for up to $2,500 in merchandise without needing credit. Visit Aarons.com for more information.

- Michael Waltrip Racing

Even at 5/1 odds, Gordon still offers value at Martinsville

Jeff Gordon has eight grandfather clocks won from Martinsville

LAS VEGAS-- We've had five different drivers win in the first five races of the season and according to the LVH SuperBook, it’s likely Sunday's STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway will produce the sixth straight different winner. Three drivers have combined to win 15 of the past 19 Martinsville races, and all three of those drivers have yet to win this season. Jimmie Johnson has eight of the wins during that span, including two of the past three events, which is why he is a massive 2-to-1 favorite to win Sunday.

In his past 20 Martinsville starts, Johnson has an average finish of 3.8, which is the most eye-popping stat in NASCAR. To avoid all the pitfalls that most everyone else seems to have on the flat half-mile paper-clip is one of the most amazing things we have witnessed during Johnson's storied career. Forget the six championships; dominating at the highest level, for so long, should be on a 'Ripley's believe it not' episode.

Jeff Gordon won the fall race at Martinsville last season and gained the eighth grandfather's clock (the trophy for winning) of his Hall-of-Fame career. Over 42 starts, Gordon has also notched 27 top-5 finishes. If it weren't for Johnson, Gordon would be the hands-down favorite to win, but he still comes in at his lowest odds of the season to win a race at 5-to-1.

Beyond his great history, the thing that makes Gordon appear to be the best value this week is that he's on a roll. Last week at Fontana, he had his best car of the season though he came up with his worst finish, thanks in part to a Clint Bowyer spin, while Gordon was leading, that brought out a late caution flag. Gordon's 13th-place finish was his first finish outside the top-10 this season.

Read More Here.....LVH Odds to win

Ryan Newman: "I wish we had more short tracks like Martinsville'

Ryan Newman won at Martinsville in 2012; he's 35/1 this week

Ryan Newman
No. 31 Quicken Loans Chevrolet SS

Event Preview Fact Sheet

This Week’s Quicken Loans Chevrolet SS at Martinsville Speedway … Ryan Newman will drive chassis No. 435 in Sunday’s Martinsville 500 at Martinsville Speedway. This No. 31 Chevrolet SS is brand new in competition and will make its debut for the first time during Friday’s practice and qualifying activities.

Newman at Martinsville’s half-mile … In 24 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Martinsville Speedway, Newman visited victory lane at this event in 2012. The Rocket Man also owns three pole awards, all happening in the fall events in 2002, ’04 and ’09. In total, he owns seven top-five and 11 top-10 finishes. The South Bend, Ind., native has an average start of ninth and average finish of 15th. When calculating points earned over the last 10 races at the half-mile track, Newman ranks fourth in amount of points earned.

Engineered to Amaze … Detroit-based Quicken Loans Inc. is the nation’s fourth largest retail home mortgage lender. The company closed a record $80 billion of volume across all 50 states in 2013. Quicken Loans generates loan production from web centers located in Detroit, Cleveland and Scottsdale, Arizona. The company also operates a centralized loan processing facility in Detroit, as well as its San Diego-based One Reverse Mortgage unit. Quicken Loans ranked #1 in customer satisfaction among all home mortgage lenders in the United States by J.D. Power for four consecutive years in 2013, 2012, 2011 and 2010.

Quicken Loans was named among the top-30 companies on FORTUNE magazine’s annual “100 Best Companies to Work For” list for the last 11 consecutive years, ranking #5 in 2014. It ranked in the top-15 of Computerworld magazine’s “100 Best Places to Work In Technology” for the past nine years, ranking #1 in 2013. The company moved its headquarters to downtown Detroit in 2010, and now more than 8,500 of its 10,000-plus team members work in the city’s urban core. For more information about Quicken Loans, please visit www.quickenloans.com, on Twitter at @QLnews, and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/QuickenLoans.

Point of Interest … Newman ranks eighth in the championship point standings, trailing the current leader by just 36 markers heading into the sixth NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event of 2014.

Race Rewind … Last season, Newman started 10th and had a strong run cut down by two flat tires. It resulted in a 31st-place finish.

RYAN NEWMAN QUOTE:

What are your thoughts on Martinsville Speedway?
“I really like Martinsville Speedway. I wish we had more short tracks like Martinsville. Short-track racing is some of the best racing we have going for our sport because of the quality of racing we have there. The mechanical grip is always a factor at that track and it depends on which tire Goodyear brings for us. Mechanical grip and tires can manipulate the kind of weekend you are going to have and hopefully you can adapt quickly, as well as adjust appropriately throughout the course of the weekend. I like the challenge of having to chase the combination of the tire and race track. The track changes day to day so the key is making the right adjustments so you don’t go off path. I am really looking forward to having a good race there in the Quicken Loans Chevrolet.”

- Richard Childress Racing

Martinsville Storylines: 2014 STP 500

Jeff Gordon and Denny Hamlin are two of the top candidates to win 

NASCAR Storylines for Week of Mar. 24, 2014

NASCAR has never been predictable.

Heading into each race weekend there are several favorites pundits point to as possible candidates for capturing the win.

With five different winners in the first five races of 2014, predicting a race’s outcome is even more difficult this year.

Kyle Busch ended up victorious but not before a late restart put Landon Cassill on the point for a green-white-checkered finish.

Busch’s prize for winning? A probable spot in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

With the series headed to Martinsville for Sunday’s STP 500, eight-time winners at the short track Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon have to be considered the favorites. Neither have won in 2014 and would become the sixth different driver to win in the first six races – a Chase-era record.

But, it could be anybody.

Although Larson came close to claiming his first victory in NASCAR’s premier series, a win in Saturday’s Nationwide race and a runner-up performance on Sunday made his trip home one he’ll remember for a long time.

He at least hopes his second visit to NASCAR’s shortest track will be more rewarding than his first trip last year when he finished 42nd.

After five races and five different winners to kick off the NASCAR Nationwide season as well, the drivers receive a much-deserved weekend off before returning to action on April 4 at Texas Motor Speedway.

The series heads to the off week with Regan Smith and Trevor Bayne tied for the points lead. The strong rookie class continues to impress with at least two Sunoco Rookie of the Year contenders finishing in the top 10 of every race so far this season.

With the last four weeks now in the rearview mirror, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series finally returns to action at Martinsville Speedway where the new truck styles make their short-track debut.

Among the drivers suiting up for the second truck race of the season is Darrell Wallace Jr., who in his last visit to the track became the second African-American driver to win a national series race.

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES – STP 500, SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 1 P.M. ET ON FOX

Five Different Winners In First Five Races
When Kyle Busch crossed the finish line first in the Auto Club 400 on Sunday, he became the fifth driver in the season’s first five races to celebrate in Victory Lane. And there’s good reason to think that trend will contend this weekend at Martinsville Speedway. Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon, last year’s winners at the shortest track in the NSCS, are both searching for their first wins of 2014 and are the Kings of Martinsville with eight wins apiece. Six different winners in the first six races would be a Chase-era record.

Kyle Busch Makes His Case For Chase Spot
After a thrilling end to the Auto Club 400 that saw Kyle Busch hold off rookie Kyle Larson in a green-white-checkered finish, the Las Vegas native has virtually locked up a spot in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. It was his second consecutive victory at the two-mile speedway. A second win in the season’s first 26 races would cement his spot in the postseason. The series now heads to Martinsville Speedway where Busch tied his best result there last fall with a third-place finish.

Larson Shines In Homecoming, Challenge Awaits
Kyle Larson of Elk Grove, Calif., had an incredible weekend, first winning the NASCAR Nationwide race on Saturday and then finishing second in the NASCAR Sprint Cup race on Sunday. Now comes perhaps his toughest challenge of the season to date – Martinsville Speedway. He didn’t race there in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, and last year in his only NASCAR Sprint Cup start at the short track, he finished 42nd due to engine problems.

‘Smoke’ Continues To Rise
After sitting out the final 15 races of 2013 due to a leg injury and enduring a rough start to his return, Tony Stewart has posted consecutive top-five finishes at Bristol and Auto Club in the last two races. The three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion is still looking for his first victory of 2014 and all but clinching a spot in the 16-driver Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Next up is the STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway, where has won three times, most recently in 2011.

Can Martinsville Reheat Earnhardt’s Season?
After a torrid start to the 2014 season, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has cooled down following two consecutive finishes outside the top 10 at Bristol and Auto Club. The good news for Earnhardt and Junior Nation: Martinsville Speedway is on deck. Although the popular driver has never won in Martinsville, his driver rating of 98.9 at the short track is his best in terms of the loop data statistic. In 22 starts, he has two runner-up finishes to go along with 10 top fives and 15 top 10s.


- NASCAR

Video: Roberts talks Martinsville odds

Martinsville Track Facts: 2014 STP 500

Jimmie Johnson has won eight grandfather clocks at Martinsville

Martinsville Speedway Data

Season Race #: 6 of 36 (03-30-14)

Track Size: 0.526-mile

Banking/Turn 1 & 2: 12 degrees

Banking/Turn 3 & 4: 12 degrees

Banking/Frontstretch: 0 degrees

Banking/Backstretch: 0 degrees

Frontstretch Length:  800 feet

Backstretch Length:  800 feet

Race Length: 500 laps / 263 miles

 

Top 10 Driver Ratings at Martinsville

Jimmie Johnson........................ 124.0

Jeff Gordon.............................. 121.1

Denny Hamlin............................ 111.4

Dale Earnhardt Jr........................ 98.9

Tony Stewart............................... 98.5

Kyle Busch................................. 97.0

Clint Bowyer............................... 93.8

Kevin Harvick.............................. 92.9

Brad Keselowski......................... 89.2

Ryan Newman............................. 87.4

Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2013 races (18 total) among active drivers at Martinsville Speedway.

 

Qualifying/Race Data

2013 Coors Light Pole winner:

Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet

98.400 mph, 19.244 secs. 04-05-13

 

2013 race winner:

Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet

72.066 mph, (03:38:58), 04-07-13

 

Track qualifying record:

Denny Hamlin, Toyota

99.595 mph, 19.013 secs. 10-25-13

 

Track race record:

Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet

82.223 mph, (3:11:55), 09-22-96

 

 

Martinsville Speedway:

History

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

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

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

·         The track was paved in 1955.

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

·         Concrete corners were added atop asphalt in 1976.

Notebook

·         There have been 130 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Martinsville Speedway, one in the inaugural year and two races per year since 1950.

·         593 drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Martinsville; 374 in more than one.

·         NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty has the all-time most NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Martinsville with 67 starts; Jeff Gordon has the most among active drivers with 42.

·         Curtis Turner won the inaugural Coors Light pole at Martinsville Speedway in 1949.

·         57 drivers have Coors Light poles at Martinsville, led by NASCAR Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip with eight; Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with seven.

·         12 drivers have won two or more consecutive Coors Light poles at Martinsville Speedway. Four of the 12 have won three consecutive poles at Martinsville: Glen Wood (Fall of 1959 and 1960 sweep); Darrell Waltrip (1979 sweep and spring 1980); Mark Martin (fall of 1990 and 1991 sweep); Jeff Gordon (2003 sweep and spring 2004).

·         Youngest Martinsville pole winner: Ricky Rudd (4/26/1981 – 24 years, 7 months, 14 days).

·         Oldest Martinsville pole winner: Morgan Shepherd (4/26/1987 – 45 years, 6 months, 14 days).

·         47 different drivers have won at Martinsville Speedway, led by Richard Petty with 15; Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon lead the series among active drivers with eight wins each.

·         23 drivers have multiple wins at Martinsville Speedway only four active drivers have multiple wins:  Jimmie Johnson (eight), Jeff Gordon (eight), Denny Hamlin (four) and Tony Stewart (three).

·         Hendrick Motorsports leads the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in wins at Martinsville Speedway with 21.  

·         21 of 130 races (16.1%) at Martinsville Speedway have been won from the Coors Light pole; seven of those 21 wins came from active drivers: Tony Stewart (2000), Jeff Gordon (2003 twice), Jimmie Johnson (2008, 2012, spring 2013) and Denny Hamlin (2010).

·         The Coors Light pole is the most proficient starting spot in the field at Martinsville producing more wins (21) than any other starting position.

·         36 of the 130 (27.6%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Martinsville Speedway have been won from the front row: 21 from the pole and 15 from second-place.

·         95 of the 130 (73%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Martinsville Speedway have been won from a top-10 starting position.

·         Five of the 130 (3.8%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Martinsville Speedway have been won from a starting position outside the top 20.

·         The deepest in the field that a race winner has started was 36th, by Kurt Busch in the fall of 2002.

·         Youngest Martinsville winner: Richard Petty (04/10/1960 – 22 years, 9 months, 8 days).

·         Oldest Martinsville winner: Harry Gant (09/22/1991 – 51 years, 8 months, 12 days).

·         NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt leads the series in runner-up finishes at Martinsville Speedway with seven; Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with four, followed by his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson with three. 

·         Richard Petty leads the series in top-five finishes at Martinsville Speedway with 30; Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with 27, followed by Jimmie Johnson with 17.

·         Richard Petty leads the series in top-10 finishes at Martinsville Speedway with 37; Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with 34, followed by Jimmie Johnson (21).

·         Jeff Gordon leads active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average starting position at Martinsville Speedway with a 7.238. Ryan Newman is the only other active driver with an average starting position at Martinsville in the top-10 (9.417).

·         Three active drivers have a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series average finish in the top-10 at Martinsville: Jimmie Johnson (5.333), Jeff Gordon (6.833) and Denny Hamlin (8.125).

·         There have been five NSCS green-white-checkered finishes at Martinsville Speedway: fall 2007 (500/506), fall 2008 (500/504), fall 2009 (500/501), spring 2010 (500/508), and spring 2012 (500/515).

·         Jeff Gordon has participated in the most NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Martinsville Speedway without a DNF (42).

·         Tony Stewart (4/18/1999) and Scott Riggs (4/10/2005) won their first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light poles at Martinsville Speedway.   

·         Mike Bliss (09/27/1998), Travis Kvapil (10/24/2004), Michael McDowell (3/30/2008) and Scott Speed(10/19/2008) made their first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career starts at Martinsville Speedway.

·         12 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers have posted consecutive wins at Martinsville Speedway. Fred Lorenzenwon four NSCS races straight (the most) from the fall of 1963 through the spring of 1965. 

·         All 10 active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers who have won at Martinsville Speedway participated in at least two or more races before visiting Victory Lane. Tony Stewart won at Martinsville with the fewest previous appearances (three).

·         Ryan Newman competed at Martinsville Speedway 20 times before winning in the spring of 2012; the longest span of any the 10 active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winners.

·         Four drivers have made 10 or more attempts before their first win at Martinsville Speedway: Mark Martin (12);Bobby Labonte (18), Kevin Harvick (19) and Ryan Newman (20).

·         Since the advent of electronic scoring the closest margin of victory in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Martinsville Speedway is the 4/1/2007 race won by Jimmie Johnson with a MOV of 0.065 second.

·         Danica Patrick is the only female driver to compete at Martinsville Speedway in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. 

Driver	Starting Position	Finishing Position	Date
Danica Patrick	32	12	4/7/2013
Danica Patrick	41	17	10/27/2013

 

·         Seven car numbers have produced five or more Martinsville Speedway NSCS wins:

Car Number – Drivers – (Years)

o    No. 43  – Richard Petty (1960, ’62, ’63, ’67 sweep, ’68, ’69 sweep, ’70, ’71, ’72 sweep, ’73, ’75 and ’79); John Andretti (1999)

o    No. 11 – Cale Yarborough (1974, ’76, ’77 sweep, ‘78); Darrell Waltrip (1981, ’82, ’83, ’84); Geoff Bodine (1990 sweep); Denny Hamlin (2008, ’09, ’10 sweep)

o    No. 28 – Fred Lorenzen (1961, ’63, ’64 sweep, ‘65 and ‘66); Buddy Baker (1979); Ernie Irvan (1993).

o    No. 2 – Dale Earnhardt (1980); Rusty Wallace (1993, ‘94 sweep, ’95, ’96 and ‘04)

o    No. 48 – Jimmie Johnson (2004, ’06, ’07 sweep, ’08, ’09, ’12, ‘13)

o    No. 24 – Jeff Gordon (1996, ’97, ’99, ’03 sweep and ’05 sweep, fall 2013)

o    No. 3 – Ricky Rudd (1983); Dale Earnhardt (1985, ’87, ’88, ’91, ’95)

NASCAR in Virginia

·         There have been 282 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races among nine tracks in Virginia.

Track Name	City	NSCS
Martinsville Speedway	Martinsville	130
Richmond International Raceway	Richmond	115
South Boston Speedway	South Boston	10
Langley Field Speedway	Hampton	9
Old Dominion Speedway	Manassas	7
Southside Speedway	Richmond	4
Starkey Speedway	Roanoke	4
Norfolk Speedway	Norfolk	2
Princess Anne Speedway	Norfolk	1

 

·         169 drivers in NASCAR national series history have their home state recorded as Virginia.

·         19 drivers from Virginia have won at least one race in NASCAR’s three national series. 11 of the 19 Virginia native NASCAR winners have won in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

 

Driver	NSCS	NNS	NCWTS
Joe Weatherly	25	0	0
Denny Hamlin	23	11	2
Ricky Rudd	23	1	0
Jeff Burton	21	27	0
Curtis Turner	17	0	0
Ward Burton	5	4	0
Glen Wood	4	0	0
Elliott Sadler	3	9	1
Emanuel Zervakis	2	0	0
Lennie Pond	1	0	0
Wendell Scott	1	0	0
Tommy Ellis	0	22	0
Jimmy Hensley	0	9	2
Rick Mast	0	9	0
Hermie Sadler	0	2	0
Elton Sawyer	0	2	0
Stacy Compton	0	0	2
Jon Wood	0	0	2
Jeb Burton	0	0	1

 

- NASCAR