Rain Washes Away Martinsville Qualifying, Larson on Pole

Kyle Larson third fastest in first Martinsville practice.

MARTINSVILLE, Va. (AP) Things keep going right for Kyle Larson.

Hours after saying he hoped qualifying for Sunday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race would be rained out, he got his wish, giving him the pole position on a track where he has struggled.

”I think it will be a good advantage to start on the pole, get the jump and hopefully take care of my stuff early,” said Larson, the early season points leader.

Read More Here....Fox Sports

Denny Hamlin fastest in first Martinsville practice

Denny Hamlin claimed the fastest speed of the first NASCAR Cup Series practice at Martinsville Speedway Friday afternoon.

Hamlin posted a speed of 95.256 mph in the session that was delayed a half hour for track drying.

The Joe Gibbs Racing driver was followed by Kyle Busch (95.060 mph), Kyle Larson (94.970) and Ryan Newman (94.908). Jamie McMurray and Clint Bowyer tied for fifth at 94.889 mph.

Joey Logano had the top 10-lap averages at 94.749 mph.

Daniel Suarez will go to a backup car after the rookie wrecked late in the session. Suarez told Fox Sports 1 “something weird” occurred with his brakes when they locked entering Turn 3, sending his No. 19 backward into outside wall.

Read More Here....NBC Sports

Practice 1 Speeds

Native Virginian Denny Hamlin has won five times at Martinsville Speedway.

Kyle Busch on a Martinsville roll lately, co-favorite to win Sunday

Kyle Busch is 6/1 co-favorite to win at Martinsville on Sunday.

The southern Virginia short track used to challenge Kyle Busch earlier in his career, especially during the early years of racing under the JGR banner. In fact, Busch finished outside the top-10 in three out of his first four races there with JGR in 2008 and 2009. By contrast, Busch has scored five top-five finishes in his last eight Martinsville starts with his worst finish being 15th . 

At the pinnacle of recent Martinsville success for Busch and the M&M’s team is the 2015 Cup Series champion’s first career win at the paperclip-shaped oval last April. Not only did he bring home his first Martinsville clock, he did it in dominating fashion, leading five times for a race-high 352 laps en route to victory lane. 

So as Busch heads back to Martinsville for Sunday’s Cup Series STP 500, he’ll hope to rekindle the magic from one year ago at the .526- mile short track in southern Virginia in hopes of collecting a few more grandfather clocks and perhaps some more fans in the process. 

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

How do you feel about the race this week at Martinsville? 

“We’ve run well the last couple of times at Martinsville and we’re definitely pumped about getting back there. I’m hoping we can have a really good car there again this time around like we did last spring. We led a lot of laps and we were really fast. Hoping that some of those things we were able to push through there a year ago at Martinsville we’ll be able to do this time around with our M&M’s Camry.” 

What is the key to you getting a win at Martinsville? 

“It’s a tough racetrack and, any time you come in the pits and make an adjustment on your car, you certainly hope it goes the right way, or you make enough of it, or you don’t make too much of an adjustment. The last run can be tricky, too, because you can be coming off a 50- lap run on right-side tires and take four and you’ve only got 30 (laps) to go, or you could have 80 to go and you know you have to manage that run all the way to the end.” 

Did running the Truck Series race at Martinsville help show you what you needed to bring home your first Cup win there last April? 

“I’d say it certainly helps when you get to run other divisions and that’s why I do it – to pay off on Sundays. It doesn’t work every single weekend, but it works more times than it doesn’t, so can’t say enough about everyone at KBM (Kyle Busch Motorsports) for giving me a great piece to help me learn, teach me some more things about Martinsville that I didn’t already know in 30 other prior starts. Last year, we had a really good car through practice and Adam (Stevens, crew chief) made some really good adjustments overnight to keep us where we needed to be in order to run up front all day, lead a lot of laps – probably led the most laps there. To win at Martinsville was really cool – finally get to take a clock home.” 

Where did you put the Martinsville Speedway grandfather clocks? 

“One’s at home in the foyer and I had to turn off the buzzer because it’s close to (son) Brexton’s room, so we don’t get to hear it. We heard it a couple of times while it went off, but then I turned it off. And then, the other one, we’re just going to leave it at KBM (Kyle Busch Motorsports) and have it there.” 

Were you surprised by the response to your fan video from after the Martinsville Speedway race? “Yeah, I was surprised at the response that it got, certainly. We were just kind of messing around rolling down the road in traffic and figured we’d give it a shot. I’ve done things like that before where I’ve just kind of waved at them or whatever. But her response – it seemed as though it initiated a little bit more where I asked her for her hat and gave her an autograph on the hat. It probably wouldn’t have happened if she was wearing another driver’s hat, but I don’t know maybe we’ll have to try to the flip side of that another day. She came to the track and we got to spend some time with her in Bristol a few weeks later, so it was a memorable time for all of us during this time last year.”

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Martinsville Notes

Kyle Larson has been talk of the young 2017 season.  

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series

Next Race: STP 500

The Place: Martinsville Speedway

The Date: Sunday, April 2

The Time: 2 p.m. ET

TV: FS1, 12:30 p.m. ET

Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Distance: 263 miles (500 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on lap 130),

Stage 2 (Ends on lap 260), Final Stage (Ends on lap 500)

NASCAR XFINITY Series

Next Race: My Bariatric Solutions 300

The Place: Texas Motor Speedway

The Date: Saturday, April 8

The Time: 1:30 p.m. ET

TV: FOX, 1 p.m. ET

Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Distance: 300 miles (150 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on lap 45),

Stage 2 (Ends on lap 90), Final Stage (Ends on lap 200)

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series

Next Race: Alpha Energy Solutions 250

The Place: Martinsville Speedway

The Date: Saturday, April 1

The Time: 3 p.m. ET

TV: FOX, 2:30 p.m. ET

Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Distance: 131.5 miles (250 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on lap 70), 

Stage 2 (Ends on lap 140), Final Stage (Ends on lap 250)

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series

California Winning: Larson Notches First Win Of Season At Auto Club

Kyle Larson snapped a streak of three consecutive runner-ups, leading 110 laps and winning Stage 1 on his way to Victory Lane in last Sunday’s Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California.

The No. 42 Chevrolet driver extended his Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series points lead to 29 points over Chase Elliott. Because of his victory and stage win, Larson now has six playoff points.

Larson, who also won Saturday’s NASCAR XFINITY Series race, became the 17th driver to sweep a national series weekend.

The 24-year-old Californian hopes to start a winning streak at Martinsville Speedway in Sunday’s STP 500 (2 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). He owns a high finish of third there.

Bowyer Captures First Top-5 Finish Since 2015

Clint Bowyer’s third-place showing marked his first top-five result since he finished fifth at Bristol on Aug. 22, 2015. It was also Bowyer’s best finish since his third-place showing at Sonoma on June 28, 2015.

Bowyer has two top 10s so far this season, only one less than his mark from last year when he finished a career-low 27th in the final standings.

Right now, the Kansas native sits eighth in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series points standings, 100 markers below leader Kyle Larson.

This is Bowyer’s first season with Stewart-Haas Racing, replacing three-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion Tony Stewart in the No. 14 Ford.

“It means a lot to me to be in this 14,” Bowyer said. “I have a lot of fun with these guys. Buga (crew chief Mike Bugarewicz) and all these guys mean business. It’s a confidence thing right now, a momentum-builder, and we’re getting closer. Obviously, this is a good track for me. I wanted to win that damn thing, but to come home with the wild finish and everything that it was, we’ll take it.”

Truex Back Up Top

Martin Truex Jr. is showing his breakout in the last two Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series seasons was no aberration. The No. 78 Furniture Row Racing driver, who won a career-high four races last season, has powered to a strong 2017 start with one win, two top fives and three top 10s in the first five races.

Truex leads the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series with eight playoff points and is tied with Kevin Harvick for first in stage wins with three. His 7.4 average finish ranks second-best to Kyle Larson (3.8). Truex sits third in the points standings, 38 points behind Larson.

Plethora Of Young Drivers In Playoff Picture

We’re only five races into the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season, but if it ended today, six drivers under the age of 27 would make the playoffs: Kyle Larson (24 years old), Chase Elliott (21), Joey Logano (26), Ryan Blaney (23), Erik Jones (20) and Trevor Bayne (26).

Blaney, Jones and Bayne would all be first-time playoff participants. Jones would join Elliott (2016), Chris Buescher (2016) and Denny Hamlin (2006) as the fourth Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender to ever make the playoffs.

Martinsville’s Finest: Jimmie Johnson Leads Active Drivers With 9 Wins At The Paperclip

Seven-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson has struggled in the first five races with only one top-10 finish – a ninth-place showing at Phoenix.

Luckily for the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports driver, he’ll get the chance to turn his season around at arguably his top track – Martinsville Speedway.

Johnson leads active drivers with nine wins, 19 top fives, 24 top 10s, a 7.8 average finish and a 117.7 driver rating at “The Paperclip.”

He won the fall Martinsville race last year to clinch his spot in the Championship 4.

Hendrick Motorsports boasts a Martinsville track-record 24 wins.

Kyle Busch Attempts To Defend Spring Martinsville Victory

Kyle Busch will attempt to visit Victory Lane for the second consecutive spring at Martinsville in Sunday’s STP 500 at the Southern Virginia short track. Busch led 352 of 500 laps on his way to his first win of 2016. Overall, he claims one win, 11 top fives and 12 top 10s at Martinsville.

On the season, Busch has finishes of 38th (Daytona), 16th (Atlanta), 22nd (Las Vegas), third (Phoenix) and eighth (Auto Club). He won Stage 1 at Daytona.

Busch sits 10th in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series points standings, 107 markers below Kyle Larson.

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, Etc.

Parity Party: 5 Different Winners Through First 5 Races: Five different drivers have won the first five Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races: Kurt Busch (Daytona), Brad Keselowski (Atlanta), Martin Truex Jr. (Las Vegas), Ryan Newman (Phoenix), Kyle Larson (Auto Club).

Keselowski Records Fourth Straight Top-Five Finish: Lost in Kyle Larson’s blazing hot start to the season has been the consistency of 2012 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion Brad Keselowski. The No. 2 Ford driver has strung together four straight top-five finishes, including a win (Atlanta) and runner-up (Auto Club).

- NASCAR

Kurt Busch is 50/1 to win at Martinsville this week

Kurt Busch has two wins at Martinsville.

Chassis No. 865: Kurt Busch will pilot Chassis No. 865 in Sunday’s Martinsville 500 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. Formerly a No. 10 chassis for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) teammate Danica Patrick, Chassis No. 865 debuted in March 2014 at Martinsville, where Patrick started 10th and finished 32nd. Its next event was in July at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, where she started 29th and finished 22nd. Chassis No. 865 then raced at Martinsville in October, where Patrick started 30th and finished 34th after being involved in an accident late in the race. 

Chassis No. 865 was utilized in both 2015 races at Martinsville, where Busch finished 14th in March and was in contention for the win in October when he was caught up in an incident not of his own making and was relegated to a 34th-place finish. Chassis No. 865 again was utilized in both races at Martinsville in 2016. Busch finished 13th in March and struggled with ill handling and finished 22nd in its most recent start there last October.

KURT BUSCH, Driver of the No. 41 Monster Energy/Haas Automation Ford Fusion for Stewart-Haas Racing: What is the toughest part about racing at Martinsville? 

“To me, the toughest part of Martinsville is you just never have a moment to breathe. You have to be on your game nonstop for 500 laps because somebody’s on you, or you are on top of somebody the whole time, and there’s just no room for error.” 

How much does pit strategy become a factor at Martinsville?

“It’s definitely something that comes into play. You may gamble early to pick up some positions on the track, especially if you’ve had trouble in qualifying. It’s just one of those things, though, where you always hope you’re on the right one (strategy) and, if you get caught on the wrong one, then you’re kicking yourself the whole time.” 

How much more important is track position at a place like Martinsville? 

“Track position is everything, everywhere, but at Martinsville it is just so easy to lose it. It doesn’t take much to find yourself going backward, whether it’s a situation with someone bumping you out of the way or you get too high on the track and up in the marbles. Then, deal with what that does to the tires and, boom, next thing you know, you may have had a 10th-place car and now you are 18th . It’s a goal all day to work your way forward and then just to have smooth pit stops to carry you through those midpoints of the race. Then, at the end, when everything is on the line, you have to be aggressive and you can’t be afraid to use the fenders on people to get that solid finish.”

Martinsville Speedway Notes of Interest:

 Kurt Busch has career totals of 29 wins, 21 poles, 126 top-five finishes and 245 top-10s in 581 career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts heading into Sunday’s Martinsville 500 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. His most recent NASCAR Cup Series win came in February at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway in the season-opening Daytona 500. 

 Sunday’s Martinsville 500 will mark Busch’s 34th career NASCAR Cup Series start at Martinsville. Busch has two wins, one pole, three top-five finishes and five top-10s at the .526-mile oval. Additionally, the 38-year-old driver has led 464 laps, has an average starting position of 19.8, an average finish of 21.2, and has completed 97.3 percent (16,083 of 16,534) of the laps he’s contested there.

 The Las Vegas native has one pole to his credit (October 2006) at Martinsville. Busch has 21 career NASCAR Cup Series poles.

 Twice a Winner at Martinsville – Busch won his first race at Martinsville in October 2002. It was his second NASCAR Cup Series victory and a record-breaking one, at that, as he took the green flag from the 36th starting position – the deepest in the field a Martinsville winner had ever started. His most-recent Martinsville win came in March 2014. He held off six-time Cup Series champion and nine-time Martinsville race-winner Jimmie Johnson to win the Martinsville 500.

 A Place of Firsts - Busch’s March 2014 win at Martinsville was the first for Haas Automation as a primary sponsor in the NASCAR Cup Series. Prior to Martinsville, Haas Automation was winless as a primary sponsor for 11 different drivers and 115 races since 2002. Haas Automation, the largest CNC machine tool builder in the Western World, is owned by Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) founder and co-owner Gene Haas.

- True Speed Communications

Clint Bowyer carries momentum into Martinsville

Clint Bowyer is 25/1 to win at Martinsville Sunday.

KANNAPOLIS, North Carolina (March 28, 2017) – Clint Bowyer couldn’t wait to race at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California last weekend. It had long been one of his favorite tracks and, even with a 17th-place qualifying effort Friday, he remained confident throughout the weekend. 

“I think we can win this race tomorrow,” Bowyer told a gathering of somewhat skeptical media minutes after a frustrating practice Saturday morning. 

But, after some late-night phone calls and meetings, Bowyer and crew chief Mike “Buga” Bugarewicz came up with a race setup that saw the No. 14 Ford run in the top-five throughout the 400-mile race. Bowyer scored sixth- and fourth-place finishes in the first two stages of Sunday’s Auto Club 400, then rallied from sixth to third in overtime to record his best finish at his new Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) team and a personal best since a third-place finish at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway in 2015. 

Sunday’s performance moved Bowyer to eighth in the standings – the highest he has been since leaving the 2015 Daytona 500. 

“We never showed the speed in practice, but I wasn’t worried about it because I knew the car was really comfortable on the long run and things like that,” he said. 

Since taking over the No. 14 from three-time champion Tony Stewart, the normally ebullient Bowyer has ratcheted up his excitement, and performances like last weekend will only add to his enthusiasm. He credits Ford Performance, Roush-Yates Engines and his new team with the turnaround. 

“I appreciate everybody’s hard work at Stewart-Haas Racing,” Bowyer said. “Having these teammates and having this group behind you, the organization and the teamwork, it’s just amazing to be a part of it at this point in my career. Thanks to Gene Haas and Tony Stewart for giving me this opportunity. It means a lot to me to be in this 14. I have a lot of fun with these guys. Buga and all these guys mean business. It’s a confidence thing right now, a momentum-builder, and we’re getting closer.” 

This week, Bowyer turns his attention to another of his favorite tracks – Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. Not only does he like the flat, half-mile track, it’s sort of a home race for the Emporia, Kansas native but current resident of Clemmons, North Carolina. 

“It’s 40 minutes from the house,” he said. “You know, finally get home to see my family and everything else. To bring everybody up there, drive to the racetrack every day, sleep in your own bed, I mean, it’s just a fun, fun weekend. Fun racetrack. It’s old-school racing at its finest. I’ve been close so many times there. It’s one that I want to win more than anything. With this momentum and the confidence we take from here, maybe we can.” 

Bowyer has come close to bringing home a grandfather clock Martinsville presents the race winner, but he’s yet to add the clock to his trophy case. He led 154 laps during the fall 2012 race amid a string of five consecutive top-10s at Martinsville. He owns four top-five finishes and 12 top-10s and has led 356 laps at the southern Virginia track. 

SHR owns three victories – Ryan Newman in April 2012, Tony Stewart in October 2011 and Kurt Busch in March 2014 – six top-five finishes and 17 top-10s in 46 starts at Martinsville, and SHR cars have led 504 laps there. 

“I’ve run really well at Martinsville several times where I thought we were the fastest car a few times, and especially like in 2012 and 2013, and I really enjoy that racetrack,” Bowyer said. “I look forward to it every year and it’s one track I feel like I can win at and win at if the equipment is underneath me and we make good calls and I make good decisions and take care of the car on the racetrack. I feel like that’s a track we can win and bring one of those clocks home.” 

Could last week’s impressive run lead to bigger and better results as the 2017 progresses for the No. 14 driver and crew? 

“Hell yeah. It better be coming,” Bowyer said with a laugh. “When you’ve got a team like this that’s organized and as good as it is, it better be.”

CLINT BOWYER, Driver of the No. 14 Haas Automation Fusion for Stewart-Haas Racing: How weird is it to have Tony Stewart on your radio during a race? 

“It is weird, still. Look at him. He’s ready. You could put him in a firesuit. You know he’d go out there and get the job done in that 14 car. To give me the opportunity is super-cool. To have him on the box is really cool. It’s neat to see a smile on his face. I really believe he just looks happy. He looks comfortable, you know, at ease. I mean, the guy, that’s a long time – that’s a long career to be in any kind of sport. He put his time in. He’s an owner now, still a part of it. That’s the coolest thing about his gig right now. He’s still a part of this sport. Maybe in the biggest way he’s ever been.” 

Bowyer in 2017: A 17-car accident on lap 127 of the Daytona 500 collected Bowyer’s No. 14 Ford and left him with a 32nd-place finish. At Atlanta Motor Speedway, Bowyer started 24th and climbed to third with 85 laps remaining before contact with another car and a cut tire left him with an 11th-place finish. At Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the No. 14 Ford team struggled early but improved throughout the race to finish 10th. At Phoenix International Raceway, Bowyer drove from 17th to 13th in overtime. Bowyer repeated his overtime feat at Auto Club Speedway last weekend, when he drove from sixth to third in the added laps to record his best finish of 2017. 

Crew chief Mike Bugarewicz is in his second season after overseeing Tony Stewart’s final campaign in 2016. Bugarewicz’s pit strategy played a key role in Stewart’s victory at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway in June 2016. The Lehighton, Pennsylvania native served as the lead engineer on StewartHaas Racing’s (SHR) No. 4 entry in 2014 and 2015. The Penn State University graduate was the only rookie crew chief to be part of last year’s Cup Series playoffs.

Jimmie Johnson goes for 10th Martinsville win

Jimmie Johnson is 8/1 to win at Martinsville.

Jimmie Johnson on racing at Martinsville
“We certainly are not where we want to be right now. Last weekend at California was so frustrating, nothing went our way. As a competitor you have to put that stuff behind you and focus forward, so I’m looking forward to getting to Martinsville. The last race at Martinsville was an amazing finish, a very emotional one for me – so meaningful – and it obviously paved the way to our seventh championship. It’s a special place for us, it suits my driving style and I wish we raced at Martinsville more than twice a year.”

Jimmie Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet SS, will visit the Martinsville Speedway media center at 10:45 a.m. local time on Friday, March 31.

MARTINSVILLE STATS: According to NASCAR loop data since 2005, Jimmie Johnson has the series-best driver rating at Martinsville Speedway with a score of 117.7. The driver rating is a formula that combines wins, top-15 finishes, average running position while on the lead lap, average speed under green, fastest lap, most laps led and lead-lap finishes. The maximum a driver can earn in each race is 150 points. The driver rating number is used pre-race as a prediction tool and post-race as a performance evaluator. Johnson also has a series-best average running position of 7.990 and finishing position of 6.8 in that time span. Since 2005, Johnson has spent 85.8 percent of all laps run in the top 15 at the 0.526-mile track.

LAP LEADER: Johnson's 2,838 laps led at Martinsville Speedway are the most among active drivers – 1,475 more than second place. The number ranks him fifth all-time at the paperclip-shaped oval.

LAST OCTOBER: Johnson punched his ticket into the championship round of the 2016 NASCAR playoffs on Oct. 30, when he crossed the finish line for his ninth career win at Martinsville. Johnson led 92 laps that day and went on to win the 2016 NASCAR Cup Series championship three weeks later at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

MASTERING THE PAPERCLIP: Forty-nine different NASCAR Cup Series drivers have won at Martinsville Speedway, led by Richard Petty with 15 victories. Johnson has the most wins among active drivers with nine victories. Former teammate Jeff Gordon also has nine wins. Johnson is also the most recent driver to win consecutive races (fall 2012 and spring 2013) at Martinsville.

GIFT OF THE CLOCK: The seven-time champion now has nine of the famous Ridgeway grandfather clocks, the trophies Martinsville Speedway gives to its race winners. During the postseason in December, Johnson was feeling the holiday spirit when he delivered his ninth clock directly to the home of Speedway Motorsports Inc. founder and chairman Bruton Smith. Johnson and Smith are longtime friends and Johnson felt it was a fitting gesture to gift the clock to Smith and make him smile.

HELMET OF HOPE: Voting continues for the 2017 Blue Bunny Helmet of Hope campaign until April 14. The campaign will award $125,000 to five non-profit organizations in May. The program, which began in 2008, allows fans and consumers across the country to nominate their favorite education-focused charities, including parent-teacher associations, to receive a $25,000 grant, a Blue Bunny ice cream party and special recognition on Johnson’s race helmet. Nominations will be accepted at www.helmetofhope.org and 10 semifinalists will be selected from the nominations. The public vote to choose the final five grant recipients will take place from May 5 to 12. Johnson will wear the Helmet of Hope during the NASCAR Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway on Aug. 13.

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2017 Season 17th in standings 5 starts 0 race wins 0 stage wins 0 pole positions 0 top-five finishes 1 top-10 finish 28 laps led Career 548 starts 80 wins 35 pole positions 218 top-five finishes 331 top-10 finishes 18,474 laps led Track Career  30 starts 9 wins 3 pole positions 19 top-five finishes 24 top-10 finishes 2,838 laps led

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- Hendrick Motorsports

Martinsville Betting Preview: 2017 STP 500

The Virginian, Denny Hamlin, has five wins at Martinsville.

Kyle Larson has only one win this season and two career Cup wins while in his fourth season, but I'm getting the feeling it he's going to have double-digit wins and possibly end up with a championship. He's got a 1998 Jeff Gordon look about him so far.

Larson kept his incredible start to 2017 going Sunday at Fontana with a win following three consecutive second-place finishes and he's got Las Vegas taking notice. The Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook as the 6/1 co-favorite (Bet $100 to win $600) with four other drivers to win NASCAR's Cup Series Championship. He's right there on the same plateau as Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick. Jimmie Johnson, who won his seventh title last season, is listed at 8/1 odds. That is some serious respect given to Larson, and well deserved.

Double-digit wins by Larson may be a bit of an exaggeration by me, but it's clear at this early juncture that Larson and Martin Truex Jr. have the new low downforce package figured out the best on the tracks where it makes the biggest impact.

Three of the five races so far have been tracks where the package means everything and there are still nine more races on 1.5-mile tracks and two more at Michigan's 2-mile layout. Joe Gibbs Racing has been a little sluggish so far on these tracks after dominating on them the past two seasons. The new Toyota Camry body design may have something to do with JGR's slow start, but Truex is using the same equipment and same body design and doesn't seem to have the same problems as his four defacto teammates.

This weekend at Martinsville, we can clean the slate on data accumulated between races at Atlanta, Las Vegas and Fontana. The low downforce package will have little effect on the outcome on the flat half-mile layout. This track usually has the same group of guys winning on it twice a year. When looking back the past 14 years of Martinsville results, four drivers combined to win 22 of the 28 races.

Two of those four drivers have retired in the past two seasons. Jeff Gordon had nine wins all-time there while Tony Stewart had three, which leaves Jimmie Johnson (nine wins) and Denny Hamlin (five wins) as the lone Martinsville dominators in what is obviously the dawning of a new era in NASCAR. The door is left open for some new blood to jump into the Martinsville mix.

Read More Here......Top-5 Finish Prediction on VegasInsider.com

Odds to Win 2017 STP 500 at Martinsville

Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch co-favorites to win with Jimmie Johnson.

WESTGATE LAS VEGAS SUPERBOOK

ODDS TO WIN 2017 STP 500

MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY

SUNDAY, APRIL 2, 2017 - 2:16 PM ET

Denny HAMLIN 6/1
Kyle BUSCH 6/1
Jimmie JOHNSON 6/1
Brad KESELOWSKI 7/1
Matt KENSETH 8/1
Joey LOGANO 8/1
Martin TRUEX JR 8/1
Kevin HARVICK 10/1
Kyle LARSON 12/1
Dale EARNHARDT JR 15/1
Jamie McMURRAY 20/1
Chase ELLIOTT 20/1
Clint BOWYER 25/1
AJ ALLMENDINGER 30/1
Ryan NEWMAN 50/1
Kurt BUSCH 50/1
Kasey KAHNE 50/1
Erik JONES 100/1
Austin DILLON 100/1
Ryan BLANEY 100/1
Daniel SUAREZ 100/1
Aric ALMIROLA 100/1
Paul MENARD 200/1
Ricky STENHOUSE JR 500/1
Trevor BAYNE 500/1
Ty DILLON 500/1
Danica PATRICK 500/1
Chris BUESCHER 1000/1
David RAGAN 1000/1
FIELD (all others) 1000/1


STP 500 DRIVER MATCH-UPS

Kyle BUSCH - 110
Denny HAMLIN - 110

Kyle BUSCH - 130
Jimmie JOHNSON +110

Kyle BUSCH - 130
Brad KESELOWSKI +110

Denny HAMLIN - 130
Jimmie JOHNSON +110

Denny HAMLIN - 130
Brad KESELOWSKI +110

Jimmie JOHNSON - 110
Brad KESELOWSKI - 110

Matt KENSETH - 110
Joey LOGANO - 110

Matt KENSETH - 125
Martin TRUEX JR +105

Matt KENSETH - 125
Kevin HARVICK +105

Joey LOGANO - 125
Martin TRUEX JR +105

Joey LOGANO - 125
Kevin HARVICK +105

Kevin HARVICK - 110
Martin TRUEX JR - 110

Kyle LARSON - 150
Dale EARNHARDT JR +130

Kyle LARSON - 150
Jamie McMURRAY +130

Dale EARNHARDT JR - 110
Jamie McMURRAY - 110

Dale EARNHARDT JR - 110
Chase ELLIOTT - 110

Jamie McMURRAY - 110
Chase ELLIOTT - 110

Chase ELLIOTT - 130
Clint BOWYER +110

Clint BOWYER - 110
AJ ALLMENDINGER - 110

Kurt BUSCH - 110
Kasey KAHNE - 110

Martinsville Speedway Track Facts: 2017 STP 500

It's time for some short track racing. Bumping and banging. STP 500 at Martinsville, Sunday at 2:16 pm ET: 

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series 2017 Top 16 at Martinsville Speedway

Rank	Driver	Races	Poles	Wins	Top Fives	Top 10s	DNFs	Average Finish	Driver Rating
1	Kyle Larson	6	0	0	1	1	2	22.5	73.0
2	Chase Elliott	3	0	0	0	0	0	23.3	63.4
3	Martin Truex Jr	22	1	0	2	7	2	20.6	74.2
4	Brad Keselowski	14	0	0	4	8	0	13.8	90.8
5	Joey Logano	16	3	0	4	6	0	14.2	90.0
6	Jamie McMurray	28	2	0	2	15	2	16.3	86.2
7	Ryan Blaney	2	0	0	0	0	0	19	66.1
8	Clint Bowyer	22	0	0	4	12	2	14.8	88.8
9	Kevin Harvick	31	0	1	3	14	1	16	94.6
10	Kyle Busch	23	1	1	11	12	1	14.1	99.9
11	Ryan Newman	30	3	1	8	14	2	15	86.3
12	Denny Hamlin	22	3	5	12	17	2	9.2	108.2
13	Kasey Kahne	26	1	0	3	5	5	19.9	77.2
14	Kurt Busch	33	1	2	3	5	2	21.2	80.0
16	Trevor Bayne	5	0	0	0	0	0	26.8	50.0

* – Based on last 24 races at Martinsville Speedway (2005 – 2016).

                                               

 2017 Stage Winners / Drivers with Playoff Points

Track	Stage 1 Winner	Stage 2 Winner	Race Winner		Playoff Points Following Race #5
Daytona	Kyle Busch	Kevin Harvick	Kurt Busch		Drivers	Playoff Points
Atlanta	Kevin Harvick	Kevin Harvick	Brad Keselowski		Martin Truex Jr.	8
Las Vegas	Martin Truex Jr.	Martin Truex Jr.	Martin Truex Jr.		Kyle Larson	6
Phoenix	Joey Logano	Chase Elliott	Ryan Newman		Brad Keselowski	5
Auto Club	Kyle Larson	Martin Truex Jr.	Kyle Larson		Ryan Newman	5
Martinsville					Kurt Busch	5
Texas					Kevin Harvick	3
Bristol					Chase Elliott	1
Richmond					Joey Logano	1
Talladega					Kyle Busch	1

Martinsville Speedway Data Season Race #: 06 of 36 (04-02-17) 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 Stage 1 & 2 Length: 130 laps (each) Final Stage Length: 240 laps Top 10 Driver Ratings at Martinsville Jimmie Johnson........................ 117.7 Denny Hamlin........................... 108.2 Kyle Busch................................. 99.9 Dale Earnhardt Jr........................ 98.7 Kevin Harvick............................. 94.6 Brad Keselowski......................... 90.8 Joey Logano............................... 90.0 Matt Kenseth.............................. 88.9 Clint Bowyer............................... 88.8 Ryan Newman............................ 86.6 Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2016 races (24 total) among active drivers at Martinsville Speedway. Qualifying/Race Data 2016 pole winner: Joey Logano, Ford 97.043 mph, 19.513 secs. 04-01-16 2016 race winner: Kyle Busch, Toyota 80.088 mph, (03:17:02), 04-03-16 Track qualifying record: Joey Logano, Ford 100.201 mph, 18.898 secs. 03-28-14 Track race record: Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet 82.223 mph, (3:11:55), 09-22-96

Martinsville Speedway:

History

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

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

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

·        The track was paved in 1955.

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

·        Concrete corners were added atop asphalt in 1976.

Starts

·        There have been 136 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races at Martinsville Speedway, one in the inaugural year and two races per year since 1950.

·        615 drivers have competed in at least one Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville; 391 in more than one.

·        NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty has the all-time most Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts at Martinsville with 67; Matt Kenseth has the most starts among active drivers with 34.

·        Ryan Newman leads all active drivers in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in average starting position at Martinsville Speedway with a 9.267.

·        Ryan Newman (9.267), Joey Logano (9.375) and Denny Hamlin (9.636) each have an average starting position at Martinsville inside the top 10.

·        In total, 61 drivers have made their first career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series start at Martinsville.

·        Gray Gaulding (10/30/2016), Chase Elliott (03/29/2015) and Michael McDowell (3/30/2008) are active drivers that made their first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series career starts at Martinsville Speedway.

Poles

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

·        60 drivers have Coors Light poles at Martinsville, led by NASCAR Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip with eight; Joey Logano, Ryan Newman, Denny Hamlin and Jimmie Johnson are tied among active drivers for the most Martinsville Coors Light poles with three each.  

·        27 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers have multiple Coors Light poles at Martinsville.

·        13 drivers have won two or more consecutive Coors Light poles at Martinsville Speedway; the most recent was Joey Logano who has won the last three poles at Martinsville.  

·        Five of the 13 have won three consecutive poles at Martinsville: Glen Wood (fall of 1959 and 1960 sweep); Darrell Waltrip (1979 sweep and spring 1980); Mark Martin (fall of 1990 and 1991 sweep); Jeff Gordon (2003 sweep and spring 2004) and Joey Logano (2015 sweep, 2016 spring).

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

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

·        12 drivers have posted their first career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Coors Light pole at Martinsville Speedway; the two most recent are Scott Riggs (4/10/2005) and Tony Stewart (4/18/1999).

Wins

·        49 different Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers have won at Martinsville Speedway, led by Richard Petty with 15; Jimmie Johnson leads the series among active drivers with nine wins; followed by Denny Hamlin with five. Only seven active drivers have won at Martinsville.

·       

Rank Active Martinsville Winners Wins 1 Jimmie Johnson 9 2 Denny Hamlin 5 3 Kurt Busch 2 4 Dale Earnhardt Jr 1 5 Kevin Harvick 1 6 Kyle Busch 1 7 Ryan Newman 1

24 drivers have multiple wins at Martinsville Speedway; nine drivers have won five or more times; two of which are active: Jimmie Johnson (nine) and Denny Hamlin (five).  

·        Hendrick Motorsports leads the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in wins at Martinsville Speedway with 24 – Jeff Gordon (nine), Jimmie Johnson (nine), Darrell Waltrip (four), Geoffrey Bodine (one) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (one).

·        20 of 136 races (14.7%) at Martinsville Speedway have been won from the Coors Light pole; three of those 20 wins came from active drivers: Jimmie Johnson (2012, spring 2013) and Denny Hamlin (2010) – Note: Johnson won from the first starting position is 2008, but qualifying was not held due to weather. A total of 21 wins have come from the first starting position.

·        The Coors Light pole (1st starting position) is the most proficient starting spot in the field at Martinsville producing more wins (21) than any other starting position.

·        36 of the 136 (26.4%) Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races at Martinsville Speedway have been won from the front row: 21 from the first-place and 15 from second-place.

Wins

·        98 of the 136 (72.1%) Monster Energy NASCAR Cup races at Martinsville Speedway have been won from a top-10 starting position.

·        Seven of the 136 (5.1%) Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races at Martinsville Speedway have been won from a starting position outside the top 20 – including both races in 2015

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

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

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

·        12 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers have posted consecutive wins at Martinsville Speedway. Fred Lorenzen won four MENCS races straight (the most) from the fall of 1963 through the spring of 1965.  Jimmie Johnson is the most recent driver to win consecutive races (fall of 2012 / spring of 2013) at Martinsville.

·        Kyle Busch competed at Martinsville Speedway 21 times before winning in 2016; the longest span of any the seven active Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series winners.

·       

Rank OEM Martinsville Winners Wins 1 Chevrolet 56 2 Ford 26 3 Plymouth 12 4 Dodge 10 5 Oldsmobile 8 6 Pontiac 8 7 Toyota 6 8 Buick 3 9 Chrysler 3 10 Hudson 2 11 Mercury 2

Three active winners have made 10 or more attempts before their first win at Martinsville Speedway: Kevin Harvick (19), Ryan Newman (20) and Kyle Busch (21).

·        11 drivers posted their first career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series win at Martinsville Speedway; the most recent was Ricky Craven (10/15/2001).

·        A total of 11 manufacturers have won in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series at Martinsville. Chevrolet leads series in wins at Martinsville Speedway with 56 victories; followed by Ford with 26 wins and Toyota has six.

Additional Finishing Positions

·        NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt leads the series in runner-up finishes at Martinsville Speedway with seven; Jimmie Johnson leads all active drivers with four, followed by AJ Allmendinger, Brad Keselowski,Dale Earnhardt Jr., Denny Hamlin, Jamie McMurray and Matt Kenseth each have two. 

·        Richard Petty leads the series in top-five finishes at Martinsville Speedway with 30; Jimmie Johnson leads all active drivers with 19, followed by Dale Earnhardt Jr. with 13.

·        Jeff Gordon lead the series in top-10 finishes at Martinsville Speedway with 38; Jimmie Johnson leads all active drivers with 24.

·        Two active drivers have a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series average finish inside the top 10 at Martinsville: Jimmie Johnson (7.300) and Denny Hamlin (9.227).

Track Event Specific Stats

·        There have been five MENCS NASCAR Overtime finishes at Martinsville Speedway: fall 2007 (500/506), fall 2008 (500/504), fall 2009 (500/501), spring 2010 (500/508), and spring 2012 (500/515).

·        Qualifying has been cancelled due to weather conditions eight times in the Monster Energy NASCAR Series at Martinsville Speedway; the most recent was the fall race of 2011.

·        Since the advent of electronic scoring, the closest margin of victory in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series at Martinsville Speedway is the April 1, 2007 race won by Jimmie Johnson with a MOV of 0.065 second over second-place Jeff Gordon.

Female Competitor Stats

·        Danica Patrick is the only female driver to compete at Martinsville Speedway in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Below are Patrick’s stats at Martinsville.   

Driver	Starting Position	Finishing Position	Date	Driver Rating
Danica Patrick	24	24	10/30/2016	53.2
Danica Patrick	28	16	4/3/2016	69.2
Danica Patrick	16	40	11/1/2015	49.8
Danica Patrick	16	7	3/29/2015	86.9
Danica Patrick	30	34	10/26/2014	61.3
Danica Patrick	10	32	3/30/2014	52.4
Danica Patrick	41	17	10/27/2013	64.7
Danica Patrick	32	12	4/7/2013	72.6
Averages	24.6	22.8		63.8

NASCAR in Virginia

·        There have been 497 NASCAR national series races among 10 tracks in the state of Virginia.

·        Martinsville Speedway hosted the very first NASCAR national series race in the state of Virginia on Sept. 25, 1949 – Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series event was won by Red Byron (Oldsmobile).

Track Name	City	MENCS	NXS	NCWTS	Total Races
Martinsville Speedway	Martinsville	136	34	36	206
Richmond International Raceway	Richmond	121	66	11	198
South Boston Speedway	South Boston	10	35	3	48
Langley Field Speedway	Hampton	9	14	0	23
Old Dominion Speedway	Manassas	7	0	0	7
New River Valley Speedway	Dublin	0	4	0	4
Southside Speedway	Richmond	4	0	0	4
Starkey Speedway	Roanoke	4	0	0	4
Norfolk Speedway	Norfolk	2	0	0	2
Princess Anne Speedway	Norfolk	1	0	0	1
Totals		294	153	50	497

NASCAR In Virginia

·        177 drivers that have made at least one start in a NASCAR national series race have their home state recorded as Virginia.

·        Joe Weatherly and Wendell Scott are both from Virginia and have been inducted into the 2015 Class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame.  

·        Glen Wood from Stuart, Va. was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2012 and his brother Leonard Wood, also from (Stuart) Virginia, was inducted in 2013.

·        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 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.

Driver	MENCS	NXS	NCWTS
Denny Hamlin	29	15	2
Joe Weatherly	25	0	0
Ricky Rudd	23	1	0
Jeff Burton	21	27	0
Curtis Turner	17	0	0
Ward Burton	5	4	0
Glen Wood	4	0	0
Elliott Sadler	3	13	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

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Milestones
Drivers	Has	Needs	Milestones
Brad Keselowski	274	1	Attempt to make his 275th MENCS career start (95th all-time)
Jimmie Johnson	80	3	Tie Cale Yarborough for sixth on MENCS all-time wins list
Kyle Busch	38	1	Tie Tim Flock for 18th on all-time MENCS wins list
Matt Kenseth	38	1	Tie Tim Flock for 18th on all-time MENCS wins list
Kevin Harvick	35	2	Tie Bobby Isaac for 21st on MENCS all-time wins list
Kurt Busch	29	3	Tie Dale Jarrett for 24th on all-time MENCS wins list
Denny Hamlin	29	3	Tie Dale Jarrett for 24th on all-time MENCS wins list
Ryan Newman	51	3	To tie Bill Elliott for eighth on the all-time MENCS poles list
Jimmie Johnson	35	1	Tie Rusty Wallace and Rex White for 17th on all-time MENCS poles list
Kasey Kahne	27	1	Break the tie with Terry Labonte to become solely 25th on all-time MENCS poles list
Denny Hamlin	24	1	Break the tie with Alan Kulwicki to become solely 28th on all-time MENCS poles list
Kevin Harvick	48	1	Break the tie with Lee Petty and become solely 10th on all-time MENCS second-place finishes list
Jimmie Johnson	46	2	Tie Lee Petty and Kevin Harvick for 10th on all-time MENCS second-place finishes list
Kyle Busch	36	1	Tie Bobby Isaac and Ned Jarrett for 17th on all-time MENCS second-place finishes list
Matt Kenseth	29	1	Tie Ricky Rudd for 25th on all-time MENCS second-place finishes list
Matt Kenseth	172	3	Tie Bill Elliott for 19th on all-time MENCS top-five finishes list
Dale Earnhardt Jr	148	2	To become the 23rd driver to post 150th MENCS top-five finishes
Kyle Busch	148	2	To become the 23rd driver to post 150th MENCS top-five finishes
Jimmie Johnson	331	1	Tie Lee Petty for 12th on the MENCS all-time top-10 finishes list
Kurt Busch	8,863	137	To become 20th MENCS driver all-time to lead 9,000 or more laps
Brad Keselowski	4,944	56	To become 39th MENCS driver all-time to lead 5,000 or more laps
Ryan Newman	4,711	289	To become 39th MENCS driver all-time to lead 5,000 or more laps
Track Specific Milestones
Drivers	Has	Needs	Milestones
Jimmie Johnson	2,838	162	To become fifth driver in series history to lead 3,000 or more laps at Martinsville Speedway
Jimmie Johnson	1	1	If Johnson leads 162 or more laps he will tie Darrell Waltrip (2) for the fourth most number of tracks to lead 3,000 or more laps at. (see below chart)
Denny Hamlin	5	1	Tie Fred Lorenzen, Dale Earnhardt and Cale Yarborough for the sixth-most series wins all-time at Martinsville Speedway

Number Of Tracks With 3,000 Or More Laps Led

·        Seven drivers have posted 3,000 or more laps led in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series at one or more tracks, below is the breakdown:  

Rank	Driver	No. of Tracks with 3,000 or more laps led	Tracks
1	Cale Yarborough	5	Bristol, Martinsville, Rockingham, Nashville Fairgrounds, Atlanta
2	Richard Petty	4	North Wilkesboro, Richmond, Nashville Fairgrounds, Rockingham
3	Rusty Wallace	3	Bristol, Martinsville, Richmond
4	Darrell Waltrip	2	Bristol, Martinsville
5	Jimmie Johnson	1	Martinsville
6	Dale Earnhardt	1	Bristol
7	Jeff Gordon	1	Martinsville

NASCAR