Tag: Martinsville Speedway

Toyota MENCS Martinsville Speedway Post-Race Recap

Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS)
Martinsville Speedway
Race 6 of 36 – 263 miles, 500 laps
March 24, 2019

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, Brad Keselowski*
2nd, Chase Elliott*
3rd, KYLE BUSCH
4th, Ryan Blaney*
5th, DENNY HAMLIN
8th, MARTIN TRUEX JR.
20th, MATT DIBENEDETTO
30th, ERIK JONES
*non-Toyota driver

Camry driver Kyle Busch collected his sixth-consecutive top-10 finish in Sunday afternoon’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) event at Martinsville Speedway.

Busch remains the only MENCS driver to finish in the top 10 in all six events of the 2019 season.Fellow Toyota teammates Denny Hamlin (5th) and Martin Truex Jr. (8th) also captured top-10 finishes at Martinsville.

TOYOTA QUOTES

KYLE BUSCH, No. 18 M&M’s Chocolate Bar Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 3rd

Do you think you could have run the race differently at the end to catch Brad Keselowski?

“I had a nose underneath the 2 (Brad Keselowski) there in the middle of (turns) three and four and he just chopped my nose off. Normally when you hit a guy, they move out of the way. Instead, it seemed like my car had to move out of the way and then the 9 (Chase Elliott) got by me so we ended up finishing third. That was a lot better day then we probably should have had and we made the most of our opportunity with our M&M’s Camry.”

Does your third-place finish say more about you or your team today?

“It’s definitely the team. I could only do so much there for a while when I was out there with my hands full at the mid-point of the race running 12th. It’s about communication. I have a hand in that and being able to talk to my crew chief. I’m thankful to have Adam Stevens on the box and he made some smart changes for the second half of the race. It got us way better. The pit crew was awesome today too. I think we picked up like 12 spots on pit road today so that was a huge help because you couldn’t pass on the race track.”

What more did you need from you Camry toward the end of the race?

“More raw speed. We were just kind of off a little bit. We didn’t qualify good and I didn’t think we were very good in practice. Not as good as we typically are here. Just lacking a little bit of something. From where we ran midway point of the race to where we finished there, that was a really good turnaround. I’m thankful to have Adam Stevens and all of my guys that work so hard for me and give me everything I need here for this M&M’s Camry to stay up front and be up front and come home with a top five again here at Martinsville.”

DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 FedEx Ground Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 5th

How do you assess today’s race at Martinsville Speedway?

“It’s pretty normal. It’s just one of those days where one guy hit it and was just a little bit better than everyone else, and everyone else was chasing. It seemed like we were the next car in line after the 9 (Chase Elliott), so probably a third-place car. We just finished fifth because we lost there on pit road. We have a lot of races where we always have to battle back from the back of the pack, but certainly another top five and overall steady day. We just needed a little bit more speed and a little bit more handling to run with the 2 (Brad Keselowski).

How frustrated were you with the pit road mistake today?

“We’ve got to get better. We know that. We’re struggling a little bit right now for sure, but certainly, it’s a team thing. Last week I had a speeding penalty so it all equals out. If you’re not going to be the best car, you have to execute perfectly. The best car didn’t falter so it wouldn’t have made a difference either way but certainly cost us maybe one or two spots today. Nothing to hang our heads about. Overall a good day.”

Tell us how your day unfolded for you.

“We had a really good car. I thought kind of the second to fourth place car depending on the scenario. I lost some spots on pit road and then we had that uncontrolled tire and had to go to the back. We came back to a few spots short of where I thought we should have been, but overall not a bad day. We need to get our car a little bit better to contend with the 2 (Brad Keselowski) there.

Was this a traditional Martinsville race or different than races past?

“I thought it was relatively the same to what it has been in the past. Traffic is just a little bit tougher with the big blades on the back of the car. It certainly is just a little bit harder. Overall it was a status quo day at Martinsville where one guy hits it and the rest are all chasing him.”

MARTIN TRUEX JR, No. 19 SiriusXM Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 8th

How was your race today?

“It was tough. We started ninth and finished eighth. It sounds pretty simple. Actually, we started eighth. A lot of stuff we worked on in between. Just really could never get the handle all day long. Too loose off the corner. I couldn’t get forward drive. No matter what we did it seemed like we couldn’t get it. We struggled a little bit. I thought we were going to be better than that today. Good job by the guys. A nice consistent day. We just didn’t have anything special.”

Did your teammates find other things in the race today and you didn’t?

“No. This track is pretty temperamental. It’s pretty sensitive. A new setup with the car and obviously new aero stuff. We just missed it a little bit. We were really good yesterday in practice. Martinsville is a weird place. You can be the best car in practice and finish 20th in the race. We were too good yesterday I guess. Just fought one thing all day, a terminal problem, and really couldn’t do anything to get it better.”

March 25, 2019
Team Penske Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Race Recap – Martinsville

Team Penske Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Race Report

Track: Martinsville Speedway
Race: STP 500
Date: March 24, 2019

____________________________________

No. 2 REESE/Draw-Tite Ford Mustang – Brad Keselowski
Start: 3rd
Stage 1: 1st
Stage 2: 1st
Finish: 1st
Status: Running
Laps Completed: 500/500
Laps Led: 446
Driver Point Standings (behind first): 5th (-37)

Notes:

Brad Keselowski delivered the most dominating performances of his NASCAR career Sunday afternoon on the way to winning the STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway. Keselowski led twice for 446 of 500 laps and crossed the finish line .594 seconds ahead of Chase Elliott. The win was Keselowski’s second of the 2019 season and second in 19 races at Martinsville. The driver of the REESE/Draw-Tire Ford claimed his fourth top-five finish in six races this season. He is fifth in MENCS driver standings, 37 points behind the leader.

Keselowski started third in the 500-lap race and grabbed the lead from teammate Joey Logano on lap 6. He led the next 319 laps, winning both Stage 1 and Stage 2 – his first stage wins of the 2019 season. The only time Keselowski lost the lead was on lap 325 when Chase Elliott passed him.

He was running second when the sixth caution slowed the pace on lap 373. A round of pit stops for the leaders followed one lap later, and excellent pit work by the REESE/Draw-Tite team gave Keselowski the lead, which he never relinquished.

But as the race entered its final stretch, Elliott and others in the top-five had one more chance.

The seventh and final caution waved on lap 447 setting up one final round of pit stops on lap 448. Once again the No. 2 crew was flawless on pit lane, keeping their driver in the lead. Keselowski survived the restart on lap 455 and steadily inched away from Elliott over the stretch run to the checkered flag, beating his rival to the checkered flag by two car lengths (officially measured at .594 seconds).

The No. 2 REESE/Draw-Tire pit crew pitched the equivalent of a perfect game Sunday afternoon at Martinsville. They made six pit stops during the 500-lap race and kept Keselowski in the lead after every visit to the pit lane.

Quote: “The Draw-Tite Ford Mustang was really strong. It’s just a great day for our team, awesome execution on pit road and big credit to Doug Yates and all the engine guys. Today was just one of those days you dream of as a race car driver. Chase Elliott was really strong. He passed me with about 200 to go and I watched him and studied him and knew what I had to do to hold him off and we were able to pull it off that last run.”

________________________________________________

No. 12 Menards/Libman Ford Mustang – Ryan Blaney
Start: 18th
Stage 1: 5th
Stage 2: 2nd
Finish: 4th
Status: Running
Laps Completed: 500/500
Laps Led: 0
Driver Point Standings (behind first): 8th (-70)

Notes:

· Ryan Blaney capped-off another solid weekend with a fourth-place finish in Sunday’s Cup Series race at the Martinsville Speedway. Driving the No. 12 Menards/Libman Ford Mustang, the High Point, N.C. native claimed his second top-five at the .526-mile Virginia speedway and third consecutive top-five of 2019. He gained two positions in the MENCS driver standings, moving up to eighth-place, 70 points behind the leader.

· Blaney started 18th in the 500-lap event and drove his way inside the top-10 within the first 50 laps of the race. He reported the handling of his Ford Mustang was pretty good, especially on entry to the turns and through the center.

· The first round of pit stops came under caution on lap 69. Blaney and crew chief Jeremy Bullins decided on four tires, fuel and no adjustments to see if the handling would remain consistent. When racing resumed, the driver of the No. 12 Menards/Libman Ford continued to move forward, scoring a fifth-place finish when Stage 1 concluded on lap 130. Solid service by the No. 12 pit crew during the stage caution moved Blaney up to fourth position when the race went green on lap 141.

· Stage 2 went green from start to finish and Blaney took full advantage of the long green-flag run. He muscled his way into the top-three, passing both Kyle Busch and Chase Elliott before the segment concluded on lap 260. Blaney was reeling in race leader and Team Penske teammate Brad Keselowski, but lapped traffic prevented a serious challenge, forcing him to settle for second-place.

· Blaney, Bullins and the No. 12 crew make very slight air pressure adjustments throughout the third and final stage of the race. The No. 12 Menards/Libman Ford got stronger as the race went along, and the long stretches of green flag racing worked to his advantage. A pit stop on lap 316 under the sixth caution saw the Menards/Libman crew go back on a previous small air pressure adjustment that made the car too tight on the short run.

· Falling back as far as sixth on pit road, Blaney drove his way back into the top-four positions with less than 100 laps to go. His final pit stop came under the seventh and final caution on lap 448. Bullins made the call to add additional air pressure to the right side tires on the No. 12 Ford Mustang.

· Unfortunately, the adjustment didn’t quite work out. The race went green on lap 455 and Blaney reported his car was the tightest it had been all day. As the remaining laps continued to trickle away, the No. 12 Mustang gradually began to come perform better but it was too late to mount a serious challenge for the win, leaving him with a fourth-place finish.

Quote: “I needed long runs. I thought a 120-lap run to the finish was going to be perfect. The last three weeks have been pretty smooth for us. We just have to keep having weekends like this and maybe we’ll be able to win one of these things. Our Menards/Libman Ford was just starting to come to us in the last stage when the caution came out. I just needed more than 50 laps.”

________________________________________________

No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang – Joey Logano
Start: 1st
Stage 1: 7th
Stage 2: 10th
Finish: 19th
Status: Running
Laps Completed: 500/500
Laps Led: 5
Point Standings (behind first): 4th (-28)

Notes:

· Joey Logano started Sunday’s STP 500 from the pole position in the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang. Logano led the opening five laps before relinquishing the lead to teammate Brad Keselowski while battling a Mustang that lacked entry security and center turn. Logano would drop outside the top-five, running as low as sixth before a caution on lap 65. On the ensuing round of pit stops on lap 67, the No. 22 team made a four-tire stop plus air pressure adjustments.

· Despite the adjustment, Logano continued to battle a lack of rear security and the ability to turn, causing him to slip back to seventh position. When Stage 1 concluded on lap 130, Logano reported that he was in need of a big adjustment. The team elected to give him two rounds of wedge in the right rear of the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford during a round of pit stops under the stage caution on lap 134.

· When the race went back green, Logano reported that the wedge adjustment fixed the corner entry security issue, but that he still needed more help rotating the center, especially late in the run. He finished 10th when Stage 2 concluded on lap 260 and the team made a major chassis adjustment during the stage caution on lap 265. Crew chief Todd Gordon changed four tires and added a spring rubber to right-rear of the No. 22 Ford Mustang.

· The adjustments helped the Shell-Pennzoil Ford on the short run. Logano was able to run laps comparable to race leader Brad Keselowski. A caution flag at lap 313 brought the leaders to pit road for service one lap later. Logano needed better center-turn, plus help with being too loose on exit. The team made an air pressure adjustment along with four fresh tires, sending Logano out in eighth position when the race went green on lap 319.

· But later in the run Logano began to drop back in the running order. He was running in 15th position before the sixth caution brought the leaders to pit road on lap 374 for another round of stops. Once again the team made major changes (plus repairs to the right-front wheel opening after a minor scrape against the wall). The No. 22 Mustang was still too free on takeoff and grew really tight during the remainder of the run.

· Logano continued to struggle with the handling on the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford during the third and final stage, with the driver describing the handling as simply too tight during the entire run. He was credited with a 19th-place, finishing outside the top-10 for only the second time in the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season.

Quote: “We struggled today finding the balance on our Shell-Pennzoil Mustang. We’d fire off really loose and then the car would just build tight, I never really had a spot in the run where the handling would come to me. It gives us a couple things to work on before we come back here in the fall.”

March 25, 2019
Newman Finishes 23rd at Martinsville

MARTINSVILLE, Va. (March 24, 2019) — An ill-handling car forced Ryan Newman to a 23rd-place finish at Martinsville Speedway Sunday afternoon in his Acorns Ford Mustang.

Newman rolled off the grid 20th but battled loose conditions early on and never recovered in the 500-lap event. By the point of the first yellow flag at lap 67, Newman ran 25th and had just went a lap down to the leaders, but was awarded the free pass. After restarting 24th, he went on to finish in that spot at the end of the 130-lap opening stage, reporting his car was too sensitive.

Following adjustments on the No. 6 Ford, the 2008 Daytona 500 Champion lined back up 23rd for the second segment and battled up to 19th by lap 153. The remainder of the stage would run caution-free, putting Newman a lap behind in 24th by lap 260.

He went on to restart the final stage in 26th one lap down, and following another long green-flag run he went two down but took the wave around at lap 312. With 150 to go Newman ran 25th before eventually going on to record a 23rd-place result.

Newman and the No. 6 team return to action next weekend at Texas Motor Speedway. Race coverage begins Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM Channel 90.

March 25, 2019
RCR Post Race Report – STP 500

Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Symbicort (budesonide/formoterol fumarate dihydrate) Team Show Short Track Prowess at Martinsville Speedway

Finish: 11th
Start: 29th
Points: 18th

“We had our work cut out for us today. It makes for a sleepless Saturday night when you qualify far back in the field at Martinsville Speedway, but it sure makes for a fun Sunday afternoon. We had a solid No. 3 Symbicort (budesonide/formoterol fumarate dihydrate) Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 during the first run and methodically passed cars one by one. It was wild. We made it far enough up front to earn stage points at the end of Stage 1. It was difficult to keep up with changing track positions throughout the race but we made a solid day out of starting deep in the field. I hope everyone at AstraZeneca enjoyed the race. I’m really pumped about the direction this team is headed and can’t wait for Texas Motor Speedway next week.” – Austin Dillon

Martinsville Speedway Race Serves as a Learning Experience for Rookie Daniel Hemric and The Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Boats Chevrolet Team

Finish: 27th
Start: 28th
Points: 28th

“This weekend certainly did not go as planned, but it was not for a lack of effort on the part of Luke Lambert and the guys that work on this No. 8 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet. This was my first time here since 2016 in the Truck Series, so there was a bit of a learning curve but we showed some speed in final practice on Friday. We struggled in qualifying but were able to move forward once the race went green. It just seemed like we could not catch a break today. We missed the free pass by one position a couple of times and the cautions didn’t fall where we needed them. We had to pit under green for a loose wheel late in the race, then again for a flat right front tire with less than 20 laps to go. Things didn’t go as planned, but we kept the car out of trouble and learned a lot for when we come back to Martinsville Speedway later in the year.” – Daniel Hemric

March 25, 2019
Martinsville Weekend A Memorable One For The Wood Brothers

A most memorable weekend of racing at Martinsville Speedway for the Wood Brothers and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team ended Sunday afternoon with a 15th-place finish by Paul Menard in the team’s No. 21 Ford Mustang.

With the return of NASCAR to Martinsville for the first time since the passing of team founder Glenn Wood, the racing community paid its respects to Wood, who died Jan. 18 at the age of 93.

On Friday, more than 1,000 friends, family members, fans and NASCAR personalities gathered at the Wood Brothers Museum in Stuart, Va., for a Tribute to Glenn Wood.

On Sunday, prior to the start of the STP 500, Clay Campbell announced that they were renaming the Turn One Tower the Glenn Wood Tower.

When the cars lined up for the start of Sunday’s 500-lap race, Glenn Wood’s “Backseater” Modified racer paced the field with his brother Leonard Wood at the wheel.

When the green flag dropped, it was back to business for Menard and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team. Menard started the race from 14th place, moving up one spot in the line-up after William Byron’s car failed a post-qualifying inspection on Sunday morning.

Menard held his own throughout the first 130-lap Stage, ending that segment in 18th position. Stage Two played out in much the same fashion as Menard finished that run in 17th place.

The final run to the checkered flag saw him gain two spots to 15th place.

Eddie Wood said his driver, team and crew turned in a commendable performance in a highly competitive race.

“It was a solid day for everyone,” he said, adding that Menard, crew chief Greg Erwin and the pit crew all had mistake-free days. “We stayed on the lead lap all day, and there were no flukes. It was one of those races where you put on four tires every stop and run as hard as you can until the next stop.”

Wood also offered his congratulations to race winner Brad Keselowski and his No. 2 crew from Team Penske.

“I’ve been coming to Martinsville for years, and I can’t remember, at least in recent times, anyone dominating a race like they did. They put a whipping on everyone.”

Wood said that as he and his family reflect back on the weekend tributes to their father, they realize just how much their NASCAR family means to them.

“I’d like to begin by thanking Mike Helton and the people from NASCAR and the NASCAR Hall of Fame for organizing the tribute to our dad on Friday,” he said. “And we’d especially like to thank our friends and fans who came to be with us, share their memories, and make that day one we will never forget.”

He said the naming of the grandstand at Martinsville came as a surprise and was probably more fitting than even Martinsville officials knew at the time the decision was made.

“When Len and I used to come to the Modified and Sportsman races years ago, that’s exactly where we sat,” he said. “And it means so much to know that the only other people to have grandstands at Martinsville named for them are Bill France, Clay Earles and Richard Petty.

“In the future, whenever I buy a grandstand ticket for Martinsville Speedway that’s where it’s going to be.”

Menard and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team will return to the track next weekend at Texas Motor Speedway.

About Motorcraft

Motorcraft® offers a complete line of replacement parts that are recommended and approved by Ford Motor Company. From routine maintenance to under-hood repairs, Motorcraft parts offer exceptional value with the highest quality and right fit at competitive prices. Motorcraft parts are available nationwide at Ford and Lincoln dealers, independent distributors and automotive parts retailers are backed by Ford Motor Company’s two-year, unlimited-miles Service Parts Limited Warranty. Ask for Motorcraft by name when you visit your local auto parts store or your favorite service facility. For more information, visit www.motorcraft.com.

About Quick Lane Tire & Auto Centers

Ford’s Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center offers routine vehicle maintenance such as oil and filter changes, light repair services including brake repair, and tire replacements on all vehicle makes and models. With more than 800 locations and growing, customers can visit www.quicklane.com to find a center that is closest to them, print savings coupons and review maintenance tips to keep their vehicles running at peak efficiency. This site includes information on how to spot tire wear, how to jump-start a battery and even a series of tips to improve a vehicle’s fuel economy.

About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is a global company based in Dearborn, Michigan. The company designs, manufactures, markets and services a full line of Ford cars, trucks, SUVs, electrified vehicles and Lincoln luxury vehicles, provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company and is pursuing leadership positions in electrification, autonomous vehicles and mobility solutions. Ford employs approximately 200,000 people worldwide. For more information regarding Ford, its products and Ford Motor Credit Company, please visit www.corporate.ford.com.

Wood Brothers Racing

Wood Brothers Racing was formed in 1950 in Stuart, Va., by Hall of Famer Glen Wood. Wood Brothers Racing is the oldest active team and one of the winningest teams in NASCAR history. Since its founding, the team won 99 races (including at least one race in every decade for the last seven decades) and 120 poles in NASCAR’s top-tier series. Fielding only Ford products for its entire history, the Wood Brothers own the longest association of any motorsports team with a single manufacturer. Glen’s brother, Leonard, is known for inventing the modern pit stop. The team currently runs the Ford Mustang driven by Paul Menard in the famous No. 21 racer.

March 25, 2019

Brad Keselowski dominates the STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway

If he could do it when he was sick, he could do it when he was feeling good. He is Brad Keselowski who drove his No. 2 Penske Racing Ford into Victory Lane today. Keselowski literally dominated the race leading 446 of 500 laps and sweeping all three stages.

“The car was really good, this Ford Mustang.” Keselowski commented, “Just a great day for our team, awesome execution on pit road. Credit to Doug Yates and all the engine stuff, those guys worked really hard.” He added, “Just one of those days you dream of as a race car driver.”

Chase Elliott brought his No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet home in second place. This was the third top-five finish for Chevrolet and the first for Hendrick Motorsports.

“Our NAPA Camaro was good, we were about as even with him (Keselowski) as we could be,” stated Elliott. “When we did get to lead there was a little advantage to being out front, being able to work traffic your way and kind of play off this and what not.” He added, “I tried to move up there at the end and I don’t know if I could have got to him, maybe if I moved up a little sooner. Maybe next time.”

Stage 1 started with Joey Logano on the pole and Aric Almirola on the outside. Brad Keselowski took the lead at lap five and didn’t look back. The first caution came out for Michael McDowell who had a tire go sending him into the wall. Keselowski beat everyone out of the pits to 30 laps. Keselowski was the stage winner.

Stage 2 started once again with Keselowski on the point. The second caution of the day was for Ross Chastain who lost a rear end axle leaving rear end grease on the track. Keselowski led every lap in the stage winning it easily.

The final stage of the race had Keselowski starting back on point. He wouldn’t stay there as Elliott took the lead. The caution flew once again for an incident between Ty Dillon and William Byron. Clint Bowyer who had a frustrating day in the pits earned his first of two speeding penalties of the day. Keselowski, with another great pit stop, took the top spot for the restart.

Eric Jones had problems with two tires slowing on the track but he was able to work his way to pit road so no caution. Elliott was able to pass Keselowski for the lead. He was the only driver to get past Keselowski with a chance to win the race.

Matt Tifft stopped on the high line of the track bringing out another caution. Keselowski’s team once again got him out ahead of the rest. The final caution came out for the stopped car of Chastain who had brake issues. Although Elliott and Kyle Busch drove as hard as they could, they were no match for Keselowski who took the checkered flag first.

Kyle Busch brought his No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota home in third.

“Overall we fought hard for today’s finish, not a finish we wanted to get, thought we had a chance to win actually but it could have been a whole lot worse,” Kyle Busch commented.

Ryan Blaney had a great race and kept his car toward the front all race long, and came in fourth, Denny Hamlin would round out the top five. Kevin Harvick, Bowyer, Martin Truex Jr., Almirola and Daniel Suarez finished sixth through 10, respectively.

Kyle Busch leads the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Standings with 273 points, Hamlin is second with 252 points, Harvick is third with 248 points, Logano is in fourth with 245 points, and rounding out the top five is Keselowski with 236 points.

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads next to Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday, March 31.

Monster Energy Cup Series Race Number 6
Race Results for the 70th Annual STP 500 – Sunday, March 24, 2019
Martinsville Speedway – Martinsville, VA – 0.526 – Mile Paved
Total Race Length – 500 Laps – 263. Miles

Fin	Str	No.	Driver	Team	Laps	Stage1Pos	Stage2Pos	Pts	Status
1	3	2	Brad Keselowski	Reese/Draw Tite Ford	500	1	1	60	Running
2	7	9	Chase Elliott	NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet	500	2	4	51	Running
3	13	18	Kyle Busch	M&M’s Chocolate Bar Toyota	500	9	0	36	Running
4	17	12	Ryan Blaney	Menards/Libman Ford	500	5	2	48	Running
5	5	11	Denny Hamlin	FedEx Ground Toyota	500	4	3	47	Running
6	4	4	Kevin Harvick	Mobil 1 Ford	500	0	7	35	Running
7	10	14	Clint Bowyer	Mobil 1/Rush Truck Centers Ford	500	6	8	38	Running
8	8	19	Martin Truex Jr.	SiriusXM Toyota	500	8	5	38	Running
9	2	10	Aric Almirola	SHAZAM!/Smithfield Ford	500	3	6	41	Running
10	9	41	Daniel Suarez	Haas Automation Ford	500	0	9	29	Running
11	29	3	Austin Dillon	Symbicort Chevrolet	500	10	0	27	Running
12	19	1	Kurt Busch	GEARWRENCH/Monster Energy Chevrolet	500	0	0	25	Running
13	22	13	Ty Dillon	GEICO Chevrolet	500	0	0	24	Running
14	16	88	Alex Bowman	Nationwide Chevrolet	500	0	0	23	Running
15	14	21	Paul Menard	Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford	500	0	0	22	Running
16	15	47	Ryan Preece #	Kroger Chevrolet	500	0	0	21	Running
17	26	43	Bubba Wallace	Transporation Impact Chevrolet	500	0	0	20	Running
18	6	42	Kyle Larson	Credit One Bank Chevrolet	500	0	0	19	Running
19	1	22	Joey Logano	Shell Pennzoil Ford	500	7	10	23	Running
20	21	95	Matt DiBenedetto	Toyota Express Maintenance Toyota	500	0	0	17	Running
21	12	37	Chris Buescher	Kroger Speed Up Your Cleanup Chevrolet	499	0	0	16	Running
22	34	24	William Byron	Axalta Chevrolet	499	0	0	15	Running
23	20	6	Ryan Newman	Acorns Ford	499	0	0	14	Running
24	11	48	Jimmie Johnson	Ally Chevrolet	498	0	0	13	Running
25	24	17	Ricky Stenhouse Jr.	Fastenal Ford	498	0	0	12	Running
26	25	38	David Ragan	MDS Transport Ford	496	0	0	11	Running
27	28	8	Daniel Hemric #	Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Chevrolet	496	0	0	10	Running
28	27	0	Landon Cassill	CGS Imaging Chevrolet	494	0	0	9	Running
29	31	36	Matt Tifft #	Surface Sunscreen/Tunity Ford	494	0	0	8	Running
30	18	20	Erik Jones	DeWalt Toyota	491	0	0	7	Running
31	23	34	Michael McDowell	A&W All American Foods Ford	491	0	0	6	Running
32	35	77	DJ Kennington(i)	Go-Parts Chevrolet	489	0	0	0	Running
33	32	32	Corey LaJoie	CorvetteParts.net Ford	489	0	0	4	Running
34	30	15	Ross Chastain(i)	Rim Riderz Chevrolet	365	0	0	0	Engine
35	36	52	Jeb Burton(i)	Muzzy Bowfishing Chevrolet	163	0	0	0	Brakes
36	33	51	Cody Ware #	Jacob Companies Chevrolet	55	0	0	1	Brakes

March 24, 2019

Logano wins pole at Martinsville

For the ninth straight year in the Monster Energy Cup Series, Joey Logano has won a pole.

The streak continued with the Penske driver’s 21st career pole and his fifth at Martinsville Speedway.

“It’s awesome get another pole at Martinsville,” Logano said. “Hopefully we can top it off with another win with the Shell Pennzoil Mustang. This is always a fun race and I always look forward to coming up here.”

RT to congratulate @JoeyLogano on winning the #BuschPole!#STP500 | @MartinsvilleSwy pic.twitter.com/D1ySbzVQBK
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) March 23, 2019

Aric Almirola, Brad Keselowski, Kevin Harvick and Denny Hamlin rounded out the top five.

Stage 1 was fairly calm with Hamlin, the Chesterfield Virginia native, setting the pace with two stages to go. The notables not advancing to Stage 2 included both cars from Richard Childress Racing in Daniel Hemric and Austin Dillon as well as Ricky Stenhouse Jr. from Roush Fenway Racing.

"We'll go get 'em tomorrow."@StenhouseJr will not advance to Round 2 after qualifying 25th. pic.twitter.com/4o9MR29UCM
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) March 23, 2019

In Stage two, the surprise of the weekend occurred when the winner of the Truck Series race earlier today and the winner of the past two races in the Monster Energy Cup Series, Kyle Busch, did not make it out of Round 3. He was 14th after his first run and tried to go out and make it into the third round but it was not enough so he will try to go for three in a row from the 14th starting position.

Ryan Blaney did not make it out of Round 2 as well as Kurt Busch, Erik Jones and Paul Menard.

After cutting a tire in the first practice, William Byron rebounded to qualify sixth, followed by Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, Martin Truex Jr. and Daniel Suarez to round out the Top 10.

The STP 500 will televised on FS1 with the telecast starting at 2 p.m. ET.

Follow Bryan on Twitter for the latest updates.

March 23, 2019
Ben Rhodes comes up short at Martinsville

Ben Rhodes was looking to put that Martinsville finish from a year ago behind him when he won both stages only to finish 12th. One year later, he almost pulled it off but was one spot short, finishing second to race winner Kyle Busch.

He started 16th but wasn’t a factor until Stage 2 when Rhodes finished second in his new No. 99 Carolina Nut Company Ford F-150 for 2019.

With 52 to go, the No. 99 team went to second and was trying to chase down Kyle Busch for the win. Rhodes had a couple of chances to get to Busch, and was closing in, only a half second behind Busch.

Unfortunately, that’s the closest he got to Busch and wound up finishing second when the race ended under caution after Reid Wilson spun on the last lap.

It’s what could have been for Rhodes and the No. 99 ThorSport team. If the race has restarted, he might have had a shot to win.

“I don’t know, we just kind of got up there,” Rhodes told MRN Radio. “I give a lot of credit to my pit crew and the decisions on the pit box today. They gave me some track position and did a phenomenal job on that. I give them an A+, but our Carolina Nut Company Ford F-150 had speed, just not quite enough to get by Kyle Busch.”

“You know, we got beat by the best in the business,” Rhodes continued in his post race interview with MRN Radio. “Just experience. He’s (Kyle Busch) very smart on pacing himself and every time we get out there with him, I’m logging something in my memory bank. A lot of our team is really young. My crew chief is like 27, engineer is 24, a lot of our mechanics are under 27. So we’re building together and learning together, just building a notebook and building set ups. This is our first season and we’re just getting better as we go from where we unloaded this season.”

March 23, 2019
Stewart Friesen and Ross Chastain have solid day at Martinsville

After starting on the pole and not yet winning a race, Friesen was looking for his first career win today at Martinsville Speedway.

He remained steady by finishing second in Stage 1 but dropped a few spots, finishing fourth in Stage 2. Friesen led twice for 18 laps, however, it was a quiet day for the No. 52 Halmar Racing Team as they wound up fifth for Stewart’s second top five of the season and the 13th of his career.

He also bettered his Martinsville finish from one year ago, where Friesen finished 20th that day after starting fifth. It was also his best Martinsville finish of his career this far.

“Yeah, that’s cool,” Friesen told MRN Radio. “I like to go win races though. It’s a tough pill to swallow when you go points racing for stage points and aren’t doing what the fast guys are doing getting track position. We battled back with the 24 (Brett Moffitt). The 24 dropped a blade on me a couple of times and I was a little timid, and knocked some guys out of the way. At the end, I was just trying to salvage a decent finish there because it was getting pretty wild.”

For Ross Chastain, the same story could be said, but just a higher finish than Friesen. At some points, it looked like he could win but late race cautions and Busch having the better truck ultimately cost him. Still, Chastain has been on a roll this season finishing third at Daytona, sixth at Atlanta, 10th at Las Vegas, and following it up today with a fourth-place finish at Martinsville. It’s his best ever finish and the second top five of the young 2019 season.

“I would say it’s a huge step for us (Niece Motorsports),” Chastain told MRN Radio. “It’s nice to be aggravated with fourth. Everyone didn’t tell me to come run this truck (No. 45) this year and I saw a lot of potential with Al Niece (Team Wwner), Cody Efaw (General Manager), and the whole TruNorth team. I’m glad I did and stuck with my gut.”

“Probably went too hard there to get that stage win and that was a big deal, and was wanting to get that,” Chastain continued to tell MRN Radio. “I just ran out of turn there at the end. I just got too tight. Definitely a lot to build on for sure and a clean race truck. We got a brand new race truck to bring to Texas next week and honestly, I’ve been looking more to Texas than here. So it’s a good sign of things to come.”

Chastain finished fifth in Stage 1 and won Stage 2, ultimately finishing fourth after leading twice for 53 laps.

March 23, 2019
Weekend schedule for Martinsville Speedway

For the first time in 2019, the NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series and the Gander Outdoor Truck Series teams are going short track racing. Here is the weekend schedule for the TruNorth Global 250 and the STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway.

All times are Eastern.

Friday March 22, 2019

11:05 a.m. – 11:55 a.m.: Truck Series Rookie Practice (Rookie Drivers Only) – No TV
1:05 p.m. – 1:55 p.m.: Truck Series First Practice – No TV
3:05 p.m. – 3:55 p.m.: Truck Series Final Practice – No TV

Saturday March 23, 2019

9:35 a.m. – 10:25 a.m.: Cup Series First Practice – FS1
10:40 a.m.: Truck Series Qualifying (Multi Vehicle, Three Rounds) – FS1
12:30 p.m. – 1:20 p.m.: Cup Series Final Practice – FS1
2:00 p.m.: Gander Outdoor Truck Series TruNorth Global 250 (Stages 70/140/250 Laps = 131.5 miles)
TV: FS1 – Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90)
5:10 p.m.: Cup Qualifying (Multi Vehicle, Three Rounds) – FS1

Sunday March 24, 2019

2:00 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series STP 500 (Stages 130/260/500 Laps = 263 Miles)
TV: FS1 – Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90)

March 21, 2019