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  • Zane Smith wins in Martinsville thriller, Championship 4 set for Phoenix

    Zane Smith wins in Martinsville thriller, Championship 4 set for Phoenix

    Martinsville Speedway was the host for the penultimate race of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoffs in the Round of 6. Four drivers below the cut line were racing for a chance at the championship, but only one of those of four could advance with the win.

    As the checkered flag flew at the end of the United Rentals 200, Zane Smith was in the right place at the right time and captured the victory to advance to the Championship 4 next weekend at Phoenix Raceway. Prior to the race, he was below the cut line but on the white flag lap, race leaders Stewart Friesen, Todd Gilliland and Smith were side-by-side, fighting for the lead. All three made contact with Friesen turning then race leader Gilliland, which allowed Smith to drive right on by. When Smith assumed the lead, more contact occurred behind the leaders and the race ultimately ended under yellow giving the win to Smith.

    “It (those final laps) was definitely wild to say the least,” Smith said about the win. “I knew with me being third, I was in a really good spot. Speed-wise, I don’t think we had anything for the 38 (Gilliland), I think he had fresher tires than us. I was worried with it staying green. For the final restart, I had the 16 (Austin Hill) behind me and kind of got him upset at the start of the race and I got flipped off on Lap 2.”

    “I got shoved into the corner and luckily, I came out three wide (on the) bottom and pretty much just white-knuckled it in the end.”

    Coming into the Round of 6 at Martinsville, none of the drivers were locked into the Championship 4 but the top two drivers, John Hunter Nemechek and Ben Rhodes, had a more than 30 point lead over anyone else. Via the metric system, Nemechek was awarded the pole once again and started on the front row with Todd Gilliland beside him.

    There were some notable moments during the first two stages. The first caution came out on Lap 46 when Cory Roper spun in Turn 4 and there was a big pileup wreck on Lap 87 on the frontstretch. Second place starter Gilliland swept both stages by leading nearly every lap. Nemechek finished third in the first stage and second in the second stage. However, things began to worsen for Nemechek and some of the other playoff drivers during the final stage.

    With 70 laps to go, Nemechek was running in the back as other drivers used a different strategy and stayed out to assume the top spots. Those drivers included Zane Smith, Carson Hocevar and Stewart Friesen. Nemechek was looking to make his way back up toward the frontrunners. Unfortunately for the No. 4 Kyle Busch Motorsports team, they found themselves in a losing battle with the No. 22 of Austin Wayne Self. Going into Turns 3 and 4, Nemechek attempted to make a pass on Wayne Self, but Self made contact with the No. 4 and sent Nemechek up into the wall and he was eventually out of the race with a 39th place finish.

    Now, all Nemechek could do was sit and watch and hope for some good luck for the rest of the way in order to have a chance to race for the championship. More and more yellows fell late in the going and Smith continued to maintain the lead. However, right around 27 to go, Gilliland inched his way back to the lead and tapped Smith out of the way. As a result, Smith moved back into second and was -41 below the cut line.

    Fortunately for Smith, he caught a break with a late-race caution due to the No. 51 of Corey Heim and the No. 41 of Dawson Cram who spun in Turn 4. Playoff driver, Matt Crafton, was caught up in the incident and Crafton spun around as well but made it through the melee with no contact to his No. 88 truck.

    The contact set up a late-race overtime restart. Gilliland chose the inside lane as did Smith. Friesen chose the outside lane and was the first driver to line up right beside Smith. During the final laps, there was numerous contact between the leaders. Gilliland was seeking his first win since Circuit of the Americus back in May and seemed poised to do so until he was turned by Friesen. Going into Turn 1, Friesen had one last shot to make a move on Smith but ended up spinning which allowed Smith to claim the checkered flag and a Championship 4 spot at Phoenix next weekend. Among the others fighting for a championship are Matt Crafton, Ben Rhodes, and Nemechek.

    There were 14 cautions for 89 laps and 10 lead changes among four different leaders.

    Smith led four times for 65 laps en route to the checkered flag.

    Championship 4:

    Zane Smith
    Matt Crafton
    Ben Rhodes
    John Hunter Nemechek

    Official Results following the United Rentals 200 at Martinsville Speedway:

    1. Zane Smith, led 65 laps
    2. Austin Hill
    3. Tanner Gray
    4. Chandler Smith
    5. Matt Crafton
    6. Parker Kligerman
    7. Ben Rhodes
    8. Taylor Gray
    9. Sheldon Creed
    10. Timmy Hill
    11. Corey Heim
    12. Carson Hocevar, led four laps
    13. Kris Wright
    14. Danny Bohn
    15. Spencer Boyd
    16. Chris Hacker
    17. Stewart Friesen
    18. Tate Fogleman
    19. Hailie Deegan
    20. Austin Wayne Self
    21. Grant Enfinger
    22. Bret Holmes
    23. Dawson Cram
    24. Derek Kraus
    25. Todd Gilliland, led 133 laps, won both stages, 1 lap down
    26. Tyler Ankrum, 1 lap down
    27. Jack Wood, 1 lap down
    28. Josh Berry, 1 lap down
    29. Spencer Davis, 2 laps down
    30. Jesse Iwuji, 2 laps down
    31. Johnny Sauter, 3 laps down
    32. Sage Karam, 4 laps down
    33. Ryan Truex, 6 laps down
    34. Josh Reaume, 6 laps down
    35. Roger Reuse, 11 laps down
    36. Jennifer Jo Cobb, 14 laps down
    37. Cory Roper, 16 laps down
    38. Colby Howard, 30 laps down
    39. John Hunter Nemechek, led two laps, OUT, Crash
    40. Chase Purdy, OUT, Rear Gear

    Up Next: The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will head out west to Phoenix Raceway for the final race of the season on Friday, Nov. 6, live on Fox Sports 1 and MRN Radio at 8 p.m. ET.

  • Weekend schedule for Martinsville

    Weekend schedule for Martinsville

    NASCAR heads to Martinsville Speedway this weekend for the final races of the regular season. At the conclusion of each race, the Championship 4 field will be set for each series. Kyle Larson is the only NASCAR Cup Series driver who has already clinched a position in the season finale at Phoenix Raceway.

    None of the Xfinity Series or Camping World Truck Series drivers have secured a place in the 4-driver championship field.

    Cup Series Playoffs Current Standings

    Xfinity Series Playoffs Current Standings

    Truck Series Playoffs Current Standings

    Clinch Scenarios for each NASCAR Series

    Saturday, Oct. 30

    1 p.m.: Truck Series United Rentals 200 race
    Stages 50/100/200 Laps = 105.2 Miles
    Pole: John Hunter Nemechek
    FS1/ SiriusXM NASCAR Radio/MRN

    3:30 p.m.: NASCAR Track Pass – Watch Live

    6 p.m.: Xfinity Series Dead on Tools 250 race
    Stages 60/120/250 Laps = 131.5 Miles
    Pole: Austin Cindric
    NBCSN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio/MRN/TSN

    8:30 p.m.: NASCAR Track Pass – Watch Live

    Sunday, Oct. 31

    2 p.m.: Cup Series Xfinity 500 race
    Stages 130/260/500 Laps = 263 Miles
    Pole: Kyle Larson
    NBC/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio/MRN/TSN

    5:30 p.m.: NASCAR Track Pass – Watch Live

    Martinsville Speedway Data:

    Season Race #: 35 of 36 (10-31-21)
    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

    Martinsville Speedway Qualifying Data:

    Track Qualifying Record: Joey Logano, Team Penske Ford (100.201 mph, 18.898 secs.) on March 28, 2014.
    2020 Playoff Race Pole Winner: Metric Qualifying – Brad Keselowski started from the first position.

    • Kurt Busch leads the series in starts among active drivers at Martinsville Speedway with 42; followed by Kevin Harvick (40) and Ryan Newman (39).
    • Joey Logano leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series with an average starting position at Martinsville Speedway at 7.640 in 25 starts.
    • Joey Logano leads the series among active drivers with the most poles at Martinsville Speedway with five (2015 sweep, spring 2016, fall 2017, spring 2019).
    • A total of 11 different manufacturers have won at least one NASCAR Cup Series pole at Martinsville and Chevrolet leads the series in poles with 53; followed by Ford with 35 and Toyota with six.

    Martinsville Speedway Race Data:

    Track Race Record: Jeff Gordon, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet (82.223 mph, 3:11:55) on September 22, 2006.
    2020 Playoff Race Winner: Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet (71.581 mph, 03:40:27) on November 1, 2020.

    • Denny Hamlin leads the NASCAR Cup Series in wins among active drivers at Martinsville Speedway with five victories (2008, 2009, 2010 sweep, 2015).
    • Martin Truex Jr. is the most recent driver to win consecutive races at Martinsville (2019 Playoff race / spring of 2020).
    • 21 of the 141 NASCAR Cup Series races (14.89%) at Martinsville Speedway have been won from the pole or first starting position, making it the most proficient starting spot in the field at Martinsville Speedway in the NASCAR Cup Series, producing more wins than any other starting position.
    • The deepest in the field that a race winner has started is 36th, by Kurt Busch in the fall of 2002.
    • A total of 11 manufacturers have won in the NASCAR Cup Series at Martinsville Speedway; led by Chevrolet with 57 victories, followed by Ford (30), Plymouth (12), Dodge (10), Toyota (10), Oldsmobile (8), Pontiac (8), Buick (3), Chrysler (3), Hudson (2) and Mercury (2).
    • Hendrick Motorsports leads the NASCAR Cup Series in wins at Martinsville Speedway with 25 victories.

    From OddsChecker:

    Martin Truex Jr. favored to end Kyle Larson’s winning streak

    Truex Jr. is given +450 odds to win the Xfinity 500. That’s an implied 18.2% chance. He’s followed closely by Kyle Larson, who sits at +500 or an implied 16.7%. Oddsmakers see this as an exceedingly tight race, with 8 drives given +900 odds to better to win.

    XFINITY 500 WINNER ODDS 

    Driver Odds Implied chance 
    Martin Truex Jr. +450 18.2% 
    Kyle Larson +500 16.7% 
    Chase Elliot +600 14.3% 
    Denny Hamlin +650 13.3% 
    Ryan Blaney +700 12.5% 
    Kyle Busch +800 11.1% 
    Joey Logano +850 10.5% 
    Brad Keselowski +900 10% 
    William Byron +1100 8.3% 
    Christopher Bell +2000 4.8% 

  • Haley primed for 100th Xfinity career start at Martinsville

    Haley primed for 100th Xfinity career start at Martinsville

    Competing in his third full-time season in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Justin Haley is set to achieve a milestone start. By taking the green flag in this weekend’s Playoff event at Martinsville Speedway, the driver of the No. 11 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet Camaro will reach 200 career starts in the Xfinity circuit.

    A native of Winamac, Indiana, Haley made his Xfinity Series debut at Iowa Speedway in June. By then, he was competing in his second full-time season in the NASCAR Truck Series for GMS Racing. Driving the No. 23 Chevrolet Camaro for GMS, Haley started 13th and finished 12th in his Xfinity debut. 

    During his second series start at Daytona International Speedway in July, Haley completed a three-wide pass on Kyle Larson and Elliott Sadler on the final straightaway on the final lap to cross the finish line in first place and score what would have been his first Xfinity career victory. Upon review of the finish, however, Haley was disqualified from the victory after he completed his winning pass below the double yellow lines, an out of bounds zone in superspeedway racing. The move dropped Haley to 18th place, the final car on the lead lap, while Larson was awarded the victory. 

    Haley’s third and final Xfinity start of 2018 occurred at Watkins Glen International August, where he finished 38th after being involved in an early accident with former NASCAR competitor Matt Tifft.

    Following a third-place result in the 2018 NASCAR Truck Series drivers’ standings, Haley joined Kaulig Racing as a full-time driver of the No. 11 Chevrolet Camaro for the 2019 Xfinity Series season. In his first start with Kaulig Racing, which was the season-opening event at Daytona, Haley won the first stage and led a total of three laps before settling in 17th place. Since then, Haley went on to record four top-five results, 20 top-10 results and an average result of 12.3 throughout the 33-race schedule. He made the 2019 Xfinity Playoffs, but was eliminated from title contention following the first round as he settled in 12th place in the final standings. 

    Commencing the 2020 Xfinity season with a sixth-place result at Daytona, Haley achieved his first Xfinity Series career win at Talladega Superspeedway in June after receiving a push from teammates Ross Chastain and AJ Allmendinger to overtake future teammate Jeb Burton on the final lap. He went on to claim his second series career victory at Daytona in August after dodging a final lap accident involving teammates Allmendinger and Chastain. Qualifying for the Playoffs, Haley earned his third career victory at Talladega in October and joined Dale Earnhardt Jr. and the late Dale Earnhardt as the only competitors to achieve three consecutive superspeedway victories in the Xfinity Series. Along with his victories, Haley earned enough consistent results to earn a spot in the Championship Round at Phoenix Raceway in November with an opportunity to contend for his first NASCAR Xfinity title. During the finale, however, Haley finished eighth on the track and third in the final standings. Despite falling short on the title, the 2020 season was a superb season for Haley, who achieved his first three career victories along with 10 top-five results, 21 top-10 results and an average-finishing result of 10.3. His third-place result in the final standings is the best to date for Kaulig Racing.

    Through the first 22 events of the 2021 Xfinity season, Haley and the No. 11 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet team earned three top-five results and 14 top-10 results. Despite being absent at Dover International Speedway in May due to COVID-19 protocols, the Indiana native remained in contention to make the Playoffs. Soon after, Haley solidified his spot in the Playoffs after edging teammate Allmendinger by 0.023 seconds to grab his fourth Xfinity career win at Daytona in August and first of the 2021 season.

    Since winning at Daytona and competing in the Playoffs, Haley has notched seven consecutive results in the top 10 and is one of eight competitors still vying for the 2021 Xfinity title in the Round of 8. With a fourth-place result in his most recent series start at Kansas Speedway in October, Haley is ranked in fifth place in the Playoff standings and is seven points below the top-four cutline to make the Championship 4 finale at Phoenix Raceway in November and contend for his first NASCAR national touring series title.

    Through 99 previous Xfinity starts, Haley has notched four career victories, 22 top-five results, 64 top-10 results, 190 laps led, an average-finishing result of 11.3 and three Playoff appearances.

    Haley is set to make his 100th Xfinity Series career start at Martinsville Speedway on Saturday, October 30, with the event scheduled to occur at 6 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

  • Playoff drivers react after pivotal race at Kansas

    Playoff drivers react after pivotal race at Kansas

    With only one race remaining before the NASCAR Cup Series 2021 champion is crowned at Phoenix Raceway on Nov. 7, Kyle Larson is the only driver in the Playoffs who has secured a spot in the championship finale.

    As the series travels to Martinsville Speedway next week, the competition will be fierce with everything on the line for the remaining seven drivers in contention for the title.

    Here’s what the Playoff drivers had to say following Sunday’s race at Kansas Speedway.

    Kyle Larson – Hendrick Motorsports:

    Larson has nine victories this season. He has won three races in a row, twice, including the first two playoff races in the Round of 8 at Texas Motor Speedway and Kansas Speedway. He is the only driver currently guaranteed a spot in the Championship 4.
    After the race, Larson spoke about the significance of the win today at Kansas as he dedicated it to the 10 lives lost in 2004 in a plane crash near Martinsville, Virginia. The victims lost included Rick Hendrick’s son Ricky and his brother, John.

    “Yes, I want to dedicate this win to Rick and Linda (Hendrick). I didn’t ever get to meet Ricky (Hendrick) or the other men and women who lost their lives that day, but I felt the importance of this race, no doubt. It’s crazy how it kind of all worked out there for me to win. I know they were all looking down and helping me out there with all the restarts and stuff after getting into the wall. Again, thank you to Rick Hendrick. I know this means a lot to you and I’m glad I could get it done.

    “It’s cool to get another win and I don’t really know how that happened but, our HendrickCars.com Chevy was really fast. I thought we were like a third-place car, really. William (Byron) was really good. I hate to see that unfortunate luck there again for that team. They’ve been really, really strong. I’m glad we could capitalize and get another win. I hope we can go to Martinsville and get a clock.”

    Chase Elliott – Hendrick Motorsports:

    Elliott finished second in the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas and is second in the Playoff standings entering the last race in the Round of 8 at Martinsville Speedway next weekend. He has two wins this year and six runner-up finishes including a second-place finish at Martinsville in April.

    Although he appears to be in position to make the cut for the Championship 4, with a cushion of +34 points, Elliott is taking nothing for granted.

    “I don’t know if it allows you to do much of anything now. As you saw today, I am not sure that any amount of points is safe. I think anyone in this Round can win next week. So, we are really going to have to be on it, but looking forward to the opportunity and excited for the challenge.”

    Denny Hamlin – Joe Gibbs Racing:

    Hamlin drove his No. 11 Toyota for a fifth-place finish at Kansas. Since the Playoffs began, his consistency has been a key factor, capturing wins at Darlington Raceway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He has only finished outside the top ten once with 11th place at Texas, five top-fives and three top-10s. Heading to Martinsville, he is third in the standings with a 32-point buffer.

    After the race, he emphasized the importance of minimizing mistakes, earning stage points and finding some extra speed as the team prepares for the next race at Martinsville.

    “Just tried to optimize our day, that’s really all we could do. The second half we were much, much better, but by then it’s just so hard to pass. Decent day overall. The FedEx Camry was okay, we optimized. We didn’t make a whole lot of mistakes and we really swung a whole lot of things at it to try to make it better, but fourth or fifth is about where we were at.

    “A nice, solid day next week will be okay. You just never know what can happen. Just need to make sure I get some stage points and don’t give it away early and I think we’ll be alright.
    “We just don’t have the speed. We’re just off on the 550 tracks. We have too much drag and not enough downforce. We’ve had these bodies on these Camrys for a really long time and it doesn’t do what we want it to do on the 550s.”

    Kyle Busch – Joe Gibbs Racing:

    Busch and the team head to Martinsville in a precarious position, up by only 1 point in the standings after finishing 28th today at Kansas as he struggled with the handling of his Toyota. With only two top-fives since the Playoffs began, it’s been an uphill battle.

    He spoke about his finish today, saying, “I was expecting much worse. Still a shot, it’s just going to be tough. Just going to be a hard-fought dog fight for that final spot.”
    When asked about his strategy for next week at Martinsville and if he would have to go for a win, Busch was non-committal.

    “I wouldn’t say that. I don’t know, I haven’t seen what it looks like. Third to seventh looks pretty tight I guess so there’s still a race. It’s going to come down to points. If there’s a winner from below us, so we’re going to have to beat them.”

    While all eyes will be on the top four contenders, there are four more drivers who will be fighting for those spots. Win and they’re in. Ryan Blaney (-1), Martin Truex Jr. (-3), Brad Keselowski (-6) and Joey Logano (-26) will each hope to play the spoiler as they attempt to pull off the upset for their shot at the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series title.  

    Ryan Blaney – Team Penske:

    Blaney has two runner-up finishes at Martinsville in 2020 and is hoping to make up the points he lost at Kansas when he was hit by Austin Dillon and sent into the wall, ending his day early.

    He was frustrated after the race and said, “Obviously it hurts. Finishing 37th is not prime. We didn’t have a great day but we did a good job of fighting back and getting back into the top-10 but then just got wiped out when we had plenty of room.”

    Martin Truex Jr. – Joe Gibbs Racing

    Truex won at Martinsville earlier this year in April and is looking for a repeat next week.

    “I feel good about that. We’re going to have a good starting position now and good pit selection. The place has been good to us. If we can get up there and win a couple stages and battle for the win, I think we’ll be able to get ourselves in. We’ll wait and see how it goes; you never know how these things are going to play out. Excited for the opportunity and thankful for everybody for all their hard work.”

    Brad Keselowski – Team Penske:

    Keselowski had a disappointing day as he finished 17th at Kansas but is hopeful that he can make the cut at Martinsville.

    “That was a heck of a race. We are all just fighting to hard. I am bummed I didn’t get more out of it. I had a heck of an opportunity to score a lot of points and make next week easy. We still aren’t in a bad spot but not as good as spot as we could be.”

    Joey Logano – Team Penske:

    Logano made up some points today with a ninth-place finish but is concerned that it may not be enough.

    “It is pretty far out still. All things considered, it isn’t just that it is 20-something points out, but I am still eighth. I have three or four cars in front of me that I have to get in front of, assuming there isn’t a different winner. It is still pretty much a must-win situation. It would be far-fetched for it to happen. But hey, look at today. Maybe it could happen.”

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Martinsville

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Martinsville

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin led 276 of 500 laps and finished third in the Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500 at Martinsville.

    “Me and my Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Martin Truex Jr. and Christopher Bell led 305 of the 500 laps,” Hamlin said. “Kyle Busch was involved in cautions in the other 195 laps.”

    2. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex passed Denny Hamlin with 15 laps to go and went on to win at Martinsville, becoming the season’s first repeat winner.

    “The grandfather clock struck ‘2’ at Martinsville,” Truex said. “It struck ‘midnight’ for anyone who had one too many of Martinsville’s $2 hot dogs.”

    3. Joey Logano: Logano finished sixth at Martinsville.

    “A limited number of fans were able to attend the race on Sunday,” Logano said. “I felt right at home though, because I only have a ‘limited number of fans.’”

    4. Kyle Larson: Larson finished fifth at Martinsville.

    “‘Blu-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500’ is quite a name for a race,” Larson said. “Honestly, I think it’s too much. I say we go back to calling it the Virginia 500, because, let’s face it, some things are better left unsaid.”

    5. William Byron: Byron finished fourth at Martinsville.

    “Joe Graf Jr. and Gray Gaulding fought after the Xfinity race,” Byron said. “Those guys were actually teammates last year. That’s hard to believe. I’d have an easier time believing they are current teammates at Rick Ware Racing.”

    6. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished ninth at Martinsville, posting his sixth top 10 of the season.

    “I tangled with Bubba Wallace early in the race,” Harvick said. “We all know that the great Michael Jordan is a co-owner of his team. That being said, I’d just like to say to Bubba, ‘If you’re feeling froggy, ‘Jump, man.’”

    7. Chase Elliott: Elliott finished third in the Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief at Martinsville.

    “Sunday’s race aired on Fox Sports 1,” Elliott said. “Which means it was probably seen by more people live than on television.”

    8. Ryan Blaney: Blaney took the first two stages at Martinsville and finished 11th at Martinsville.

    “We had a late pit penalty that really hurt our chances at the win,” Blaney said. “The air hose got hung up in the car as I was leaving the pits. That’s not good. Heck, just ask Charles Barkley. He’ll tell you that there’s nothing worse than hose stuck in your car.”

    9. Christopher Bell: Bell took seventh at Martinsville, recording his fourth top 10 of the season.

    “My Joe Gibbs Racing teammates had quite a battle there at the end,” Bell said. “Ultimately, Martin Truex Jr. outlasted Denny Hamlin. And streaking of ‘outlasting,’ it seems like every week, Corey LaJoie, Quin Houff, Josh Bilicki, and the like are in a battle to see who can ‘out last’ the other.”

    10. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski’s hopes at Martinsville faded after he was caught up in a big pileup on lap 387. He finished 33rd.

    “It’s not often you get the ‘Big One’ in Martinsville,” Keselowski said. “There were 12 cars involved in that accident. A 12-car accident is unheard of at Martinsville, at least on the race track, but not in the parking lots in the pre-COVID era.”

  • Martin Truex Jr. triumphs at Martinsville, winning his second race of the season

    Martin Truex Jr. triumphs at Martinsville, winning his second race of the season

    Martin Truex Jr. scored his second victory of the year at Martinsville Speedway Sunday night becoming the first multi-race winner in the NASCAR Cup Series this season.

    It was his 29th victory in 558 Cup Series starts and his third win at Martinsville Speedway. He only led 20 laps in his No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota but his car was dominant when it mattered most.

    “Yeah, it was interesting how it all played out there,” Truex said. “I thought throughout the day we were a third to a fifth-place car in there. At one point in the middle of the race we got off a little bit, probably a sixth or seventh-place car. It was kind of a weird day.

    “Proud of the guys for working hard on it. They did a great job. That last pit stop we were able to get us the lead. Couldn’t quite hold off the 11 (Hamlin) on that restart. He was really fast firing off. Just tried to stay with him and take care of my car. Knew there was enough laps left that tire wear in the long run was going to come into play.

    “He started getting tight, our car was getting better and better. We were able to take advantage of it. Really happy. For whatever reason our car really turned on when the lights went down. Always good when a plan comes together and it works out the way you hoped it would.”

    The Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500 race was originally scheduled for Saturday night but due to persistent rain, only 42 laps were completed before it was postponed to Sunday at 4 p.m. where it resumed under caution, with Denny Hamlin leading the field to green.  

    It was typical short-track racing with 15 cautions for 102 laps.

    The 14th caution occurred on Lap 386 and was a game-changer for several drivers and teams. It began when Chris Buescher and Kyle Busch made contact, bringing the field to a halt, collecting 10 more cars in the ensuing chaos, and leaving the cars of Ryan Preece and Daniel Suarez on fire.

    Three of the Hendrick Motorsports cars, however, finished in the top five. Chase Elliott earned a runner-up finish, William Byron was fourth and Kyle Larson was fifth.

    Elliott described the finish as “hard fought.”  

    “We were not great, he said, “our strong suit was kind of early on in the run, then really faded hard, too hard there latter part of a run. But we never got one of those super long runs, which is probably a good thing for us because we were struggling on that end. But, yeah, proud we could fight back. We had a long day with strategy not going our way, restart lane choice at times was tough. I’m glad we were able to get back in the fight there and give ourselves a chance.”

    Truex’s teammate, Denny Hamlin and Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney had the most impressive cars throughout much of the race. Hamlin led a race-high 276 laps but was unable to carry the momentum to the end, finishing third.

    Blaney won Stage 1 and 2, leading 157 laps, but received a penalty for an air hose out of the team’s pit stall on his final pit stop. After restarting as the last car on the lead lap in 19th place he rebounded to finish 11th.

    Hamlin described the issues he faced with his car.

    “Had a really good car on the short run all day. Got great restarts, was fast for 25, 30 laps. Then it seemed like guys would start catching us. Unfortunately, it was just too many laps there at the end that we couldn’t hold those guys off. At least gave ourselves a chance by getting a good restart there and getting in front of Martin.

    “Ultimately they were running better, turning the corner, getting off than we were. Came up short again.”

    Hamlin leads the points standings with 379 points followed by Truex (-76), Joey Logano (-77), Kyle Larson (-99) and Ryan Blaney (-107).

    Next up, the Cup Series travels to Richmond Raceway on Sunday, April 18 at 3 p.m. ET with broadcast coverage on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

    NASCAR Cup Series Race Number 8 Race Results

    72nd Annual Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500 – Saturday, April 10, 2021
    Martinsville Speedway – Martinsville, VA – 0.526 – Mile Paved
    Total Race Length – 500 Laps – 263. Miles

    FinStrNoDriverTeamLapsS1PosS2PosS3PosPtsStatus
    1719Martin Truex Jr.Bass Pro Toyota50033056Running
    259Chase ElliottNAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet50044049Running
    3211Denny HamlinFedEd Office Toyota50022052Running
    4324William ByronLiberty University Chevrolet50067042Running
    5195Kyle LarsonHendrickCars.com Chevrolet50050038Running
    6122Joey LoganoShell Pennzoil Ford50090033Running
    72320Christopher BellToyota Toyota500100031Running
    8138Tyler ReddickChildress Vineyards Chevrolet50008032Running
    994Kevin HarvickBusch NA Ford50000028Running
    101218Kyle BuschSnickers Peanut Brownie Toyota50009029Running
    11412Ryan BlaneyMenards/Pennzoil Ford50011046Running
    122221Matt DiBenedettoMotorcraft Quick Lane Ford50000025Running
    131517Chris BuescherFastenal Ford50000024Running
    14183Austin DillonAmerican Ethanol Chevrolet50000023Running
    15647Ricky Stenhouse Jr.Kroger/Crest Chevrolet50000022Running
    162523Bubba WallaceDoorDash Toyota50000021Running
    172742Ross ChastainChevrolet Accessories Chevrolet50000020Running
    182641Cole CusterHaasTooling.com Ford50000019Running
    1986Ryan NewmanGuaranteed Rate Ford49900018Running
    203110Aric AlmirolaSmithfield Anytime Favorites Ford49900017Running
    21211Kurt BuschGEARWRENCH Chevrolet498010017Running
    223715James DavisonJacob Companies Chevrolet49400015Running
    233352Josh BilickiInsurance King Ford49300014Running
    24290Quin HouffGardner Marsh Chevrolet49300013Running
    252853JJ Yeley(i)Fatboy Ice Cream Chevrolet4920000Running
    263538Anthony Alfredo #iRacing Ford49200011Running
    272414Chase Briscoe #Rush Truck Centers Ford49100010Running
    283251Cody Ware(i)Nurtec ODT Chevrolet4900000Running
    293678BJ McLeod(i)CorvetteParts.net Ford4780000Running
    301643Erik JonesPetty’s Garage Chevrolet4030007Rear Gear
    311434Michael McDowellFr8Auctions Ford3870006Accident
    321199Daniel SuarezCamping World Chevrolet3860005Accident
    33102Brad KeselowskiAutotrader Ford38586012Accident
    342048Alex BowmanAlly Chevrolet38475013Accident
    353077Justin Haley(i)Diamond Creek Water Chevrolet3830000Accident
    361737* Ryan PreeceLouisiana Hot Sauce Chevrolet3820001Accident
    37347Corey LaJoieARK.io Chevrolet3740001Accident

  • Berry captures his first NASCAR Xfinity Series win at Martinsville

    Berry captures his first NASCAR Xfinity Series win at Martinsville

    Josh Berry held off his JR Motorsports (JRM) teammate in Sundays’ rain-delayed NASCAR Xfinity Series(NXS) Cook Out 250 race at Martinsville Speedway. Berry, who is running a partial schedule for JRM, led four times for 95 laps in his No. 8 JR Motorsports Chevrolet en route to his first NXS career win and a grandfather clock trophy.

    “Oh, gosh, I have so many people I could thank I could be here until tomorrow morning,” Berry said after the race. “Just Dale, L.W. (Miller), Kelley, everybody for believing in me, everyone on this No. 8 team.

    “Man, they’ve been through a lot the last couple of years. Had a ton of different drivers. Man, I wanted to win so bad for these guys. They’re such a great group. I knew this would be a good opportunity to win. (Crew chief) Taylor (Moyer) called a perfect race. The car was good, and we just kept tweaking on it. The tires were pretty worn out there at the end. I was struggling a little bit with wheel-hop.

    “This is just unbelievable.”

    The race was stopped on Lap 91 of 250 laps on Friday night. The remainder of the race was postponed until Sunday at noon ET due to persistent rain.

    JRM teammate Noah Gragson won stage one and finished second. With the runner-up finish, Gragson captured a $100,000 payday for being the top finisher among the four eligible drivers for the Dash 4 Cash bonus.

    “One hundred thousand dollars richer,” Gragson said. “I’m pumped up. Great 1-2 finish for our team at JR Motorsports.”

    Other dash participants Harrison Burton finished seventh as Justin Allgaier finished ninth and AJ Allmendinger finished 13th. Berry and Gragson will advance to the next round at Talladega Superspeedway on April 24 along with Daniel Hemric and Brandon Jones.

    Hemric won stage two and finished third, Ty Gibbs placed fourth and Jones rounded out the top five.

    “This Poppy Bank Toyota Supra was so fast and it was cool to get that second stage win. Dave Rogers (crew chief) and the guys are bringing incredible cars to the race track,” said Hemric.

    Burton started on the pole and led 53 laps before the race was halted.

    “I thought we were going to win the race, and it just got away from everybody.” said Burton. “Tough day. You have high expectations any time you go back somewhere you’ve won in the past.”

    The NASCAR Xfinity Series heads to Talladega Superspeedway on April 24 at 4 p.m. ET with coverage by FOX, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

    NASCAR Xfinity Series Race Number 7
    Race Results for the Cook Out 250 – Friday, April 9, 2021
    Martinsville Speedway – Martinsville, VA – 0.526 – Mile Paved
    Total Race Length – 250 Laps – 131.5 Miles

    FinStrNoDriverTeamLapsS1PosS2PosS3PosPtsStatus
    1298Josh Berry #Chevrolet Accessories Chevrolet250010041Running
    289Noah GragsonBass Pro Shops/True Timber/BRCC Chevrolet25012054Running
    3418Daniel HemricPoppy Bank Toyota25001044Running
    41654Ty Gibbs #AutoByNelson.com Toyota25040040Running
    52419Brandon JonesToyota Toyota25000032Running
    6622Austin CindricMenards/Richmond Ford25020040Running
    7120Harrison BurtonDEX Imaging Toyota25000030Running
    8511Justin HaleyLeafFilter Gutter Protection Chevrolet25030037Running
    927Justin AllgaierWalmart Fight Hunger Chevrolet25000028Running
    10101Michael AnnettPilot Flying J Chevrolet25004034Running
    111310Jeb BurtonPurYear Tank Lines Chevrolet25003034Running
    12272Brett Moffitt(i)Destiny Homes Chevrolet2500000Running
    13316AJ AllmendingerEllsworth Advisors/Hyperice Chevrolet25000024Running
    141151Jeremy ClementsFirst Pacific Funding Chevrolet25075033Running
    1592Myatt SniderTaxSlayer Chevrolet25060027Running
    161592Josh WilliamsDGM Racing Chevrolet25000021Running
    172526Brandon GdovicSnapMobile.Shop Toyota25000020Running
    183790George Gorham Jr.Blackburns BBQ/Franciscos Chevrolet25009021Running
    193048Jade BufordBig Machine Spike Coolers Chevrolet25000018Running
    203899Stefan ParsonsSOKAL Digital Toyota24907021Running
    213952Gray GauldingPanini America Chevrolet24900016Running
    223461David StarrMBM Motorsports Toyota24900015Running
    231239Ryan SiegCMR Construction & Roofing Ford24900014Running
    243317JJ YeleyAlcova/DBAutomotive.com Chevrolet24988019Running
    253147Kyle WeathermanLOF Defence Systems LTD Chevrolet24900012Running
    262674Bayley CurreyJM Steel Chevrolet249100012Running
    271968Brandon BrownOriginal Larry’s Hard Lemonade Chevrolet24850016Running
    284013Matt JaskolAuto Parts 4 Less Toyota2480009Running
    29798Riley HerbstMonster Energy Ford2480008Running
    302066Timmy HillLiftKits4Less Toyota2480007Running
    312236Alex LabbeLarue Industrial Snowblowers Chevrolet2480006Running
    322178Jesse LittleTufco Flooring Chevrolet2450005Running
    33365Matt MillsJ.F. Electric Chevrolet2410004Running
    341744Tommy Joe MartinsDiamond Gusset Jeans Chevrolet2310608Running
    353223Blaine PerkinsRaceline Chevrolet2260002Running
    36180Jeffrey EarnhardtKSDT CPA Chevrolet2139003Suspension
    37144Landon Cassill511 Auction Chevrolet1970001Engine
    38287Joe Graf Jr.Responsible Gold Chevrolet1790001Accident
    392315Colby HowardProject Hope Foundation Chevrolet1530001Suspension
    40356Ryan Vargas #SEM Products Chevrolet970001Accident
  • Xfinity Series race at Martinsville postponed to Sunday finish

    Xfinity Series race at Martinsville postponed to Sunday finish

    By Staff Report  – NASCAR.com 

    Nagging rain has forced NASCAR officials to postpone Friday night’s NASCAR Xfinity Series Cook Out 250 to a Sunday finish at Martinsville Speedway.

    The race will resume Sunday at noon ET with coverage on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. Brandon Jones is scored as the leader with 91 of a scheduled 250 laps complete.

    RELATED: Race leaderboard | Martinsville schedule

    Noah Gragson won Stage 1 of the race, and the second stage was near its halfway mark when a rain shower halted the event at 9:32 p.m. ET. Track-drying efforts continued until storms intensified late in Friday evening. The start of the race was also delayed roughly a half-hour due to an early evening shower at the track.

    The race at the 0.526-mile track marks the seventh Xfinity race of the season and the first in the 2021 Dash 4 Cash program. Justin Allgaier, AJ Allmendinger, Harrison Burton and Gragson are the four drivers competing in the race within a race. The highest finishing driver among those four takes the $100,000 prize. The winning driver also advances on to compete for the prize with the three highest finishing drivers running for Xfinity points in the next event at Talladega Superspeedway on April 24.

    Burton, who won last fall in the first Xfinity race here since 2006, started on the pole with Allgaier lined up along side of him. Burton led the first 53 laps at Martinsville. Allmendinger had an issue early in the race and had to pit under green, leaving him a lap down.

  • Weekend schedule for Martinsville – updated

    Weekend schedule for Martinsville – updated

    This year in the Cup Series we’ve seen seven races and seven different drivers in Victory Lane. Will the streak continue as NASCAR travels to Martinsville Speedway?

    Denny Hamlin leads all active drivers with five wins at “The Paperclip” and is the top contender to score his first victory this season. Brad Keselowski, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, and Martin Truex Jr. have two wins each while Chase Elliott, Joey Logano, Kevin Harvick and Ryan Newman have one win at Martinsville.

    The racing action begins Thursday at 8 p.m. when the Whelen Modifieds hit the track. Notables on the entry list include JTG-Daugherty Cup Series driver Ryan Preece, Roush Fenway Racing’s Ryan Newman and 2000 Cup Series champion Bobby Labonte.

    Friday evening features the Xfinity Series Cook Out 250 and the Cup Series closes out the weekend Saturday with its first night race of the season. It will also be only the second night race hosted by the track in Cup Series history.

    The Camping World Truck Series does not compete this weekend but will return next week at Richmond Raceway.

    All times are Eastern.

    Thursday, April 8

    2:30 – 4 p.m.: NWMT Practice
    6 p.m.: NWMT Qualifying (Impound) Two laps, All positions
    7:45 p.m.: NWMT Driver Intros (with drivers standing by their cars)
    8 p.m.: Whelen Modified Virginia Is for Racing Lovers 200 (200 Laps, 106.6 Miles) MRN/TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold (Live)

    Friday, April 9

    7:40 p.m.: Xfinity Driver Intros (with drivers standing by their cars)
    8 p.m.: Xfinity Cook Out 250 (Stages 60/120/250 Laps = 131.5 Miles) FS1/MRN/TSN/ SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
    Pole: Harrison Burton
    Postponed – The Xfinity race is scheduled to resume on Lap 92 of 250 at noon ET Sunday on FS1.

    Saturday, April 10

    7:25 p.m.: Cup Series Driver Intros (with drivers standing by their cars)
    7:30 p.m.: Cup Series Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500 (Stages 130/260/500 Laps = 263 Miles) Start time delayed due to rain
    FS1/MRN/TSN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
    Pole: Joey Logano
    Postponed – The Cup Series race will resume Sunday at 4 p.m. ET on FS1.

    Notes:

    2021 Cup Series winners:
    Michael McDowell – Daytona 500
    Christopher Bell – Daytona Road Course
    William Byron – Homestead-Miami
    Kyle Larson – Las Vegas
    Martin Truex Jr. – Phoenix
    Ryan Blaney – Atlanta
    Joey Logano – Bristol Dirt

    Martinsville Speedway Data

    Season Race #: 7 of 36 (04-10-21)
    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

    Martinsville Speedway Qualifying Information:

    2020 pole winner: None – Starting Lineup was decided by a random draw: Ryan Blaney started on the pole.
    Track qualifying record: Joey Logano, Ford (100.201 mph, 18.898 secs. on 03-28-14)

    Kurt Busch leads the NASCAR Cup Series(NCS) in starts among active drivers with 41 starts, followed by Kevin Harvick with 39, and Ryan Newman with 38.  NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty leads the NCS with 67.

    Joey Logano leads all active drivers in the NCS in average starting position with a 7.917 in 24 starts at Martinsville.  Logano leads the series among active drivers with the most poles with five (2015 sweep, spring 2016, fall 2017 and spring 2019).

    Martinsville Speedway Race Information:

    2020 race winner: Martin Truex Jr., Toyota (77.378 mph, (03:23:56), on 06-10-20)
    Track race record: Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet (82.223 mph, (3:11:55), on 09-22-96)

    Denny Hamlin leads the NCS among active drivers in wins at Martinsville Speedway with five (2008, 2009, 2010 sweep, 2015).  Martin Truex Jr. was the most recent driver to win consecutive NCS races (Oct. 2019; June 2020).

    Hendrick Motorsports leads the NCS in wins with 25 wins.  Jeff Gordon (nine), Jimmie Johnson (nine), Darrell Waltrip (four), Geoffrey Bodine (one), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (one), and Chase Elliott (one).

    Hamlin leads the NCS among active drivers in average finishing position of 9.933 in 30 starts, followed by Brad Keselowski at 10.182 in 22 starts.  Hamlin also leads all active drivers in the series in laps led with 1,608 (11%).

    A total of 11 manufacturers have won in the NCS at Martinsville Speedway.  Led by Chevrolet (57), Ford (30), Plymouth (12), Dodge (10), Toyota (9), Pontiac (8), Oldsmobile (8), Buick (3), Chrysler (3), Hudson (2), and Mercury (2).

    Top 12 Driver Ratings at Martinsville

    Denny Hamlin – 105.0
    Kyle Busch – 102.7
    Brad Keselowski – 99.8
    Ryan Blaney – 98.5
    Joey Logano – 97.3
    Chase Elliott – 95.3
    Kevin Harvick – 93.8
    Martin Truex Jr – 84.4
    Ryan Newman – 83.8
    Kurt Busch – 82.0
    William Byron – 74.9
    Kyle Larson – 73.6

    Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2020 races (32 total) among active drivers at Martinsville Speedway.

  • Stenhouse to make 300th Cup start at Martinsville

    Stenhouse to make 300th Cup start at Martinsville

    Competing in his ninth full-time season in the NASCAR Cup Series, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. is within reach of a milestone start. By competing in this weekend’s event at Martinsville Speedway, the driver of the No. 47 JTG-Daugherty Racing Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE will achieve career start No. 300 in NASCAR’s premier series.

    A native of Olive Branch, Mississippi, Stenhouse made his Cup Series debut in May 2011 during the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. By then, he was a full-time Xfinity Series competitor for Roush Fenway Racing. Driving the No. 21 Ford Fusion for the legendary Wood Brothers Racing team as a substitute competitor for Trevor Bayne, Stenhouse recorded an impressive 11th-place result in his Cup debut.

    Returning for four Cup races in 2012 and in Roush Fenway Racing’s No. 6 Ford Fusion, Stenhouse made his first start of the season at Daytona International Speedway in February for the 54th annual running of the Daytona 500. He finished 20th after being involved in a late multi-car wreck. He went on to finish a season-best 12th at Dover International Speedway in September, 35th at Charlotte Motor Speedway in October and 39th at Homestead-Miami Speedway in November. Despite the struggles during his part-time Cup schedule, Stenhouse went on to win the 2012 Xfinity Series championship, which marked his second title in two years after winning his first in 2011.

    In 2013, Stenhouse graduated to the Cup Series on a full-time basis and in Roush Fenway Racing’s No. 17 Ford Fusion, where he replaced the 2003 Cup champion Matt Kenseth. Starting with a 12th-place result in the season-opening Daytona 500, Stenhouse captured his first Cup career pole at Atlanta Motor Speedway in August and a career-best third-place result at Talladega Superspeedway in October. He also earned a total of three top-10 results, an average result of 18.9 and a 19th-place result in the final standings. Above all, he captured the 2013 Cup Rookie-of-the-Year title over Danica Patrick.

    Stenhouse opened his sophomore Cup season (2014) on a strong note by finishing seventh in the Daytona 500. Three races later, he notched a career-best second-place result at Bristol Motor Speedway in March behind teammate Carl Edwards. Despite recording a total of five top-10 results throughout the season, Stenhouse did not make the Playoffs and he failed to qualify for the Cup race at Talladega in October. In the end, he concluded his sophomore Cup season in 27th place in the final standings.

    Remaining at Roush Fenway Racing for a third full-time Cup season in 2015, Stenhouse earned a season-best fourth place at Bristol in April and a total of three top-10 results. He went on to conclude the season in 25th place in the final standings. By then, he surpassed 100 Cup career starts.

    In 2016, Stenhouse managed to earn a career-high four top-five results, including a runner-up result at Bristol in August, and six top-10 results. They were not enough, however, to draw him and his No. 17 Ford team into Playoff contention as the driver concluded the season in 21st place in the final standings.

    Through the first nine Cup races of the 2017 season, Stenhouse earned two fourth-place results and was ranked in 15th place in the regular-season standings. The following race at Talladega, he earned his second Cup career pole. Stenhouse then went on to lead 14 laps and fend off a late battle against names like Kyle Busch, Jamie McMurray and Jimmie Johnson in overtime to capture his first Cup career win in his 158th series start. By then, Stenhouse became the 11th different competitor to win a first Cup race at Talladega and he recorded the first victory for Roush Fenway Racing since June 2014.

    Seven races later, Stenhouse prevailed on another overtime shootout by overtaking David Ragan on the penultimate lap and fending off the field for a final circuit to collect his second Cup career victory in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona in July. Despite not recording another top-10 result for the remaining nine regular-season events, Stenhouse’s superspeedway victories at Daytona and Talladega were enough for him to earn a Playoff spot for the first time in his career.

    In the Playoff’s Round of 16, Stenhouse finished 25th, 15th and 19th, which were enough for him to advance to the Round of 12 by a slim margin. After finishing 13th, 26th and 29th in the Round of 12, however, he was eliminated from title contention. Despite the midway exit, Stenhouse went on to conclude the season in a career-best 13th place in the standings and in a season where he won his first two Cup career races and earned a pole, four top-five results, nine top-10 results and an average result of 17.1 (his overall best from a full-time Cup season).

    The following two seasons, Stenhouse recorded a total of four top-five results and eight top-10 results along with a career-best 133 total laps led in 2018. He did not, however, make the Playoffs in both seasons, finishing 18th in the final standings in 2018 and 23rd in 2019. By then, he also surpassed 200 Cup career starts.

    After five full-time seasons with Roush Fenway Racing, Stenhouse was replaced by Chris Buescher for the 2020 season. Not long after, though, Stenhouse joined JTG-Daugherty Racing to drive the No. 47 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE for the upcoming season.

    In his first run with JTG-Daugherty Racing, Stenhouse captured the pole position for the Daytona 500, which marked his third Cup career pole and third overall for the team. During the main event, however, Stenhouse, who led 24 laps, finished 20th after being involved in a late on-track incident while trying to enter pit road for a green flag pit stop. He rebounded the following race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway by finishing third following a late shootout to the finish. Stenhouse went on to finish fourth at Charlotte in May and a close second-place result at Talladega in June. The results, which included three top-five results and four top-10 results, were not enough for Stenhouse and the No. 47 Chevrolet team to qualify for the Playoffs as the driver concluded the season in 24th place in the final standings.

    Stenhouse is coming off a strong runner-up result at the Bristol Motor Speedway Dirt Course and he is ranked in 14th place in the regular-season standings through the first seven Cup events of the 2021 season.

    Through 299 previous Cup starts, Stenhouse has achieved two career victories, three poles, 19 top-five results, 39 top-10 results and an average result of 20.4.

    Stenhouse is slated to make his 300th Cup career start at Martinsville Speedway on Saturday, April 10, at 7:30 p.m. ET on FS1.