NASCAR National Series News & Notes – Martinsville Speedway

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series

Next Race: First Data 500

The Place: Martinsville Speedway

The Date: Sunday, October 27

The Time: 3 p.m. ET

TV: NBCSN, 2:30 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 263)

2018 Race Winner: Joey Logano

 

NASCAR Xfinity Series

Next Race: O’Reilly Auto Parts 300

The Place: Texas Motor Speedway

The Date: Saturday, November 2

The Time: 8:30 p.m. ET

TV: NBCSN, 8 p.m. ET

Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Distance: 300 miles (200 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 45),

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

2018 Race Winner: Cole Custer

 

NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series 

Next Race: NASCAR Hall of Fame 200

The Place: Martinsville Speedway

The Date: Saturday, October 26

The Time: 1:30 p.m. ET

TV: FS1, 1 p.m. ET

Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Distance: 105.2 miles (200 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 50),

Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 100), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 200)

2018 Winner: Johnny Sauter

 

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series

 

Team Penske gears up for Martinsville Speedway

Team Penske has won three of the past five races – including the last two – at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, home to Sunday’s First Data 500 (3 p.m. ET on NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) Monster Energy NACAR Cup Series Playoff race.

 

Penske’s Brad Keselowski has won two of those Martinsville races – including one of the most dominating victories in the 141-race history at the famous half-mile paperclip-shaped track. He led 446-of-500 laps en route to the March trophy. Only four other times has a race winner led more. And while Keselowski has fallen out of championship contention – missing the Playoff cutoff by a mere three points last week – certainly his two Playoff-eligible teammates – Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney – can take some positive energy from the Penske organization’s performance at Martinsville.

 

Logano, driver of the No. 22 Team Penske Ford, is the defending Martinsville Playoff race winner, leading 309 laps en route to the victory last October.

In the last five Martinsville races, at least two Team Penske drivers have finished among the top 10.

 

In March, Keselowski won the race and Blaney finished fourth. In this race last year, Logano won and Keselowski finished fifth. In Spring 2018, Blaney was third, Logano placed sixth and Keselowski finished 10th. In the 2017 Playoff race, Keselowski was fourth and Blaney was eighth. Keselowski won the Spring 2017 race and Logano was fourth.

 

Only five-time Martinsville winner Denny Hamlin (9.6) has a better average finish than Keselowski’s 11.3. Logano (13.4) and Blaney (14.0) are third and fourth best, respectively, among the eight Playoff drivers in that important statistic.

 

Logano, 29, has nine top-10 finishes in 21 Martinsville starts, including the 2018 Playoff win. He’s started from the pole position a series-best five times among active drivers – including this March – and has four top-10 finishes in the last six races.

 

Blaney, 25, has three top-10 finishes in seven Martinsville starts, including a fourth this March. He’s finished in the top-10 in three of the last four races including a career-best of third in 2018.

 

Kyle Busch could use a rally

It’s been 18 races since Kyle Busch last held a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series trophy, but the four-race winner this season arrives at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway as the series championship leader again – four points up on six-race winner, Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Martin Truex Jr. and nine-points ahead of Sunday’s Kansas winner, another JGR teammate, five-race winner Denny Hamlin.

 

For most people in the garage and in the grandstands, Busch heads into this final three-race stretch to determine the Championship 4 drivers, a competitor “on the verge” of winning. Certainly, his past performance at these three upcoming tracks would confirm that.

 

Busch is the only driver among the eight with multiple Cup Series wins at all three venues – Martinsville (two), Texas (three) and ISM Raceway in Phoenix (three). For good measure and further consideration, Busch has won an additional nine times at Texas and 11 times at Phoenix in the Xfinity Series giving him double-digit trophies from those tracks.

 

At this week’s Martinsville half-miler, Busch has wins in Spring 2016 and in the 2017 Playoff race. He was runner-up three more times, including both spring races in 2017 and 2018. Most telling, perhaps, is that of his 17 top-10 finishes – 16 of them are top fives. When he’s on, he’s on.

 

He’s finished fifth or better in the last eight Martinsville races – including two victories and two second-place finishes. He led a race-best 274 laps and finished runner-up to Brad Keselowski in 2017. In the last seven races, Busch has led 937 laps – 65.8 percent of his 1,424 lap-total at Martinsville. Seven times he’s led at least 100 laps in a race. His average finish (12.0) is second only to five-time Martinsville winner Hamlin among the Playoff-eligible drivers.

 

“I really look forward to this round,’’ Busch said. “I feel like it’s our best round. We run well at all three of those places and we’ve won a few at Texas, we won Martinsville twice and Phoenix has been getting better for us too, winning the last two races there.

 

“We just need to continue to execute and do a good job and make sure that we mind our Ps and Qs.’’

 

Hamlin’s time to shine

Denny Hamlin earned his fifth win of the season Sunday at Kansas Speedway and he’s already turning in career statistical numbers, such as his 17 top fives and counting total. But there’s a stat he would like to own, and it comes with a trophy too – Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion.

 

The 38-year-old Virginian is undeniably the prince of the Martinsville short track among his eight remaining Playoff competitors. His five wins at the half-miler are most among the Playoff field. Only seven-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson’s nine Martinsville victories are more than Hamlin’s among this week’s entrants.

 

From 2009-10. Hamlin won three consecutive races at the historic half-miler – a feat done by only a handful of drivers, all champions: Richard Petty (1968-69), Cale Yarborough (1976-77), Darrell Waltrip (1988-89), Rusty Wallace (1994-95) and Jimmie Johnson (2006-07). Fred Lorenzen holds the all-time mark of four straight Martinsville wins between 1963-65.

 

In addition to his trophies, Hamlin has finished runner-up three times and third place on three more occasions. He’s led 100 laps or more five times at Martinsville. Statistically, when Hamlin’s good, he’s great. He led 502 of his 1,001 career laps out front at Martinsville in just two races – 296 laps in a runner-up finish in Spring 2009 and 206 laps in his Fall 2009 victory.

 

He has five top-10 finishes in the last seven Martinsville races and the driver of the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota was runner-up to Joey Logano in last year’s Playoff race. He was fifth in March and boasts the best average finish (9.6) among Playoff drivers. His 20 top 10s at Martinsville are best among Playoff competitors and second only to Johnson’s 24 in this week’s starting field.

 

Truex still looking for first win at Martinsville

The season’s most prolific winner, six-time race winner Martin Truex Jr. goes into Martinsville (Va.) Speedway still looking for his first career victory at the notoriously finicky half-miler.

 

He has five top-five and 11 top-10 finishes in 27 starts. And his recent work has been his best. He has finished eighth or better in seven of the last nine races – including the last four. He was runner-up to Kyle Busch in 2017 and went on to win his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup championship. He was third in the 2018 Playoff race and finished eighth this March.

 

Truex trails his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch by only four points in the championship standings heading into Martinsville.

 

“We know what we need to do,’’ Truex said. “Now it’s just a matter of going out and doing it. I know [crew chief] Cole [Pearn] and the guys have a good plan every week, so I’m confident we can do that. We have been fast, ran up front and led laps at all of these tracks in this round.

 

“All eight [playoff] guys would love to go into Martinsville this week and win the race to move on. That’s our goal, but we also feel good about the other tracks too.’’

 

And, he added, “We’ve got a great team. We just have to go out and execute.’’

 

CHASE-ING

Chase Elliott pulled off one of the most dramatic Playoff-extending performances of the season on Sunday in Kansas, racing to a runner-up finish to Denny Hamlin, which along with some poor luck from fellow contender Brad Keselowski, propelled him forward in the championship hunt.

 

As the standings are reset to reflect bonus points, Elliott vaults from just earning a spot among the Top eight (three points over Keselowski) to now being ranked sixth among the eight drivers. And Elliott has reason to be optimistic about optimizing his chances.

 

Elliott has four top-10 finishes in eight Martinsville Speedway races, including a pair of top-five runs. His best showing came this March when he was runner-up to race winner Brad Keselowski and led 49 laps on the evening.

 

He’s finished in the top 10 in the last three races at The Paperclip. And just for good measure, he does own a Martinsville trophy. He won the 2017 NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series race from the pole position, leading a race-best 92-of-250 laps.

 

This season, on tracks less than one mile in length, Elliott has a pair of top-five finishes (runner-up at Martinsville in March and fifth at Bristol, Tenn. in September.). He’s finished 15th or better in all five previous short track races and won the pole position for the April Bristol race.

 

Harvick ready to step up

Kevin Harvick is a three-race winner in 2019 and a former Monster Energy Series champion (2014), but he is adamant his No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing team will keep its eyes forward.

 

He advances to the Round of 8 for the sixth consecutive season and arrives at Martinsville Speedway a former winner (2011) – one of only four current Playoff drivers that has won a series trophy on the challenging venue.

 

Harvick would like, however, to claim another and ensure his position in the Championship 4 round for the third straight season. He starts this penultimate round of the Playoffs ranked fifth – one position behind where he will need to be to earn that championship opportunity Nov. 17 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

 

He has seven top-10 finishes in the 11 Martinsville races he’s competed in for Stewart-Haas Racing, bested by a pair of fifth-place finishes in the 2017 Playoff race and the 2018 Spring race.

 

He’s been among the top 10 in the last four races, but hasn’t led a lap at Martinsville since March 2016. His average finish of 15.1 is sixth best of the remaining eight title contenders.

 

Harvick has reason to be confident, however. He’s finished seventh or better in three of the five previous short track races and is averaging a 13.8-place finish at short tracks this year He is a two-time Bristol, Tenn. winner and a three-time Richmond, Va. winner so this style of competition suits the 2014 Cup champion.

 

The Standard: Jimmie Johnson

Although seven-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson is ineligible for the series championship for the first time in his certain NASCAR Hall of Fame career, he does have plenty of motivation to play spoiler this weekend at Martinsville.

 

Johnson is enduring his longest career winless streak – his last victory was June 4, 2017 at Dover, Del. – but this week he will be competing at a venue where he is the winningest active driver and on the verge of making more NASCAR history.

 

The driver of the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet can become only the third driver in NASCAR history to have earned 10 or more wins at more than one track. He is an 11-time winner at Dover and has nine victories already at Martinsville Speedway.

 

Only NASCAR Hall of Famers Richard Petty and Darrell Waltrip have won 10 or more races at more than one race track. Petty won 15 times at Martinsville; 15 times at North Wilkesboro, N.C.; 13 races at Richmond (Va.) Raceway, 11 races at Rockingham (N.C.) Speedway and 10 times at Daytona International Speedway

 

Waltrip won 12 times at Bristol, Tenn., 11 times at Martinsville, Va. and 10 times at North Wilkesboro.

 

Johnson is easily the most successful driver at Martinsville this weekend with a series-best 19 top fives and 24 top 10s to go with his nine wins. He’s led a series-best 2,962 laps. Thirteen times he’s led at least 100 laps in a Martinsville race. Four times he’s led at least 200 laps and twice he’s led at least 300 laps.

 

He’s one of only seven drivers to ever win three consecutive races at Martinsville (2006-07) and from 2006-2009, he won five-of-six races. Not bad for a driver who finished 35th in his first start at the track.

 

His last top-10 finish at Martinsville was a victory in the 2016 Playoffs, when he went on to win the series championship.

 

Johnson currently holds a 15-point advantage over Stewart-Haas Racing’s Daniel Suarez for 17th position in the championship standings – tops among those who did not qualify for the Playoffs.

 

Sunoco Rookie Race

With only four races remaining in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season, the competition for Sunoco Rookie of the Year is as close as it’s been.

 

JTG-Daugherty Racing driver Ryan Preece leads Richard Childress Racing’s Daniel Hemric by a mere six points going into Sunday’s race at Martinsville.

 

Hemric earned his first career series pole last weekend at Kansas Speedway but was collected in a crash and finished the day 31st. He has a season best showing of fifth at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway in May and is ranked 25th in the standings. He’s led 22 laps in seven races, including a season high of seven laps at Charlotte in May.

 

Preece finished 12th-place at Kansas – his third consecutive top-20 run. His best finish of the year is third-place in that same May Talladega race. He’s led one lap – at Daytona in July.

 

Hemric was 27th at Martinsville earlier this season and Preece was 16th.

 

 

NASCAR Xfinity Series

 

Up Next for the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs: Texas Motor Speedway

Following some great action at Kansas Speedway, the NASCAR Xfinity Series heads into the final off-week of the season to prepare for Texas Motor Speedway and the O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 on Nov. 2 at 8:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. Just two races remain (Texas and Phoenix) in the Playoff’s Round of 8 to decide who makes it to the Championship 4 round at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

 

Texas Motor Speedway has hosted the fifth race of the seven-event NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs since its inception in 2016. Three different drivers have won the Texas Xfinity Playoff race but only one was an Xfinity Series Playoff driver. The first two years of the event, Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers took home the checkered flags – Kyle Larson (2016) and Erik Jones (2017). But last season, Stewart-Haas Racing’s Cole Custer won the Texas Playoff race and guaranteed his spot in the Championship 4; ultimately finishing runner-up to Tyler Reddick in the points. 

 

In total, Texas Motor Speedway has held 37 NASCAR Xfinity Series races, producing 23 different pole winners and 18 different race winners. Kyle Busch leads the series in poles (four) and wins (nine) at the 1.5-mile track.

  

Berserk Big 3 has Xfinity Playoff competition tensions running-high

With the close action on the track and heated exchanges on pit road, tensions have run high following the epic NASCAR Xfinity Series race last weekend at Kansas Speedway. Now the series has a weekend to cool off, but don’t expect the exceptional competition to slow when they return next week at Texas Motor Speedway for the O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 (Nov. 2 at 8:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

 

“I thought we had a shot to win. Just, a lot of things went wrong (at Kansas),” said Cole Custer. “I went up just to yell at him (Tyler Reddick). But when I put my arm on his shoulder, he went berserk. So, I guess, you don’t want to do that to Tyler.”

 

The two drivers (Reddick & Custer) made contact in the closing laps at Kansas last weekend, Reddick finished second while Custer fell to an 11th-place finish. Christopher Bell rebounded from an accident on Lap 185 to finish 12th.

 

“Not the end of the race that our guys are looking for,” said Reddick. “But I think a lot of Cole and his driving ability and a lot of that team. It’s just the heat of the moment. We’re pissed off. I’m sure we’ll talk about it here soon. Maybe today, tomorrow. Who knows, maybe have a beer over it. We’ll talk about it then.”

The Big 3 are now separated by just 12 points with two races left in the Round of 8 to decide who will move on to the Championship 4 in Miami. Christopher Bell holds the Playoff standings lead with 3,106 points; followed by Cole Custer (-11) in second and Tyler Reddick (-12) in third.

 

Who can catch the Big 3 in the Xfinity Playoffs at Texas?

The Big 3 are currently 1-2-3 in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs standings 35 points up on fourth place Justin Allgaier; which has many posing the question, ‘Who can catch them?’. Just two races left in the Xfinity Playoff’s Round of 8 to decide who moves on to Miami.

 

Justin Allgaier (No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet)

Allgaier is currently in the fourth and final Championship 4 transfer spot in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff standings; 35 points behind third place Tyler Reddick and only two points up on fifth place rookie, Chase Briscoe. In 30 starts this season, he has put up 15 top fives, 22 top 10s and an average finish of 9.2.

 

Stats at Texas:

Playoff Rank

Driver

Starts

Poles

Wins

Top Fives

Top 10s

DNFs

Avg Start

Avg Finish

4

Justin Allgaier

18

0

0

1

8

1

13.6

13.1

 

Chase Briscoe (No. 98 Stewart-Haas Racing with Fred Biagi Ford)

Briscoe is currently fifth in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff standings the first spot outside the Championship 4 cutoff – just two points behind fourth place Justin Allgaier. In 30 starts this season, Briscoe has posted one win (Iowa), 12 top fives, 24 top 10s and an average finish of 7.9.

 

Stats at Texas:

Playoff Rank

Driver

Starts

Poles

Wins

Top Fives

Top 10s

DNFs

Avg Start

Avg Finish

5

Chase Briscoe

2

0

0

1

1

0

18.0

7.5

 

 

Michael Annett (No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet)

Annett resides in the sixth position in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff standings following Kansas; 12 points back from his JR Motorsports teammate in fourth, Justin Allgaier. In 30 starts this season, Annett has gathered one win (Daytona), six top fives, 18 top 10s and an average finish of 10.0. 

 

Stats at Texas:

Playoff Rank

Driver

Starts

Poles

Wins

Top Fives

Top 10s

DNFs

Avg Start

Avg Finish

6

Michael Annett

14

0

0

0

2

1

23.9

15.3

 

Noah Gragson (No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet)

Gragson finds himself seventh in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff standings following Kansas, 17 points behind his fourth place JR Motorsports teammate Justin Allgaier. In 30 starts this season he has collected eight top fives, 20 top 10s and an average finish of 8.8.

 

Stats at Texas:

Playoff Rank

Driver

Starts

Poles

Wins

Top Fives

Top 10s

DNFs

Avg Start

Avg Finish

7

Noah Gragson

1

0

0

0

0

0

16.0

13.0

 

Austin Cindric (No. 22 Team Penske Ford)

Cindric is currently in the eighth and final position in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff’s Round of 8 standings following an incident at Kansas on Lap 71 that relegated him to a 25th-place finish. As a result, the Team Penske standout dropped four spots in the Playoff standings and now has a 30 point mountain to climb over the next two races to make his way into the Championship 4. In 30 starts this season, Cindric has posted two wins (Watkins Glen and Mid-Ohio), 13 top fives, 21 top 10s and an average finish of 9.3. 

 

Stats at Texas:

Playoff Rank

Driver

Starts

Poles

Wins

Top Fives

Top 10s

DNFs

Avg Start

Avg Finish

8

Austin Cindric

3

0

0

1

2

0

11.0

7.7

 

 

New winners are the norm in Xfinity

Joe Gibbs Racing’s Brandon Jones became the latest winner in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with his victory last weekend at Kansas, and the second first-time winner of the season joining Austin Cindric (Watkins Glen & Mid-Ohio). If you don’t know, new winners are the norm in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Every season since its inception in 1982 has seen at least one new winner, totaling 160 different drivers. In fact, over the last 10 seasons (2011-2019) the series has produced 32 different new winners (list is below in chronological order from most recent):

 

Rank

First-Time Winners

Track

Date

Rank

First-Time Winners

Track

Date

1

Brandon Jones

Kansas

10/19/2019

17

Erik Jones

Texas

4/10/2015

2

Michael Annett

Daytona

2/16/2019

18

Ryan Reed

Daytona

2/21/2015

3

John H. Nemechek

Kansas

10/20/2018

19

Chris Buescher

Mid-Ohio

8/16/2014

4

Chase Briscoe

Charlotte RC

9/29/2018

20

Ty Dillon

Indianapolis

7/26/2014

5

Ross Chastain

Las Vegas

9/15/2018

21

Brendan Gaughan

Road America

6/21/2014

6

Spencer Gallagher

Talladega

4/28/2018

22

Chase Elliott

Texas

4/4/2014

7

Cole Custer

Homestead

11/18/2017

23

Kyle Larson

Auto Club

3/22/2014

8

Christopher Bell

Kansas

10/21/2017

24

Ryan Blaney

Kentucky

9/21/2013

9

Alex Bowman

Charlotte

10/7/2017

25

AJ Allmendinger

Road America

6/22/2013

10

Tyler Reddick

Kentucky

9/23/2017

26

Regan Smith

Homestead

11/17/2012

11

Jeremy Clements

Road America

8/27/2017

27

Austin Dillon

Kentucky

6/29/2012

12

Ryan Preece

Iowa

7/29/2017

28

Nelson Piquet Jr

Road America

6/23/2012

13

William Byron

Iowa

6/24/2017

29

James Buescher

Daytona

2/25/2012

14

Michael McDowell

Road America

8/27/2016

30

Sam Hornish Jr

Phoenix

11/12/2011

15

Justin Marks

Mid-Ohio

8/13/2016

31

Trevor Bayne

Texas

11/5/2011

16

Daniel Suarez

Michigan

6/11/2016

32

Ricky Stenhouse Jr

Iowa

5/22/2011

 

NASCAR Xfinity Series, Etc.

Sunoco Rookie of the Year Update: Just two Xfinity rookies remain eligible for the end of the season honors as only Stewart-Haas Racing with Fred Biagi’s Chase Briscoe and JR Motorsport’s Noah Gragson have advanced to the Round of 8 in the Playoffs. Briscoe currently holds a 37 point lead on Gragson heading into Texas.

 

Xfinity Manufacturers’ Standings Update: Chevrolet (eight wins) currently holds the lead in the NASCAR Xfinity Series manufacturer standings following Kansas with 1,076 points; just 14 points up on second place Ford (10 wins) and 20 points up on third place Toyota (12 wins).

 

 

NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series

 

Back to “The Paperclip”

The NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series makes its return trip to Martinsville Speedway for the second race in the Round of 6 in the Playoffs. Kyle Busch took the checkered flag in the first race there earlier this year.

 

Three former Martinsville race winners are entered in Saturday’s showdown – but only one is a championship contender.

 

Johnny Sauter leads the field – and drivers overall – with four wins (Fall 2018, Fall 2016, Spring 2013, Spring 2011) at the half-mile circuit and will be looking to play the spoiler as he was eliminated from the Playoffs after the opening round.

 

His ThorSport Racing teammate Matt Crafton is still in championship contention and has a pair of wins himself (Fall 2015, Spring 2014) at Martinsville. 

 

John Hunter Nemechek, who is declared for points in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, won at Martinsville in the spring of last year. He is scheduled to drive the NEMCO Motorsport’s No. 8 this weekend.

 

The race on Saturday is scheduled for 200 laps with stage breaks at 50 and 100 laps.

 

The Championship 4 grid is still blank

With non-Playoff contender Spencer Boyd taking the win in the opening race of the Round of 6, that means all four spots in the championship battle at Homestead-Miami Speedway are still up for grabs with Martinsville and ISM Raceway looming.

 

Defending champion Brett Moffitt sits in the best position – holding a 45-point advantage over fifth-place Tyler Ankrum, one spot outside the Championship 4 cutoff.

 

After that, however, the cushion diminishes significantly – making each of the next two races especially important.

 

Stewart Friesen is in second, 22 points ahead of Ankrum, while Austin Hill is third – 12 points ahead of the cutoff. And just one point separates Matt Crafton in the fourth and final championship-contending slot from Ankrum.

 

And despite a late-race crash from the lead at Talladega, Ross Chastain is only two points behind Crafton.

 

How they have fared at Martinsville

With the points standings so tightly bunched after the opening race of the second round of the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Playoffs, the six drivers still in championship contention have their sights set on the NASCAR Hall of Fame 200 at Martinsville Speedway on Saturday (1:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

 

Here’s a breakdown of the Martinsville track record for each of the six drivers, in order of points standing:

 

Brett Moffitt – No. 24 GMS Racing Chevrolet: The leader of the points has competed four times at Martinsville, never finishing worse than sixth – which he did in his first trip to the track in the spring of 2017. Since then he put up finishes of third and second last year and was third again earlier this season on the half-mile circuit. Moffitt also competed in two Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races at Martinsville during his Sunoco Rookie of the Year season in that series.

 

Stewart Friesen – No. 52 Halmar Friesen Racing Chevrolet: Friesen, an ace on the dirt short tracks, has raced five times at Martinsville, putting up mixed results. He’s had two finishes of 20th or worse alongside a pair of top 10s (sixth in the fall of 2017 and fifth earlier this season). Friesen started from the pole in the spring race this year.

 

Austin Hill – No. 16 Hattori Racing Enterprises Toyota: In eight starts at “The Paperclip,” Hill has managed just two top-10 finishes – 10th in the fall of 2016 and ninth in the spring race last year. He has posted an average finish of 16.2 at Martinsville.

 

Matt Crafton – No. 88 ThorSport Racing Ford: Crafton is the lone remaining Playoff contender who has recorded a win at Martinsville – in fact, he has two – in the spring of 2014 en route to his second series championship and then in the fall of 2015. In 35 starts at Martinsville, Crafton has recorded nine top-five and 20 top-10 results, as well as an impressive average finish of 10.2. He’s suffered only two DNFs there, both a result of mechanical issues.

 

Tyler Ankrum – No. 17 DGR-Crosley Toyota: Ankrum has the smallest sample size at Martinsville out of the Playoff drivers, having competed in just two races at the short track. He finished 18th last fall and was 19th earlier this season.

 

Ross Chastain – No. 45 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet: Chastain has made seven starts at Martinsville, posting a 12.7 average finish at the track. His best finish, and his lone top-five result, came earlier this year when he crossed the line fourth. He also had three top 10s, two of them coming in the most recent two races. Chastain has also competed in three Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races at Martinsville.

 

The remaining Round of 6 tracks

After opening with the high-speed, high-banked, 2.66-mile Talladega Superspeedway the Gander Trucks head to the much shorter and flatter 0.52-mile Martinsville Speedway this Saturday after taking a week off.

 

With two races to go to determine the four drivers who will race for the championship in Miami, here’s a look at the two tracks remaining in the Round of 6:

 

Martinsville Speedway – Saturday, October 26: Martinsville, affectionately known as “The Paperclip” due to its shape, is a .52-mile short track. It has 12 degrees of banking in the turns and is perfectly flat in the straights. Each straightaway is 800 feet long. The race will be 105.2 miles (200 laps) long. Johnny Sauter won this race last year while Kyle Busch won the spring race this season. Matt Crafton has two wins at Martinsville (Spring, 2014; Fall, 2015) and is the only remaining Playoff contender with a win at “The Paperclip.”

 

ISM Raceway – Friday, November 8: ISM Raceway, located near Phoenix, Arizona, is a one-mile track that was recently reconfigured (prior to the 2018 fall race) to move the start/finish line to the former backstretch, just before the dog leg. The banking in Turns 1 and 2 are 11 degrees while it’s nine degrees in Turns 3 and 4. The frontstretch is 1,179 feet long and banked at three degrees and the backstretch is 1,551 feet long and has nine degrees of banking. Brett Moffitt won this race last year. He is the only remaining Playoff contender with a victory at the track.

 

Look for Tanner Gray to make a fast start

If it appears the No. 15 DGR-Crosley Toyota has considerable straightaway speed, there’s a reason for it.

 

The driver behind the wheel is the 2018 NHRA Pro Stock champion.

 

Tanner Gray will be making his NASCAR national series debut on the half-mile Martinsville short track, a mere eight months after making his first stock car start in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series at New Smyrna Speedway during Speedweeks.

 

And if there’s anything that the 20-year-old Gray has shown in his short racing career, it’s that he adapts quickly. He started in the NHRA Pro Stock division in 2017 and became the youngest NHRA national event winner in April of that year. He then won the championship in 2018, his second year in the division.

 

After making his stock car debut in February, Gray then earned his first pole and first victory while making left turns in just his third race – at another Virginia track, South Boston Speedway, that is just shy of Martinsville in length.

 

Gray is scheduled to finish up the 2019 schedule in DGR-Crosley Toyotas, running at Martinsville, ISM Raceway and Miami.

 

K&N Pro Series East champ to make second Gander Truck start

After winning the 2019 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East championship and rookie of the year on the strength of four wins, Sam Mayer is set to take on his second NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series race.

 

The 16-year old will be behind the wheel of the No. 21 GMS Racing Chevrolet this weekend once again, having made his NASCAR national series debut earlier this year at Bristol. He started 18th and finished 21stt after being involved in a crash just shy of the finish.

 

This year in the K&N Pro Series East, Mayer swept the series’ pair of visits to Bristol, won the Iowa stop in July and concluded the season in Victory Lane at Dover. And he was extremely consistent while driving for GMS Racing – finishing in the top-five in 11 of the 12 races this season. His worst finish this season was an 11th-place result in the second stop at South Boston.

 

Mayer also made eight ARCA Menards Series starts this season, finishing in the top five in seven of those efforts. That included a second-place finish in his second start at Salem Speedway.

 

Parade Laps: Insights ahead of this week’s driver media breakouts  

Six drivers from the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series – Niece Motorsport’s driver Ross Chastain, ThorSport Racing’s Matt Crafton, Hattori Racing Enterprises driver Austin Hill, GMS Racing’s Brett Moffitt, Young’s Motorsports driver Spencer Boyd and DGR-Crosley driver Tyler Ankrum – will participate in the media breakout sessions this weekend at Martinsville Speedway as they prepare for the NASCAR Hall of Fame 200 this Saturday, October 26, at 1:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. 

 

Austin Hill (No. 16 Hattori Racing Enterprises Toyota Tundra)

Birthdate: April 21, 1994

Driver’s Age: 25

Hometown: Winston, Georgia

Hobbies: Hunting, spending time with family and boating

Team: Hattori Racing Enterprises

Crew Chief: Scott Zipadelli

NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Career Highlights:

  • Scored first three career NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series wins in 2019 (Daytona, Michigan, Las Vegas).
  • Finished 11th in 2018 NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Championship points, his first full season.
  • In 2017, he joined Young’s Motorsports and made 12 starts finishing a then career-best 23rd in the final standings.
  • In 2016, he posted his first top-10 finish in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series (Martinsville).
  • In 2014, he made his NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series debut at Martinsville Speedway.

2019 Season Highlights:

  • Heads to Martinsville Speedway seeded third in the Gander Trucks Playoffs Round of 6 standings; 33 points behind standings leader Brett Moffitt
  • This is his first career Gander Trucks Playoff appearance. 
  • Through 20 races this season, Hill has put up three wins (Daytona, Michigan, Las Vegas), six top fives, 12 top 10s and two poles (Chicago, Pocono).
  • Has led 153 of 2,911 laps completed.
  • 2019 average starting position, 8.8 and average finishing position, 12.5

Martinsville Speedway Performance:

  • Has eight starts at Martinsville, posting two top-10 finishes (2016, 2018). 

 

Tyler Ankrum (No. 17 DGR-Crosley Toyota Tundra)

Birthdate: March 6, 2001

Driver’s Age: 18

Hometown: San Bernardino, California

Team: DGR-Crosley

Crew Chief: Kevin Manion

NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Career Highlights:

  • Clinched the 2019 NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors by becoming the only rookie to make the Playoffs.
  • Due to age restrictions, Ankrum missed the first three races of the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series season before turning 18-years old in March.
  • Made NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series debut on Oct. 27, 2018 at Martinsville Speedway driving for DGR-Crosley; he started 19th and finished 18th.

2019 Season Highlights:

  • Heads to Martinsville ranked fifth in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Playoff standings with 3,040 points, 45 points behind the Playoff standings leader Brett Moffitt and just one point behind fourth-place Matt Crafton in the final Championship 4 slot.
  • Through the first 20 races of the season Ankrum has only competed in 17 of the events due to being too young to compete at the beginning of the season.
  • In his 17 starts this season, he has posted one win (Kentucky), three top fives and eight top 10s. 
  • Has led 58 of 2,168 laps completed.
  • 2019 average starting position, 11.3 and average finishing position, 13.7

Martinsville Speedway Performance:

  • Has made two series starts at Martinsville including his series debut, posting two top-20 finishes (2018, 2019). 

 

Brett Moffitt (No. 24 GMS Racing Chevrolet Silverado)

Birthdate: August 7, 1992

Driver’s Age: 27

Hometown: Grimes, Iowa

Team: GMS Racing

Crew Chief: Jerry Baxter

NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Career Highlights:

  • Last season, Moffitt drove Hattori Racing Enterprise’s No. 16 Toyota to six wins, leading the way for the first career NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series championship for both Moffitt and HRE.
  • Won his first NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series race in 2016, taking home the checkers at Michigan for Red Horse Racing.
  • Made the most of his six NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series starts in 2016, with three top-three finishes and four top 10s.
  • In 2013, entered the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series scene with a pair of starts (Kentucky and Michigan).

2019 Season Highlights:

  • Currently the top seed in the Round of 6 with 3,085 points – 23 points ahead of second place Stewart Friesen and 45 points up on fifth place Tyler Ankrum.
  • In 20 starts this season he has posted four victories (Iowa, Chicago, Bristol and CTMP), 12 top fives and 15 top 10s with an average starting position of 4.2 and finish of 8.0.
  • Has led 369 of the 2,911 laps completed this season.

Martinsville Speedway Performance:

  • Moffitt has four starts at Martinsville – recording three top-five and four top-10 finishes.
  • Finished third at the famed short track in the spring and runner-up in this race last season.

 

Ross Chastain (No. 45 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado)

Birthdate: December 4, 1992

Driver’s Age: 26

Hometown: Alva, Florida

Hobbies: Farming watermelons

Team: Niece Motorsports

Crew Chief: Phil Gould

NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Career Highlights:

  • Chastain has raced part-time over nine seasons competing in 79 series races, recording three wins (Kansas, Gateway, Pocono – all in 2019), 13 top-five and 31 top-10 finishes.
  • In 2012, he ran his only full-time season in the Gander Trucks. He tallied a top five and four top 10s.

2019 Season Highlights:

  • Seeded sixth in the 2019 NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Playoffs, 46 points behind Playoff standings leader Brett Moffitt and just two points behind of fourth place Matt Crafton. 
  • This is Chastain’s first career Gander Trucks Playoff appearance. 
  • Through 20 this season, Chastain has posted three wins (Kansas, Gateway, Pocono), eight top fives, 16 top 10s and a pole (Michigan).
  • Has led 487 of 2,819 laps completed
  • 2019 average starting position, 10.8 and average finishing position, 9.2.

Martinsville Speedway Performance:

  • Has made seven series starts at Martinsville posting one top-five and three top-10 finishes.
  • Has an average start of 15.6 and average finish of 12.7.

 

Matt Crafton (No. 88 ThorSport Racing Ford F-150)

Birthdate: July 11, 1976

Driver’s Age: 42

Hometown: Tulare, California

Hobbies: Riding Glamis dunes in sand rails, karting

Team: ThorSport Racing

Crew Chief: Carl Joiner Jr.

NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Career Highlights:

  • In 2018, he finished sixth in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series points standings, his 12th consecutive season inside the top 10 in points. He also clinched his third-straight Playoff berth based on points performance but was eliminated in the Round of 6.
  • In 2017, he finished fourth in the Gander Trucks championship point standings making the Championship 4 for the second straight season.
  • In 2016, he scored a berth in the inaugural NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Playoffs and made it into the Championship 4 but ultimately finished runner-up in the final standings.
  • In 2015, he led series with career-best six wins, finishing third in the championship point standings.
  • In 2013 and 2014, he became the first driver in NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series history to win back-to-back championships.
  • In 2008, he earned his first career NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series win at Charlotte.

2019 Season Highlights:

  • Currently fourth in the Gander Trucks Playoff standings; 44 points behind the series standings leader Brett Moffitt and just one point up on fifth place Tyler Ankrum. 
  • This is Crafton’s fourth consecutive career Gander Trucks Playoff appearance. 
  • Through 20 races this season, Crafton has posted six top fives, 16 top 10s and three poles (Kansas, Charlotte, Talladega).
  • Has led 35 of 2,814 laps completed
  • 2019 average starting position, 7.3 and average finishing position, 8.6.

Martinsville Speedway Performance:

  • Crafton has made 35 series starts at Martinsville posting two wins (2014, 2015), nine top-five and 20 top-10 finishes. 
  • Has led 385 laps at the famed short track
  • Average starting position of 11.6 and average finish of 10.6.

 

Spencer Boyd (No. 20 Young’s Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado)

Birthdate: June 26, 1995

Driver’s Age: 24

Hometown: Creve Coeur, Missouri

Team: Young’s Motorsports

Crew Chief: Buddy Sisco

NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Career Highlights:

  • Captured his first NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series victory at Talladega in 2019
  • Boyd made his series debut at Martinsville in 2016 for Mike Mittler and MB Motorsports.

2019 Season Highlights:

  • Won his first NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series race at Talladega Superspeedway this season.
  • Through 17 starts this season, Boyd has posted one win (Talladega), two top fives and two top 10s.
  • 2019 average starting position, 22.8 and average finishing position, 19.0.

Martinsville Speedway Performance:

  • Has made two series starts at Martinsville posting a best finish of 27 earlier this season.
  • Made his series debut at Martinsville in 2016.

NASCAR PR