As clichés go, “practice makes perfect” may be the best way to describe Martinsville Speedway.
Over the 70 years of racing at NASCAR’s shortest and tightest track, it has been the senior, more experienced drivers that have often enjoyed success at the highest level of NASCAR racing, while the younger drivers are often left scratching their heads in frustration.
In 2017, that is no different as many of the new generation of talented racers say they still struggle to find speed around The Paperclip, while the veterans of the NASCAR circuit count the days until their return to Martinsville.
“It’s a tricky little track,” Martin Truex Jr. said. “It looks so easy, but it’s not.”
So what is the challenge, exactly, that faces the young drivers as they prepare for the First Data 500 on October 29?
“It takes time to understand the braking, how much to let the car roll, where to car roll, how to get on the throttle – all of those things change the direction your car is pointed,” Kasey Kahne explained. “It’s a fun place to go to. I used to not enjoy Martinsville as much. Now, I enjoy racing there and qualifying and trying to figure that little track out.”
Even Truex, who claimed pole position in qualifying at Martinsville this spring, said that he is still learning every trip to the facility.
“We’re still figuring it out. We’re getting closer,” Truex said. “We won a stage there this year, which was a big deal for us. We’re qualifying well and leading laps. It’s definitely getting better. Qualifying and practice always seem to go well, but we struggle in the race.”
Chase Elliott pointed out that many younger drivers struggle on the mixed surface. When asked about the propensity for Hendrick Motorsports youngsters in recent history, such as Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson, to figure the track out and dominate for a length of time, Elliott said it would be “ideal” if he could replicate that pattern.
“A lot of guys, getting started, don’t typically like it and I’m one of them. It’s been a struggle,” Elliott said. “It’d be great to figure that place out, I’d love to figure it out. Hopefully no one else does. That would be the ideal situation.”
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. noted that drivers with a dirt-track racing background often struggle with the tight, flat corners at Martinsville.
“It’s totally different from dirt. I think that’s why, sometimes, the dirt guys struggle to get going at Martinsville early in their careers,” Stenhouse said. “It’s such a rhythm track where you lift early and get on the brakes, getting a feel for setting your car up to roll the corner makes it hard to be aggressive. Short track sprint car racing requires you to be aggressive to be fast, so the asphalt Late Model guys have a little bit of an advantage when we go to Martinsville.”
Fellow dirt-track veteran Kyle Larson said he believes the racing at Martinsville will grow on him over the years, but the history and atmosphere are two things that Larson already looks forward to.
“I think Martinsville will grow on me as I get more experience. It’s different from what I grew up doing, which leads to bad results,” Larson said. “I definitely think you get the short track, throwback feel when you go to Martinsville. That part of it is something I really enjoy. It’s just old school racing. You definitely look forward to going there for those reasons.”
As for Austin Dillon, he said he has already grown to love the racing at Martinsville and is just fine with other young guns searching for speed at the track.
“I always love coming to Martinsville. A lot of bumping there. I love having a car that holds on a long run there because you can make a whole lot of passes in a long run,” Dillon said. “I always look at it as a place where we can have a chance to win, so I’m glad they don’t like it.”
When it comes to the First Data 500, however, veteran Ryan Newman noted that preferences and preconceived notions will go out of the window as the NASCAR Playoffs ratchet up and the cream of the talent will rise to the top, regardless of age.
“If you have ability, experience doesn’t matter,” Newman said. “If you have ability, it’s about applying yourself at every racetrack and you’ll see how well you can run.”
The First Data 500 is the first race in the Round of 8 of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. If the winning driver is in the Playoffs, he would be the first to clinch a spot in the Championship race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Last fall, Jimmie Johnson won his ninth grandfather clock, on the way to winning his record-tying seventh NASCAR Cup Series championship.
Tickets for the First Data 500 are on sale and may be purchased by calling 877.RACE.TIX or online at www.martinsvillespeedway.com.
Martinsville Speedway PR
- Abel Earns First Career Victory after Perfect Weekend - April 28, 2024
- TJ Kapish Wins Another Evergreen Raceway Enduro Picks Up Third Win In Past Three Starts - April 28, 2024
- Sunday’s Kokomo GP Called Off Due to Rain - April 28, 2024