MARTINSVILLE, Va. (September 19, 2013) – Ricky Stenhouse Jr. has learned quite a bit in his first full year racing in the Sprint Cup Series but he knows some lessons remain this season, especially at the circuit’s shortest track.
“I still have a lot to learn about Martinsville Speedway,” Stenhouse said when asked about his first trip to the famous half-mile track during a promotional event for Martinsville Speedway on the campus of North Carolina State University Tuesday.
Stenhouse’s initial visit to Martinsville was earlier this year. He started 20th and finished 25th. Stenhouse is a two-time Nationwide Series champion, but the series never made a stop at Martinsville in his days on that tour.
“For me, there are a lot of things I think I can do different as far as driving style. I probably overdrove the corner too much and I didn’t let the car handle the way it should have,” stated Stenhouse.
Stenhouse and his teammates at Roush Fenway Racing have scheduled three days of testing at Martinsville Speedway prior to the Goody’s® Headache Relief Shot® 500 Powered by Kroger.
“Roush Fenway struggled there in the past. We will have a whole lot of effort coming into Martinsville Speedway,” added Stenhouse. “It’s an event where we want to run well.”
Stenhouse leads the NASCAR Sprint Cup Rookie of the Year standings, and is coming off back-to-back top-10 finishes. But the 25-year-old Mississippi native admits that one trip to Martinsville just doesn’t provide enough time to learn.
“I’m really looking forward to the test. We gotta get our cars a little bit better,” added Stenhouse.
Stenhouse will be sure to take plenty of notes during the test.
“I feel really comfortable on the longer tracks, Daytona and Talladega and the mile-and-a-half tracks, I’m fine,” Stenhouse explained. “But it’s the shorter tracks, especially Martinsville where I need to pick it up. That’s the reason the test is so important to me.”
Tickets for the Goody’s® Headache Relief Shot® 500 Powered by Kroger start at just $37.
Advance tickets for the Kroger 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race on Saturday, Oct. 26 are just $30 and tickets for Pole Day, Friday, October 25 are $15. Youth 12 and under are admitted free on both October 25 and 26. To purchase tickets for the Goody’s® Headache Relief Shot® 500 Powered by Kroger weekend, call 877.RACE.TIX or visit www.martinsvillespeedway.com.
