As Paul Menard and the No. 21 Quick Lane team prepare for Sunday’s First Data 500 on the tight confines of Martinsville Speedway, Menard is hoping for a drama-free race, at least until the final laps.
William Byron on racing at Martinsville: “I was watching the fall Martinsville race back from 2017 and 2018. Last year’s race was relatively calm but the year before, that race was absolutely crazy. There was a lot of action, and as a fan it was fun to watch. I think it will be more like that this year with very close racing and tempers on edge. There’s really only one way to get around that place and that’s right on the curb. You just try to keep it stuck to the curb all day and hopefully that pays off.”
Chevrolet drivers Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson advanced to the Round of 8 of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. Heading into the seventh of 10 races – on the .526-mile Martinsville Speedway oval – a look at their success in 32 starts:
Roush Fenway Racing makes heads to The Commonwealth this weekend as the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) returns to Martinsville Speedway for 500 miles of racing at The Paperclip. RFR has visited victory lane six times at the famed .526-mile track including four times in the Cup series.
“At Martinsville, a lot of strategy is about risk vs reward. You've got to think about making moves when you have the opportunity, but if that move causes you to push in a fender, or restrict airflow, it's going to hurt you for the rest of the day. And you also need to think about where you want to be in another 200, 300 laps as the race is winding down. It's a mentally tough day, for sure, but it can also be a lot of fun. I'm excited to hit the track in our No. 34 A&W Ford Mustang."
NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series (NGOTS) rookie Codie Rohrbaugh and his CR7 Motorsports team head to their penultimate race of the season prepared to step up their short track game in Saturday afternoon’s NASCAR Hall of Fame 200 at the famed Martinsville (Va.) Speedway.
Hertz (NYSE: HTZ), one of the world’s largest vehicle rental companies, has extended its sponsorship of 12-time NASCAR Cup Series champions Hendrick Motorsports and the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 team of driver William Byron.
Stewart Friesen enters the Martinsville weekend second in the playoff standings. He is 22 points above the cut line with two races remaining before the final elimination.
osh Berry and the No. 21 eero team are headed into this weekend’s Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway looking forward to a more traditional road course contest after racing on the temporary street course at Naval Base Coronado last week.
