This Sunday, Harvick returns to the venue at which he last finished outside the top two – Martinsville Speedway – for the STP 500 (1 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1). (Kevin, if you’re reading, don’t watch this.) Harvick finished 33rd at “The Paperclip” in last year’s opener of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup’s Eliminator 8 Round.
“Martinsville will be fun this weekend. I have one race under my belt there from when I ran with the Wood Brothers. It’ll be different this weekend for sure since it’s our first short track race of the season. Hopefully we can keep all of the fenders clean on our AdvoCare Ford and bring it home with a good finish.”
The Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg marks the competition debut of aerodynamic bodywork kits designed, manufactured and supplied by Chevrolet and Honda. Cars will be differentiated by their shape on the street course as the manufacturers have designed separate aero kit specifications for road and street course/short ovals and speedways for the Dallara IR-12 chassis. References to the cars will incorporate the name of the corresponding manufacturer.
“Martinsville is a difficult half-mile track that I have struggled at in the past. Last fall, I felt more comfortable there and could give the needed feedback to get our car dialed in. We are coming off two top-15 finishes so hopefully our Fastenal team can leave Martinsville with another top 15.”
Going into Sunday's Goody's 500,Bliss will be making his 11th career start in the NSCS at Martinsville Speedway. The Oregon native has a best NSCS finish of 14th, which came back in 2002. Bliss also earned a runner up finish in the Camping World Truck Series back in 2002.
With two wins in the first five races by Team Penske, Ford Performance’s NASCAR teams will look to the half-mile oval of Martinsville Speedway for another chance at reaching victory lane this weekend.
Richard Childress Racing's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series history at Martinsville Speedway ... In 146 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Martinsville Speedway, Richard Childress Racing has earned four pole awards and posted seven victories with drivers Dale Earnhardt (five times), Ricky Rudd (1983) and Kevin Harvick (2011). RCR Chevrolet teams have earned 28 top-five and 56 top-10 finishes at Martinsville dating back to the team's first start there on April 10, 1972.
Throughout the years, there hasn't been an organization that has dominated at Martinsville Speedway like the Pettys. From 1949-2008, Petty Enterprises accumulated 19 wins, 53 Top-Five and 75 Top-10 finishes in 158 starts. What's even more impressive? Richard Petty, himself, was accountable for 15 of the 19 wins during that time, the most wins of any driver at the track.
Sitting 10th in points, Aric Almirola is off to his best career-start after five races. As the No. 43 team enters a track filled with Petty history, they will bring the historic STP paint scheme and hope to continue the success that Richard Petty tallied at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. Petty earned the most clock trophies in the garage, and now, Almirola would like to win one of his own.
Richard Petty Motorsports (RPM) completed their three-race West Coast swing Sunday afternoon at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California. After an 11th-place finish, Aric Almirola and the No. 43 Smithfield Ford team are now 10th in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship points after the first five races.
To help race fans enjoy this weekend’s 35th annual Food City 500 NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway, track officials are making the 70-page commemorative souvenir program available for free in both printed and digital formats.
JB News solves this by treating esports as a full-spectrum vertical - not a footnote attached to traditional sports coverage, but a genuine pillar of the platform's editorial identity.
Haiden Deegan came into St. Louis with a shot at securing a second straight Western Divisional 250SMX Class Championship and did so by dominating against a full field of the class’ top talent during the East/West Showdown.
