The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) heads from the largest track on the circuit to the smallest as the series makes its way to Martinsville Speedway for the second time in 2014. Kennedy has two previous starts at the 0.526-mile track, which resulted in his two career-best finishes of fourth and third. With an average finish of 3.5 and the same chassis the 22-year-old raced in the spring, Kennedy hopes to leave Martinsville with the illustrious Ridgeway grandfather clock.
Gilliland has 16 Sprint Cup career starts at Martinsville Speedway ... His top finish at the .526-mile oval is 19th (2010) .. A&W All American Food returns as primary sponsor of the No. 38 Ford.
Stenhouse Jr. has three Sprint Cup starts at the paper-clip shaped track with an average starting position of 23.3 and average finishing position of 32.0.
Greg Biffle was a strong contender in the first half of the STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway. Biffle led a total of 18 laps and was a regular inside the top 10. As the laps dwindled down, the No. 16 3M Ford continued to get tighter which cost valuable track position on restarts as Biffle was stuck in the outside lane. The tight handling condition, coupled with tire wear, culminated in an 18th-place finish.
Richard Childress Racing's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series history at Martinsville Speedway ... In 144 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).
After seeing his recent momentum stalled during the final two laps at Talladega, Martin Truex Jr. is ready to resume where he left off before the folly at the Alabama superspeedway.
Ford Racing has won four of the first six Chase races, two each by Team Penske drivers Joey Logano (New Hampshire, Kansas) and Brad Keselowski (Chicagoland, Talladega). The Ford record for most Chase wins in a single season is five, which was set in 2005 and equaled in 2008.
Talladega Recap: Denny Hamlin finished 18th in Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway to advance to the Eliminator Round of the 2014 Chase for the Sprint Cup championship in the #11 FedEx One Rate/”Deliverminator” Toyota. Hamlin came into the race needing a 15th-place finish to ensure a spot among the final eight drivers vying for this year’s title, and along with other teams in similar situations, elected to hang in the back of the draft pack throughout most of the 188-lap event won by Brad Keselowski. Hamlin started 38th but quickly moved forward on the high-banked superspeedway.
Whether it’s before the race or during it, Martinsville Speedway prides itself on getting fans as close to the action as possible and the Goody’s® Headache Relief Shot® 500 on Oct. 26 will be no exception.
