NASCAR Cup Series

A March 26th press release issued by Joe Gibbs Racing brought the good news that Denny Hamlin fans were hoping to hear.

While tires were the name of the game in the Auto Club 500, some of the rookies were able to avoid trouble while others were bitten with a poor finish. Still, improvement was showcased across the board.

Kevin Harvick and the No. 4 Budweiser Chevrolet SS team travel to Martinsville (Va.) Speedway this weekend for the STP 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) race. Harvick has 25 starts at Martinsville Speedway. He has earned one win (April 2011), three top fives and 11 top 10s, and has an average start of 13.5 and an average finish of 16.2 at the track.

“We are going into Martinsville as the points leader, which is huge. The Fords have been really strong, and we are hoping to turn a corner at Martinsville. We’ve always had a little bit of trouble there. We have struggled at Martinsville, it’s a tough place.

Michael Annett and the No. 7 Pilot Flying J Chevrolet SS race team for Tommy Baldwin Racing head to Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, Va. this weekend, looking to continue a trend that has emerged in the first five races of the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.

It seems like after the fifth race, you start to get a solid perspective of who has the hot hand, and who is currently falling flat. Although we haven't had a driver win twice yet, there are a few drivers who's consistency has rewarded them. On the contrary, some of the sport's top drivers have been falling flat due to their lackluster performances of 2014.

After graduating to the NSCS this season, Allgaier is competing for Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors in the No. 51 AccuDoc Solutions Chevy. In 2009, Allgaier took home the Rookie of the Year title in the NNS. After ACS, Allgaier is currently in third in the standings.

“We’re extremely honored to have Governor McAuliffe serve as our honorary starter,” said Martinsville Speedway President Clay Campbell. “Having four Sprint Cup races in the Commonwealth, he understands the significant economic impact they have.

With heavy hearts, Richard Petty Motorsports will head to the Martinsville (Va.) Speedway this weekend. STP will return as the primary sponsor of the No. 43 Ford with driver Aric Almirola and DEWALT will be the primary sponsor of the No. 9 Ford driven by Marcos Ambrose.

“The biggest challenge about Martinsville is the track changes so much throughout the weekend,” explained Truex. “And the track is never on Sunday what it was like all weekend. As soon as they drop the green flag the track is completely different than it was the day before when you felt you had your car dialed in for the race.