NASCAR Cup Series

Refreshed from an off-weekend and ready to go short track racing, here is what was surprising and not surprising when the Cup drivers returned to racing in the STP Gas Booster 500 at Martinsville Speedway.

Johnson won from the pole at Martinsville, leading 347 of 500 laps to win the STP Gas Booster 500, his eighth win at the Virginia half-mile track. Johnson claimed the points lead, and now leads Brad Keselowski by six.

Believe it or not, there are actually some poor souls out there who still think NASCAR is only about a bunch of folks turning left. However, we know it is much more than that.

There is no doubt that Tony Stewart, three-time NASCAR champion, is a fierce competitor. This past weekend, however, Stewart was more successful on the local short track circuit, including Williams Grove and Selinsgrove Speedway, than he was in the Cup race at Martinsville.

One year ago Biffle started third, led 90 laps and ultimately took home the checkered flag under the lights at Texas Motor Speedway. He’ll once again hit the track with a brand new 3M Ford Fusion at Texas to see if he can race his way to another victory.

In 71 starts at Texas Motor Speedway (TMS) dating back to 1997, RCR has recorded one win (Jeff Burton, April 2007), eight top-five and 27 top-10 finishes with drivers Burton, Clint Bowyer, Dale Earnhardt, Kevin Harvick, Jeff Green and Paul Menard. Prior to TMS's inaugural season in 1997, Richard Childress, a former driver in NASCAR's top division, earned a pair of top-10 finishes at the now defunct Texas World Speedway

Michael Waltrip Racing’s No. 15 Toyota will carry a special message of responsibility in Saturday night’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway. Driver Clint Bowyer will drive the Gander Mountain “With Rights Comes Responsibility; Secure Your Firearms” Toyota.

TEXAS FIRSTS: Keselowski made his first Cup Series start at Texas Motor Speedway (TMS) in November of 2008. After starting the race from the 37th position, the then 24-year-old Keselowski raced his way to a respectable 19th-place finishing position.

JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S DOVER WHITE CHEVROLET SS – POINTS LEADER: “We ran really well at Vegas, and California didn't go as well as we wanted, but it's a much different racetrack than what we have at Texas. I would say that Texas and Vegas are closer together than Texas and California."

Many small businesses think that promoting their brand through NASCAR is beyond their reach but popular NASCAR driver and SPEED Channel host Kenny Wallace has taken a different approach by embracing one small business in particular.