Richard Childress Racing at Martinsville Speedway… In 177 NASCAR 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 30 top-five and 63 top-10 finishes at Martinsville dating back to the team’s first start there on April 10, 1972. Richard Childress, a former driver in NASCAR’s top division, contributed four of those top-10 finishes from 1976-1978.

With the NASCAR Xfinity Series returning to Martinsville Speedway in 2020 after a 14-year hiatus from the Virginia short track, the Welcome N.C. organization has only three NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at the half-mile paperclip. In 2006, Kevin Harvick scored the victory, followed by a runner-up finish from Clint Bowyer. Collectively, Harvick and Bowyer combined to lead 207 out of the 250 laps en route to a 1-2 finish for RCR.

Catch the Action… The NASCAR Xfinity Series Cook Out 250 will be televised live Friday, April 9, beginning at 8 p.m. ET on FS1 and will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

The NASCAR Cup Series Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500 will be televised live Saturday, April 10, beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET on FS1 and will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
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Austin Dillon and the No. 3 American Ethanol Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE at Martinsville Speedway… In 14 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Martinsville Speedway, Dillon earned his best finish of fourth in April 2016 at the half-mile short track after starting deep in the field from the 29th spot. He also has a fifth-place finish at the track (April 2017). He has made four appearances at the track in the NASCAR Truck Series, earning his best finish of third in October 2011.

Delivering Performance on and Off the Racetrack… Dillon races on Sunoco Green E15 fuel made with 15 percent American Ethanol. Ethanol is the most effective and least expensive source of octane available and it also burns cleaner and cooler than gasoline. All those factors mean that ethanol helps drive peak engine performance whether you’re in a racecar or on your way to the grocery store. And, ethanol helps keep our air cleaner and our environment healthier by reducing toxic and greenhouse gas emissions. Learn more about why ethanol is the smart choice for your engine, your wallet and our environment at americanethanolracing.com.

TV Time… Dillon is scheduled to serve as a guest analyst for FOX Sports 1’s coverage of this weekend’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Martinsville Speedway. Tune in beginning at 8 p.m. ET on Friday, April 9 on FS1.

AUSTIN DILLON QUOTE:
How do you feel about short tracks like Martinsville Speedway?
“I really like Martinsville Speedway. It is one of those places where you go through so many emotions during the course the race. Someone might bump you and that give-and-take can get frustrating. It’s a short little paper clip, with hard-braking corners. We’ve had some solid runs there, and I think that we can go back and do it again. We’d love to have a good run at Martinsville Speedway.”

Tyler Reddick and the No. 8 Childress Vineyards Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE at Martinsville Speedway… Tyler Reddick has two NASCAR Cup Series starts at Martinsville Speedway, with his best finish of 16th coming during last year’s spring event. Reddick also has six NASCAR Truck Series starts at the track in which he collected two top-five and three top-10 finishes.

About Childress Vineyards… Childress Vineyards is a premier winery located at the southern gateway of the Yadkin Valley in Lexington, North Carolina. Owned by Richard Childress, NASCAR team owner and Hall of Fame member, Childress Vineyards produces award-winning wines with the expertise of Winemaker Mark Frizsolowski. Open daily for tours, tastings, and lunch in the Bistro. Information about Childress Vineyards can be found on Facebook at facebook.com/childresswines/, on Twitter at @ChildressWines and on Instagram at Instagram.com/childresswines.

TYLER REDDICK QUOTES:
Last year was your first time racing at Martinsville Speedway since 2016. What are some things you learned that will be helpful for this weekend?
“One thing I think that really stood out not just to me, but a lot of the drivers was how hot that June Martinsville race was. Everyone is so used to it being cold at Martinsville that the heat really took everyone by surprise. So I’m definitely taking my hydration seriously this week to avoid being overheated this time around. We also saw the track change a lot during both races, and we needed to do a better job of keeping up with it. That’ll be a major focus this time for us. This track is one of my crew chief’s favorites so I’m confident we’ll have a good plan for our No. 8 Childress Vineyards Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE on Saturday night.”

We just wrapped up the only off-weekend for about four months. What do you and the No. 8 team need to do over the next stretch of races to get in a better spot to contend for a Playoff position?
“Well, we can really take two ways to get there. We can win and lock ourselves in that way or we need to run top five and top 10 from here on out. That’s a tall ask for sure, but I have faith in my team. You have to be relevant to win races, and for us that means finding ways to get track position early in the race and get some stage points and a good finish. We also need to work on minimizing mistakes that took us out of Playoff contention last year and put solid races together from start to finish. Unfortunately, without qualifying it gets a little tougher since we start farther back than we maybe would if we had a chance to qualify. It’s hard to then know what we have at these tracks until we get up near some decent cars and by then it’s normally late in the race. Hopefully, we’ll turn a corner this week at Martinsville and put together a good race to kick of this big stretch of races with.”

Myatt Snider and the No. 2 TaxSlayer Chevrolet Camaro at Martinsville Speedway… Snider has one career NASCAR Xfinity Series start at Martinsville Speedway, which came at the end of the 2020 season. The Charlotte, N.C. native has also competed in three NASCAR Truck Series race at the paperclip half-mile, earning a third-place result in the 2018 fall race and a pair of sixth-place efforts in the 2018 and 2019 spring races respectively.

About TaxSlayer… TaxSlayer makes online tax filing accessible for millions of Americans, with an easy-to-use platform and unlimited support at a fraction of the cost of the competition. Trusted for over 50 years, the Augusta-based tech company successfully completed more than 10 million federal and state e-filed tax returns in 2020 and processed $15 billion in refunds. TaxSlayer achieved a 4.5/5 TrustScore on consumer review site Trustpilot, with 87% of its customers rating the tax filing platform Great or Excellent. For more information, visit www.TaxSlayer.com.

MYATT SNIDER QUOTES:
You’ve raced quite a few times at Martinsville Speedway throughout your career. Do you enjoy going to the Virginia short track?
“Racing at Martinsville is always a personal one for me. I’ve competed in a bunch of late model races there, got really close to a couple Truck Series wins there and it’s a track that has a lot of importance to me. I’ve run so many races there before that it semi feels like a home race for me personally. It’s important to me to get the clock this Friday night.”

What is your game plan heading into Martinsville Speedway?
“Martinsville is quite the crazy race, because you never are that far away from another car. You can get out and build a good lead, but that’s really difficult to do since everyone is so close together. It can be a frustrating place for drivers, since you can’t get away and focus on what you are doing. There is always someone there to bump you out of the way or mess you up. That is what I think makes Martinsville one of the best tracks though. It forces you to be on your toes all the time and think as a driver which is what makes the racing product so good.”

Combo Continue to Find Success

The NASCAR Cup Series will go under the lights Saturday night at the famed .526-mile Martinsville (Va.) Speedway.

Michael McDowell will bring the No. 38 Fr8 Auctions Ford Mustang to the track Saturday looking to expand on his career-best season. The Daytona 500 Champion is coming off a 12th-place finish before Easter at the Bristol Motor Speedway and has three top-10 finishes in the first seven races.

The success of McDowell and the No. 34 Front Row Motorsports (FRM) team is in no small part to the duo of McDowell and crew chief Drew Blickensderfer. Together, they have one win, three top-five and nine top-10 finishes since pairing in 2019. The results have been the best for the No. 34 FRM team.

McDowell talks about his success with Blickensderfer:

“I had seen what Drew had done in the past and I felt like he had a lot of key assets that help make a team better. And in NASCAR, it’s all about people. The better people you have, the more success you are going to have, too. So, I knew I wanted to work with Drew.

“Drew helped bring a few people with him to FRM in 2019, our first season together, and I could feel things were different or going to be different. That gives you a lot of confidence when you come to the track, too. In 2019, we were really good on the superspeedways, but we were always pretty good there. I think last season, we really saw a big difference because our cars, setups, performance and finishes were better at all tracks. We were preparing great cars at the shop and coming to the track with speed. The confidence between Drew and I, it just grew all season, and we felt like we could get better in 2021.

“This season, seven races into it, we’re taking what we’ve learned from 2019 and last season and putting it all together. Our road crew has pretty much stayed the same, too. That really helps when you have a group that has success together, to stay together. We’ve had one or two small changes with engineering staff and our pit crew has changed, but we’ve been trying to keep everyone together. That’s another thing Drew has been really good at. He can keep this team pointed in the best direction. We’ve seen how it’s all coming together and we just need to continue to push forward.

“And, of course, through it all, you need a good partner. We have that with Fr8 Auctions. They also came over with me in 2019 and have grown with us. We gave them a top-10 at Daytona at the Road Course as a primary partner earlier this year. We want to do that again for them this weekend at Martinsville.”

Saturday night’s 500-lap race will be televised live on FS1 beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET.

ABOUT FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS
Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is a winning organization in the NASCAR Cup and Camping World Truck Series and the 2021 Daytona 500 champions. The team was founded in 2004 and is owned by successful entrepreneur, Bob Jenkins. FRM fields the No. 34 and the No. 38 NASCAR Cup Series teams along with the No. 38 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team– from its Mooresville, N.C. headquarters. Visit teamfrm.com and follow FRM on social media: Twitter at @Team_FRM, Instagram at @team_frm and Facebook at facebook.com/FrontRowMotorsports.

Martinsville Speedway
Saturday, April 10, 2021
.526-Mile Oval
7:30 PM ET
Location: Ridgeway, Virginia
TV: Fox logo
Event: NASCAR Cup Series (8 of 36)
Radio: SiriusXM logo PRN logo

5 KYLE LARSON
Age: 28 (July 31, 1992)
Hometown: Elk Grove, California
Resides: Mooresville, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Cliff Daniels
Standings: 4th

No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE

LEADER OF THE PACK: Courtesy of a victory (five playoff points) at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March and three stage wins (one playoff point each) in 2021, Kyle Larson has amassed eight NASCAR Cup Series playoff points – the most accumulated through seven races. The 2014 NASCAR Cup Series rookie of the year also leads the series in laps led (379) and is tied for most wins (one). Larson ranks second in laps run in the top five (845).

CAREER YEAR: Through seven races, Larson has collected three stage wins, five top-10s and has led 379 laps – all career highs for him through seven events to begin a season. He has won an event in the first seven races twice (2017 and 2021). In 2017, he led the Cup Series standings for 11 of 36 races – nearly one-third of the season.

MADDENING MARTINSVILLE: On a track Larson describes as “one of his worst,” the driver of the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet has one top-five finish and two top-10s in 12 starts at Martinsville. His best finish of third on the paperclip layout occurred in spring 2016.

WATERED-DOWN TRACK: Last week, Larson and the No. 5 team participated in a NASCAR test with wet-weather Goodyear tires at the .526-mile Martinsville short track. NASCAR’s focus with the test was finding a way to race on smaller tracks under damp conditions.

SMOKEY MOUNTAIN RAIN: In the rain-delayed March 29 event on the dirt track at Bristol Motor Speedway, Larson started at the rear of the field in the 250-lap race due to an engine change but quickly showcased his dirt experience by maneuvering up to fourth in only 52 laps. Unfortunately, he was collected in an incident in turn two on lap 53 and ultimately finished 29th and five laps down due to damage sustained to his No. 5 Chevy.

LIVE 5 CREW: The No. 5 HendrickCars.com pit crew is ranked third in fastest average time for four-tire stops in 2021, posting a 13.77-second average. The team is comprised of front-tire changer Donnie Tasser, rear-tire changer Calvin Teague, tire carrier R.J. Barnette, fueler Brandon Harder and jackman Brandon Johnson.

CLIFF’S NOTES: No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE crew chief Cliff Daniels was atop the pit box for Jimmie Johnson during the seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion’s final full-time season in 2020. In June at Martinsville Speedway, Johnson led 70 laps en route to the Daniels-led team finishing 10th in the 500-lap event. Previously, Daniels was a race engineer for Johnson, who posted nine Martinsville wins in his career.

YOUR CAR NEEDS: This weekend, Larson will again drive the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE. From the convenience of home, customers can select the category, make, model and vehicle packages that are important to them from the nearly 30,000 new, high-quality pre-owned and certified cars, trucks and SUVs available at HendrickCars.com. The website also makes it easy for customers to find one of Hendrick Automotive Group’s 93 dealership locations nationwide.

9 CHASE ELLIOTT
Age: 25 (Nov. 28, 1995)
Hometown: Dawsonville, Georgia
Resides: Dawsonville, Georgia
Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson
Standings: 9th

No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE

PAPERCLIP PERFORMANCE: Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, is set to make his 12th Martinsville Speedway start in the NASCAR Cup Series on Saturday night. The 25-year-old driver made his Cup Series debut at the track for Hendrick Motorsports on March 29, 2015, and has since led a total of 429 laps there – his most laps led at any track.

LAST TIME AROUND: In November at Martinsville Speedway, Elliott turned in a stellar performance by leading a career-high 236 laps en route to his first NASCAR Cup Series win at the track. The victory secured his first-ever berth in the Championship 4 and put him in elite company by joining champions Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon as Hendrick Motorsports drivers who secured a spot in the title-deciding race by winning at Martinsville.

MARTINSVILLE MANIA: In the last eight races at Martinsville, Elliott has finished inside the top 10 in five of the events – tied for the second-most top-10 results of all active drivers. The driver of the No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet is also one of only four Cup Series drivers to collect top-five finishes in both 2020 races at the .526-mile oval (fifth in June and first in November).

SHORT-TRACK STATS: On Saturday, Elliott will make his 33rd short-track start in the Cup Series. In those races, he has garnered nine top-five finishes, 16 top-10s and led 775 laps. Elliott currently has five consecutive top-10 finishes on short tracks – the longest active streak of all Cup Series drivers.

GUSTAFSON’S MARTINSVILLE HISTORY: No. 9 team crew chief Alan Gustafson is set to call his 33rd Martinsville Speedway race from atop the pit box on Saturday evening. In his previous 32 Cup Series starts at the track, he has three wins – most recently with Elliott in November 2020 to solidify the No. 9 team’s spot in the Championship 4. Gustafson also has 14 top-five finishes and 23 top-10s. His other two wins at the paperclip-shaped track came with NASCAR Hall of Famer Gordon in 2013 and 2015.

SEVEN RACES IN: Coming off the first NASCAR Cup Series off weekend, Elliott has collected two top-five finishes – tied for the third-most among all drivers – and led a total of 73 laps in the first seven events. He has spent 275 laps inside the top five and 861 laps running in the top 10.

NAPA AUTO PARTS: This weekend at Martinsville, the No. 9 Chevrolet will don the familiar blue, white and yellow NAPA AUTO PARTS paint scheme. The Atlanta-based company is serving as majority sponsor for Elliott and the No. 9 team for 25 NASCAR Cup Series races this season.

HONORING A CHAMPION: Last week, Elliott revealed the No. 9 Hooters Throwback paint scheme he will pilot at Darlington Raceway in May. The design honors Alan Kulwicki, who drove the Hooters look in 1992 when he won the NASCAR Cup Series title. Click here to check out the scheme.

24 WILLIAM BYRON
Age: 23 (Nov. 29, 1997)
Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina
Resides: Charlotte, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Rudy Fugle
Standings: 6th

No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE

William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, will be available to members of the media via video conference on Friday, April 9. Visit NASCARmedia.com for details.

MR. CONSISTENCY: So far in the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season, William Byron and the No. 24 team have been a model of consistency. After seven races, Byron is currently on a career-best streak of five consecutive top-10 finishes – the longest active streak in the Cup Series. His five top-10 finishes are the second-most by a driver this year behind only points leader Denny Hamlin with six. The Charlotte, North Carolina, native has spent 1,304 laps running inside the top 10 – the second-highest amount in the field behind Hamlin (1,443). Of those 1,304 laps, 594 were inside the top five, which ranks seventh-best. Currently, Byron has led 129 laps across three races – the fifth-most in the Cup Series. In fact, Byron has the fifth-best average running position so far in the 2021 season of 9.49.

MARTINSVILLE MINUTES: Despite his young age, Byron’s time at Martinsville Speedway goes back to when he attended his first Cup Series race as a fan at the paperclip-shaped track in 2006. Since then, the 23-year-old driver has moved through the NASCAR ranks and is now poised to make his ninth overall start at the half-mile venue and his seventh in the Cup Series. Of his six Cup Series starts there, Byron has a best finish of second from the fall of 2019. He also has two other Martinsville starts, both coming in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in 2016, when he qualified seventh for both events and raced to one top-five finish and another top-10.

FUGLE’S FONDNESS OF MARTINSVILLE: While this Saturday’s race will be Rudy Fugle’s first at the Cup Series level at Martinsville Speedway, the Livonia, New York, native has 14 starts at the paperclip-shaped track under his belt, all in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. In those 14 events, Fugle has one win (May 2019), six top-five finishes and 12 top-10s. Two of his previous starts were with Byron, both in 2016, when the duo started seventh in both races and raced to a third-place result in the spring and an eighth-place finish in the fall.

LIBERTY U ONBOARD: After a weekend off from racing, Byron will drive the No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE when the Cup Series returns to the track Saturday. Redesigned for the 2021 season, the new paint scheme features a white base with navy flames and red accents, allowing the Liberty University No. 24 to stand out on track. Liberty University has a long history with Byron starting back in 2014 in the late model ranks. Liberty University has been Training Champions for Christ since it was founded in 1971. Located in the mountains of Central Virginia, Liberty is a liberal arts institution with 17 colleges and schools that offers more than 600 degree programs from the certificate to the doctoral level, on campus and online. Working on an undergraduate degree in communications, Byron is in his junior year at Liberty University through its online program. For a better look at Byron’s new Liberty University paint scheme, click here.

48 Alex Bowman
Age: 27 (April 25, 1993)
Hometown: Tucson, Arizona
Resides: Concord, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Greg Ives
Standings: 16th

No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE

CLICKING AT MARTINSVILLE: Alex Bowman impressed at Martinsville Speedway last season when he earned sixth-place finishes in both races. In 10 career starts at the half-mile venue, the Tucson, Arizona, native has three top-10 finishes and has completed 98.3% of the total laps.

2021 NUMBERS: The No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE team has earned 172 points so far this season and currently sits 16th in the NASCAR Cup Series standings after seven events. Bowman has one top-five result, three top-10 finishes and one pole award (the DAYTONA 500) after seven events this season. The 27-year-old driver has captured more top-10 finishes in the first seven races in 2021 than any of his previous seasons in the Cup Series. The Ally Chevrolet has run 344 laps inside the top five, which ranks ninth among active drivers, and 733 laps inside the top 10 in 2021, which ranks 11th.

NEXT GEN TEST: Although the Cup Series had the Easter weekend off, Bowman and members of the No. 48 team headed to Martinsville Speedway for the NASCAR Next Gen car with Chevrolet. The manufacturer brought a prototype of its new model for the 2022 Cup Series season to .526-mile venue for the first time. Bowman was able to get on the track for most of Tuesday, but rain ultimately halted the second day of testing on Wednesday. Chevrolet will unveil its new race car during a media event on May 5.

IVES IN VIRGINIA: Under the lights on Saturday night, crew chief Greg Ives will call the shots for the 13th time at Martinsville Speedway. The Bark River, Michigan, native has one top-five finish and five top-10s at the short track with a best finish of fourth coming in 2015 with Dale Earnhardt Jr. Bowman finished sixth in both events last season after 500 laps at the short track. Ives was a race engineer for the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports team from 2006-2012 when he was a part of six wins, three pole awards and 12 top-10 finishes at Martinsville with Jimmie Johnson behind the wheel.

A GREAT PAW-PORTUNITY: Before strapping into the No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL1 1LE on Saturday night at Martinsville, Bowman will visit the Martinsville Henry SPCA located two miles from the track. He will get a behind-the-scenes look at the shelter and play with the dogs and cats that are available for adoption. Ally and Bowman will each make a $1,000 donation to the Virginia rescue following Saturday’s race. If the No. 48 team claims the victory, Ally will increase the donation to $10,000 for the Martinsville Henry SPCA.

FASTEST TIME: After seven events in 2021, the No. 48 pit crew continues to be the fastest pit crew based on average four-tire stop times in the NASCAR Cup Series. The five-man crew has an average four-tire stop time of 13.54 seconds. The team includes fueler Jacob Conley, tire carrier Allen Stallings, jackman Dustin Lineback and tire changers Scott Brzozowski and Devin DelRicco.

CLOSE TO HOME: No. 48 engine tuner Stephen Raynor calls Martinsville Speedway his home track. The 34-year-old team member grew up and currently resides in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, which is approximately 50 miles from the Virginia venue. He has been with the Hendrick Motorsports engine department for nine years.

VICTORY-VILLE: In 74 appearances, Hendrick Motorsports has posted 25 points-paying victories at Martinsville Speedway, which is the all-time record for total team wins at any active or inactive NASCAR Cup Series racetrack. Junior Johnson and Associates posted 21 wins at Bristol Motor Speedway, followed by Hendrick Motorsports with 20 at both Charlotte Motor Speedway and Dover International Speedway.

PAPERCLIP PERSPECTIVE: Hendrick Motorsports has posted 265 points-paying NASCAR Cup Series victories, just three from tying the team record of 268 held by the legendary Petty Enterprises. The organization’s 25 Martinsville wins alone would rank Hendrick Motorsports 21st on the all-time list. Rex White Racing is 20th with 26 Cup Series wins between 1958 and 1964, two ahead of Dale Earnhardt Inc., which raced from 1996 until 2008 and posted 24 total victories.

CLOCKING WINS: Six drivers have posted at least one Martinsville victory for car owner Rick Hendrick, who grew up two hours from the track in Palmer Springs, Virginia. Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson each logged nine wins there during their legendary careers. Darrell Waltrip won four times at Martinsville for Hendrick Motorsports, with Chase Elliott, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Geoff Bodine each posting a victory.

FIRST THING’S FIRST: On April 29, 1984, Hendrick Motorsports posted its first of 265 points-paying NASCAR Cup Series wins in the team’s first appearance at Martinsville Speedway. The organization also led its first-ever laps (55) that day when Bodine drove the No. 5 Chevrolet to victory lane.

THE BIG SHORT: No active NASCAR Cup Series team has more short-track victories than Hendrick Motorsports. Going into Saturday night’s race at the half-mile Martinsville Speedway, the organization has 51 short-track wins – 10 more than next-best Joe Gibbs Racing.

FOLLOW THE LEADER: In the seven races prior to the NASCAR Cup Series’ annual Easter break, Hendrick Motorsports led nearly 100 laps more than any other team. The organization has led 582 laps in 2021, which is 94 more than second-place JGR.

THE NEXT SIX: Including its 25 victories at Martinsville, Hendrick Motorsports has won a combined 89 races at the next six tracks on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule. Following Saturday night’s event, the tour visits Richmond (10 Hendrick Motorsports wins), Talladega (13), Kansas (seven), Darlington (14) and Dover (20).

QUOTABLE /

Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on Martinsville’s challenges: “Martinsville is probably one of my worst tracks – it’s been the toughest for me to figure out since there are so many challenges there. It’s a different style than what I grew up racing. You’re hard on the brakes and you need to be consistent with that while hitting your marks lap after lap. It’s such a challenge to do all that and keep up with the changing lines throughout the race. Hopefully, someday I can win a Martinsville clock.”

Cliff Daniels, crew chief of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on working with Larson at Martinsville’s wet weather tire test last week: “Testing was cool, and it’s always good to have more time with Kyle. It helps our team continue the rhythm we’re in – just being able to cut laps around the place with him in one of our cars is always helpful. NASCAR has some good rain tire options if they choose to use them in the future.”

Daniels on finishing 10th with Jimmie Johnson in 2020: “We led a lot of laps early but didn’t keep up with the track as well as we should have. We were just an adjustment behind. We got up front, we led laps, and we knew the car was fast, but we didn’t want to over-adjust so we made small adjustments. After looking back at our notes, the track really tightened up throughout the race. Our teammates got aggressive with their changes and we were just a step behind.”

Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE on returning to Martinsville: “Last year’s win at Martinsville was huge for us. It’s great to know that we’ve had some good runs there, but you always have to keep in mind that your past success doesn’t equal success in the future. It never has and I don’t think it ever will – that’s just racing. So, I think for us, we will have some good information from last year and I look forward to getting to Martinsville this weekend and seeing what we can do.”

Alan Gustafson, crew chief of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on the challenges at Martinsville: “Rubber is the biggest challenge. The rubber lays down, the grip moves around and can change the line you need to run. Your car needs to do different things to run different lines. As the rubber lays down, you could be really good on a clean track and as the rubber moves then you have to move around and then your car doesn’t handle as well in those situations. I think that’s the toughest thing about Martinsville. Then under caution a lot of times you’ll pick it up so the cycle will kind of repeat itself. You want to make sure you can stay on top of it as much as you can.”

Gustafson on racing at Martinsville at night: “I don’t think there will be any huge differences to racing Martinsville at night. The track is typically less apt to lay rubber when it is cooler so that would be a change. You could get the same result on a cold day or an overcast day, but I think night will have the track a little less apt to lay rubber than it does in the daylight.”

William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on the challenges of racing at Martinsville: “Martinsville Speedway is always difficult no matter how many times you’ve raced there. You have to balance the entry of the corner to how you turn in the middle, all while not allowing the guy behind you to get underneath you on the exit of the corner. You want to be aggressive enough to make up ground but also not overly aggressive that you lose track position early on. It’s a track that requires patience and the knowledge of when to push it and when to save. It’s a challenge for sure but I enjoy it. It makes it tough on the drivers to get around there.”

Byron on adjusting to the removal of the infield grass at Martinsville: “I’m interested to see what it’s like with the grass removed but I don’t think it will change much on the racetrack. The only thing I think that will be different is your visual cues. You’ll have to get use to looking at the concrete at the start of the race and set new marks for yourself in the corners. That’s always critical there. It will make the first couple laps interesting but once you figure those marks out, it will get easier as the race goes.”

Rudy Fugle, crew chief of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on preparing for Martinsville: “Martinsville Speedway is a tough track for anyone, even those who are statistically good there. When you look at William’s stats there, he either runs really well or he has an issue happen. That’s the two-fold thing we have to deal with this weekend. How do we make the car durable and make it last through a grueling 500-lap race while making it drive the way he wants and not taking all the speed out of the car? We’re trying to use some of the previous notes since William has ran well there in the Cup Series and the No. 9 team won there last. We have a lot of good notes to use; we’re just trying to balance car durability and survival versus speed and keeping track position.”

Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on getting back on track after the weekend off: “It was nice to have a weekend off last week. A week off is nice, but I am ready to get to Martinsville this weekend. We had two top-10 finishes at the track last season and I think we have a good notebook to lean on for Saturday night’s race. Hendrick Motorsports has been strong at Martinsville in the past and I feel like our teams can lean on each other a bit for this weekend’s race.”

Greg Ives, crew chief of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on racing at night at Martinsville: “Anytime you have night races, you prepare a little bit differently depending on the track grip. There were times when you would start the race during the day and then it would end at night, but this is a true night race. Now we just have to worry about if the track is going to rubber up or not. I think it is generally going to be a clean track and hopefully we can get another groove in there. You might see some fender banging to make the pass. You might have some tempers flare, but it’s just short track racing.”

Roush Fenway Weekly Advance | Martinsville

After an off weekend for Easter, the NASCAR Cup Series picks back up for the first of two-straight events in Virginia. Martinsville Speedway hosts the NCS Saturday night under the lights, for the first of two trips to ‘The Paperclip’ this season. Jack Roush has six wins all-time at the track including four in the Cup Series.

Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500
Saturday, April 10 | 7:30 p.m. ET
FS1, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

• Ryan Newman, No. 6 Guaranteed Rate Ford Mustang
• Chris Buescher, No. 17 Fastenal Ford Mustang

Bristol Dirt Recap, Martinsville Preview

• Newman earned his best finish of the young season two weeks ago on the Bristol Dirt, finishing fifth after picking up stage points in each of the opening two segments.
• Buescher was also in the mix early, running much of the race inside the top-10 and earning stage points in the first stage. But, a flat right rear tire halted his progress as he ultimately finished 14th.
• Guaranteed Rate returns to Newman’s Ford Mustang at ‘The Paperclip,’ for his 39th Cup race at the half-mile track.
• Fastenal will don the side of Buescher’s machine in his 12th Cup start at the track.

For Whom The Bell Tolls

Roush Fenway has earned four Grandfather Clocks at Martinsville with former drivers Mark Martin (two), Jeff Burton and Kurt Busch. Roush Fenway most recently went to victory lane with Busch in Oct. 2002.

Rock Around the Clock

Roush Fenway had its overall most-successful outing at Martinsville in the spring of 2002 when it placed all four of its cars inside the top 10 with drivers Martin, Burton, Busch and Matt Kenseth.

Closing Time

Roush Fenway earned a one-two finish in the April 9, 2000 event at Martinsville with former drivers Martin and Burton. Martin paced the field for 64 laps en route to the victory.

Short-Track Prowess

Roush Fenway has started a total of 674 NCS races on short tracks, recording a total of 22 wins, 122 top-five finishes, 243 top-10 finishes and 7,584 laps led.

Tale of the Tape

Roush Fenway has started 216 NCS races at Martinsville, recording four victories, 26 top-five finishes, 68 top-10 finishes, an average finish of 17.7 and has led 1,378 laps. Roush Fenway also boasts two NASCAR Truck Series wins in 46 starts at Martinsville (fall of ’03 and ’05).

Roush Fenway Martinsville Wins
1992-1 Martin Cup
1997-2 Burton Cup
2000-1 Martin Cup
2002-2 Busch Cup
2003-2 Wood Truck
2005-2 Craven Truck

NASCAR CUP SERIES
MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY
BLUE EMU MAXIMUM PAIN RELIEF 500
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
APRIL 7, 2021

RYAN PREECE, NO. 37 LOUISIANA HOT SAUCE CAMARO ZL1 1LE, Teleconference transcript:

YOU’VE GOT A LOT GOING ON THIS WEEKEND WITH RUNNING DOUBLE-DUTY WITH BOTH THE NASCAR WHELEN MODIFIED TOUR AND THE NASCAR CUP RACE AT MARTINSVILLE.

WE JUST CAME BACK FROM A DIRT RACE AT BRISTOL AND NOW TALKING LOOSELY ABOUT A STREET COURSE RACE. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT STREET COURSE RACING FOR NASCAR?
“I’m for whatever we need to do, I guess. At the end of the day, we’re all doing pretty much what we’re supposed to do and that’s competing. I’m a huge fan of short track. And I did go to South Boston this weekend. I thought that place, it would be cool to see if they can hold a Cup race because there are two pit roads there. But as far as street courses go, I like road racing. It’s not something that I come from. It’s not my background but I think it would be interesting for sure.”

A WIN THE OTHER NIGHT, AND IF YOU WIN TOMORROW NIGHT, DOES IT MATTER A WHOLE LOT FOR SATURDAY? ARE YOU MORE EXCITED AND A BETTER PERSON TO BE AROUND? OR NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS THURSDAY, ARE YOU IN THE SAME MENTAL STATE FOR SATURDAY?
“I think winning is always a good boost for morale, right? I think my wife would tell you I’m a happier person to be around when I do win. I just said that the other day. Even after South Boston you’re just happier, right? You won. I mean it’s just seat time is seat time, whether it’s in a truck or Xfinity or a Modified, a Sprint Car, a Midget, whatever it is, when you keep racing and you’re running good; it just kind of gets you in that mindset and keeps things rolling, so to speak. So, I guess to answer your question, I’m going to attack Saturday like I would attack tomorrow. And as the race plays out, and what you have that day, you kind of have to manage whatever you have going on. But every race, I always have my expectations.”

IT’S CERTAINLY A TALE OF TWO SEASONS LAST YEAR AND THIS YEAR. DO YOU DRIVE DIFFERENTLY BEING 18th IN POINTS AS OPPOSED TO LAST YEAR BEING 30th IN POINTS AND IN MORE OF A LEVEL OF DESPERATION?
“Well, and it’s crazy to think, we’ve had two runs this year that I felt like probably could have been another two Top 10’s or Top 5’s that kind of slipped away from us. But I feel like we could even be higher in points. But as far as driving differently, I don’t drive any different. I didn’t wake up this year and say man, I’m going to hustle this thing. Me, as a racer, no matter what car it is, I get in it and attack it the same. So, I feel like communication has gotten better. I’m not a believer in good luck or bad luck. I’ve always believed that you kind of make your own luck, until last year. There were just a lot of things that were out of my control, out of our control which, I’m not putting blame on anything. It’s just this year, certainly, we started on the right foot. And it’s kind of helped us really stay where we are. And I feel like there are some tracks; I know statistically, Martinsville isn’t as exciting, or Richmond, as I would like it to be as a short track racer; but I feel like optimistic with what we’ve got going, that we can go to Martinsville and have a strong run and then go to Richmond and improve on what we’ve done there. And then obviously Talladega is a superspeedway and those can go either way, but I feel like everything is going well for us right now and hopefully we can keep it going that way.”

YOUR ORGANIZATION HAS HAD TIE-INS WITH HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS. HOW MUCH DOES THAT HELP OR HOW MUCH DOES THAT IMPACT THINGS ON YOUR SIDE?
“I want to say we use their engines, but we do build our own cars. So, I can’t honestly tell you how much we use from them because JTG in itself, they do a lot of their own research. Wind tunnel time, everything, is strictly through our organization. So, for really, for what everybody over there at JTG Daugherty does, for what we have…..Ricky (Stenhouse, Jr.) has put together some really good runs these past four weeks and last week. We brought two really solid cars for that dirt race. Unfortunately, we overheated, and something happened with the motor at lap 25 or 30, but we had a really good race car there. But yeah, as far as Hendrick and that affiliation, I mean, we get great horsepower and I know we use their SIM tools, so it’s been good.”

YOU’VE HAD A VERY STRONG START TO THE YEAR. YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN COMPETITIVE. HAS THAT CHANGED ANYTHING WITH YOUR SECURITY WITH THE TEAM FOR THE DURATION OF THE SEASON ON SPONSORSHIP OR ANYTHING?
“I attack every week like it’s my last, I guess. Me, as a race car driver, I’m just showing up at every single race giving it 150 percent and let it kind of be what it’s going to be.”

THIS IS YOUR SECOND YEAR WORKING WITH RICKY STENHOUSE, JR. WHAT HAS THAT RELATIONSHIP BEEN LIKE AND HAVE YOU TAKEN ANY LESSONS FROM HIM ON THE TRACK?
“I like he and Brian Pattie (crew chief) work really well together. How long have they been working together, period? Last year was my first working with Trent (Owens, crew chief) and I felt like we had a lot of good runs that unfortunately, statistically, when you look on a piece of paper, weren’t as good. But if you actually look back at those races, we had our shining moments. So, I feel like had those shining moments again. Two of those races, Las Vegas, I felt like we could have ended up with a Top 10 but we just had a slow stop that last green flag run and it cost us some spots; and then Bristol, with our overheating issues, those were two really good days that were in the making and unfortunately, we didn’t have anything to show it. So, I do feel like Ricky and Brian had brought a little bit of speed over for those superspeedways and the 1.5-mile program. So, everybody over at the team has been doing a great job and really, you’ve got to have flawless races. You can’t have any loose ends. If everybody does their job, we can have those good days.”

HOW VITAL HAS IT BEEN FOR YOU AND THE NO. 37 TEAM BECAUSE YOUR STARTING POSITION IS UP FROM LIKE 25th, TO 15th AND YOU’LL START IN ROW 9 THIS WEEKEND. HOW IMPORTANT IS A STARTING POSITION FOR YOU?
“Track position is huge. It’s so hard to pass. Ricky’s got some great position to start this race. We’re starting 17th. For me, that’s 10 to 12 spots further ahead than I was last year. So, I feel really optimistic about Martinsville with the short track package we’re bringing. Hopefully we can fire off the race and move forward and then keep that track position all day. But it definitely plays a huge role in how your day is going to work.”

YOU’VE HAD SOME GREAT STARTS TO THE SEASON. WHAT HAS BEEN THE THING THAT’S HELPED YOU GET THOSE GOOD RESULTS IN THE FIRST SEVEN RACES?
“It’s a combination of things. The Daytona 500 finish was a good jump-start for us. It got us track position for the Road Course at Daytona, which plays another huge part; and just showing up closer. When you show-up close and you don’t have start sticking wrenches in it, it just allows you to have good pit stops and allow everything to flow. And that’s what it comes down to. So, at the end of the day, everything is just kind of been going our way and we’ve just got to keep it going that way and keep putting good runs together.”

AS A MODIFIED GUY BEING INVOLVED IN THE SERIES FOR A LONG TIME, WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO HAVE BOTH THE TOUR AND NASCAR AT MARTINSVILLE THIS WEEKEND?
“It’s cool. Modifieds have a lot of roots and have big roots at Martinsville. So, having them there, I know it’s a really great racing track. I think it’s going to be two grooves for the Modifieds. It’ll probably widen out there, some. And, sharing that stage kind of being that first start to the weekend for all the racing there, is awesome. And being under the lights in all three series will be cool also.”

YOU GOT TO TEST THERE NOT TOO LONG AGO. WHAT STANDS OUT TO YOU THE MOST?
“We went there to shake things down. I didn’t really need to test. It’s more of just a new chassis that we’re running this year in the Modifieds. And I kind of wanted to be one step ahead instead of one step behind. So, I feel really confident with the package we’re bringing and hopefully like I said earlier, we can go there and win the race and bring home a clock.”

WE OFTEN HEAR ABOUT EXPERIENCE AND TRACK TIME AND LAP IN CARS BEING KEY. WITH ALL THE LIMITED PRACTICE TIME IN THE SERIES, HOW MUCH HAS THAT IMPACTED DRIVERS? OR, HAS SIMULATION AND IRACING LEVELED THE PLAYING FIELD TO WHERE TRACK TIME DOESN’T MATTER?
“I don’t get SIM time, to be honest with you. I don’t get to go in a simulator like some of these other teams do. We don’t have that luxury at the end of the day. When we say SIMs and SIM tools, it’s what teams are setting the race cars up off of. So, without testing I think there is a gap, for sure, from guys in the early or mid 2000’s, where if you weren’t racing, you were off somewhere testing and putting those laps in. My generation from whatever year testing was banned, we don’t do that. We jump in a race car and we go. So, learning what that feel that you want or having the ability to go test and try different things and find that balance that you like, you’re doing that at the races now. You’re just kind of showing up with something and hoping it sticks and hoping it’s in the right direction. And then, you just kind of follow that. So, it’s a lot more difficult than it used to be. But that’s kind of what we’re all dealing with. Everybody is in the same boat and some can find those feels quicker than others. So, it’s a process. I feel like it’s a process that Trent and I have definitely been working at and getting closer to where I feel like we need to be. I feel like there are places where I do shine, which happens to be the 750 hp tracks where we’ll run good; at road courses or the one-miles or places like that. But the 1.5-miles is where it’s strictly momentum-based and being in the throttle and really not having much room for error when it comes to being loose or tight, we’ve just got to be a little bit closer and that’s something we work at each and every week.”
Team Chevy high-resolution racing photos are available for editorial use.

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