Martinsville, Virginia, the sleepy little town nestled on U.S. Route 220 about 50 miles south of Roanoke, Virginia always invigorates the NASCAR Sprint Cup schedule. The spring race usually comes after the excitement of the high banks of Bristol, but the fall race—the only short track in the playoff system known as The Chase—comes after a series of boring race tracks. Kansas Speedway, Auto Club Speedway, and sadly, Charlotte Motor Speedway have been staging sleep inducing races lately. Not so with Martinsville. Sunday’s race had enough controversy and banging to make us forget those early snoozers and look forward to the next race, the direct opposite of the paperclip shaped track, the meat grinder at Talladega.

The excitement started early in the week when Kasey Kahne was let go from Richard Petty Motorsports. Kahne had refused to get back into his No. 9 Budweiser Ford after repairs were made at Charlotte the week before. He was headed for Red Bull Racing next year anyway, and what was to happen next was more than surprising. Adding to the drama of a Chase race on a half-mile track was the possible demise of Richard Petty Motorsports. Petty is a minority investor at the operation, but fans were outraged that one of its heroes name was being given a bad name because major investor George Gillett couldn’t pay his bills, causing Roush Fenway, the supplier of his cars, to repossess them.

The story has been discussed over and over, so I’ll save you that boredom, but when the drivers and crews arrived at Martinsville on Friday, all the talk was about RPM, even though the racing at Martinsville is highly entertaining. Once no one was saying anything, the focus went back to racing as it was meant to be. No cookie cutter tracks, no gas mileage thrillers, and no aero push, making passing impossible. Just beating and banging. And did they ever.

We saw teammates forget they were teammates. I wonder if Kevin Harvick and Jeff Burton are still speaking. We saw Jimmie Johnson prove he is human after all. Johnson never led a lap. We saw Kenny Schrader take the lead. We saw Dale Earnhardt, Jr. lead (gasp!) 90 laps and finish seventh. We saw Jeff Gordon and Kurt Busch battle and Busch put Gordon out of contention. The race was far more exciting and interesting than the first five Chase races combined. It was a glorious, sunny day and the crowd was good. One wag in the press box said that the officials at Fontana would kill for a crowd like they had at Martinsville. Even with high unemployment in the region, Martinsville, as usual, nearly filled the stands. This begs a question. Why not more short tracks?

NASCAR only has three certified short tracks—Bristol, Richmond, and Martinsville. The rest of the schedule is made up of the 1.5 -2 mile tracks, the one milers at Dover and New Hampshire, and Darlington. Daytona and Talladega are in a separate class. That said, lots of things need to change. A short track would be nice, but the Chase schedule needs to be changed. Darlington and Bristol need to be added.

Still, the racing we saw at Martinsville on Sunday was really racing—the way it was meant to be. Somewhere and at some time, someone decided that bigger was better. I submit for your consideration Sunday, October 24, 2010. It doesn’t get any better than what we saw there.

Denny Hamlin backed up his statement that he would win in Martinsville, but his offense may not be strong enough against Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick going into the final four of the Chase.

Heading to Talladega, Hamlin has reason to worry with Harvick having shown good performance there.

Harvick’s Superspeedway stats show four wins, 13 top-five finishes and 23 top-10’s with a 14.7 average. One of those wins and eight top-10’s were at Talladega.

Denny Hamlin has never won on a Superspeedway and has six top-10 finishes for an average of 20.4. At Talladega, his average finish is slightly better at 19.3.

Jimmie Johnson has five Superspeedway wins, 14 top-five finishes and 22 top-10 finishes with an average of 17.9. He has one win at Talladega and an average finish there of 17.8.

Johnson has shown he is a strong finisher on Superspeedways just as he is at most tracks.

Harvick certainly benefited at Martinsville with the addition of Clint Bowyers team to back him up. Richard Childress Racing will throw everything they can into the battle against Hamlin and Johnson in the NASCAR Chase.

After Martinsville, Johnson said, “So much can happen at Talladega.” He added, “After Talladega we will race like hell.”

There lies the problem for Hamlin and Harvick. It will be game on with Johnson after survival at Talladega.

Hamlin’s average finishes at intermediate tracks is 13.5 with nine wins and 62 top-10 finishes.

Harvick has seven wins, 88 top-10 finishes and an average of 15.7 on intermediate tracks.

Johnson is superb on intermediate tracks with 37 wins, 137 top-10 finishes and an average of 9.7.

Talladega is the last wild card in the Chase deck. Certainly some bizarre activities at the Superspeedway race on Halloween could topple Johnson, Hamlin or Harvick’s standing in the points.

Harvick will more than likely finish well at the Alabama track if he stays out of trouble, but anyone can win at the track that can be such a game changer.

So as the NASCAR Sprint Cup series heads to the high banks of Talladega, the top three drivers in Chase have reason for concern. Once “Dega” is done, it looks to be Johnson’s championship title to lose if he is still first or second in the point standings.

The remaining three tracks play right into the Jimmie Johnson/Chad Knaus game plan. For Denny Hamlin, his offensive stance probably won’t get him a title this year, but it won’t be for lack of giving it his all.

During the previous weekend at the Martinsville Speedway we witnessed a Chase contender back up his game plan, another Chase contender wanted to kiss one team mate and smack another team mate, we witnessed a rowdy moment between two Chase contenders and former champions and we were overjoyed to see the return of two of NASCAR’s most popular drivers. By the time the Tums Fast Relief 500 was over a lot of drivers and team members needed some Tums to settle their stomachs. With those thoughts in mind let’s begin with:

HOORAH to Denny Hamlin for backing up an earlier announcement that claimed he “has a game plan.” The Virginia native won the Tums Fast Relief 500 last Sunday and scored a series high seventh win as well as his 15th career Cup win. Hamlin led this race two times for a total of 40 laps.

More importantly, Hamlin’s win was a case of mission accomplished because he picked up 35 points on Chase leader Jimmie Johnson who finished fifth in the race. Johnson’s lead has now been trimmed down to six points and NASCAR now has one of the closest Sprint Cup Chase For The Championships since the playoff format was created.

Hamlin gets an additional HOORAH for this week’s notable quotable. During a post race press conference he made it clear that the game plan was on and he wasn’t even close to be finished with his championship run. With a big smile on his face, Hamlin waved a finger at the media and said “which one of you said that it was over?”

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HOORAH to Kevin Harvick for his third place finish at a race track that has been the source of disappointment for him in past races. Harvick led the race six times for a total of 97 laps. He remains third in the Chase standings but picked up 15 points on Jimmie Johnson. He’s now a very doable 62 points out of first.

But WAZZUP with the friction, not to mention on track contact, between Harvick and Richard Childress Racing team mate Jeff Burton? Burton came over the radio and screamed “I’ve done nothing wrong and I won’t stand for it. I don’t know what his problem is.” An equally angry Harvick came over his radio claiming it was not the first time he took a cheap shot from Burton and alleged that the same thing also happened at the Indianapolis and New Hampshire races.

Harvick also gets a WAZZUP for putting his race car in jeopardy. While all three teams from Childress Racing made the Chase, only Harvick has a visible chance of winning the championship. An on track collision, following a moment of anger, could have really hurt the Chase cause. You can bet that Richard Childress made quick work of resolving this issue.

HOORAH to the third Childress driver Clint Bowyer for agreeing to swap pit crews with Harvick. It was generally felt the Harvick over the wall crew was not getting the job done so the switch was arranged.

HOORAH to the two pit crews for having lunch with each other to insure that there were no misunderstandings or hard feelings regarding the temporary switch.

Harvick was thrilled with the pit road performance of the Bowyer team and gets a HOORAH for his NASCAR notable quotable when he said “I’d like to kiss Clint Bowyer on the lips.”

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WAZZUP with he altercation between Chase contenders, and former champions, Kurt Busch and Jeff Gordon? Okay, Gordon gave Busch the old bump and run and sent him to the high side of the track. Gordon later admitted that it wasn’t intentional, he came into the turn too hot and momentarily lost control of his car.

All of a sudden Busch remembered the time Gordon gave him a dust up when he was driving a Roush Racing Ford. He also remembered that Gordon hassled Rusty Wallace the former driver of his Penske Racing Miller Lite deuce car. So he turned Gordon and sent him backwards into the wall. The crash effectively ruined any chances of Gordon remaining a Chase contender.

The punishment administered by Busch did not match the crime committed by Gordon. Do you think there were any winners in this round of Martinsville mayhem? Ask Gordon’s team owner who will be paying to repair the damage. Ask the Hendrick Motorsports crew members who will have to take on the added duty of making those repairs. Thankfully there were no innocent bystanders involved in this incident.

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Speaking of wrecks at Martinsville, HOORAH to Mark Martin for reaping the benefits of hitting the wall. The crash dislodged the bumper cover and raised both the trunk lid and the spoiler. Amazingly the result was a better handling race car which allowed Martin to charge through the field for a second place finish. It was really good to see Martin smiling again. His team has endured a very frustrating season.

A HOORAH also goes out to Martin’s team mate Dale Earnhardt Jr whose 2010 season has also been a major source of frustration. Earnhardt led the race three times for a total of 90 laps. That alone is amazing because this beleaguered team has only led a total of 71 laps all season long. The Junior Nation wept for joy. No one is saying that rumors of a crew chief departure had anything to do with the elevation of the #88 team’s performance, but one just can’t help but wonder.

That leads to a HOORAH to Chad Knaus, Jimmie Johnson’s crew chief, for another NASCAR notable quotable. Knaus came over his team radio and told his driver “when you hear a loud roar inside of your car that means Dale just took the lead.”

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Sadly we end this with a GOD Bless by offering condolences to NASCAR’s racing Bodine brothers: Geoff, Brent and Todd for the recent loss of their mother: Carol June Bodine.

If you could pick just one person to win this weekend’s Amp Energy Juice 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, it may be best to pick either Jamie McMurray or Kevin Harvick. In the past year on the restrictor plates, it seems that the races come down to a battle between them with one of them winning.

In the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway in July, Harvick took the win after working with McMurray for most of the race.

In the Aaron’s 499 at Talladega in April, Harvick took the win there also as he made a textbook last lap move on McMurray coming through the tri-oval on the final lap.

In the Daytona 500 at Daytona in February, McMurray took the win in the biggest race of the year after getting a jump on Harvick on the final restart.

In this race last year, McMurray won the race after holding on the late charges at the end from the field.

The last restrictor plate race not won by either was at Daytona last July where Tony Stewart turned Kyle Busch on the last lap.

The success of neither driver is a surprise as both drivers have been frontrunners at the restrictor plate tracks throughout their career.

For Harvick, in his past 19 starts at Talladega, he has one win, four top-fives, eight top 10s and an average finish of 15.5. His restrictor plate success also includes two Daytona 500 victories.

For McMurray, in his past 16 starts at Talladega, he has one win, five top fives, six top 10s and an average finish of 18.1. His restrictor plate success also includes a win in the Coke Zero 400 in 2006.

So who could break the streak?

Well, it could be Tony Stewart as he was the last one before them to win a race and has always been strong on the restrictor plate tracks. In 23 starts at Talladega, he has one win, nine top-fives, 12 top-10s and an average finish of 14.8.

Then there is Stewart’s past wingman – Dale Earnhardt Jr. Before Harvick and McMurray at the beginning of the decade, Earnhardt was known as the king of restrictor plates as he was always in the thick of it for the win, including his four wins in a row at Talladega. In 21 starts, he has five wins, eight top-fives, 11 top-10s and an average finish of 13.3.

However, it could also be someone that’d surprise everyone – Kurt Busch or David Ragan. Busch holds the best average finish at Talladega with a 12.8, while Regan has the second highest at 13.3. Could they finally break through in the win column?

No matter what way this swings, it’ll definitely be an interesting race as Talladega always provides exciting side-by-side three-wide racing with a dramatic finish, as of late. Will this trend continue or will things change as Talladega gets haunted by Halloween, becoming Hallo-Dega?

In the only short track race of the 2010 Sprint Cup Series Chase, more drivers than not were reaching for the race sponsor Tums during this intense 500 lap dash to claim the grandfather clock.  Here is what was surprising and not surprising from the half mile track affectionately dubbed the “Paper Clip”:

Surprising:  Hendrick Motorsports teammates Mark Martin and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. surprised and delighted the fans in the stands at Martinsville with strong runs, including Martin finishing in the runner up position and Earnhardt in seventh.  Martin was undoubtedly the happiest driver at Martinsville, recovering from a close encounter with the wall on lap 226 to working his way back through the field to finish right behind the race winner. Earnhardt, while taking advantage of some pit strategy and a strong race car, actually led some laps, the first time since March 2008 when he had done so at Martinsville.

Not Surprising:  Although the other two Hendrick Motorsports teammates Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon disagreed on the track, they agreed on one thing, their animosity toward the Busch brothers.  Hearkening back to their disagreements at Sonoma earlier in the year, Gordon and Kurt Busch got into it, with Gordon getting the worst of the altercation, resulting in a hard encounter with the wall.  Gordon went on to finish 20th, declaring his championship hopes all but lost.  Johnson and Kyle Busch had their own difficulties, with Busch deeming it a “heated battle” and Johnson admitting that he took advantage of the opportunity to give the other Busch brother the “one-fingered salute.”

Surprising:  While short tracks are known for creating even shorter tempers, the amount of aggression between drivers, especially teammates, was surprising to say the least.  Teammates Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon got into it early, beating and banging for position, causing the original four-time champ to “ask the 48 if he has a spotter.”  Richard Childress Racing and Chase contenders Kevin Harvick and Jeff Burton also got into some on-track pushing and shoving.  While Harvick deemed it “just racing”, Burton begged to differ, saying “I’m a good teammate but I will not put up with him running into me.”

Not Surprising:  Denny Hamlin, typically strong at Martinsville, became only the fifth driver to win at his home track.  Although Hamlin struggled at the start of the race, falling back in the field after starting from the pole, he and his crew kept adjusting on the car throughout the race until the checkered flag flew.  Hamlin won his third straight race and the season sweep at Martinsville, tightening up the championship battle to striking distance to just six points behind leader Jimmie Johnson.  Hamlin’s Joe Gibbs Racing teammates also finished in the top ten, with Kyle Busch finishing fourth and Joey Logano finishing sixth.

Surprising:   While Greg Biffle traditionally has not run so well on the short track in Virginia, it was surprising just how bad his race day was.  Biffle, starting from the third spot, deemed the day “unfortunate”, having a right-front tire go down, which led to suspension troubles.  Biffle also was penalized twice for pit road altercations, including having his pit crew go over the wall too soon.  In spite of all the troubles, resulting in a 33rd place finish, Biffle put on a surprisingly happy face, saying “We qualified well and practiced well this weekend.”

Not Surprising:  Kasey Kahne, who made headlines with his release from Richard Petty Motorsports, took the wheel of the No. 83 Red Bull Toyota.  Kahne, running continually around his old No. 9 RPM Budweiser Ford now piloted by Aric Almirola, finished with a top-15 run and a hearty welcome from his new pit crew.  Almirola, on the other hand, placed 21st, with his future, as well as the future of RPM, still uncertain.

Surprising:   While most eyes were on the Chase racers, one young up and comer and soon to be Nationwide champion Brad Keselowski had a great short track run.  In spite of a speeding penalty early in the race, Keselowski battled back to get his first top ten finish for the 2010 Cup season.

Not Surprising:   AJ Allmendinger continued to show his strength, in spite of all of the chaos at his Richard Petty Motorsports team.  Allmendinger finished the race in the 12th position, also marking the first time that he had finished all 500 laps at the track.  “After everything this week, I’m just proud of my guys,” Allmendinger said emotionally.

Surprising:  With a surprisingly strong run, in spite of causing a caution at lap 133, Kenny Schrader definitely deserves a “shout out”, as well as an “A” for effort.  Schrader, making a rare Cup appearance in the No. 26 Air National Guard Ford, brought his race car in for a top-20 finish, scoring the 18th position.

Not Surprising:  In spite of the “high stakes, high stress and a very, very small race track,” Carl Edwards admitted that it was “just a good day.” Edwards brought his No. 99 Aflac Ford Fusion home in the eighth spot and gained one spot to sixth in the Chase standings.

The Cup Series will compete next, on Halloween no less, at the track that all agree is the wild card in this year’s Chase competition, Talladega Superspeedway.  The seventh race in the 10-race Chase, the Amp Energy Juice 500, will take the green flag on Sunday, October 31 at 1:00 p.m. ET on ESPN.

With clear skies over the speedway at Martinsville, Denny Hamlin took both the green and the checkered flags in the top spot. 

“Who said it was over? It isn’t over.” Hamlin jokingly greeted the media post race. After dropping like a rock after starting on the pole, many thought Hamlin’s chances of pulling of the season sweep was slim.

Watching a Chevy dominate race, the bets were on to see if the Gibbs teams would bring their defensive game.

Jeff Burton and teammate Kevin Harvick made excellent bids as the most dominate cars on Sunday. Between them, RCR lead 231 of the 500 laps. Despite being teammates and sharing the domination on the track, the “love” was not being shown in the RCR camp as several times the two were seen bumping, rubbing, and roughing each other up on track.

The surprise of the Tums Fast Relief 500 wasn’t the triumphant victory of Virginia’s “favorite” chaser, but the second place finish of Hendrick driver Mark Martin. The No. 5 team struggled throughout the day. After starting the race in 21^st Martin had worked his way into the top 15 before he and AJ Allmendinger got together on lap 227 giving the No. 5 car damage. Battling the odds they fought their way back to finish a solid second.

“We were two laps down and to be honest we were going to finish 28^th. So, boy; what an incredible race car, man!” Martin said post race.

All told it was the Gibbs Toyota of Denny Hamlin who stole the glory.  Sunday’s win was the 15^th victory of his Sprint Cup Series career, his fourth win at Martinsville (the last three consecutive).  Taking the race win closes the gap between him and Jimmie Johnson to 6 points. They now share the closest margin between first and second with four races remaining since the beginning of the “Chase format era”.

Unofficial Race Results

Tums Fast Relief 500, Martinsville Speedway

October 24, 2010 – Race 32 of 36

http://www.speedwaymedia.com/Cup/Race.asp?Race=32

Here is what was surprising and not surprising from the half mile track affectionately dubbed the “Paper Clip”:

Surprising: Hendrick Motorsports teammates Mark Martin and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. surprised and delighted the fans in the stands at Martinsville with strong runs, including Martin finishing in the runner up position and Earnhardt in seventh. Martin was undoubtedly the happiest driver at Martinsville, recovering from a close encounter with the wall on lap 226 to working his way back through the field to finish right behind the race winner. Earnhardt, while taking advantage of some pit strategy and a strong race car, actually led some laps, the first time since March 2008 when he had done so at Martinsville.

[media-credit id=5 align=”alignright” width=”400″][/media-credit]

Not Surprising: Although the other two Hendrick Motorsports teammates Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon disagreed on the track, they agreed on one thing, their animosity toward the Busch brothers. Hearkening back to their disagreements at Sonoma earlier in the year, Gordon and Kurt Busch got into it, with Gordon getting the worst of the altercation, resulting in a hard encounter with the wall. Gordon went on to finish 20th, declaring his championship hopes all but lost. Johnson and Kyle Busch had their own difficulties, with Busch deeming it a “heated battle” and Johnson admitting that he took advantage of the opportunity to give the other Busch brother the “one-fingered salute.”

Surprising: While short tracks are known for creating even shorter tempers, the amount of aggression between drivers, especially teammates, was surprising to say the least. Teammates Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon got into it early, beating and banging for position, causing the original four-time champ to “ask the 48 if he has a spotter.” Richard Childress Racing and Chase contenders Kevin Harvick and Jeff Burton also got into some on-track pushing and shoving. While Harvick deemed it “just racing”, Burton begged to differ, saying “I’m a good teammate but I will not put up with him running into me.”

Not Surprising: Denny Hamlin, typically strong at Martinsville, became only the fifth driver to win at his home track. Although Hamlin struggled at the start of the race, falling back in the field after starting from the pole, he and his crew kept adjusting on the car throughout the race until the checkered flag flew. Hamlin won his third straight race and the season sweep at Martinsville, tightening up the championship battle to striking distance to just six points behind leader Jimmie Johnson. Hamlin’s Joe Gibbs Racing teammates also finished in the top ten, with Kyle Busch finishing fourth and Joey Logano finishing sixth.

Surprising: While Greg Biffle traditionally has not run so well on the short track in Virginia, it was surprising just how bad his race day was. Biffle, starting from the third spot, deemed the day “unfortunate”, having a right-front tire go down, which led to suspension troubles. Biffle also was penalized twice for pit road altercations, including having his pit crew go over the wall too soon. In spite of all the troubles, resulting in a 33rd place finish, Biffle put on a surprisingly happy face, saying “We qualified well and practiced well this weekend.”

Not Surprising: Kasey Kahne, who made headlines with his release from Richard Petty Motorsports, took the wheel of the No. 83 Red Bull Toyota. Kahne, running continually around his old No. 9 RPM Budweiser Ford now piloted by Aric Almirola, finished with a top-15 run and a hearty welcome from his new pit crew. Almirola, on the other hand, placed 21st, with his future, as well as the future of RPM, still uncertain.

Surprising: While most eyes were on the Chase racers, one young up and comer and soon to be Nationwide champion Brad Keselowski had a great short track run. In spite of a speeding penalty early in the race, Keselowski battled back to get his first top ten finish for the 2010 Cup season.

Not Surprising: AJ Allmendinger continued to show his strength, in spite of all of the chaos at his Richard Petty Motorsports team. Allmendinger finished the race in the 12th position, also marking the first time that he had finished all 500 laps at the track. “After everything this week, I’m just proud of my guys,” Allmendinger said emotionally.

Surprising: With a surprisingly strong run, in spite of causing a caution at lap 133, Kenny Schrader definitely deserves a “shout out”, as well as an “A” for effort. Schrader, making a rare Cup appearance in the No. 26 Air National Guard Ford, brought his race car in for a top-20 finish, scoring the 18th position.

Not Surprising: In spite of the “high stakes, high stress and a very, very small race track,” Carl Edwards admitted that it was “just a good day.” Edwards brought his No. 99 Aflac Ford Fusion home in the eighth spot and gained one spot to sixth in the Chase standings.

The Cup Series will compete next, on Halloween no less, at the track that all agree is the wild card in this year’s Chase competition, Talladega Superspeedway. The seventh race in the 10-race Chase, the Amp Energy Juice 500, will take the green flag on Sunday, October 31 at 1:00 p.m. ET on ESPN.

On Friday at the Martinsville Speedway, Dale Earnhardt Jr. wasn’t a driver who sounded like he was enjoying his job.

In a season that can’t wait to be put behind both himself and his fans (no wins, no Chase bid, and only two top fives and seven top 10s before Martinsville), Earnhardt Jr. said that there was nothing in his team’s performance that makes him optimistic about the rest of 2010 or heading into the 2011 season.

“Even if we run good I would need a little more convincing,” Earnhardt Jr. “We need more than one good run. … If it hadn’t happened all year, I don’t believe anybody believes it will happen the rest of the year.

“We’re going to show up and work hard and try not to give up,” he said.

After 500 laps on Sunday the paperclip it would be strange if Earnhardt Jr. wasn’t just a little convinced and looking forward to the next race. Not only because it’ll come at a track that he’s won at five times, but also because his No. 88 team finally has a little bit of momentum.

And momentum in this sport can go a long way.

Denny Hamlin, who closed the championship lead to within six points of four-time defending champion Jimmie Johnson, won the TUMS Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville. The Chase is first and foremost on everyone’s mind and as such Hamlin and Johnson will continue to earn much attention heading into the final four races of the season.

Elsewhere “Junior Nation” has awoken from their two-year slumber and are ready for their moment in the sun. It took until the second half of the race but their voices were heard loud and clear and for all the right reasons.

Qualifying 28th didn’t set a great tone early in the weekend and neither did a spin in final practice on Saturday.  but Martinsville is one of Earnhardt Jr.’s better tracks and thankfully it’s not where you start, it’s where you finish. In his first career start in Martinsville Earnhardt Jr. hit everything but the pace car, getting his NASCAR short track career off to a rocky start.

The driver has come a long way since then and this has been a place where he’s proven to be a contender. As such it’s sent a strong message that it’s not just restrictor plate tracks he can excel on.

His Martinsville statistics, which were all improved upon Sunday: 21 starts, 10 top 10’s and eight top fives finishes with 758 laps led. That includes a memorable race in 2006 where he drove his then No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet to a fourth place finish after tearing off the right front fender.

Sunday, Earnhardt Jr. was ran between 10th and 20th the first 150 laps as he battled the likes of Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth. Pit strategy then took him to the top 10 and finally to the lead when he drove around teammate Jeff Gordon on lap 285 who later said that Earnhardt Jr. was doing an awesome job.

“He’s making a race out of it now,” Gordon radioed as Earnhardt Jr. closed in. “He’s going to make a lot of people happy.”

When the caution came out and the leaders came down pit road, the AMP Energy/National Guard team went to work and busted off an 11.7 second pit stop to keep their driver in the lead. Earnhardt Jr. went on to lead 90 circuits, even holding off dominant Jeff Burton through lap 300.

It was Burton’s teammate Kevin Harvick that got the best of Earnhardt Jr. on lap 378 as Earnhardt Jr. then faded throughout the rest of the race.

The radio communication between driver and crew chief Lance McGrew got heated, nothing new, as Earnhardt Jr. tried to understand why the car was reacting differently than it had during the first half of the event.

At the end of the day it was a seventh place finish. Much needed and hard earned and now onto the next one.

Talladega has been circled on many driver calendars; it’s expected to shake up the Chase. But, non-Chase drivers have faired well at the superspeedway and next weekend on Halloween anything can happen. Jamie McMurray and Dale Jarrett each pulled off a victory at the 2.66 mile beast and Earnhardt Jr. wants to get back to victory lane in Alabama for the first time since 2004.

Should it happen it would be his sixth win at the track and Junior Nation is looking at it as potentially their last chance in 2010 for a victory. The No. 88 will be watched very closely by both fans and competitors on Sunday and not just as an expected factor but for a new paint scheme he’ll be sporting.

Earlier this year AMP Energy and director Terry Gilliam paired to produce a short film titled “The Legend of Hallowdega,” which will air Chapter 1 of the story prior to Sunday’s race. David Arquette and Justin Kirk will star as Earnhardt Jr. and Darrell Waltrip make a special appearance.

In connection to the movie Earnhardt Jr. will run a black and yellow “Legend of Hallowdega” car for the AMP Energy Juice 500. A new look, a little momentum from Martinsville, a very special and successful track and a whole lot of fan support can lead to a big weekend at the big track for Earnhardt Jr.

And maybe it’ll help him be more optimistic than he’s been this season.