Two of NASCAR’s national series are in action at Martinsville Speedway (Martinsville, VA) this weekend, the Camping World Truck Series on Saturday and the Monster NASCAR Cup Series on Sunday. Martinsville is the oldest track on the NASCAR circuit and the first short track race of the year (1/2-mile oval). The XFINITY Series is off until April 8 at Texas Motor Speedway. Storylines for this weekend follow… The Race: STP 500 The Place: Martinsville Speedway The Date: Sunday, April 2 The Time: 2 p.m. ET TV: FS1, 12:30 p.m. ET Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Distance: 263 miles (500 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on lap 130), Stage 2 (Ends on lap 260), Final Stage (Ends on lap 500) Larson Notches First Win Of Season At Auto Club Kyle Larson snapped a streak of three consecutive runner-ups, leading 110 laps and winning Stage 1 on his way to Victory Lane in last Sunday’s Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California. The No. 42 Chevrolet driver extended his Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series points lead to 29 points over Chase Elliott. Because of his victory and stage win, Larson now has six playoff points. Larson, who also won Saturday’s NASCAR XFINITY Series race, became the 17th driver to sweep a national series weekend. The 24-year-old Californian hopes to start a winning streak at Martinsville Speedway in Sunday’s STP 500 (2 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). He owns a high finish of third there. Bowyer Captures First Top-5 Finish Since 2015 Clint Bowyer’s third-place showing marked his first top-five result since he finished fifth at Bristol on Aug. 22, 2015. It was also Bowyer’s best finish since his third-place showing at Sonoma on June 28, 2015. Bowyer has two top 10s so far this season, only one less than his mark from last year when he finished a career-low 27th in the final standings. Right now, the Kansas native sits eighth in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series points standings, 100 markers below leader Kyle Larson. This is Bowyer’s first season with Stewart-Haas Racing, replacing three-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion Tony Stewart in the No. 14 Ford. “It means a lot to me to be in this 14,” Bowyer said. “I have a lot of fun with these guys. Buga (crew chief Mike Bugarewicz) and all these guys mean business. It’s a confidence thing right now, a momentum-builder, and we’re getting closer. Obviously, this is a good track for me. I wanted to win that damn thing, but to come home with the wild finish and everything that it was, we’ll take it.” Truex Back Up Top Martin Truex Jr. is showing his breakout in the last two Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series seasons was no aberration. The No. 78 Furniture Row Racing driver, who won a career-high four races last season, has powered to a strong 2017 start with one win, two top fives and three top 10s in the first five races. Truex leads the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series with eight playoff points and is tied with Kevin Harvick for first in stage wins with three. His 7.4 average finish ranks second-best to Kyle Larson (3.8). Truex sits third in the points standings, 38 points behind Larson. Plethora Of Young Drivers In Playoff Picture We’re only five races into the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season, but if it ended today, six drivers under the age of 27 would make the playoffs: Kyle Larson (24 years old), Chase Elliott (21), Joey Logano (26), Ryan Blaney (23), Erik Jones (20) and Trevor Bayne (26). Blaney, Jones and Bayne would all be first-time playoff participants. Jones would join Elliott (2016), Chris Buescher (2016) and Denny Hamlin (2006) as the fourth Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender to ever make the playoffs. Jimmie Johnson Leads Active Drivers With 9 Wins At The Paperclip Seven-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson has struggled in the first five races with only one top-10 finish – a ninth-place showing at Phoenix. Luckily for the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports driver, he’ll get the chance to turn his season around at arguably his top track – Martinsville Speedway. Johnson leads active drivers with nine wins, 19 top fives, 24 top 10s, a 7.8 average finish and a 117.7 driver rating at “The Paperclip.” He won the fall Martinsville race last year to clinch his spot in the Championship 4. Hendrick Motorsports boasts a Martinsville track-record 24 wins. Kyle Busch Attempts To Defend Spring Martinsville Victory Kyle Busch will attempt to visit Victory Lane for the second consecutive spring at Martinsville in Sunday’s STP 500 at the Southern Virginia short track. Busch led 352 of 500 laps on his way to his first win of 2016. Overall, he claims one win, 11 top fives and 12 top 10s at Martinsville. On the season, Busch has finishes of 38th (Daytona), 16th (Atlanta), 22nd (Las Vegas), third (Phoenix) and eighth (Auto Club). He won Stage 1 at Daytona. Busch sits 10th in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series points standings, 107 markers below Kyle Larson. Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, Etc. Parity Party: 5 Different Winners Through First 5 Races: Five different drivers have won the first five Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races: Kurt Busch (Daytona), Brad Keselowski (Atlanta), Martin Truex Jr. (Las Vegas), Ryan Newman (Phoenix), Kyle Larson (Auto Club). Keselowski Records Fourth Straight Top-Five Finish: Lost in Kyle Larson’s blazing hot start to the season has been the consistency of 2012 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion Brad Keselowski. The No. 2 Ford driver has strung together four straight top-five finishes, including a win (Atlanta) and runner-up (Auto Club). Next Race: My Bariatric Solutions 300 The Place: Texas Motor Speedway The Date: Saturday, April 8 The Time: 1:30 p.m. ET TV: FOX, 1 p.m. ET Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Distance: 300 miles (150 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on lap 45), Stage 2 (Ends on lap 90), Final Stage (Ends on lap 200) The Race: Alpha Energy Solutions 200 The Place: Martinsville Speedway The Date: Saturday, April 1 The Time: 3 p.m. ET TV: FOX Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Distance: 131.5 miles (250 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on lap 70), Stage 2 (Ends on lap 140), Final Stage (Ends on lap 250) Ringing The Bell Into Martinsville The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series picks back up this weekend at Martinsville Speedway for the Alpha Energy Solutions 250 on Saturday, April 1 (3 p.m. ET on FOX). NASCAR Camping World Truck Series points leader Christopher Bell will look to capture back-to-back wins for the first time in his young career. Bell captured his first win of the 2017 season in the Active Pest Control 200 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The win jolted him into the 2017 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series playoffs and atop of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series points standings. The No. 4 Kyle Busch Motorsports driver has raced in two career races at Martinsville Speedway– both in 2016. He finished 19th in April and fourth in October. Bell leads the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series points standings by seven points over reigning series champion Johnny Sauter and Ben Rhodes. Sunoco Rookie contender Kaz Grala (-15) and Matt Crafton (-21) round out the top five. Sauter Looking To Skip Into Martinsville Speedway History Defending NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Champion Johnny Sauter has a chance to make history at Martinsville Speedway this weekend with a win in the Alpha Energy Solutions 250. If Sauter captures at win at Martinsville on Saturday, he would become the all-time leader in wins in track history with four. Sauter captured his third win at Martinsville last season when he took the checkered in the fall and punched his ticket into the Championship 4 at Homestead-Miami Speedway in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series playoffs. In seven of his last eight NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races at Martinsville, Sauter has posted top-10 finishes, including two wins (2016 – fall and 2013 – spring). In 18 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series career starts at Martinsville Speedway, Sauter has three wins, six top fives, nine top 10s and 386 laps led. Mixing It Up At Martinsville The last five NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races at Martinsville Speedway have all been won by different race winners. Johnny Sauter (2016 – fall) Kyle Busch (2016 – spring) Matt Crafton (2015 – fall) Joey Logano (2015 – spring) Darrell Wallace Jr. (2014 – fall) Will Saturday’s Alpha Energy Solutions 250 produce its sixth-consecutive different NASCAR Camping World Truck Series winner at Martinsville Speedway? There have been seven drivers who have won multiple NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races at Martinsville Speedway since 1995: Kevin Harvick (3) Johnny Saunter (3) Dennis Setzer (3) Mike Skinner (3) Matt Crafton (2) Denny Hamlin (2) Darrell Wallace Jr. (2) Getting Off To A Fast Start Since 2010, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver who has started on the pole for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Martinsville Speedway, has gone on to win the race five times. Those winners account for 36 percent of all 14 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series wins at Martinsville from 2010-16. Starting with the most recent, below are the drivers to win the pole and the race at Martinsville Speedway between 2010-16: Joey Logano (2015 – spring) Darrell Wallace Jr. (2014 – fall) Kevin Harvick (2012 – spring) Johnny Sauter (2011 – spring) Kevin Harvick (2010 – spring) Based on recent NASCAR Camping World Truck Series history (2010-2016), if you win the pole at Martinsville, you have a 36 percent chance at winning the race. Crafton Counting Up Martinsville Speedway Records Matt Crafton has accumulated multiple Martinsville Speedway track records over his 17-year NASCAR Camping World Truck Series career. He currently leads the following series categories at Martinsville Speedway: Races Run (30) Top 10s (17) Lead Lap Finishes (26) Laps Completed (6,665) Chase Elliott Trucking At Martinsville Chase Elliott will run this Saturday’s Alpha Energy Solutions 250 for GMS Racing. This will be Elliott’s second NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start of 2017. He started ninth at Atlanta in the Active Pest Control 200 and finished fifth. Elliott’s last win in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series came in 2013 at Bowmanville. Ty Dillon Returns To NASCAR Camping World Truck Series For First Time Since 2015 Ty Dillon was a late addition to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series lineup at Martinsville and will run the No. 99 Chevrolet for Ranier Racing with Mathew Miller in this Saturday’s Alpha Energy Solutions 250. Ty’s brother Austin ran in the No. 99 Chevrolet at Atlanta and finished seventh. Ty last appeared in a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway in 2015 and finished 23rd. He has 53 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series career starts with three wins, 19 top fives and 35 top 10s. Harrison Burton Readies to Make 2017 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Debut at Martinsville NASCAR Next alumni (Class of 2016) and K&N Pro Series East driver Harrison Burton will make his 2017 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut at Martinsville Speedway this weekend in the No. 51 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota Tundra. Burton appeared in one NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race last season – the fall race at Martinsville Speedway. He finished with a top-25 in the No. 18 KBM Toyota after starting 16th. source – NASCAR communications
