Next Race: First Data 500 The Place: Martinsville Speedway The Date: Sunday, Oct. 29 The Time: 3 p.m. ET TV: NBCSN, 2:30 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) Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Kicks Off Round of 8 The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs kicks off its Round of 8 at Martinsville Speedway with Sunday’s First Data 500 (3 p.m. ET on NBCSN, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Martin Truex Jr. heads the Playoffs leaderboard (52 points ahead of Jimmie Johnson on the cutoff line). Here’s a look at the Round of 8 drivers heading into Martinsville: Hendrick Motorsports has won the last three Playoffs races at Martinsville since the “win and advance” era was implemented in 2014. Dale Earnhardt Jr. visited Victory Lane at the .526-mile track after he was eliminated from the Playoffs in 2014. Jeff Gordon won at Martinsville for a ticket to Homestead in 2015 and finished third in the final standings. Last year, Jimmie Johnson won the Round of 8 race at Martinsville on his way to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship. Keselowski Goes For Season Sweep Of Martinsville, Advancement to Championship 4 Race Brad Keselowski might have Martinsville figured out. He won the last race at the track affectionately known as “The Paperclip,” has finished second or better in three of his last five races there and has placed fifth or better in four of his last five races there. He’ll go for the season sweep at Martinsville Speedway in Sunday’s First Data 500 as he tries to join Kyle Larson (Michigan) as the second driver to win both races at a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series track this year. In 15 career starts at Martinsville, Keselowski claims one win, five top fives, nine top 10s and a 12.9 average finish. Keselowski, who has never advanced to the Championship 4, earned his berth in the Round of 8 by winning at Talladega. Kyle Busch Tries To Continue Martinsville Hot Streak Kyle Busch has made Martinsville Speedway his personal playground in his last few races there. In his past four starts at Martinsville, he finished fifth or better. He led a race-high 352 laps to win its 2016 spring race and paced the field for an event-high 274 laps on his way to a runner-up showing in this April’s contest. Overall, Busch owns one win, 12 top fives, 13 top 10s and a 13.6 average finish in 24 career starts at Martinsville. Among active drivers, he ranks third in Martinsville average running position (11.6) and driver rating (101.1). Busch has advanced to the Championship 4 the last two seasons. He won the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series title in 2015 and finished third last year. Johnson Attempts To Extend Active Martinsville Wins Lead Jimmie Johnson leads active Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers with nine wins at Martinsville Speedway – four more than Denny Hamlin who has the second most victories at “The Paperclip.” He’ll attempt to extend his wins lead by defending his fall victory from last year at Martinsville. Johnson’s win placed him in the Championship 4 race at Homestead-Miami Speedway, where he took the checkered flag to capture the series title. If he visits Victory Lane on Sunday, Martinsville would become the second track where he has double-digit wins (Dover, 11). In addition to his nine wins, Johnson has 19 top fives, 24 top 10s and a series-best 7.5 average finish at Martinsville. He also leads active drivers at the Southern Virginia track in driver rating (116.9) and average running position (8.0). Hamlin Hopes For Win At Hometown Track Virginia’s own, Denny Hamlin, has five wins at Martinsville Speedway – second among active drivers. A sixth victory in Sunday’s First Data 500 would earn him a berth in the Championship 4 race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The Chesterfield native currently sits three points below Kevin Harvick on the cutoff line to the Championship 4 race. In addition to his five Martinsville wins, he claims 12 top fives and 17 top 10s. He ranks second among active drivers in Martinsville average finish (10.1), average running position (9.8) and driver rating (106.6). Hamlin enters the Round of 8 coming off a strong second round of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs where he finished sixth or better in his last three starts. Elliott Eyes First Victory At Martinsville Chase Elliott has upped his performance in The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs and is knocking on the door of his first win. Through seven Playoff races, Elliott has racked up three runner-ups and has a low finish of 16th at Talladega. He enters Sunday’s race at Martinsville coming off a fourth-place showing at Kansas. The Round of 8 sets up well for Elliott if he can repeat his performances at the track from earlier this season. In the April race at Martinsville, Elliott finished third and led 30 laps. At Texas, he placed ninth after starting 33rd. He led 106 laps on his way to a 12th-place finish this spring at Phoenix. Off this week… The Race: Texas Roadhouse 200 The Place: Martinsville Speedway The Date: Saturday, Oct. 28 The Time: 1 p.m. ET TV: FS1, 12:30 p.m. ET Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Distance: 105.2 miles (200 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on lap 50), Stage 2 (Ends on lap 100), Final Stage (Ends on lap 200) Marching Into Martinsville After the off-week, the 2017 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoffs heads to Martinsville Speedway to begin the Round of 6 with the Texas Roadhouse 200 Presented By Alpha Energy Solutions on Saturday, October 28 (1 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Reigning NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion Johnny Sauter is the defending race winner and proved to be a title-contender in last year’s race. John Hunter Nemechek (third-place finish) and Christopher Bell (fourth-place finish) both finished inside the top-five at Martinsville last year. Racing At Martinsville Speedway – Advantage, Veterans? NASCAR Camping World Truck Series former champions Matt Crafton (2013 and 2014) and Johnny Sauter (2016) appear to have the veteran advantage at Martinsville Speedway. Crafton owns multiple track records at the 0.526-mile track. He has the most NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts (31), top 10s (18), lead lap finishes (27) and laps completed (6,915). He has two wins there (fall 2015 and spring 2014) and eight top fives. Sauter is equally as impressive. In 19 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts at Martinsville, Sauter has three wins (most among active series drivers), seven top fives and 10 top 10s. He’s led 398 laps, which is the most among active NASCAR Camping World Truck Series drivers. Between Crafton and Sauter, the two combined for at least one NASCAR Camping World Truck Series win at Martinsville over the last four seasons. Fall, 2016 – Sauter Fall, 2015 – Crafton Spring, 2014 – Crafton Spring, 2013 – Sauter Sauter’s other Martinsville Speedway win came in 2011 when he won the Keystone Light Pole and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race. Both Crafton and Sauter will be looking to win at Martinsville and punch their ticket to the Championship 4. No Rookie Stripes For These Sunoco Rookies All nine NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year contenders have made previous series starts at Martinsville Speedway. Chase Briscoe (11th), Wendell Chavous (23rd), Austin Cindric (21st), Cody Coughlin (19th), Grant Enfinger(17th), Stewart Friesen (25th), Noah Gragson (fourth), Kaz Grala (15th) and Justin Haley (26th) raced in the Alpha Energy Solutions 250 at Martinsville Speedway earlier this season. NASCAR Next Drivers Looking To Play Spoiler At Martinsville NASCAR Next and NASCAR K&N Pro Series drivers Todd Gilliland and Harrison Burton will both be racing for Kyle Busch Motorsports this weekend at Martinsville Speedway. Gilliland will be in the No. 46 Toyota Tundra, while Burton will be in the No. 51 Toyota Tundra. Gilliland scored a career-best finish (third) at New Hampshire earlier this season, while Burton has a string of top-20 finishes in his five NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts this season. NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Owner Standings Update Kyle Busch Motorsports’ No. 4 Toyota Tundra leads GMS Racing’s No. 21 Chevrolet Silverado by a narrow 20 points in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series owner standings after 19 races this season. Kyle Busch’s second entry, the No. 51 Toyota Tundra (-25), ThorSport Racing’s No. 88 Toyota Tundra (-33) and NEMCO Motorsports’ No. 8 Chevrolet Silverado (-35) round of the top five. NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Manufacturer Standings Update Through 19 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races this season, Toyota leads Chevrolet by 42 points in the manufacturer standings, 713-671. In third place, Ford sits at 602 points. source – NASCAR communications
