Two of NASCAR’s three national divisions are at Martinsville Speedway in Virginia this weekend – a throwback to many a racer’s roots with its 1/2-mile paper-clip shaped configuration. The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series returns to action after several weeks hiatus for Saturday’s Kroger 250 and the Sprint Cup Series teams will race on their shortest track Sunday in the STP 500. The NASCAR Nationwide Series is off this weekend. Some of the significant storylines to watch for in Martinsville include… NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES – STP 500 Five Different Winners In First Five Races When Kyle Busch crossed the finish line first in the Auto Club 400 on Sunday, he became the fifth driver in the season’s first five races to celebrate in Victory Lane. And there’s good reason to think that trend will contend this weekend at Martinsville Speedway. Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon, last year’s winners at the shortest track in the NSCS, are both searching for their first wins of 2014 and are the Kings of Martinsville with eight wins apiece. Six different winners in the first six races would be a Chase-era record. Kyle Busch Makes His Case For Chase Spot After a thrilling end to the Auto Club 400 that saw Kyle Busch hold off rookie Kyle Larson in a green-white-checkered finish, the Las Vegas native has virtually locked up a spot in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. It was his second consecutive victory at the two-mile speedway. A second win in the season’s first 26 races would cement his spot in the postseason. The series now heads to Martinsville Speedway where Busch tied his best result there last fall with a third-place finish. Larson Shines In Homecoming, Challenge Awaits Kyle Larson of Elk Grove, Calif., had an incredible weekend, first winning the NASCAR Nationwide race on Saturday and then finishing second in the NASCAR Sprint Cup race on Sunday. Now comes perhaps his toughest challenge of the season to date – Martinsville Speedway. He didn’t race there in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, and last year in his only NASCAR Sprint Cup start at the short track, he finished 42nd due to engine problems. ‘Smoke’ Continues To Rise After sitting out the final 15 races of 2013 due to a leg injury and enduring a rough start to his return, Tony Stewart has posted consecutive top-five finishes at Bristol and Auto Club in the last two races. The three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion is still looking for his first victory of 2014 and all but clinching a spot in the 16-driver Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Next up is the STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway, where has won three times, most recently in 2011. Can Martinsville Reheat Earnhardt’s Season? After a torrid start to the 2014 season, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has cooled down following two consecutive finishes outside the top 10 at Bristol and Auto Club. The good news for Earnhardt and Junior Nation: Martinsville Speedway is on deck. Although the popular driver has never won in Martinsville, his driver rating of 98.9 at the short track is his best in terms of the loop data statistic. In 22 starts, he has two runner-up finishes to go along with 10 top fives and 15 top 10s. NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES – KROGER 250 New Truck Body Makes Short-Track Debut After the successful introduction of the new truck body styles in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season opener at Daytona International Speedway in February, the new-look trucks will make their short-track debut this weekend at Martinsville Speedway. The teams have worked hard to adjust the new truck’s body style to one of the most challenging tracks on the schedule. Ben Kennedy, Jeb Burton and Ryan Blaney all finished in the top five last fall and will be among the drivers piloting the new trucks this weekend. Wallace Returns To Martinsville For First Time Since Historic Win It is well-documented that Darrell Wallace Jr. made history last October with his win at Martinsville to become the second African-American to win a NASCAR national series event. The 21-year-old returns this weekend looking for his second consecutive win at the track. Wallace celebrated his win with the family members of nearby Danville, Va., native Wendell Scott after the win. Scott became the first African-American driver to win a national series event in 1963. Wallace also comes to Martinsville looking to improve his place in the standings after getting collected in a mid-race accident at Daytona. Peters Looking For A Win At Home After getting passed by Kyle Busch for the win with less than a quarter-mile to go to the finish line at Daytona International Speedway, Timothy Peters received a consolation prize – the series points lead. This weekend Peters wants more than the points lead; he wants a win. While Peters is going after his second career truck win at his home track of Martinsville Speedway, he will have plenty of competition as Johnny Sauter will try and make it two spring wins in a row at Martinsville. Also expected to contend is defending series champion Matt Crafton and defending pole winner of the Kroger 250 Jeb Burton.
