Backstretch Motorsports

Denny Hamlin may have won the Virginia campaign with a victory Sunday at Martinsville Speedway, but Jimmie Johnson moved ever closer to a record fourth straight NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship with a runner-up finish at the .526-mile short track.

In a green-white-checkered-flag finish that ended under caution with John Andretti wrecked at the finish line, Hamlin pulled away from Johnson over the final two laps of the Tums Fast Relief 500. As the cars roared off Turn 4 on Lap 501—one lap beyond the scheduled distance—NASCAR simultaneously displayed the yellow and checkered flags when Andretti was unable to drive away. [read more...]

Qualifying Fast Facts
Martinsville Speedway
TUMS Fast Relief 500 (61st Running)

Coors Light Pole Winner: Ryan Newman
Age: 31
Team : No. 39 - U.S. Army Chevrolet
Owner: Tony Stewart
Crew Chief: Tony Gibson [read more...]

Mark Martin’s experience in battles for a title hunt are legendary. The Man from Batesville, Ark. has just about seen and done it all in the modern era of NASCAR racing.

Include in that experience seeing the tracks at Martinsville, Virginia and Talladega, Alabama seal some deals in some pretty definitive fashions.

“It’s not over.” says the driver of the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports livery, “I still say, like I’ve said all along, we’ve got to get through Martinsville and Talladega. Then we’ll have a clear view of what’s going to happen here with this championship. Give us those two more races to see.” [read more...]

MARTINSVILLE, Va.—Kevin Harvick powered by Kyle Busch for the lead with 10 laps to go Monday and held on to win the Kroger 250 Camping World Truck Series race at Martinsville Speedway.

Driving his No. 2 Kevin Harvick Inc. Chevrolet, Harvick collected his fourth career truck win in his 97th start in an event that had been postponed because of rain on Saturday.

“I was able to get to his bumper there and just kind of get him up about half a groove and got up under him,” said Harvick, who ran the final 185 laps, including one extra lap because of a green-white-checkered-flag finish, on one tank of fuel.

[read more...]

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 23, 2009) – Last Sunday’s race at Bristol Motor Speedway saw two teammates battle for the win, as Kyle Busch yet again found Victory Lane, this time ahead of Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin.
It will probably happen again this Sunday.
But this time, watch for two Hendrick Motorsports teammates to toss allegiances aside in the name of victory.
Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon are in a class by themselves when discussing Martinsville favorites.
The two have combined for an absurd nine of the last 12 Martinsville wins. Johnson has five during that span to Gordon’s four.

[read more...]

MARTINSVILLE, Va. — At the same track where he started his phenomenal run to the title last year, Jimmie Johnson distanced himself from his closest pursuers on Sunday, winning the Tums QuikPak 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Martinsville Speedway.

Johnson won in a cakewalk, leading 339 of 504 laps. His No. 48 Chevrolet was so good on short runs, and so strong off the corners, runner-up Dale Earnhardt Jr. couldn’t mount a charge during the green-white-checkered-flag finish that took the race four laps past its scheduled length.

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. ( – Jimmie Johnson’s 69-point lead over second-place Jeff Burton may look secure, but recent history indicates otherwise.
The points leader with five races remaining has failed to win the championship in each of the last two seasons.
In 2006, Johnson was in seventh place and 146 points behind leader Jeff Burton with five races remaining. He won the championship by 56 points, a swing of 202 points.

[read more...]

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Goody’s Cool Orange 500
Martinsville Speedway
Fast Facts

Race Winner: Denny Hamlin
Age: 27
Team: No. 11
Owner: J.D. Gibbs
Crew Chief: Mike Ford

[read more...]

MARTINSVILLE, Va. (March 29, 2008) — For the first time since the late Bobby Hamilton won at Mansfield, Ohio, in 2005, Dennis Setzer took Bobby Hamilton Racing back to victory lane.

“This win right here is for Bobby Hamilton only — he is the man!” shouted crew chief Marcus Richmond after Setzer, who had run 173 laps since his final pit stop, crossed the finish line with trucks wrecking in his wake.

[read more...]

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Goody’s Cool Orange 500
Martinsville Speedway
Qualifying Fast Facts

Pole Winner: Jeff Gordon
Age: 36
Team: DuPont Chevrolet
Owner: Rick Hendrick
Crew Chief: Steve Letarte

[read more...]