Daily Archives: April 2, 2017

Chase Elliott Charges to Career-Best Martinsville Finish

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Brad Keselowski, driver of the #2 Miller Lite Ford, leads Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M’s Toyota, and Chase Elliott, driver of the #24 SunEnergy1 Chevrolet, during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway on April 2, 2017 in Martinsville, Virginia. Photo – Jared C Tilton/Getty Images

When it came to Chase Elliott’s performance in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series at Martinsville Speedway, the driver of the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet was suffering from a severe lack of self-esteem.

After Sunday’s STP 500 at the 0.526-mile short track, Elliott will have to reevaluate. Continue reading →

Stenhouse Applies the Bumper – and can Expect Payback

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Ricky Stenhouse Jr., driver of the #17 Fastenal Ford, spins during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway on April 2, 2017 in Martinsville, Virginia. Photo – Sean Gardner/Getty Images

The essence of stage racing crystallized into one dramatic moment on lap 260 of Sunday’s STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway.

Coming to the green/checkers at the end of Stage 2, Kyle Busch passed Ricky Stenhouse Jr. to put the No. 17 Ford a lap down. But as Busch rolled through turns three and four, Stenhouse gave Busch two whacks to the bumper, knocked Busch’s No. 18 Toyota up the track in turn four and executed a pass to stay on the lead lap. Continue reading →

Dillon’s Run Validates Progress at RCR

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Aric Almirola, driver of the #43 STP Ford, races Erik Jones, driver of the #77 5-hour ENERGY Extra Strength Toyota, and Austin Dillon, driver of the #3 Okuma Chevrolet, during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway on April 2, 2017 in Martinsville, Virginia. Photo – Jared C Tilton/Getty Images

Ryan Newman’s victory at Phoenix Raceway, made possible by staying out on old tires, seemingly came out of nowhere. After all, no Richard Childress Racing driver had won an event in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series since 2013 before Newman took the checkered flag at Phoenix.

But the speed in the RCR cars has improved, as both Austin Dillon and Newman proved in Sunday’s STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway. Dillon came home fifth, his first top-five since running fourth at Bristol last August. Continue reading →

Brad Keselowski Ends Ford Drought with Martinsville Victory

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In Sunday’s STP 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway, everything worked – but nothing more than Brad Keselowski’s race-winning No. 2 Ford.

Yes, that’s right, a Ford. The car maker found Victory Lane at the 0.526-mile short track for the first time since Oct. 20, 2002, when Kurt Busch won at NASCAR’s oldest and smallest premier series track in a Roush Fenway Racing Ford. Continue reading →

Polesitter Chase Elliott Wins Hotly Contested Martinsville Truck Race

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Polesitter Chase Elliott held off defending NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion Johnny Sauter after a restart with 12 laps left and pulled away to win Saturday’s Alpha Energy Solutions 250 at Martinsville Speedway by 1.865 seconds.

Elliott grabbed the lead from third-place finisher Christopher Bell on lap 234, when Bell’s Toyota tangled with Austin Cindric’s Ford through turns one and two. Bell lost the top spot, and Sauter charged past into the second position before NASCAR threw the tenth and final caution of the race. Continue reading →