A general view of cars racing during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway on March 29, 2015 in Martinsville, Virginia. Photo – Nick Laham/Getty Images
Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Express Toyota, takes the checkered flag to win the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway on March 29, 2015 Photo – Nick Laham/Getty Images
Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Express Toyota, celebrates with a burnout after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway on March 29, 2015 Photo – Nick Laham/Getty Images
Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Express Toyota, celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway on March 29, 2015 Photo – Alex Goodlet/Getty Images
Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Express Toyota, celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway on March 29, 2015 Photo – Ranier Ehrhardt/Getty Images
With Brad Keselowski beating a tattoo into his rear bumper, and with his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota sliding sideways as it approached the checkered flag, Denny Hamlin held on to his car and held off Keselowski to win Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway.
In winning his first race of the season, his fifth at the .526-mile short track and the 25th of his career, Hamlin took the lead for good on lap 473 of 500, passing teammate Matt Kenseth for the top spot. Two laps later, Keselowski surged past Kenseth and tracked down Hamlin, setting up a breathtaking battle in the closing laps. Continue reading →
Here are my picks for the STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway, on March 28, at 1 pm ET on FOX
Martinsville Fantasy Preview
Contenders
Jimmie Johnson – Very hard to count him out at Martinsville, and has looked very strong so far this weekend. I think he will be a man to beat Sunday and as we all come to know, he usually gets the job done Continue reading →
Joey Logano, driver of the #29 Cooper Standard Ford, takes the checkered flag to win the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway on March 28, 2015 Photo – Nick Latham/Getty Images
Joey Logano, driver of the #29 Cooper Standard Ford, celebrates with a burnout after winning the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway on March 28, 2015 Photo – Rob Cam/Getty Images
Joey Logano, driver of the #29 Cooper Standard Ford, celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway on March 28, 2015 Photo – Daniel Shirey/Getty Images
Joey Logano, driver of the #29 Cooper Standard Ford, poses in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway on March 28, 2015 Photo – Daniel Shirey/Getty Images
Race runner-up Matt Crafton said Joey Logano barreled into turn one on the last restart “like he was shot out of a cannon.”
Ducking to the inside with the accelerator mashed was the move Logano, the Coors Light Pole Award winner, had to make to vault from third to first and win Saturday’s Kroger 250 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Martinsville Speedway in an event that went eight circuits past its posted distance of 250 laps. Continue reading →
Brad Keselowski, driver of the #2 Wurth Ford, takes the checkered flag to win the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway on March 22, 2015 Photo – Todd Warshaw/Getty Images
Brad Keselowski, driver of the #2 Wurth Ford, celebrates with a burnout after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway on March 22, 2015 Photo – Todd Warshaw/Getty Images
Brad Keselowski, driver of the #2 Wurth Ford, celebrates in Victory Lane with girlfriend Paige White after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway on March 22, 2015 Photo – Robert Laberge/Getty Images
Brad Keselowski, driver of the #2 Wurth Ford, celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway on March 22, 2015 Photo – Jerry Markland/Getty Images
Brad Keselowski, driver of the #2 Wurth Ford, celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway on March 22, 2015 Photo – Jerry Markland/Getty Images
After Sunday’s Auto Club 400, there may be a warrant issued for Brad Keselowski.
After all, the driver of the No. 2 Team Penske Ford committed his own version of “Grand Theft Auto” at Auto Club Speedway—he stole an entire race.
Benefitting from a four-tire call on the last lap of regulation and two opportune cautions that extended the event nine laps beyond its scheduled distance, Keselowski passed polesitter Kurt Busch on the final lap (209) and pulled away to win his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race of the season.
