Tag Archives: STP 500

Kyle Busch: Parity in NASCAR Racing is a Good Thing

Posted on by

Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M’s Toyota, stands in the garage during practice for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway on April 1, 2017 in Martinsville, Virginia. Photo – Jared C Tilton/Getty Images

Joe Gibbs Racing, which dominated the first half of the 2016 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season, is winless in five races to start the current season.

So is Hendrick Motorsports, the juggernaut that carried Jimmie Johnson to his record-tying seventh championship last year. Continue reading →

Sonoma Helps Allmendinger at Martinsville? Go Figure

Posted on by

AJ Allmendinger, driver of the #47 Kroger ClickList Chevrolet, stands in the garage during practice for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway on April 1, 2017 in Martinsville, Virginia. Photo – Jerry Markland/Getty Images

At first glance, there’s nothing even remotely similar between Martinsville Speedway and Sonoma Raceway.

At 0.526 miles, Martinsville is the shortest of short tracks in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, a narrow, flat, paper-clip-shaped venue with tight turns and concrete corners.

Sonoma, on the other hand, is a 1.99-mile road course with ten turns (some of them right-handers) and dramatic elevation changes. Continue reading →

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series’ STP 500 at Martinsville Preview

Aside

Catch the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series at Martinsville Speedway in the STP 500 on Sunday, April 2nd at 2 pm ET.  Television and radio coverage begins at 12:30 pm ET on FOX Sports 1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Drivers will race 500 laps covering 263 miles with Stage 1 ending on lap 130 and Stage 2 ending on lap 260.   Continue reading →

Qualifying Rainout Puts Larson on the Pole at Martinsville

Posted on by

The car of Kyle Larson, driver of the #42 Target Chevrolet, is seen during practice for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway on March 31, 2017 in Martinsville, Virginia. Photo – Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

For the second straight week, Kyle Larson will start on the pole for a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series event.

He can only hope the result of the race is the same, too. Continue reading →

Top Drivers Differ on Length of Learning Curve at Martinsville

Posted on by

Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe’s Chevrolet, sits in his car during practice for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway on March 31, 2017 in Martinsville, Virginia. Photo – Sarah Crabill/Getty Images

When it comes to negotiating Martinsville Speedway successfully, Jimmie Johnson thinks of the learning process as a light bulb suddenly illuminating.

Denny Hamlin, on the other hand, thinks the use of data in analyzing the fastest way around the track has made it much easier to flip the switch than it used to be. Continue reading →