2016 Martinsville - Goody's Fast Relief 500 - Pre Race Thread

dpkimmel2001

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Never too early to start a Martinsville Pre Race Thread.....

The NASCAR Sprint Cup and Camping World Truck Series will gather for a doubleheader showing at Martinsville Speedway this weekend.

Note: All times are ET
FRIDAY, OCT. 28:

ON TRACK
-- 11 a.m.-12:25 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series first practice, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Follow live)
-- 12:30-1:25 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series first practice, FS1 (Follow live)
-- 2:30-3:50 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series final practice, FS1 (Follow live)
-- 4:40 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Follow live)

GARAGECAM (Watch live)

-- 10:30 a.m.: Sprint Cup Series
-- Noon: Camping World Truck Series

SATURDAY, OCT. 29:

ON TRACK
-- 9-9:55 a.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice, CNBC (Follow live)
-- 10:15 a.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Keystone Light Pole Qualifying, FS1 (Follow live)
-- Noon-12:50 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series final practice, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Follow live)
-- 1:30 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Texas Roadhouse 200 presented by Alpha Energy Solutions (200 laps, 105.2 miles), FS1 (Follow live)


SUNDAY, OCT. 30:


ON TRACK
-- 1 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Goody's Fast Relief 500 (500 laps, 263 miles), NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Follow live)
 
Why the Xfinity Series doesn't race here anymore is beyond me. By far, the best track on the schedule. PERIOD

This is probably the only track deserving of three race weekends. Hopefully that additional race can be a future mid summer All Star race under the lights.

My wife and I have been going here for a long, long time. This is the last of the venues that we hold season tickets to. If you haven't been there, put it on your bucket list. You won't be sorry.
 
I REALLY REALLY Like this track. so much of a change from dega but nice all the same.
 
DSC01350.jpg

Our view 2 years ago. We would love to get back.
 
Best track in motorsports. I hate that I'm going to miss it this time.
 
Ready, Martinsville is the best of the best imo.
 
This is probably the only track deserving of three race weekends. Hopefully that additional race can be a future mid summer All Star race under the lights.

I talked to Clay Campbell last week about lights and night races. The Late Model race is already confirmed as being a night race in 2017. Sent what I had to Jim Utter since I don't have a platform for publishing Cup-related news, so be on the lookout...
 
Why the Xfinity Series doesn't race here anymore is beyond me. By far, the best track on the schedule. PERIOD

This is probably the only track deserving of three race weekends. Hopefully that additional race can be a future mid summer All Star race under the lights.

My wife and I have been going here for a long, long time. This is the last of the venues that we hold season tickets to. If you haven't been there, put it on your bucket list. You won't be sorry.

Martinsville needs to be back on the NXS schedule as a summer Monday night standalone to replace Kentucky.

I'm hoping to make it next spring if hotels/lodging is cheap nearby.
 
I talked to Clay Campbell last week about lights and night races. The Late Model race is already confirmed as being a night race in 2017. Sent what I had to Jim Utter since I don't have a platform for publishing Cup-related news, so be on the lookout...
Mentioned it last week when the news came out about the lights..... Neither of the race dates currently @ Martinsville are suitable for a night race. They may be for a later start, running into dusk, like Gordon's win last fall. It gets down into the 30's @ night in that area. Those kind of temps, and below, are fine when I'm hunting from my swaying tree stand here in Western PA but not for sitting/enjoying a NASCAR race. Enjoying being the key word there.
 
Martinsville needs to be back on the NXS schedule as a summer Monday night standalone to replace Kentucky.
I think it needs to be part of a triple header weekend if they want to draw any sort of crowd. Martinsville is an awesome track but a standalone Xfinity race there is liable not to bring in any more people that the supporting truck race does on a Cup weekend.
 
Need to get back to Martinsville one year, awesome track. Only time I went was a Cup-Truck doubleheader, was pretty cool
 
Martinsville needs to be back on the NXS schedule as a summer Monday night standalone to replace Kentucky.

I'm hoping to make it next spring if hotels/lodging is cheap nearby.
I recommend staying in Greensboro, NC. It's about an hour south of the track, dual-lane highway all the way, and they don't mark the hotels up much. I've stayed a half-dozen times.
 
I recommend staying in Greensboro, NC. It's about an hour south of the track, dual-lane highway all the way, and they don't mark the hotels up much. I've stayed a half-dozen times.
There are plenty of cheap hotels right in Martinsville even on the race weekend. Just checked a couple that are under $70/night. Not one of them are more than 5 miles from the track.
 
Here's a thought..... Since the Chase ain't going nowhere, what say we get the schedule changed so that Martinsville is the 3rd, 6th & 9th races of the Chase? Who's with me? Hell, while we're at it, let's make it the 10th race as well.
Hell you'd spend half the season at Martinsville. Wait, uh er that would be a good thing. :D
 
Here's a thought..... Since the Chase ain't going nowhere, what say we get the schedule changed so that Martinsville is the 3rd, 6th & 9th races of the Chase? Who's with me? Hell, while we're at it, let's make it the 10th race as well.
That's a truly stupid idea. Make it ALL 10 races, you gibbering idjit. :rolleyes:
 
Just a heads up. I'm sure that they'll be talking about this as the week progresses but this race @ Martinsville is Jeff Gordon's last scheduled Cup race. Will it truly be? Who knows but if it is I am glad that I got to be there for the end of his career behind the wheel. I was never a Jeff Gordon fan until the end of his career. It was in the Dale Earnhardt Sr. fan bylaws if I remember correctly. Anyhow, I was lucky enough to witness his last Cup Series victory in person. Also, the first night race @ Martinsville. I hope that I get to witness him be a spoiler for the Chase gang next Sunday repeating last years victory.

Good luck to Jeff Gordon this weekend @ Martinsville!
 
Goody's Fast Relief 500 Fact Sheet
  • Number of previous races: 135.
  • First Sprint Cup race: September 25, 1949, won by Red Byron.
  • Last Sprint Cup race: April 3, 2016, won by Kyle Busch.
  • Won from pole: 21, most recently by Jimmie Johnson in 2013.
  • Won from top-5 starting position: 70 times in 131 races (53%). Starting position of the race winner is unknown for 4 races.
  • Won from top-10 starting position: 97 times (74%).
  • Won from 21st or worse starting position: 7 times (5%).
  • Worst starting spot for race winner: 36th, by Kurt Busch in 2002.
  • Most laps led: 493, by Fred Lorenzen in 1964.
  • Fewest laps led by a race winner: 4, by John Andretti in 1999.
  • Track records:
    • Fastest race: 82.223 mph by Jeff Gordon in 1996.
    • Fastest qualifying speed: 100.201 mph by Joey Logano in 2014.
    • Most lead changes: 33 in 2014.
    • Closest finish: Jimmie Johnson's .065 second margin over Jeff Gordon in 2007.
    • Most caution flags: 21 in 2007.
  • From 2011-2016 a typical Martinsville race had 22.0 lead changes, 13.4 cautions for 87.7 laps, and an average green-flag run of 28.8 laps.

Manufacturers / Owners:

  • Victories by manufacturer: Chevrolet (54), Ford (26), Plymouth (12), Dodge (10), Oldsmobile (8), Pontiac (8), Toyota (6), Buick (3), Chrysler (3), Hudson (2), Mercury (2).
  • Victories by owner: Rick Hendrick (22), Petty Enterprises (19), Junior Johnson-Richard Howard (13), Joe Gibbs (9), Holman-Moody (7), Richard Childress (7), Roger Penske (6), all others (51).

Driver Notes:

  • The most Martinsville races without a:
    Active Drivers All-Time
    Win:
    Michael Waltrip (47 races) Kyle Petty, Ken Schrader (54 races)
    Top 5: Greg Biffle (27) J.D. McDuffie (40)
    Top 10: David Gilliland (19) Dave Blaney (26)
    Pole: Michael Waltrip (47) Ken Schrader (54)
    Lap led: David Ragan (20) Buddy Arrington (41)
    Lead-lap finish: Michael McDowell (11) Buddy Arrington (41)


  • Top career marks at Martinsville:
    Active Drivers All-Time
    Races:
    Michael Waltrip (47) Richard Petty (67)
    Wins: Jeff Gordon (9) Richard Petty (15)
    Top 5s: Jeff Gordon (29) Richard Petty (30)
    Top 10s: Jeff Gordon (37) Jeff Gordon, Richard Petty (37)
    Poles: Jeff Gordon (7) Darrell Waltrip (8)
    Laps: Jeff Gordon (22,769) Richard Petty (27,891)
    Laps led: Jeff Gordon (3,779) Cale Yarborough (3,851)
    Lead-lap finishes: Jeff Gordon (37) Jeff Gordon (37)


  • Best average finish among active drivers at Martinsville (3 or more starts):
    1. Jeff Gordon (6.8)
    2. Jimmie Johnson (7.5)
    3. Denny Hamlin (9.5)
    4. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (12.9)
    5. Tony Stewart (13.7)
    6. Clint Bowyer (14.2)
    7. Kyle Busch (14.5)
    8. Joey Logano (14.6)
    9. Brad Keselowski (14.7)
    10. Ryan Newman (15.0)
  • Worst average finish among active drivers at Martinsville (3 or more starts):
    1. Michael McDowell (35.5)
    2. Josh Wise (34.5)
    3. Reed Sorenson (32.4)
    4. Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. (31.7)
    5. Alex Bowman (31.0)
    6. Michael Annett (30.4)
    7. Matt DiBenedetto (30.0)
    8. David Gilliland (29.1)
    9. Landon Cassill (27.8)
    10. Trevor Bayne (27.8)


http://racing-reference.info/factsheets/statfacts_2016-33.htm
 
Some interesting numbers. I was surprised to learn Biff has never had a top 5, and that Stenhouse's avearge is so poor.
 
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