Pre Race: Xfinity 500 @ Martinsville Speedway

Goodyear Fast Facts — Martinsville​

OCTOBER 26, 2021 AT 11:24 AM

NASCAR Cup Series — Race No. 35 – 500 laps / 263 miles
NASCAR Xfinity Series – Race No. 32 – 250 laps / 131.5 miles
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series – Race No. 21 – 200 laps / 105.2 miles
Martinsville Speedway (0.526-mile oval) – Martinsville, Va.
Fast Facts for October 30-31, 2021
Tire:
Goodyear Eagle Short Track Radials
Set limits: Cup: 9 sets for the race; Xfinity: 5 sets for the race; Truck: 5 sets for the race
Tire Codes: Left-side — D-4948; Right-side — D-4950
Tire Circumference: Left-side — 2,221 mm (87.44 in.); Right-side — 2,250 mm (88.58 in.)
Minimum Recommended Inflation: Left Front — 10 psi; Left Rear — 10 psi; Right Front — 23 psi; Right Rear — 22 psi
Storyline – Racing on the short track that goes a long way toward crowning NASCAR champions: All three of NASCAR’s national series are in action at Martinsville Speedway this weekend, all with an eye toward setting the final four drivers to contend for a championship the following week. Running so late in the season in Virginia, there is always a chance that the weather could be cold, which makes it more difficult for Martinsville’s concrete corners to take rubber. Goodyear designs its tread compounds to do just that in all weather conditions, thus allowing the corners to take rubber and create a second lane up the track for drivers to be competitive in. The other challenges at Martinsville – the relatively long straightaways, tight corners and lack of banking — require a specific tire construction to handle the hard braking and acceleration the cars experience.
“This playoff race at Martinsville is run here in late October so we expect that the weather may have turned cool in southern Virginia,” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing. “Laying rubber in the concrete corners in the cold is something we’ve worked on over the past several years, and we have come up with a formulation that does that, as well as work for the spring race. We adjusted the tread compounds last season at Martinsville to not only lay rubber but to give the cars more grip. The other key element of the tire is the construction, which we also updated in 2020. Our constructions for Martinsville have to consider that the cars are hard on the brakes entering the corners and hard on the gas exiting, and must be able to handle those conditions.”
Notes – Teams in all three NASCAR series return to Martinsville on same tire set-up: Teams in all three NASCAR national series will run on the same tire set-up at Martinsville this weekend . . . this is the same combination of left- and right-side tires that the Cup and Xfinity cars ran in April and teams in all three series ran last season at Martinsville . . . this is the only track at which NASCAR teams will run either of these two Goodyear tire codes . . . as on most NASCAR ovals one mile or less in length, teams will not run inner liners in their tires at Martinsville.
— Goodyear Racing —
10!? Haha my god that's insane
 
The Glenwood Tower section EE has two top row aisle seats left, only $76. Gosh if it wasnt an 11 hour drive from me. I need to go to this track and soon.
 
The Glenwood Tower section EE has two top row aisle seats left, only $76. Gosh if it wasnt an 11 hour drive from me. I need to go to this track and soon.

Same. I wish I could go this weekend. I'm definitely gonna shoot for one of the '22 races
 
Same. I wish I could go this weekend. I'm definitely gonna shoot for one of the '22 races
I'm gonna shoot for one year from now. I think I can stay in Greensboro NC, (there are flights from Chicago to Greensboro) and drive the 50 min to the track.
 
I'm gonna shoot for one year from now. I think I can stay in Greensboro NC, (there are flights from Chicago to Greensboro) and drive the 50 min to the track.
I've stayed in Greensboro any number of times. They don't mark the hotels up too much, esp. if you stay on the south or east side. It's a straight shot up US-220, double lane all the way. Easy peasy.
 
I've stayed in Greensboro any number of times. They don't mark the hotels up too much, esp. if you stay on the south or east side. It's a straight shot up US-220, double lane all the way. Easy peasy.
no mountain driving is there? I did that during my trip to Bristol and I have to say I dont want to take that adventure again.
 
no mountain driving is there? I did that during my trip to Bristol and I have to say I dont want to take that adventure again.
Nah, it's relatively flat and straight.

What road did you take getting to Bristol? I-81? I-26? US-oh_my_gawd-25?
 
Nah, it's relatively flat and straight.

What road did you take getting to Bristol? I-81? I-26? US-oh_my_gawd-25?
We stayed in Johnson City, traveled from Chicago to stay there. No problems, that was easy just a 9 hour drive. The problem I ran into was when we left and the state troopers were directing traffic away from the US 11 which I took from I-26, I had no idea and before I know it I was driving through the mountains of TN pitch black at 10pm at night. I really thought I wasnt going to make it ha ha super stressful. The phone GPS got us back, but not a ride I'd like to take again.
 
We stayed in Johnson City, traveled from Chicago to stay there. No problems, that was easy just a 9 hour drive. The problem I ran into was when we left and the state troopers were directing traffic away from the US 11 which I took from I-26, I had no idea and before I know it I was driving through the mountains of TN pitch black at 10pm at night. I really thought I wasnt going to make it ha ha super stressful. The phone GPS got us back, but not a ride I'd like to take again.
Yeah, some of those Smoky Mt. back roads are real E-ticket rides. Heck, I-40 between Knoxville and Asheville is a pip, and it's interstate. They're even worse when every other race fan is breathing down your neck.
 
We stayed in Johnson City, traveled from Chicago to stay there. No problems, that was easy just a 9 hour drive. The problem I ran into was when we left and the state troopers were directing traffic away from the US 11 which I took from I-26, I had no idea and before I know it I was driving through the mountains of TN pitch black at 10pm at night. I really thought I wasnt going to make it ha ha super stressful. The phone GPS got us back, but not a ride I'd like to take again.
Think how that would be if you were driving a race car hauler valued around million and a half and it was pouring down rain. ;)
 
I started to @ you on the subject! That stretch from Asheville to Johnson City was a bear before they finished I-26, especially the side roads they used as detours during construction.
I hated that stretch of road, and I have been through there in the hardest rain possible...but the worst is when there is a thick fog. There has been a lot of fatalities on that stretch of road.
 
I started to @ you on the subject! That stretch from Asheville to Johnson City was a bear before they finished I-26, especially the side roads they used as detours during construction.

Try driving the whole thing from Charleston. Makes you wanna pull your eyeballs out
 
Think how that would be if you were driving a race car hauler valued around million and a half and it was pouring down rain. ;)
I hated that stretch of road, and I have been through there in the hardest rain possible...but the worst is when there is a thick fog. There has been a lot of fatalities on that stretch of road.
i drove back to mooresville after the bristol nite race,my friend went to sleep,he said just follow the haulers and you wont get lost,it was raining.i think he was a little shocked when i woke him up in his driveway
 
Try driving the whole thing from Charleston. Makes you wanna pull your eyeballs out
It's the stretch between the track and I-85 that's a bear. From Spartanburg to Charlietown isn't bad at all. Still, no, thanks all the same; Columbia is far enough for me.
 
It's the stretch between the track and I-85 that's a bear. From Spartanburg to Charlietown isn't bad at all. Still, no, thanks all the same; Columbia is far enough for me.
Oh that's the worst part in my opinion. The amount of traffic, especially with the amount of shipping containers flooding the ports is insane on 26. It's bumper to bumper with occasional slowdowns the entire way to Columbia anymore. They can't add that third lane fast enough each way
 
A buddy of mine just went by the track and said the campgrounds are packed, that's a good sign.
 
Wh
A buddy of mine just went by the track and said the campgrounds are packed, that's a good sign.
When this front moves through and Saturday's chance of rain drops off, it should be a nice fall weekend.

On the other hand, remember when we thought Rockingham a couple of hours to the south was too cold and wet on the next-to-last weekend of the season?
 
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I've never had a Martinsville Hot Dog obviously because I've never been to the track. I kind of want to try to make them myself this weekend. I'd try them at the track if I could go but I am also afraid of due to a sensitive stomach things could get bad real quick. They Sure do look good though
 
I've never had a Martinsville Hot Dog obviously because I've never been to the track. I kind of want to try to make them myself this weekend. I'd try them at the track if I could go but I am also afraid of due to a sensitive stomach things could get bad real quick. They Sure do look good though

Best hot dogs I've ever had in my life. 100% serious
 
Those videos are why we need more short tracks. Millionaire drivers with huge egos driving extremely physically for 500 laps is the damn best
 
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