NASCAR Martinsville Sunday, March 28, 2021
MARTINSVILLE NASCAR CUP SERIES STATS HIGHLIGHTS
Martinsville wins:
Denny Hamlin 5;
Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski, Martin Truex Jr. 2;
Chase Elliott, Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano & Ryan Newman 1
Martin Truex Jr.:
Martinsville 6/20 winner – Lap 134 commitment line violation, 132 laps led including final 131
Chase Elliott:
Martinsville 11/20 winner – Stage 2 winner, career-high 236 laps led, 263 jackman off the wall & back, lap 404 slow stop, restarted 10th, final 44 laps led
4 Finished top 5 both Martinsville races last season – Blaney, Elliott, Keselowski & Logano
All 3 Team Penske drivers finished top 5 each Martinsville race last season – Team Penske won last 2 races this season (Ryan Blaney Atlanta & Joey Logano Bristol Dirt)
First back-to-back wins for Team Penske since 2019 Atlanta (Keselowski) & Las Vegas (Logano)
Last time Team Penske won 3 straight races: 2018 Brad Keselowski won Darlington, Indianapolis & Las Vegas
Team Penske never won 3 straight races with 3 different drivers
1-Kurt Busch: 7 Straight Martinsville lead lap finishes
2-Brad Keselowski: 10 Straight Martinsville lead lap finishes
9-Chase Elliott: 1 of 3 24-year-olds to win Martinsville (Kurt Busch & Richard Petty) – Richard Petty youngest Martinsville winner (22)
9-Chase Elliott: Won from pit stall 2 at Martinsville 11/20 – Last previous winner from stall 2: Jeff Gordon (10/13)
9-Chase Elliott first short track win: Martinsville 11/20 – 10th career win
11-Denny Hamlin finished 2nd at Martinsville in Rookie season (10/22/06)
12-Ryan Blaney: 7 Straight Martinsville lead lap finishes
19-Martin Truex Jr. won Martinsville for first time in 28th try (10/19)
19-Martin Truex Jr. only repeat winner last 7 Martinsville races (2 Wins) – 5 Others 1 win each
19-Martin Truex Jr. won 2 of last 3 Martinsville races with 2 different crew chiefs – Cole Pearn & James Small
19-Martin Truex Jr.: 2 Wins last 3 Martinsville races – Passed for final lead change 2 of last 5 Martinsville races
19-Martin Truex Jr. pitted from stall 12 last 3 Martinsville races – 2 Wins last 3 races
21-Matt DiBenedetto: 4 Straight Martinsville lead lap finishes
22-Joey Logano led most laps at Martinsville 6/20 (234) – Finished 4th
22-Joey Logano: 6 Straight Martinsville lead lap finishes
54 Different winners in 144 NASCAR Cup Series Martinsville races
25 NASCAR Hall of Fame drivers won Martinsville races
26 of the 34 NASCAR Cup Series champions won at Martinsville (93 Total wins)
8 Champions with no Martinsville wins
Driver starting first failed to win last 15 Martinsville races – Last to win from pole: Jimmie Johnson 4/13
Alan Gustafson: 3 Martinsville wins – Jeff Gordon (10/13 & 11/15) & Chase Elliott (11/20)
Hendrick Motorsports: 25 Martinsville wins – Most all-time by a team at a single track
Joe Gibbs Racing: 12 Martinsville wins – 5 Drivers
Team Penske: 9 Martinsville wins – 3 Drivers
Richard Childress Racing: 7 Martinsville wins – 3 Drivers
Stewart-Haas Racing: 4 Martinsville wins – 4 Drivers
Roush Fenway Racing: 4 Martinsville wins – 3 Drivers
Chip Ganassi Racing: No Martinsville wins
Driver starting 1st won 21 of 144 Martinsville NASCAR Cup Series races
Last to win from pit stall 1: Jimmie Johnson 10/12 & 4/13
Driver pitted in stall 1 winless last 15 Martinsville races
Martinsville pit road speeding penalties:
4/17: 9; 10/17: 5; 3/18: 8; 10/18: 4; 3/19: 6; 10/19: 7; 6/20: 6; 11/20: 10
12 Won first career race at Martinsville – Last: Ricky Craven (10/15/01)
2 Rookie of the Year candidates won Martinsville – Earl Ross (9/74) & Morgan Shepherd (4/81)
Last Rookie of the Year contender to finish top 10 at Martinsville: Juan Pablo Montoya finished 8th 10/21/07
23 Won first short track race at Martinsville
19 Martinsville win streaks – Drivers winning consecutive races
3 of 144 Martinsville races settled by last lap pass (9/87, 10/17 & 10/18)
2 of last 4 Martinsville Playoff races settled by last lap pass
6 Martinsville Overtime finishes
Leader at scheduled distance lost 3 Martinsville Overtime races
11 Different car makes won Martinsville races
Chevrolet leads all with 57 Martinsville wins – 1 Win last 8 Martinsville races
Ford: 4 Wins last 8 Martinsville races – Winless previous 28 Martinsville races
9 Toyota wins at Martinsville – 5 by Denny Hamlin
#11 Won 16 Martinsville NASCAR Cup Series races
Most tries before first Martinsville win: 30 – Dale Jarrett (4/01) & Dale Earnhardt Jr. (10/14)
4 Won Martinsville in first try – Red Byron (9/49), Dick Rathmann (4/52), Earl Ross (9/74) & Morgan Shepherd (4/81)
Most laps ever led in a Martinsville race: 493 – Fred Lorenzen 9/64
Fred Lorenzen only driver to win 4 straight Martinsville races
Morgan Shepherd scored first career win in 15th career NASCAR Cup Series race (4/81)
Harry Gant finished 2nd in 10 races before first career win at Martinsville (4/82)
Harry Gant won Martinsville 9/91 at age of 51 years, 8 months, 12 days (The final of 4 straight wins)
Geoff Bodine won first career race & first race for Hendrick Motorsports (4/84)
Earl Ross was 2nd driver to win a race born outside United States – Martinsville 9/29/74
*Mario Andretti 1967 Daytona 500
2 Drivers didn’t compete in the Martinsville race for which they won the pole
Donnie Allison (5/31/70) & Jimmy Hensley (9/24/89)
5/19/57: Buck Baker won Martinsville, but did not lead final lap
*5/19/57 race ended when car crashed through fence & injured spectators
4/26/81 Martinsville: First Pontiac to win a race since 10/27/63
MARTINSVILLE NASCAR CUP SERIES STATS HIGHLIGHTS
Dash 4 Cash: Justin Allgaier, Harrison Burton, Noah Gragson & AJ Allmendinger
20-Harrison Burton
2020 Martinsville winner – Finished 2nd in Stage 1 & 9th in Stage 2, 81 laps led (most)
7-Justin Allgaier
Finished 2nd at 2020 Martinsville – Finished 8th in Stage 1 & 4th in Stage 2, best Playoff driver
9-Noah Gragson
Finished 3rd at 2020 Martinsville – Stage 1 winner & finished 2nd in Stage 2, 23 laps led, 53 points scored (most)
10-Jeb Burton
Finished 4th at 2020 Martinsville – Started 8th, finished 15th in Stage 1 & 12th in Stage 2
98-Riley Herbst
Finished 6th at 2020 Martinsville – Started 24th, finished 11th in Stage 1 & 2
1-Michael Annett
Finished 8th at 2020 Martinsville – Finished 9th in Stage 1 & 19th in Stage 2
19-Brandon Jones
Finished 9th at 2020 Martinsville – Finished top 10 in Stage 1 & 2, failed to advance to Championship 4
22-Austin Cindric
Finished 10th at 2020 Martinsville – Finished top 5 in Stage 1 & 2, 42 laps led