Event Schedule
Thursday, October, 27th
11:00 AM NCWTS HAULERS ENTER & UNLOAD
11:30 AM NCWTS REGISTRATION OPENS
12:00 PM NCWTS GARAGE OPENS
3:00 PM NCWTS HAULERS EXIT INFIELD
4:30 PM NCWTS GARAGE & REGISTRATION CLOSES
Friday, October, 28th
6:30 AM *** HOT PASS IN EFFECT *** (ENTIRE INFIELD AREA)
9:30 AM NCWTS GARAGE & REGISTRATION OPENS
10:00 AM NCWTS ROOKIE & SPOTTER MEETINGS & RANDOM DRAWING
11:00 AM 12:20 PM NCWTS PRACTICE
2:10 PM 3:20 PM NCWTS FINAL PRACTICE
4:00 PM NCWTS REGISTRATION CLOSES
5:00 PM NCWTS GARAGE CLOSES
Saturday, October ,29th
7:30 AM ***HOT PASS IN EFFECT***(ENTIRE INFIELD AREA)
8:00 AM NCWTS GARAGE & REGISTRATION OPENS
9:00 AM TRACK SERVICES MEETING
9:00 AM NSCS GARAGE & REGISTRATION OPENS
10:40 AM NCWTS QUALIFYING (TWO LAPS, ALL POSITIONS)
11:40 AM 12:10 PM TV EXHIBITION RUN
11:45 AM NCWTS DRIVER/CREW CHIEF MEETING (GOODYEAR TENT)
12:00 PM TRACK SERVICES MEETING-PIT ROAD
12:10 PM NSCS QUALIFYING (TWO LAPS – ALL POSITONS) followed by
1:30 PM NCWTS DRIVERS INTRODUCTION - SECURITY–CLEAR PIT ROAD
2:00 PM NCWTS RACE (200 LAPS, 105.2 MILES)
2:30 PM NCWTS REGISTRATION CLOSES
3:00 PM NSCS GARAGE & REGISTRATION CLOSES
Note: All times listed in Eastern Time Zone and are tentative, subject to change.
Race Rundown
Hamlin wins at Martinsville: Denny Hamlin, driving the #18-Traxxas Toyota for Kyle Busch Motorsports, wins the Kroger 200 at Martinsville Speedway. It was a typical short-track race, with a lot of beating and banging; damage to just about every truck on the track. A late race restart saw Hamlin on fresher tires and he was able to get by both Austin Dillon and Ron Hornaday on lap 187 to take the checkers and pick up the win. This is his first victory in twelve NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races. #33-Ron Hornaday Jr. was second. Rounding out the top ten were; #3-Austin Dillon, #13-Johnny Sauter, #22-Joey Coulter, #2-Kevin Harvick, #21-Cale Gale, #17-Timothy Peters, #62-Brendan Gaughan, #31-James Buescher. There were 12 lead changes among 8 drivers with 9 cautions for 50 laps. Complete race results are posted on the Martinsville Race Results Page.(Official)(10-31-2011)
Post-Race Fast Facts:
Martinsville Speedway
13th Annual Kroger 200
Race Winner: Denny Hamlin
Age: 30
Team: No. 18 - Toyota / Traxxas Toyo
Owner: Kyle Busch
Crew Chief: Eric Phillips
*Denny Hamlin won the 13th Annual Kroger 200, his first victory in 12 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races.
*Hamlin becomes the 23rd driver to win in all three of NASCAR's national series.
*This is his first victory and first top-10 finish in 2011.
*This is his first victory and third top-10 finish in five races at Martinsville Speedway.
*There were 12 lead changes among eight drivers, both marks matching track records.
*Ron Hornaday Jr. (second) posted his 13th top-10 finish in 19 races at Martinsville Speedway. It is his 17th top-10 finish in 2011.
*Austin Dillon (third) posted his second top-10 finish in four races at Martinsville Speedway.
(Provided by NASCAR Statistics - Sat, October 29, 2011 @ 04:03 PM Eastern)
Race Awards:
Exide Start Positive, Stay Positive Award: Johnny Sauter, #13
Featherlite Most Improved Driver: Matt Crafton, #88 19 Places
Keystone Light Pole Award: Matt Crafton, #88 96.352 mph
Mahle Clevite Engine Builder of the Race: Triad, #18
Mobil 1 Driver of the Race: Ron Hornaday Jr, #33
O'Reilly Auto Parts Position Improvement Award: Brendan Gaughan, #62 19 places
Sunoco Rookie of the Race: Joey Coulter, #22
(NASCAR Statistics)(10-29-2011)
Lucky Dog Awards - Who got a lap back on each caution at Martinsville: (and finish)
Caution 1: #29-Parker Kligerman, 21st
Caution 2: #7-Miguel Paludo, 16th
Caution 3: #62-Brendan Gaugha, 9th
Caution 4: #32-Blake Feese, 32nd
Caution 5 #36-Grant Enfinger, 20th
Caution 6: #70-Jeff Agnew, 14th
Caution 7: #31-James Buescher, 10th
Caution 8: #92-Clay Rogers, 24th
Caution 9: #39-Ryan Sieg, 23rd
(NASCAR Statistics)(10-29-2011)
Driver Point Standings following Race #23 at Martinsville Speedway:
1) #3-Austin Dillon, 811
2) #31-James Buescher, 800 -11
3) #33-Ron Hornaday Jr., 796 -15
4) #13-Johnny Sauter, 796 -15
5) #17-Timothy Peters, 763 -48
6) #5-Todd Bodine, 744 -67
7) #88-Matt Crafton, 720 -91
8) #22-Joey Coulter, 719 -92
9) #60-Cole Whitt, 715 -96
10) #29-Parker Kligerman, 682 -129
Complete driver point standings are posted on the Martinsville Driver Standings Page.(Official)(10-31-2011)
- Owner point standings: following the Kroger 200 at Martinsville Speedway are posted on the Martinsville Owner Standings Page.(Official)(10-31-2011)
Martinsville Pit Stall Selections
Crafton wins Martinsville pole: Matt Crafton, driving the #88-Roto-Rooter/Menards Chevrolet for ThorSport Racing, set a new track record with a top speed of 96.352 mph to win the Keystone Light Pole for the Kroger 200 at Martinsville Speedway. This is his first pole at Martinsville; his sixth overall. #33-Ron Hornaday Jr. was second. Rounding out the top ten were; #18-Denny Hamlin, #13-Johnny Sauter, #31-James Buescher, #2-Kevin Harvick, #5-Todd Bodine, #6-Justin Lofton, #17-Timothy Peters, #3-Austin Dillon. Did Not Qualify: #10-Jennifer Jo Cobb; #99-Charlie Vest. Complete starting lineup is posted on the Martinsville Lineup Page.(10-29-2011)
Post-Qualifying Fast Facts:
Martinsville Speedway
13th Annual Kroger 200
Keystone Light Pole Winner: Matt Crafton
Age: 35
Team: No. 88 - Roto-Rooter / Menards Chevrolet
Owner: Rhonda Thorson
Crew Chief: Vance Haefele
*Matt Crafton won the Keystone Light Pole Award for the 13th Annual Kroger 200 with a track qualifying record lap of 19.653 seconds, 96.352 mph.
*Crafton broke the previous record of 19.658 seconds/96.327 mph set by Jack Sprague in 2008.
*This is his sixth pole in 270 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races.
*This is his second pole and 13th top-10 start in 2011.
*This is his first pole in 20 races at Martinsville Speedway.
*Ron Hornaday Jr. (second) posted his 18th top-10 start of 2011 and his 14th in 19 races at Martinsville Speedway.
*Denny Hamlin(i) (third) posted his fourth top-10 start at Martinsville Speedway. It is his first in one races this season.
Provided by NASCAR Statistics - Sat, October 29, 2011 @ 12:00 PM Eastern(10-29-2011)
Hornaday leads opening practice at Martinsville: Ron Hornaday, driving the #33-Steak-Umm Steaks/Chastity Baker Chevrolet for KHI, was the fastest on track with a top speed of 95.583 mph to lead the rain-delayed, brief opening practice session for the Kroger 200 at Martinsville Speedway. #18 Denny Hamlin was second. Rounding out the top ten were; #2-Kevin Harvick, #88-Matt Crafton, #5-Todd Bodine, #60-Cole Whitt, #13-Johnny Sauter, #29-Parker Kligerman, #62-Brendan Gaughan, #31-James Buescher. There were 38 trucks on track for the session. Complete practice speeds are posted on the Martinsville Practice Speeds Page.(10-28-2011)
Official Entry List: There are 38 trucks listed on the final Entry List for the Kroger 200 at Martinsville Speedway. Note; #07-driver change from Butch Miller to TJ Duke; #00-Brad Queen, withdrawn; #68-Clay Greenfield, withdrawn. Complete entry list is posted on the Martinsville Entry List Page.(10-28-2011)
Preliminary Entry List: There are now 40 trucks listed as entered for the Kroger 200 at Martinsville Speedway. Complete entry list is posted on the Martinsville Entry List Page.(10-24-2011)
Some Notes:
#00-Brad Queen, making second series start, Brad Queen Racing Chevrolet
#2-Kevin Harvick, returns as driver of the Kroger-Tide Chevrolet for KHI
#21-Cale Gale, driver of the Rheem Chevrolet, third entry for KHI
#24-Elliott Sadler, driver of the Virginia Lottery Chevrolet, second entry for Joe Denette Motorsports
#33-Ron Hornaday Jr., returns to this truck at Martinsville, Steak-ummm Chevrolet for KHI
#36-Grant Enfinger, driver of the England's Stove Works Dodge Ram, second start in 2011; different team, Allgaier Motorsports
#65-Tyler Tanner, making first series start, EF-65 Ford for Mittler Brothers Motorsports
#66-Max Gresham, second series start, World Crown 300/Gresham & Assoc. Chevrolet for Turn One Racing
#70-Jeff Agnew, third series start, TBA Chevrolet with owner, Edward Asbury
#97-Matt Lofton, second start in 2011, Strutmasters.com Toyota for Matt Lofton Motorsports.(10-24-2011)
UPDATE:
#96-Todd Peck has withdrawn due to engine failure(10-26-2011)
Goodyear Tire Notes
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series -- Race No. 23 – Kroger 200
Martinsville Speedway (0.526-mile oval) – Martinsville, Va.
Fast Facts for October 28-30, 2011
Tire:
Goodyear Wrangler Short Track Radials
Number of Tires:
Left-side -- 325
Right-side -- 325
Set limits:
4 sets for the weekend
Tire Codes:
Left-side -- D-4312
Right-side -- D-4468
Tire Circumference:
Left-side -- 87.2 in.
Right-side -- 88.6 in.
Technical Inspection Inflation:
Left Front -- 25 psi; Left Rear -- 25 psi
Right Front -- 25 psi; Right Rear -- 25 psi
Minimum Recommended Inflation:
Left Front -- 10 psi; Left Rear -- 10 psi
Right Front -- 23 psi; Right Rear -- 22 psi
Notes: Teams in both NASCAR series in action at Martinsville this weekend will run the same tire codes, though the Sprint Cup tires will be branded "Goodyear Eagle," while the Camping World Truck tires will be branded "Goodyear Wrangler" . . . this tire set-up came out of a Goodyear test at Martinsville on August 16-17 . . . teams/drivers participating in that test were the No. 2 Penske Racing Dodge with Brad Keselowski, No. 6 Roush-Fenway Racing Ford with David Ragan, No. 31 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet with Jeff Burton, No. 47 JTG-Daugherty Racing Toyota with Bobby Labonte and No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet with Dale Earnhardt Jr. . . . this is the same left-side tire code (D-4312) teams in these series ran twice at Martinsville in 2010 . . . this right-side tire code (D-4468) is the one that Sprint Cup teams ran on all four tire positions at Watkins Glen in August . . . compared to what was run at Martinsville earlier this season, these tires feature a softer compound on both the left- and right-side, which will give teams more grip and help rubber in Martinsville's concrete corners . . . as on most NASCAR ovals one mile or less in length, teams do not run inner liners in their tires at Martinsville.(Goodyear PR)(10-27-2011)
For more information: www.racegoodyear.com.
NASCAR's News & Notes
Truck Series News & Notes - Martinsville Speedway
Martinsville: A Defining Moment For Championship Contenders
Take a good look at the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series points standings, and enjoy them while they last. That rundown may look vastly different come Lap 200 on Saturday afternoon.
Austin Dillon and James Buescher, the frontrunners, have little experience at the tiny Martinsville Speedway paper clip, site of Saturday's Kroger 200. And the races they have run ... well, they could've been better. Dillon owns a tenuous three-point advantage over Buescher. Then there's Johnny Sauter and Ron Hornaday Jr., 14 and 16 points behind Dillon, respectively. They have combined to win the last two races there. Don't be surprised if the chasers become the chased once the checkers fly on Saturday. Here's a rundown of the four contenders with three races to go.
Dillon: The sophomore driver made a rookie mistake at Talladega, stalling during a late caution. Dillon's error led to a seventh-place finish that probably should've been higher (his Driver Rating ranked third in the race). Now he heads to Martinsville, a track at which he has yet to score a top-five finish. In three starts there, Dillon has two 16th-place finishes and a seventh (last April). It's the only track where Dillon has three or more starts, yet no top fives. He'll make his 50th series start on Saturday.
Buescher: Buescher feels Dillon's pain. Last April, he finished 35th in a 35-truck field thanks to a red-flag-inducing accident on Lap 137. The finish was just another in a string of Martinsville outings that have resulted in results outside the top 10 for the Texas native. Prior to the April DNF, Buescher finished 12th and 11th, twice. Buescher finished third at Talladega to cut his deficit to Dillon from seven points to three.
Sauter: Perseverance is the only thing keeping Sauter alive right now. Typical Talladega tough luck left him with a 15th-place finish and knocked him down to third in the points (but it could have been much worse). Sauter won the April Martinsville race, besting NASCAR Sprint Cup Series regulars Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch. If he can win again this weekend, he'll join Mike Skinner as the only drivers to sweep Martinsville since the series went to two races a year in 2003. Skinner swept in 2007.
Hornaday: With 22 short-track victories, Hornaday is the king of this style of racing. Only one of those wins came at Martinsville -- in this race last season. You can almost guarantee a top-five finish out of Hornaday; the four-time champion has finished inside the top five at Martinsville in five consecutive races, including a third in April. Hornaday's trek up the standings is nothing short of amazing. After race 12, he was 69 points out. In the 10 races since, Hornaday has finished outside the top 10 only once, and has scored more points than any other driver (391).
Homecoming Party For Virginia Natives This Weekend
This weekend some heavy hitters will enjoy a little home cooking.
Red Horse Racing's Timothy Peters, a Providence, N.C.. native, grew up 30 miles from Martinsville Speedway. Peters is currently ranked fifth in the series standings after posting a win (Lucas Oil Raceway), seven top fives, 10 top 10s and a Keystone Light pole (Charlotte). In 2009, Peters captured his first career series victory, at his home track of Martinsville. In addition to his win, Peters has posted three top fives and six top 10s in 11 series starts at famed 0.526-mile.
Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup contender, Denny Hamlin, a Chesterfield, Va. native will be driving the #18 Toyota for Kyle Busch Motorsports. Hamlin has only made 11 career starts in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and this weekend will be his series debut this season. Of his 11 career starts four of them have come at Martinsville Speedway, where he has posted two top 10s.
Elliott Sadler, Emporia, Va. native, will make his 19th career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start this weekend in the Kroger 200. Sadler is returning to drive the #24 Joe Dennette Motorsports Chevrolet. The last time he was in that ride: Bristol earlier this season, when he famously tangled with Kyle Busch in yet another layer to the ongoing Busch-Kevin Harvick feud. Sadler drives for Kevin Harvick Inc. in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.
Also, crew chief Jeff Hensley -- who calls the shots atop the pit box for Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender Nelson Piquet Jr. -- hails from nearby Ridgeway, Va. Jeff Hensley swept the Martinsville races with Mike Skinner in 2007, and hopes to have more success with Piquet this weekend. Hensley's uncle Jimmy Hensley has also won at Martinsville driving for Richard Petty in 1999.
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Etc.
The #2 Kevin Harvick Inc. Chevrolet can clinch the 2011 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series owners championship this weekend. If it leaves Martinsville with a 97-point lead over the #18 Kyle Busch Motorsports truck, it will clinch the title. The #2 currently holds an 81-point advantage. ... 75 drivers have made their first series start at Martinsville, most of any track. Only four scored a top 10 in that start. ... Josh Richards will run a special paint scheme at Martinsville highlighting artwork by Mooresville, N.C., residents Hunter and Alexandra Vogel. The children created the artwork to honor the Navy SEALs and warriors who gave their lives fighting terrorism in Afghanistan on August 6, 2011. ... NASCAR K&N Pro Series East champion Max Gresham returns to the series in the #66 Chevrolet for Stacy Compton. The 18-year-old Georgian made his series debut in Las Vegas earlier this month where he finished 25th.(NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications)(10-25-2011)
