(through 20 races of the 25-race season)
Points leader – Todd Bodine (3,076)
Winnings – Todd Bodine ($546,650)
Laps led – Mark Martin (522)
Miles led – Mike Skinner (758.168)
Victories – Mark Martin (5)
Budweiser Poles – Mike Skinner (6)
Top-five finishes – Johnny Benson, Todd Bodine (11)
Top-10 finishes – Johnny Benson, David Reutimann, Todd Bodine (15)
Raybestos Rookie Leader – Erik Darnell (41 over Chad McCumbee)
Races led – Todd Bodine, Mike Skinner (10)
Etc:
Current or former NextelCup drivers have won nine times in 15 races at Martinsville Speedway. No driver, however, has managed to complete a NEXTEL Cup/Craftsman Truck weekend sweep at any series trackJust one Martinsville race has been won from the Budweiser Pole – by Rich Bickle in 1997The most recent four winners have started 15th, ninth, fifth and 18th. Setzer won the 2002 race from 33rd – second-deepest in the field by any series winnerThere has been just one first-time winner in the series in 2006 – fewest in any season. Martinsville Speedway has produced five first-time series winners: Ricky Craven, Bobby Hamilton, Bobby Labonte, Jamie McMurray and Scott Riggs.
On the Right Track:
Morgan-Dollar is tops among owners at MartinsvilleDavid Dollar has scored three victories in Martinsville, two by Setzer and a third by Bobby Labonte. Three owners count two wins apiece. Setzer is statistical leaderSetzer, with 13 starts, has won $221,995 at the southern Virginia track aided by six top-five and eight top-10 finishes. All are statistical records at Martinsville. Setzer has completed 2,864 laps and 1,506.5 miles.
In the Loop:
If dominance in three key categories is the measure, Kyle Busch will win his first Craftsman Truck Series short track race this week at Martinsville Speedway. Busch has the best speed in traffic (91.973 mph) and average running position (4.575) among entered drivers measure over Martinsville’s past three races. Busch ranks #2 in quality passes (15) behind Ron Hornaday Jr. (22). Among drivers with multiple starts at the track in 2005-06, Ted Musgrave owns the best Driver Rating (112.7). Mike Bliss is next at 105.7 with Hornaday third at 99.3. Dennis Setzer (75), Terry Cook (74) and Hornaday (73) have recorded the most green flag passes. Cook has recorded the most passes in three of the tracks four turns – 42 in Turns one, two and four while Hornaday has executed the most straightaway passes – 43.
Manufacturers’ Championship 2006 Point Standings:
Toyota,141
Ford,129
Chevy, 98
Toyota,70
From the Archives:
Martinsville Speedway’s first series race in 1995 was run at a 150-lap distance and held on a Monday after the Saturday-scheduled event was postponed by inclement weather. The race became a 250-lapper the following year and was shifted to the spring in 1999. A second date, this week’s Kroger 200, was added in 2003.
Fast Facts:
Fast Fact: David Starr’s April victory in the Kroger 250 made Toyota the fourth manufacturer to win a series race at Martinsville Speedway.
The Race: Kroger 200
The Place: Martinsville Speedway
The Date: Oct. 21, 2006
The Time: 1:05 pm/et
Race Distance: 105.2 miles (200 laps)
TV: SPEED, 12:25 pm/et
Track Layout: .526-mile paved oval
Race Purse: $434,105
2005 Winner: Ricky Craven
2005 Pole: Rick Crawford
Schedule: Friday – Practice, 9 a.m. – 10 a.m., 10:10 a.m. – 10:40 a.m. and 10:55 a.m. – 11:55 a.m. Qualifying, 5 p.m.(NASCAR PR)(10-16-2006)
