Martinsville Speedway - Subway 500
RACE WINNER: JIMMIE JOHNSON
Our Boys Running Order:
17. David (started 19th)
18. Michael (started 29th)
19. Martin (started 2nd)
20. Casey (started 22nd)
23. Dale Jr. (started 7th)
30. DJ (started 33rd)
31. Kurt (started 11th)
DNQ Brian
Martinsville has never been a track I particularly liked and last weekend’s race didn’t help much. Despite the New Car’s matching front and rear ends, there were a record-breaking 21 cautions and an extra six laps. To further extend my displeasure for the place, the average finish of our drivers was about 23rd.
Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon pretty much dominated the race, leading a combined total of 315 of 500 laps. Now, I have nothing against those two, but it sure would be nice to see someone new win once in a while. However, Martinsville has a special meaning to them and they race extremely hard to get a #1 there for Rick Hendrick.
Dale Jr. led 24 laps and even ran well on seven cylinders. But running down on power eventually ripped things apart in the engine. When taking the green for the green-white-checkered, black smoke was puffing out of the sidepipes and relegated Junior to a last on the lead lap finish.
The start of the race was a struggle for Martin despite qualifying second. Near the end of the race he and Casey got into a tizzy and wrecked each other. Then Martin was involved in two more incidents and Casey in one more. I’m sure neither were very happy going home.
Kurt was looking at another solid day until a tire cut and he smacked the wall. Afterwards, the car just wouldn’t handle. He finished five laps down.
Similar days were to be had for Michael and David. Both claimed that their cars were horrible, but neither driver gave up. Each of them fell a lap down and, thanks to all the cautions, got free passes. It was funny because Michael wrecked going into a turn in practice on Friday and wondered if he would even make the race. Then he pulled nearly the exact same move Sunday! But both he and David did great jobs staying out of a lot of trouble and putting sub-25th place cars in the top-20.
DJ struggled early and got into a wreck not of his own doing. He dropped down a couple of laps and could run competitive times but just could not regain positions.
Then came a really interesting and disturbing altercation following the checkered flag. Matt Kenseth was about to be interviewed by SPEED’s Bob Dilner when teammate Carl Edwards pushed him to one side and began arguing with him. Matt looked irritated and the two exchanged angry words. After several seconds, Carl stepped over the wall separating the track and pit road and turned to give off some more comments. Matt sent him some closing remarks and Carl aimed a punch at him! It was rather scary watching Matt’s reaction of flinging up his hands to block, but then Carl suddenly pulled his fist away and gave this really eerie and venomous grin before he walked off. Apparently, when Reed Sorenson blew a tranny on one of the restarts, Carl dove it in very deep into Turn 1, running into the side of the #17. To indicate his unhappiness with the move, Matt bumped Carl out of the groove. The two talked about it on the radio and Matt thought everything was fine. I guess not! I like Carl but man, that was not cool. To make it worse, Jack Roush will probably do nothing since Carl is his current favorite.
Our Boys Point Standings
- Driver Points -
10. Kurt -420 behind 1st
11. Martin -447 behind 1st
13. Dale Jr. --
16. Casey -118 behind 13th
- Owner Points -
38. David -387 behind 35th
39. Brian -519 behind 35th
41. Michael -876 behind 35th
42. DJ -913 behind 35th
Our Boys Running Order:
17. David (started 19th)
18. Michael (started 29th)
19. Martin (started 2nd)
20. Casey (started 22nd)
23. Dale Jr. (started 7th)
30. DJ (started 33rd)
31. Kurt (started 11th)
DNQ Brian
Martinsville has never been a track I particularly liked and last weekend’s race didn’t help much. Despite the New Car’s matching front and rear ends, there were a record-breaking 21 cautions and an extra six laps. To further extend my displeasure for the place, the average finish of our drivers was about 23rd.
Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon pretty much dominated the race, leading a combined total of 315 of 500 laps. Now, I have nothing against those two, but it sure would be nice to see someone new win once in a while. However, Martinsville has a special meaning to them and they race extremely hard to get a #1 there for Rick Hendrick.
Dale Jr. led 24 laps and even ran well on seven cylinders. But running down on power eventually ripped things apart in the engine. When taking the green for the green-white-checkered, black smoke was puffing out of the sidepipes and relegated Junior to a last on the lead lap finish.
The start of the race was a struggle for Martin despite qualifying second. Near the end of the race he and Casey got into a tizzy and wrecked each other. Then Martin was involved in two more incidents and Casey in one more. I’m sure neither were very happy going home.
Kurt was looking at another solid day until a tire cut and he smacked the wall. Afterwards, the car just wouldn’t handle. He finished five laps down.
Similar days were to be had for Michael and David. Both claimed that their cars were horrible, but neither driver gave up. Each of them fell a lap down and, thanks to all the cautions, got free passes. It was funny because Michael wrecked going into a turn in practice on Friday and wondered if he would even make the race. Then he pulled nearly the exact same move Sunday! But both he and David did great jobs staying out of a lot of trouble and putting sub-25th place cars in the top-20.
DJ struggled early and got into a wreck not of his own doing. He dropped down a couple of laps and could run competitive times but just could not regain positions.
Then came a really interesting and disturbing altercation following the checkered flag. Matt Kenseth was about to be interviewed by SPEED’s Bob Dilner when teammate Carl Edwards pushed him to one side and began arguing with him. Matt looked irritated and the two exchanged angry words. After several seconds, Carl stepped over the wall separating the track and pit road and turned to give off some more comments. Matt sent him some closing remarks and Carl aimed a punch at him! It was rather scary watching Matt’s reaction of flinging up his hands to block, but then Carl suddenly pulled his fist away and gave this really eerie and venomous grin before he walked off. Apparently, when Reed Sorenson blew a tranny on one of the restarts, Carl dove it in very deep into Turn 1, running into the side of the #17. To indicate his unhappiness with the move, Matt bumped Carl out of the groove. The two talked about it on the radio and Matt thought everything was fine. I guess not! I like Carl but man, that was not cool. To make it worse, Jack Roush will probably do nothing since Carl is his current favorite.
Our Boys Point Standings
- Driver Points -
10. Kurt -420 behind 1st
11. Martin -447 behind 1st
13. Dale Jr. --
16. Casey -118 behind 13th
- Owner Points -
38. David -387 behind 35th
39. Brian -519 behind 35th
41. Michael -876 behind 35th
42. DJ -913 behind 35th
