Hello Nascar fans. Hope everyone had a great week. This is a great weekend for Hendricks Motorsports. It’s been 25 years since they start winning races and 17 of those years have been spent with Jeff Gordon. Today is the day Jeff who is a 7 time winner at Martinsville, has the opportunity to break that 46 race winless streak. Due to qualifying being rained out Jeff is finding himself on the pole today. However even during the one practice he did get to run, the Dupont Motorsports Chevrolet was fast and strong. Hopefully that will be to his advantage today. No matter what whoever wins today gets to take home that coveted grandfather clock trophy.
Well what a racing battle this was today. Denny Hamlin and Jeff Gordon were the ones to beat today until a slight slip with some 70 laps to go gave the lead and the win to Jimmy Johnson. Although Hamlin and Gordon lead the most laps on the day, it was Johnson who saw the opportunity to pass Hamlin for the lead and eventually the win today. What a great day for Hendricks Motorsports celebrating their first win 25 years ago and at Martinsville no less. How fitting that a Hendricks driver brings it to Victory Lane on this most special occasion for the hottest organization in motorsports.
As you know Gordon started on the pole today due to rain delay and some were a bit skeptical dare I say afraid that the position might mean the end of their day early on for many drivers. After all Gordon has pulled into Victory Lane some 7 times here at Martinsville. Johnson who also has a stellar record here didnt prove to be the biggest threat to Gordon’s chances to break that winless streak today but Denny Hamlin did. The #11 FedEx driver was hot on Gordon’s heels and gave him a run for his money today that’s for sure. Let’s look at how Johnson ended up doing that awesome victory burnout in front of all the fans at Martinsville.
Well with Jeff on the pole bringing the field to green, it was an uneventful start to the day. In all there would be 12 caution flags during the race and very few lead changes. Jeff was leading the race early on when Michael Waltrip spun on lap 21 bringing out the first caution of the day for contact with the wall, however Michael was on the radio telling his crew that the rear end on the car was fine and the race was back underway. Gordon was followed by Kurt Busch, Johnson, Stewart, and Bowyer and continued to lead until the competition caution required by Nascar on lap 40. At this point Dave Blaney stayed out to lead and gain the five points for leading the lap. Scott Speed also leads a lap and is in the lead as the race gets back underway a few laps later.
Speed leads the race for 9 laps and then Gordon goes below to retake the lead and its back to business for the Hendricks drivers. But it is short lived as a few laps later on lap 70 Kurt Busch goes below Speed to retake the position and spins collecting Speed and bringing out the third caution of the day. A few laps later Gordon brings the field back to green and it’s back to racing once again. Caution 4 comes out on lap 91 when Robby Gordon cuts a tire and spins out. Once again Jeff brings the field back to green and it’s back to business as usual. Robby Gordon once again brings out the caution on lap 139 when he makes contact with David Ragan leaving right side damage on Ragan’s car.
Lap 144 and once again it’s back to green flag racing and Jeff is still leading the way. Then out of nowhere comes Hamlin on lap 155 all over Gordon’s bumper and finally passes him for the lead. They line up one and two with T-Stew on Gordon’s bumper in the third position. Suddenly it has become a battle of two drivers as Hamlin leads and Jeff stays close behind alternating with Stewart between second and third. Then Stewart starts falling back and losing track position and then lap 256 Aric Almirola cuts a tire for the third time and brings out the 6th caution of the day.
It was back to green on lap 265 with Hamlin leading the way. He continues leading and trying to keep Jeff off his bumper and for a brief moment on lap 346 they switch spots for a lap and then Hamlin takes back the lead one lap later. Then lap 352 brings out a caution for debris on the track. Hamlin once again brings the field to green a few laps later as they get underway once again but not for long as a mere 8 laps later Robby Gordon once again brings out the caution flag, this time when he spins coming out of turn 4. Hamlin once again brings the field to green and it’s back to business again.
For some reason on lap 428 Mayfield cannot get onto pit road and that causes Nascar to throw out the caution for the 9th time. Coming off pit road and winning the race for the lead is Johnson. There is no turning back for Johnson now and they get back to racing with that now famously unshaven face leading the way. Then lap 447 brings caution 10 on the day when Almirola spins around in turn 3. Johnson leads the field to green once again but one lap later here comes Hamlin and he takes the lead back for a brief moment through the 11th caution of the day when David Reutimann cuts a tire and spins out. Lap 472 sees the race restart and lap 473 sees another caution, the 12th and final caution of the day when Martin Truex and Bobby Labonte get together unavoidably. A few laps later Hamlin leads the field back to green and then Johnson tries to pass Hamlin low and gets a little squirrely and checks up to remain in second momentarily then passes Hamlin for the lead and a few laps later, the victory at Martinsville.
Here is the order the top ten finished in after today’s race:
Jimmy Johnson 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet
Denny Hamlin 11 FedEx Toyota
Tony Stewart 14 Old Spice/Office Depot Chevrolet
Jeff Gordon 24 Dupont Chevrolet
Clint Bowyer 33 Cheerios Chevrolet
Ryan Newman 39 US Army Chevrolet
Mark Martin 5 Kellogg’s Chevrolet
Dale Earnhardt Jr. 88 Mt. Dew Amp/National Guard Chevrolet
AJ Allmendinger 44 Charter Dodge
Jamie McMurray 26 Irwin Tools Ford
What a remarkable day for Hendricks Motorsports all the way around. All four Hendricks drivers finished in the top ten today. That’s quite an accomplishment. I know I couldn’t be happier. So with that being said, it is on to Texas Motor Speedway next weekend. I will be here on Wednesday with a mid week report and any new facts I can find about Texas Motor Speedway. I’m pretty sure we did Texas at the end of last season. Anyway have a great week and I’ll see you back here on Wednesday Nascar fans. Have a great week.
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