TUMS Fast Relief 500 - Martinsville RESULTS

1. 14   Tony Stewart
2. 48   Jimmie Johnson
3. 24   Jeff Gordon
4. 29   Kevin Harvick
5. 11   Denny Hamlin
6. 31   Jeff Burton
7. 88   Dale Earnhardt Jr
8. 56   Martin Truex Jr
9. 99   Carl Edwards
10. 39   Ryan Newman
11. 43   A J Allmendinger
12. 13   Casey Mears
13. 78   Regan Smith
14. 22   Kurt Busch
15. 16   Greg Biffle
16. 38   Travis Kvapil
17. 2     Brad Keselowski
18. 20   Joey Logano
19. 33   Clint Bowyer
20. 00   David Reutimann
21. 32   Ken Schrader
22. 42   Juan Montoya   -3
23. 36   Dave Blaney     -3
24. 27   Paul Menard      -3
25. 4     Kasey Kahne     -5
26. 71   Hermie Sadler   -7
27. 18   Kyle Busch       -7
28. 5     Mark Martin     -9
29. 9     Marcos Ambrose   -12
30. 83   Brian Vickers    Accident
31. 17   Matt Kenseth    -23 
32. 47   Bobby Labonte -36
33. 6     David Ragan      -56
34. 34   David Gilliland      Accident
35. 1     Jamie McMurray   Accident
36. 7     Reed Sorenson       Vibration
37. 46   Scott Speed             Rear Gear
38. 30   David Stremme       Brakes          
39. 66   Michael McDowell Brakes
40. 55   J J Yeley                  Brakes
41. 87   Joe Nemechek         Rear Gear
42. 51   Landon Cassill        Brakes
43. 37   Mike Skinner          Accident 

Martinsville Test Helps Continued EFI Development

For the third time this month, Sprint Cup Series teams tested Electronic Fuel Injection on track, as 10 cars churned out laps around the .526-mile paper clip layout at Martinsville Speedway on Monday. Teams from Roush Fenway Racing, Penske Racing, Michael Waltrip Racing, Hendrick Motorsports, NEMCO Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing, Furniture Row Racing, Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing and two teams from Stewart-Haas Racing participated in the session.

Previously, teams had tested at Charlotte Motor Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway. Plans call for the full implementation of EFI in the Sprint Cup Series beginning with the 2012 season.

Tony Stewart,  winner of Sunday's TUMS Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville, said today's test was all about helping his race team get better.

"This test is big for the engine guys and also for our overall organization," said Stewart, who is second in points. "It gives them the opportunity to read the fuel maps and get a feel for the ins and outs of the EFI system. We're confident that this system will be bullet proof when we go all in with it next season. Being out here today, running laps; you do this to make your race team better."

Stewart's crew chief, Darian Grubb, said that his team came out of Monday's test "very satisfied."

"We've received a lot of data from the earlier tests and this was a good indicator on how the system might perform on a short track," said Grubb. "We're all still in a bit of a learning process with the EFI and still doing some troubleshooting, but this is an exciting move we're making in the sport."

Grubb went on to say that Stewart provides the team with "excellent feedback" on how the car is handling on the track.

"Tony has experience racing with the EFI systems in the past and with his background in IndyCar and sprint cars, he is able to provide us with a lot of valuable and insightful feedback."

A J Allmendinger drove a car for Roush Fenway Racing at the test and said that today was his first experience behind the wheel of an EFI stock car.

"It was kind of cool making laps in the EFI car after going 500 laps yesterday at this track," said Allmendinger, who finished 11th in Sunday's race. "It was pretty amazing seeing the marks on the walls and divots in the track from the race. We were able to make a few minor adjustments with our car today and all in all, it was a productive test for us."

John Darby, Sprint Cup Series director, said today's test "was just one more step in the planning process for EFI."

"Since the time we first began testing EFI in July in Kentucky, I think the teams have been able to work through just about all the configurations of race tracks and the different extremes of weather that they will see in 2012," said Darby. "At Kentucky it was brutally hot and the teams were faced with the extreme heat and this morning it was 30 degrees here at Martinsville, so they've been able to test this system under a variety of conditions."

Darby said that the feedback he has received from the drivers has been "consistently positive."

"When they have the throttle wide open, they say the car might run even a little smoother," said Darby. "When they run it mid-throttle, they say it might feel even a little softer in handling. They all say the cars are handling very similar to what they are used to driving now."

Kroger 200 - Martinsville Camping World Truck Series Results

1.  18  Denny Hamlin
2. 33  Ron Hornaday
3. 3    Austin Dillon
4. 13  Johnny Sauter
5. 22  Joey Coulter
6. 2    Kevin Harvick
7. 21  Cale Gale
8. 17  Timothy Peters
9. 62  Brendan Gaughan
10. 31  James Buescher
11. 5    Todd Bodine
12. 88  Matt Crafton
13. 8    Nelson Piquet Jr
14. 70  Jeff Agnew
15. 23  Jason White
16. 7    Miguel Paludo
17. 6    Justin Lofton
18. 9    Max Papis
19. 24  Elliott Sadler
20. 36  Grant Enfinger
21. 29  Parker Kligerman
22. 81  David Starr
23. 39  Ryan Sieg
24. 92  Clay Rogers       -1
25. 66  Max Gresham    -2
26. 09  Bryan Silas        -2
27. 60  Cole Whitt         -3
28. 51  Josh Richards    -3  
29. 57  Norm Benning   -3
30. 65  Tyler Tanner     -5
31. 97  Matt Lofton       -5
32. 32  Blake Feese       -18
33. 20  Johanna Long    -34
34. 07  T J Duke            -41
35. 4    Ricky Carmichael  Accident
36. 93  Mike Garvey      Brakes 

Hamlin gets first Truck Series win at Martinsville

By Sporting News Wire Service
October 29, 2011 5:53 PM, EDT
MARTINSVILLE, Va. -- Making excellent use of a fresh set of tires, Denny Hamlin drove through the field after a pit stop on Lap 134 and won Saturday's Kroger 200 Camping World Truck Series race at Martinsville Speedway in his only start this year.

Ron Hornaday Jr. ran second to make a small dent in the advantage on series points leader Austin Dillon, who finished third. Johnny Sauter ran fourth, followed by rookie Joey Coulter and Kevin Harvick.

The victory was Hamlin's first in the series in 12 starts, adding the driver of the No. 18 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota to the list of drivers, now 23 in number, who have won at least one race in each of NASCAR's top three series.

“

It's a big deal for me, more than what people probably think.

”

-- DENNY HAMLIN

"It's a big deal for me, more than what people probably think," said Hamlin, who has run one Truck Series race each year since 2009. "When they think we go down to these different series -- Nationwide and Truck -- and we're just going down there to try to get wins, from my standpoint, it's very, very tough.
"The Truck Series is more competitive now than what it's ever been, and it means as lot to myself to win a Truck Series race, especially running just one a year, usually. This was just one of those weekends where everything worked out great for us."
Hamlin passed Hornaday and Dillon moments after a restart on Lap 187, as Dillon slid up the race track in Turn 1 but managed to maintain control.
"We gave it to him -- I did," said Dillon, who expanded his points lead to 11 over 10th-place finisher James Buescher. "Just couldn't make the first turn and ran into Ron. If I could have made it through the first turn, it would have been me [or] Ron in Victory Lane, I'm pretty sure. We had faster trucks."
Hornaday said he expected Dillon to slip in the corner and was prepared for it.
"The lap before the [next-to-last] restart, I cleaned my tires off pretty good, and I still shoved my nose pretty good," said Hornaday, who gained one point on Dillon and now is tied for third in the standings with Sauter, 15 points back. "When I saw Austin not weaving his truck as much as I did on the [last] restart, I knew he was coming up into me.
"I had to make sure his right front tire was at my door, and I could lean on him back a little bit, so we didn't get up in the marbles. It worked out for both of us, other than Denny Hamlin snuck through the middle of both of us and stole the win -- but we'll take it."
Dillon passed Harvick for the lead on Lap 141 shortly after a restart that followed the sixth caution of the race, caused by contact between Germain Racing teammates Todd Bodine and Max Papis, who battled until Papis spun off Bodine's front bumper.
After Papis spun again to bring out the seventh caution, Dillon led the field to the green flag for a restart on Lap 152 and held the top spot until Ryan Sieg's spin on Lap 172 caused caution No. 8. Moments before the yellow flew, Hornaday passed Harvick for second, setting up a battle between a four-time champion (Hornaday) and a driver seeking his first title (Dillon).
When the field restarted on Lap 179, Dillon and Hornaday held the top two spots, chased by Hamlin and Sauter, both on fresher tires. One caution later, Hamlin powered beneath both Hornaday and Dillon on a Lap 187 restart and pulled away for the win.

Kroger 200 - Martinsville Camping World Truck Series Starting Lineup

1. 88  Matt Crafton
2. 33  Ron Hornaday
3. 18  Denny Hamlin
4. 13  Johnny Sauter
5. 31  James Buescher
6. 2    Kevin Harvick
7. 5    Todd Bodine
8. 6    Justin Lofton
9. 17  Timothy Peters
10. 3    Austin Dillon
11. 7    Miguel Paludo
12. 22  Joey Coulter
13. 21  Cale Gale
14. 24  Elliott Sadler
15. 9    Max Papis
16. 29  Parker Kligerman
17. 39  Ryan Sieg
18. 8    Nelson Piquet Jr
19. 60  Cole WHitt
20. 92  Clay Rogers
21. 70  Jeff Agnew
22. 8    David Starr
23. 4    Ricky Carmichael
24. 66  Max Grisham
25. 51  Josh Richards
26. 23  Jason White
27. 97  Matt Lofton
28. 62  Brendan Gaughan
29. 36  Grant Enfinger
30. 20  Johanna Long
31. 65  Tyler Tanner
32. 07  T J Duke
33. 57  Norm Benning
34. 32  Brian Feese
35. 93  Mike Garvey
36. 09  Bryan Silas

Missing the field after a spin on her first qualifying lap and having to turn around and start over is the #10 truck of Jennifer Jo Cobb and the #99 truck of Charles Vest.

Kroger 200 - Martinsville Camping World Truck Series Qualifying Order

1. 93  Mike Garvey
2. 10  Jennifer Jo Cobb
3. 99  Charles Vest
4. 09  Bryan Silas
5. 65  Tyler Tanner
6. 20  Johanna Long
7. 57  Norm Benning
8. 36  Grant Enfinger
9. 51  Josh Richards
10. 97  Matt Logton
11. 21  Cale Gale
12. 07  T J Duke
13. 32  Blake Feese
14. 66  Max Gresham
15. 81  David Starr
16. 23  Jason White
17. 70  Jeff Agnew
18. 4    Ricky Carmichael
19. 92  Clay Rogers
20. 8    Nelson Piquet Jr
21. 39  Ryan Sieg
22. 7    Miguel Paludo
23. 24  Elliott Sadler
24. 3    Austin Dillon
25. 9    Max Papis
26. 22  Joey Coulter
27. 6    Justin Lofton
28. 17  Timothy Peters
29. 31  James Buescher
30. 62  Brendan Gaughan
31. 29  Parker Klingerman
32. 13  Johnny Sauter
33. 60  Cole Whitt
34. 5    Todd Bodine
35. 88  Matt Crafton
36. 2    Kevin Harvick
37. 18  Denny Hamlin
38. 33 Ron Hornaday

The field will be 36 trucks, with 2 trucks not making the field.

Tum's Fast Relief 500 - Martinsville Lineup

1. 99  Carl Edwards
2. 17  Matt Kenseth
3. 2    Brad Keselowski
4. 14  Tony Stewart
5. 29  Kevin Harvick
6. 18  Kyle Busch
7. 48  Jimmie Johnson
8. 22  Kurt Busch
9. 88  Dale Earnhardt Jr
10. 24  Jeff Gordon
11. 11  Denny Hamlin
12. 39  Ryan Newman
13. 33  Clunt Bowyer
14. 4    Kasey Kahne
15. 16  Greg Biffle
16. 43  A J Allmendinger
17. 9    Marcos Ambrose
18. 6    David Ragan
19. 5    Mark Martin
20. 42  Juan Montoya
21. 27  Paul Menard
22. 20  Joey Logano
23. 31  Jeff Burton
24. 56  Martin Truex Jr
25. 83  Brian Vickers
26. 78  Regan Smith
27. 1    Jamie McMurray
28. 00  David Reutimann
29. 47  Bobby Labonte
30. 51  Landon Cassill
31. 34  David Gilliland
32. 36  Dave Blaney
33. 13  Casey Mears
34. 32  Ken Schrader
35. 38  Travis Kvapil
36. 71  Hermie Sadler
37. 7    Reed Sorenson
38. 37  Mike Skinner
39. 46  Scott Speed
40. 66  Michael McDowell
41. 87  Joe Nemechek
42. 30  David Stremme
43. 55  J J Yeley

Qualifying was rained out and starting positions were set based on point standings.  There were two cars not making the field, they were the #92 of Dennis Setzer and #75 of Derrike Cope.

Hamlin To Drive KBM Truck At Martinsville

If you can't get enough Denny Hamlin, you're in luck this weekend at Martinsville.  He will pilot the #18 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota/Traxxas Toyota Tundra in the Kroger 200.  You can watch him practice Friday, Oct. 28th at 2 PM on SPEED.  Catch Qualifying Saturday, Oct. 29th at 10:30 AM on SPEED.

Don't miss the excitement of short track action live from Martinsville.  The Kroger 200 will air @ 2 PM on SPEED.  Don't miss a single lap and be sure to cheer for the Denny and his team owner, Kyle Busch.  Busch has been dominant in the Truck Series and no doubt his fill-in will continue his success.


Are you a REAL Denny Hamlin fan? Well check out some great Facebook Fan Pages. 
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Denny-Hamlin-Supporters/113893705360015 for Denny Hamlin Supporters 

AND http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Denny-Hamlins-Biggest-Fans/123416011012467 for Denny Hamlin's Biggest Fans.

 Both are very interactive and fun.  Let's support fellow Denny Hamlin fans and their love of NASCAR's greatest wheel man!

Thank You!

Mama would be so proud of you Denny....She knows how much I loved you! She'd be so proud to know you made me happy. Congratulations on your Martinsville win. You are my Champion!!!

Hamlin Frustrated, But Keeps Focus

This is the perfect example of the new "big picture" Denny Hamlin.

Instead of seething in anger over becoming a victim of Jimmie Johnson's late-race bump-and-run and denied his first Sprint Cup Series of the season in Sunday's race at Martinsville Speedway, Hamlin realized there were other concerns.

"We still got a solid finish. Sure, it's disappointing," Hamlin said after the Goody's 500. "We're not going to win the championship this weekend. We're going to win the championship later this season.

"We know we have a great package. This is a Chase race (in the fall), so I'm happy about that. But we have to make sure we're in position first - in the top 12."

There is good and bad to be found in Hamlin's performance the last two weeks.

He's run good enough to win and come up short, but his consecutive second-place finishes have entrenched him in the top 12. He moved up three spots Sunday and sits fifth in points, 148 behind leader Jeff Gordon.

"To come to two straight short tracks and be in contention to win both races, it's uplifting," Hamlin said. "We didn't win, but you can't help that things don't always fall your way."

Hamlin's day could have been much worse.

His Joe Gibbs Racing teammates, Kyle Busch and Joey Logano, both experienced tire problems brought on by excessive brake heat. Busch finished 24th and Logano 32nd.

And in previous seasons, Hamlin may have become irate after a move like Johnson's late in the race and not remained as focused.

"Today we could have easily ended up 25th. Denny didn't let that happen," said his crew chief, Mike Ford. "In hindsight, that's experience, and that's experience that Denny's gaining and wisdom along with that."

Ford said Hamlin's No. 11 Toyota didn't have any of the brake heating issues his teammates fought through on Sunday.

"It goes back to last year. They both had the same thing and worked really hard to keep the temperature out of the (tire) bead," he said. "But you saw that a lot today.

"Denny is very easy on brakes. This is not even close to our hardest braking track. We were aware of the problem, but it didn't come into play for us."

Hamlin, FedEx Racing Nosed Out in Martinsville, Finish Second

Denny Hamlin and the #11 FedEx Racing team did everything a defending race champion should do in an effort to defend a crown – leading a race-high 296 laps and putting in a near perfect race on Sunday afternoon at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. Hamlin regained the lead on a lap 456 restart, ducking underneath Jimmie Johnson and then holding the point through two field-tightening cautions. With Johnson on his bumper, it came as no surprise to Hamlin when he received a lap-485 nudge from the #48 that sent the #11 FedEx Freight Camry up the slight banking and allowed Johnson to sneak underneath. Despite gathering the car up, the remaining laps didn’t provide Hamlin the opportunity to repay the favor and he brought the #11 FedEx Freight Camry home in second place for the second-consecutive weekend.

For Hamlin, the second-place finish was bittersweet but the Virginia native knew that if the tables had been turned he would have approached his competition in a very similar way.

“I’m honored to be on the race track with guys like Jimmie (Johnson) and Jeff (Gordon) and Tony (Stewart),” said Hamlin. “Those are the guys who are the best in the business. We came up short. That was short-track racing. I would’ve done the same thing to him, and if it comes back around, I will do the same. It’s just the way it is. In Martinsville, you have to battle for every inch, and I was trying to protect a spot, and he was trying to get it at the end of the race. That’s the way it goes.”

Johnson claimed his sixth win at Martinsville while Hamlin, Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon and Clint Bowyer filled out the top five. Hamlin’s Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch and Joey Logano finished 24th and 32nd respectively.

Hamlin’s second place finish sees him jump from eighth to fifth in the Sprint Cup standings on the heels of two strong weeks for the short track expert. Jeff Gordon maintains his lead at the top of the chart.

“We’re not going to win the championship this weekend. We’re going to have to win the championship later on in the season. We know we have a great package now. This is a ‘Chase’ race, so I’m happy about that. We have to make sure we’re in position first. We have to make sure we’re in the top-12 and our whole FedEx team is doing all it can to provide me good cars. To come to our first two short tracks and to be in contention to win both races – it’s uplifting. Things don’t always fall our way, and today, they didn’t. I was in a vulnerable spot. I let him get too close, and when he did get close, he took the first opportunity he could to get to us, and I would’ve done the same exact thing.”

Armed with a good car, but stuck four rows deep for the start after Friday’s qualifying session was lost to rain, Hamlin wasted little time charging forward – knowing it was very important to clear as much traffic as possible. Despite starting on the outside and having to wait patiently for his chance to pull down, Hamlin had gained the seventh spot by the time the first caution flew on lap 19. Immediately following the restart he passed David Ruetimann and then Clint Bowyer to claim a spot in the top five before NASCAR called a competition caution on lap 40.

Crew Chief Mike Ford called for four tires, fuel and a slight air pressure adjustment and the #11 crew obliged, getting Hamlin out quickly to restart sixth on lap 46. As the leaders cleared two lapped cars, Hamlin caught Johnson on lap 48 and held the spot behind Gordon and Kurt Busch until the caution flew again on lap 69.Hamlin held the third spot through a caution on lap 70 and then moved past Kurt Busch for second place on lap 99. He then went about cutting into Gordon’s 1.5-second lead, shaving it to one second by lap 129 and then pulling up to the bumper of the #24 Chevrolet by lap 133.

A caution on lap 139 brought the leaders to pit road and Ford again called for four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment in hopes of giving Hamlin more grip on exit. Hamlin restarted second on lap 144 and slid inside of the #24 on 156 to take the lead for the first time. As Hamlin held the point, a handful of cars – including his JGR teammates found the outside wall in turn two – but the race stayed green and Hamlin opened up a nearly two-second lead over Gordon with Edwards, Earnhardt Jr. and Stewart rounding out the top five. Hamlin pitted from the lead under caution and the FedEx crew worked quick to send him out in first on lap 263.

The ensuing green-flag run featured some of the best racing of the afternoon as Gordon caught Hamlin on lap 340 and moved past the #11 to claim the lead on lap 343. The two raced side by side for six laps before Hamlin reclaimed the point just before the caution flew on lap 352.

Ford called Hamlin in for tires, fuel and a track bar adjustment and the team again had Hamlin out to lead the field to the green flag on lap 359. Gordon mounted another charge, catching Hamlin on lap 400 but the reigning race winner again held his own and kept the #11 up front until the caution flew on lap 427. On pit road again, a blazing-fast stop by the #48 team proved to be the difference as Johnson was the first car off of pit road with Hamlin in second. Hamlin would hold that spot through another caution, then provide his home-state fans with the move of the race, diving inside of Johnson on the restart to claim the lead on lap 456.

With the opportunity to pull away and win a second grandfather clock seemingly in his grasp, Hamlin was twice stung by cautions that brought Johnson back within striking distance.

Following the last restart on lap 477, Johnson moved the #48 into position and made just enough contact to grab the lead and the win.

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series continues next weekend when the teams head back to the big tracks and the 1.5-mile Texas Motor Speedway.

Hamlin's Calm Post-Race Attitude Shows Maturation

Watch Denny Hamlin's post-race interview following his second place finish in the Goody's Fast Pain Relief 500 ~ Martinsville.
http://i2.cdn.turner.com/nascar/video/cup/2009/03/29/cup.mar.presspass.hamlin.145x93.jpg


When the Goody's Fast Pain Relief 500 ended Sunday at Martinsville Speedway, there was still plenty of daylight left.

But that didn't mean some post-race fireworks weren't expected. Reporters and television cameramen rushed to the side of Denny Hamlin's No. 11 Toyota as it pulled onto pit road after finishing second -- again -- to race winner Jimmie Johnson, figuring Hamlin had to be hot over how Johnson had moved him out of the way to take the lead for good on Lap 485, just 15 circuits from the finish at the demanding .526-mile short track.

Hamlin climbed from the car, accepted a cold drink and a towel, wiped his face ... and actually smiled. Then he individually thanked each crew member in sight, exchanged a few calm words with crew chief Mike Ford, and turned to face the media.

He was, all in all, surprisingly calm and composed for a man who just led a race-high 296 laps and for the second consecutive week fell just short of being the guy celebrating wildly in Victory Lane.

"I'm honored to be on the race track with guys like Jimmie and Jeff [Gordon] and Tony [Stewart]," Hamlin said. "Those are the guys who are the best in the business.

"We came up short. That was short-track racing. I would've done the same thing to [Johnson] -- and if it comes back around, I will do the same. You can count on that. That's just the way it is. In Martinsville, you have to battle for every inch. I was trying to protect a spot, and he was trying to get it at the end of the race. That's just the way it goes."

“I had to nudge a lot of guys to get around them at points during the race. So it's hard for me to fault [Johnson] for what he did.” DENNY HAMLIN

Consistency rules
Hamlin has -- for better or worse -- become accustomed to running up front but rarely winning races. Last year he finished third a remarkable eight times. His only win came precisely one year ago Sunday in the 2008 spring race at Martinsville, and was the fourth of a Cup career that is only now beginning to emerge from its infancy in his fourth full season.

Hamlin admitted that he hungered for the victory Sunday, especially after coming close again a week earlier while finishing second to teammate Kyle Busch at Bristol. But it was, alas, apparently not meant to be.

Ford, Hamlin's veteran crew chief, said he had no problem with the way Johnson nudged his driver out of the way during his latest trip to Victory Lane [it was Johnson's fifth win in the last six races at Martinsville].

"It's short-track racing. If you look at our car, the nose is beat off it just as bad as the back bumper. What goes around comes around," Ford said. "It came down to that was Jimmie's last shot. It got narrow down there on the bottom of the race track, and it just worked out that way. I'm sure if the roles were reversed, it would be the same story in reverse.

"We did what we had to do. We put a good race car out there, and Denny drove a good race. We had a shot to win, it just didn't pan out."

What Ford does have a problem with is all the questions about his No. 11 team falling just short of getting to Victory Lane. He particularly bristles at comparisons to the No. 18 team at Joe Gibbs Racing, a car driven by Busch that had a tough day Sunday at Martinsville, finishing 24th, but had won two of the previous three Sprint Cup Series races and has piled up 10 Cup wins over the last two seasons.

What will it take, he was asked, for Hamlin to start racking up victories with frequency akin to that of Busch?

"I'm about tired of fielding that question," Ford said. "If you look at it, it seems like people think we've had bad years or something. We haven't. We've made the Chase the last three years. Only a handful of guys can say that. Tony Stewart can't say it; Dale Earnhardt Jr can't say that. There are a lot of guys who can't say they've been as consistent as we've been the last three years.

"Guys win championships without winning races. It can be done. The thing about this team is that we're consistent. There aren't many race tracks that we go to where we aren't competitive. We're a little bit stronger on the short tracks, but the intermediates are coming around.

Everyone's package is a little bit different. A lot of guys can go out and win a bunch of races, but they fall on their faces about as much as they win. We're a little bit more even-keeled. We may not have the race wins under our belt, but the last two weeks I think we've shown that we're even close to doing that."

A new Denny?
Hamlin's calm demeanor after what happened Sunday actually bodes well for the future, in Ford's opinion. It is, it seems, a new and better Denny -- more mature and better able to handle setbacks while keeping his focus solidly in the positive lane and on the future.

"I think if you look back at the last couple of Chases, we start off and we get into a couple of accidents. You look back to last year and a day like [Sunday], and we very easily could have ended up 25th," Ford said. "I think you look at that and you have to say that that's experience that Denny has picked up, and maybe a little wisdom along with it."

So the folks from the No. 11 team chose to look at the silver lining in the gathering gray skies late Sunday afternoon at Martinsville. And there were no post-race fireworks from Hamlin, who certainly has been volatile and vocal in the past when races did not go his way toward the end.

Those who expected him to be furious with Johnson for the contact that was made on Johnson's final pass were left more disappointed than Hamlin was. Well, not quite. But almost.

"It was a great race," Hamlin said of Sunday's event. "I battled with the 24 [Gordon] the same way earlier in the day. I had to nudge a lot of guys to get around them at points during the race. So it's hard for me to fault [Johnson] for what he did.

"With 20 to go, that's part of racing. It really is. It's short-track racing at its best."

The end result, and Hamlin's reaction to it, left one thinking that Hamlin's best is still in front of him. After all, he's only 28 years old, and he seems to be building toward a day when he won't be left behind so often on pit road explaining why he was good, but not quite good enough to get to Victory Lane.

"Everyone's formula is a little bit different," Ford said. "Everybody's strategy is a little bit different. And everyone's results at the end of the day are a little bit different. This is our package. We're working to get better at it. We don't want to get in a situation where we win every once in a while. We want to get to a situation where we're winning consistently."

It could happen. Hamlin is getting closer, not just on the track but in his own head. Once the mind is right, the victories shouldn't be too far behind.

Sprint Cup Point Standings - As of Goody's Fast Pain Relief 500 - Martinsville

The Unofficial Point Standings as of Martinsville

~Race 6 of 36~

1. (--) Jeff Gordon 959 Leader
2. (+1) Clint Bowyer 870 -89
3. (-1) Kurt Busch 827 -132
4. (+5) Jimmie Johnson 817 -142
5. (+3) Denny Hamlin 811 -148
6. (-2) Kyle Busch 800 -159
7. (--) Tony Stewart 798 -161
8. (-3) Carl Edwards 750 -209
9. (-3) Kasey Kahne 745 -214
10. (+2) Kevin Harvick 714 -245
11. (--) David Reutimann 710 -249
12. (-2) Matt Kenseth 704 -255
13. (--) Jeff Burton 697 -262
14. (+1) Juan Montoya 673 -286
15. (+1) AJ Allmendinger 670 -289
16. (+3) Dale Earnhardt Jr 660 -299
17. (+4) Michael Waltrip 630 -329
18. (+9) Ryan Newman 625 -334
19. (+4) Bobby Labonte 620 -339
20. (-6) Brian Vickers 617 -342
21. (+3) Marcos Ambrose 616 -343
22. (+6) Jamie McMurray 609 -350
23. (-5) Greg Biffle 605 -354
24. (-7) Elliott Sadler 600 -359
25. (-3) David Stremme 599 -360
26. (-1) Casey Mears 588 -371
27. (+4) Mark Martin 587 -372
28. (-8) Martin Truex Jr 584 -375
29. (-3) David Ragan 569 -390
30. (-1) Reed Sorenson 569 -390
31. (--) Robby Gordon 485 -474
32. (--Sam Hornish Jr 459 -500
33. (--) John Andretti 455 -504
34. (--) Joey Logano 427 -522
35. (+3) Paul Menard 414 -545
36. (--) Aric Almirola 387 -572
37. (--) David Gilliland 386 -573
38. (-3) Scott Speed 386 -573
39. (--) Travis Kvapil 295 -667
40. (+3) Scott Riggs 216 -743
41. (-1) Regan Smith 206 -753
42. (-1) Joe Nemechek 205 -754
43. (+2) Jeremy Mayfield 158 -801
44. (--) Dave Blaney 153 -801
45. (-3) Bill Elliott 149 -810
46. (+1) Todd Bodine 123 -836
47. (+1) Terry Labonte 91 -868
48. (--) Max Papis 55 -904
49. (--) Brad Keselowski 49 -910
50. (--) Sterling Marlin 43 -916
51. (--) Mike Bliss 34 -925

Goody's Fast Pain Relief 500 - Martinsville - Results

The Unofficial Results of the Goody's Fast Pain Relief 500 - Martinsville
~Race 6 of 36~

1. 48 Jimmie Johnson
2. 11 Denny Hamlin
3. 14 Tony Stewart
4. 24 Jeff Gordon
5. 33 Clint Bowyer
6. 39 Ryan Newman
7. 5 Mark Martin
8. 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr
9. 44 AJ Allmendinger
10. 26 Jamie McMurray
11. 29 Kevin Harvick
12. 42 Juan Montoya
13. 55 Michael Waltrip
14. 47 Marcos Ambrose
15. 31 Jeff Burton
16. 96 Bobby Labonte
17. 43 Reed Sorenson
18. 2 Kurt Busch
19. 9 Kasey Kahne
20. 00 David Reutimann - 1
21. 07 Casey Mears - 1
22. 12 David Stremme - 1
23. 17 Matt Kenseth - 1
24. 18 Kyle Busch - 2
25. 98 Paul Menard - 2
26. 99 Carl Edwards - 2
27. 6 David Ragan - 2
28. 16 Greg Biffle - 2
29. 1 Martin Truex - 2
30. 36 Scott Riggs - 3
31. 19 Elliott Sadler - 3
32. 20 Joey Logano - 4
33. 83 Brian Vickers - 4
34. 77 Sam Hornish Jr - 4
35. 34 John Andretti - 4
36. 71 David Gilliland - 8
37. 8 Aric Almirola - 10
38. 41 Jeremy Mayfield - 59
39. 82 Scott Speed - 76
40. 7 Robby Gordon Engine
41. 87 Joe Nemechek Brakes
42. 66 Dave Blaney Rear End
43. 64 Todd Bodine Engine

Goody's Fast Pain Relief 500 - Martinsville - Lineup

Qualifying for the Goody's Fast Pain Relief 500 - Martinsville - was rained out and the field was set according to Sprint Cup Points.

1. 24 Jeff Gordon
2. 2 Kurt Busch
3. 33 Clint Bowyer
4. 18 Kyle Busch
5. 99 Carl Edwards
6. 9 Kasey Kahne
7. 14 Tony Stewart
8. 11 Denny Hamlin
9. 48 Jimmie Johnson
10. 17 Matt Kenseth
11. 00 David Reutimann
12. 29 Kevin Harvick
13. 31 Jeff Burton
14. 83 Brian Vickers
15. 42 Juan Montoya
16. 44 AJ Allmendinger
17. 19 Elliott Sadler
18. 16 Greg Biffle
19. 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr
20. 1 Martin Truex Jr
21. 55 Michael Waltrip
22. 12 David Stremme
23. 96 Bobby Labonte
24. 47 Marcos Ambrose
25. 07 Casey Mears
26. 6 David Ragan
27. 39 Ryan Newman
28. 26 Jamie McMurray
29. 43 Reed Sorenson
30. 7 Robby Gordon
31. 5 Mark Martin
32. 77 Sam Hornish Jr
33. 34 John Andretti
34. 20 Joey Logano
35. 71 David Gilliland
36. 82 Scott Speed
37. 8 Aric Almirola
38. 98 Paul Menard
39. 66 Dave Blaney
40. 36 Scott Riggs
41. 87 Joe Nemechek
42. 41 Jeremy Mayfield
43. 64 Todd Bodine

Did Not Qualify

09 Sterling Marlin

37 Tony Raines

46 Dennis Setzer

75 Derrike Cope

Goody's Fast Pain Relief 500 - Martinsville - Qualifying Order

Qualifying order for the Goody's Fast Pain Relief 500 - Martinsville

~Race 6 of 36~

1. 55 Michael Waltrip
2. 34 John Andretti
3. 07 Casey Mears
4. 18 Kyle Busch
5. 6 David Ragan
6. 16 Greg Biffle
7. 43 Reed Sorenson
8. 5 Mark Martin
9. 26 Jamie McMurray
10. 29 Kevin Harvick
11. 83 Brian Vickers
12. 47 Marcos Ambrose
13. 24 Jeff Gordon
14. 42 Juan Montoya
15. 44 AJ Allmendinger
16. 17 Matt Kenseth
17. 99 Carl Edwards
18. 00 David Reutimann
19. 11 Denny Hamlin
20. 77 Sam Hornish Jr
21. 1 Martin Truex Jr
22. 12 David Stremme
23. 9 Kasey Kahne
24. 48 Jimmie Johnson
25. 31 Jeff Burton
26. 7 Robby Gordon
27. 33 Clint Bowyer
28. 96 Bobby Labonte
29. 19 Elliott Sadler
30. 20 Joey Logano
31. 71 David Gilliland
32. 14 Tony Stewart
33. 39 Ryan Newman
34. 2 Kurt Busch
35. 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr
36. 36 Scott Riggs
37. 37 Tony Raines
38. 98 Paul Menard
39. 41 Jeremy Mayfield
40. 09 Sterling Marlin
41. 64 Todd Bodine
42. 87 Joe Nemechek
43. 82 Scott Speed
44. 75 Derrike Cope
45. 46 Dennis Setzer
46. 8 Aric Almirola
47. 66 Dave Blaney

Goody's Fast Pain Relief 500 - Martinsville - Tune In Schedule

Sprint Cup Practice - Friday March 27 ~ NOON SPEED

Sprint Cup Qualifying - Friday March 27 ~ 3:30 PM SPEED

Sprint Cup Practice - Saturday March 28 ~ 10:30 AM & 11:50 AM SPEED

Goody's Fast Pain Relief 500 - Martinsville, VA ~ 1:30 PM FOX

A Short Track That's Not Big On Surprises

~Fantasy Report~

The foothills of Southern Virginia provide the backdrop for this week's Sprint Cup Series race. Martinsville Speedway is a continuation of the short-track racing on which NASCAR was built. The relatively flat oval produces lots of contact and single-groove racing that is the trademark of bullring racing.

Typically, the cars and drivers both take a pounding for the 500-lap event and it's often a battle of attrition that crowns the winner of this race. Those drivers that succeed at Martinsville have a penchant for this style of racing and every season we expect to see these same drivers at the front of the pack.

We'll take a close look at all the factors for Martinsville in order to give you a select list of drivers for this punishing short track. The following is our weekly power ranking for the Goody's Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville (1:30 p.m. ET Sunday on FOX).

Top Fantasy Racing Drivers for Martinsville

1. Jimmie Johnson: While Johnson typically struggles at the short track of Bristol, Martinsville is a completely different story for the three-time champion. He's won four of the past six races there and has finished in the top five in each of those starts. Only teammate Jeff Gordon qualifies better at Martinsville, so you could say Johnson is the complete package at this facility.

2. Jeff Gordon: Gordon hasn't visited Victory Lane recently at Martinsville, but he has been incredibly consistent. He has two poles and six consecutive top-fives at the short track since his last victory there in 2005. Gordon is making a push to get back to Victory Lane at Martinsville and this could be the weekend where it all falls into place.

3. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin climbs our list to No. 3 this week with his stellar record at Martinsville. He's a one-time pole winner and one-time race winner there. The No. 11 team has finished outside the top 10 only once in Hamlin's seven career starts at the small oval.

4. Tony Stewart: Smoke is another driver who's climbing the list this week. His brilliant start to this season combined with his strong history at Martinsville makes him a dependable fantasy racing play on Sunday. Stewart owns three career poles and two wins at Martinsville, and he finished fifth in this event one year ago for his former boss, Joe Gibbs.

5. Dale Earnhardt Jr: The short track part of the schedule is a good time for the inconsistent No. 88 team to get things together. Earnhardt has been looking for anything positive from which to build, and his top-15 run at Bristol last week could go a long way toward a good finish this week at Martinsville, as well. He has led more than 300 laps in his past four visits to the Virginia short track and he's collected top-10s in three of those appearances.

6. Kevin Harvick: While Harvick is probably better at Bristol, he's still pretty good at the tight confines of Martinsville, as well. He has qualified in the top 10 in three of the past four races at the facility and he finishes in the top 10, too. Harvick has four top 10s in his past six Martinsville races. While he's not likely to win, he does make a wise fantasy racing play on Sunday.

7. Kyle Busch: Busch slides down our list to the seventh spot for this week's race. The Joe Gibbs Racing phenom is dangerous at any track, but Martinsville has been anything but lucky for the young driver. Busch had a pair of disastrous races at Martinsville last season and that snapped a streak of four top-10s in his prior five starts at the short track. We expect him to rebound this weekend, but use caution in deploying Busch at Martinsville.

8. Clint Bowyer: Steady and unspectacular are two good ways to describe Bowyer's skills at Martinsville. He's never led a lap there, but he's managed to build a three-race top-10 streak there entering this weekend's event. Bowyer's name always comes to mind when we come to the short tracks, and this weekend is no exception.

9. Carl Edwards: Edwards has only just begun to figure out Martinsville. The Roush Fenway Racing ace started his career with no top-10s in his first seven races at the speedway. However, 2008 was a much different story for Edwards at the small oval. He collected a pair of top-10 finishes and a career-best, third-place finish there this past October. We expect more improvement this weekend.

10. Juan Montoya: Montoya is the sneaky safe play this Sunday. Amazingly, the IRL convert has really taken to the short track of Martinsville during his brief stock-car racing career. Montoya brings a streak of three consecutive top-15s at Martinsville into this weekend's race. He also will likely be driving his best race car ever at the facility with his new Earnhardt Ganassi Chevrolet.

Goody's Fast Pain Relief 500 - Martinsville - Entry List

The official entry list for the Goody's Fast Pain Relief 500 - Martinsville
~Race 6 of 36~

00 David Reutimann - Aaron's Dream Machine - Toyota
1 Martin Truex Jr - Bass Pro Shops / Tracker - Chevrolet
2 Kurt Busch - Miller Lite - Dodge
5 Mark Martin - Carquest / Kelloggs - Chevrolet
6 David Ragan - UPS - Ford
7 Robby Gordon - Robby Gordon Motorsports - Toyota
8 Aric Almirola - Guitar Hero - Chevrolet
9 Kasey Kahne - Budweiser - Dodge
11 Denny Hamlin - Fed Ex Freight - Toyota
12 David Stremme - Penske Racing - Dodge
14 Tony Stewart - Old Spice / Office Depot - Chevrolet
16 Greg Biffle - 3m - Ford
17 Matt Kenseth - DeWalt - Ford
18 Kyle Busch - M & Ms - Toyota
19 Elliott Sadler - Stanley Tools - Dodge
24 Jeff Gordon - DuPont - Chevrolet
26 Jamie McMurray - Irwin Industrial Tools - Ford
29 Kevin Harvick - Shell / Pennzoil - Chevrolet
31 Jeff Burton - Caterpillar - Chevrolet
33 Clint Bowyer - BB&T - Chevrolet
34 John Andretti - Taco Bell - Chevrolet
36 Scott Riggs - Tommy Baldwin Racing - Toyota
37 Tony Raines - Long John Silver's - Chevrolet
39 Ryan Newman - US Army - Chevrolet
41 Jeremy Mayfield - All Sport - Toyota
42 Juan Montoya - Target - Chevrolet
43 Reed Sorenson - Charter Communications - Chevrolet
44 AJ Allmendinger - Charter Communications - Chevrolet
47 Marcos Ambrose - Little Debbie / Kingsford / Clorox
48 Jimmie Johnson - Lowes - Chevrolet
55 Michael Waltrip - NAPA - Toyota
64 Todd Bodine - Larry Gunselman Motorsports - Toyota
66 Dave Blaney - Prism Motorsports - Toyota
73 Mike Garvey - Quality Concrete / Jani-King - Dodge
77 Sam Hornish Jr - Mobil 1 - Dodge
82 Scott Speed - Red Bull - Toyota
83 Brian Vickers - Red Bull - Toyota
88 Dale Earnhardt Jr - National Guard / Amp Energy - Chevrolet
96 Bobby Labonte - Ask.com - Ford
98 Paul Menard - Energizer / Menards - Ford
99 Carl Edwards - Aflac - Ford
146 Dennis Setzer - Romeo Guest Construction - Dodge
171 David Gilliland - TRG Motorsports - Chevrolet
175 Derrike Cope - FW1 Top Secret Wax/ Blu Frog Energy Drink - Dodge
187 Joe Nemechek - NEMCO Motorsports - Toyota

Fed Ex Racing Express Facts - Martinsville

RACE INFO:
Event: Goody’s Fast Pain Relief 500
Date/Time: March 29, 2009/2 p.m.
2008 winner: Denny Hamlin
2008 pole winner: Jeff Gordon
Distance: 500 laps/263miles
Track Length: .526 miles
Banking: 12 degrees
Track Shape: Oval

EXPRESS NOTES:
Hamlin, FedEx Racing Team Storm to Second at Bristol: Denny Hamlin and the #11 FedEx Racing team turned in a great performance last weekend at Bristol, charging forward from a starting position of 24th to battle for the lead and ultimately claim second place on the day.

Hamlin took the lead on lap 317 and held the point for seven laps before surrendering the lead under caution. Despite restarting second for the green-white-checkered finish, he couldn’t reach the bumper of his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate and eventual winner, Kyle Busch. The result continued Hamlin’s string of good runs at Bristol as well as giving the #11 team their best result of the still-young 2009 season. Hamlin climbs from 14th to eighth in the NASCAR Sprint Cup standings through six races.

Hamlin at Martinsville:
This weekend will mark Hamlin’s eighth career Sprint Cup start at Martinsville Speedway.

Hamlin returns to Martinsville as the defending champion of the spring race at the famous paperclip. In March of 2008 Hamlin led 82 laps and held off a furious charge from Jeff Gordon to claim his sole win of the season and the fourth win of his Cup career. In the fall of 2008, Hamlin and the #11 team fought handling issues but managed an impressive fifth-place finish. In 2007, Hamlin sat on the pole for the spring race and led 125 laps before taking third place and then posted a sixth place finish in the 2007 Chase race. Hamlin has only finished out of the top-10 once at Martinsville – a 41st place finish in the spring event in 2006 – which supports the fact that Hamlin’s short track performance has been a point of consistency in his Sprint Cup career.

That is especially true at Martinsville, a place where Hamlin has raced Late Models as recently as 2003.

Charlotte FedEx Freight Service Center “Along for the Ride” in Martinsville :The #11 FedEx Freight Camry will feature “CLT” on the wing caps this weekend at Martinsville Speedway to recognize the Charlotte Service Center as the winners of the 2008 Diversity Week Grand Prize. The prize rewards participation, creativity and cooperation among employees.

MARTINSVILLE CHASSIS – JGR 238 & 214: JGR 238 will carry the FedEx Freight paint this weekend at Martinsville. This is the first ever race for this chassis. JGR 214 will serve as the backup this weekend. This car has made four previous Cup starts, posting top-ten finishes in 2008 (New Hampshire and Martinsville)

HAMLIN CONVERSATION – MARTINSVILLE:
Talk about returning to Martinsville: “Martinsville is special for me for a lot of reasons. The experience of winning a Cup race here, at a Virginia track where I raced Late Models a few years ago, and in front of great racing fans and my family, was something I will never forget. And to have a Martinsville clock sitting in my home that I see everyday – it reminds me of that day and also how much went into getting to that point. I remember racing here in Late Models, in the big fall events, and thinking then what a big deal it was to be here at a famous track, getting to do what I loved which was race cars. So to go there in a Cup car, win a pole a few years back and then get a win there last Spring was something that was hard to imagine even just a few years. Don’t get me wrong, it was what I always wanted and was working for but you can’t expect things to work out like they did. This is a great track – one of my favorites - with a ton of history and a special style of racing. I think it’s where I am at my best and I know the entire #11 FedEx team circles the Martinsville races on the calendar.”

It’s been one year since you’ve won in the Cup series – does that frustrate or motivate you? – “I think it’s a little of both. We almost had a win last weekend at Bristol so we feel like we are edging closer to where we want to be but to go a year without a win isn’t where we want to be. It would be one thing if we weren’t close but there have been several times in the past year where I know we had the car capable of winning and for whatever reason it just didn’t happen. So, while that gives you confidence in yourself and in the equipment, those missed opportunities start to wear on you and on the entire team. Everyone on this FedEx team puts a lot of time and effort into winning races and nothing is better than when it all works out. I am hoping that this is the weekend where we get our next win and that we can put together a good string of races – challenge for wins throughout the season - and move closer to the goal of challenging for a championship.”