October 26, 2009

By Connie Felix

Driver Opens Restaurant

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver, Stacy Compton and his wife Vickie recently opened a casual and fine dining restaurant, naming it after their two daughters. “Olivia and Isabella’s”, is located at 2600 Dearing Ford Road in Altavista, Virginia, an hour north/east of Martinsville Speedway. The restaurant is decorated with Compton racing memorabilia and large portraits of the two young girls. Compton is currently driving the No.60 SafeAuto Insurance/Melling Engine Parts Toyota for Jeff Wyler in the Truck Series.

Make Your Own - Talladega Bump and Rum

The Talladega Bump and Rum consists of: 3 ounces AMP Energy drink, 1.5 ounces Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum and 0.5 ounces cranberry juice. Just in time for Halloween the drink will be available at Crown Royal and Captain Morgan Drink Stations located throughout the Talladega Superspeedway property, race weekend. The winner of the 'Captain Morgan Name That Drink' competition was Autumn Seaman of Crane Hill, Alabama who received two free tickets to the NASCAR Sprint Series, AMP Energy 500, at Talladega Superspeedway.

Men's Skin Is Thicker

Martin Truex Jr., driver of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series No. 1 Chevrolet, proved he was man enough to take a joke. NASCAR personnel tried to embarrass the driver when introducing him to the media during Friday's press conference at Martinsville Speedway. You see, his sponsor for the running of the TUMS Fast Relief 500, is Vaseline Men's Body Lotion, but Truex made his sponsor proud.

Sticks Given To Crowd

Fans arrived at Martinsville Speedway, for Sunday's TUMS Fast Relief 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race to find a 12 x 15 inch commemorative green flag on their seat. They say this is the first time in NASCAR history, every fan in attendance served as 'Grand Marshal' and 'Official Starter'. On April 18, 2004, for the Advance Auto Parts 500, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway the fans were given decals and served as 'Grand Marshals'.

Crew Chief Would Rattle Quickest

Ten of the Chase drivers were asked, at Martinsville Speedway, if they had plans for rattling Jimmie Johnson, in an attempt to bump him out of the points lead for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship. None of the drivers answered the question to anyone's satisfaction, some appeared to have already given Johnson the trophy. It was obvious that Juan Pablo Montoya,driver of the No. 42 Target Chevrolet would be the most excited and entertaining winner. Mark Martin, driver of the No. 5 Kellogg's/CARQUEST Chevrolet, is definitely the fan favorite and appears to want the title the most. We did learn, that it isn't Jimmie Johnson they need to rattle but his crew chief, Chad Knaus, who would be the easiest and more effective target.

57 Out Of 62 Years

Pepsi Bottling Group has signed a new three year sponsor agreement with Martinsville Speedway to be the official soft drink for the track. Normally 50-60,000 units are consumed over race weekend, according to track president Clay Campbell. Pepsi placed dozens of recycle bins at the race track in the shape of a Pepsi bottle for empty soda containers.

Waste Of Fuel

Saturday, weather maps showed rain and the sky was dark in the Martinsville Speedway area, in fact, the track was right in the middle of that heavy line of rain. Can anyone explain why the track continued to start and stop the drying equipment a dozen times over the last 3 hour period. You didn't see the teams messing with their tents.

SERVICEMASTER CLEAN ‘By The Numbers' Martinsville Speedway

1 – fewest ServiceMaster Clean Cautions for a Sprint Cup race at Martinsville Speedway (3 times, most recently April 1971)

6 – number of times qualifying has been rained out at Martinsville in 121 races including the last two

14 – number of consecutive top-10 finishes by Jimmie Johnson at Martinsville

21 – most ServiceMaster Clean Cautions for a Cup race at Martinsville (October 2007)

37 different teams have scored victories at Martinsville

45 different drivers have one or more victories at Martinsville

55 different pole winners in 121 races at Martinsville

268 ServiceMaster Clean cautions in first 31 Sprint Cup races in 2009

1,267 of 8,887 laps run in first 31 Sprint Cup races this season have been under a ServiceMaster Clean yellow

1,782.388 of the 12,122.305 miles completed in the first 31 Sprint Cup races have been under caution

You Had To Laugh

Martinsville Speedway, was wet and dreary until 2 PM on Saturday, with rain coming and going since dawn. Moments before the start of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, Kroger 200 race, everyone chuckled to see one of the track drying trucks being towed off the racetrack.

Martinsville Speedway NCWTS Infraction List

Infraction's during Saturdays, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, Krogers 200 at Martinsville Speedway.

Chris Fontaine No.84, Brent Raymer No.85 and Dennis Setzer No.8 were sent to the tail end of the line at race start due to unapproved adjustments outside the impound procedure.

Mike Skinner No.5 was sent to the pits for a safety violation - sway bar
Marc Davis No.19 sent to the tail end of the field-Outside half of the pit box tire violation/Team member not in contact with the outside tires.
Johnny Sauter No.13 pitted before pit road was open and sent to tail end of the field/Outside half of the pit box tire violation/Team member not in contact with the outside tires.
Chris Jones No.87 given a pass through for disobeying a NASCAR request to go to the tail end when he exited the pits at excessive speed.
Kevin Harvick No.4, Mike Skinner No.5 and Ron Hornaday Jr. No.33 were all sent to the tail end of the field for excessive speed entering the pits.
Rob Fuller No.71 pitted before pit road was open and sent to tail end of the line
Brett Butler No.99 sent to tail end for Outside half of the pit box tire violation/Team member not in contact with the outside tire.
Hermie Sadler No.48 had a commitment line violation and sent to tail end of the line.
Peyton Sellers No.17 had too many crewmembers in contact with pit service area and accessed a pass through

Martinsville Speedway NSCS Infraction List

Infraction's during Sundays, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, TUMS Fast Relief 500

Matt Kenseth No. 17 and David Ragan No. 6 sent to the tail end of the line for being Outside half of the pit box tire violation/Team member not in contact with the outside tires.

Michael Waltrip No. 55, Dale Earnhardt Jr. No. 88 (2), Kasey Kahne No. 9 (2) and Scott Speed No. 82 all were sent to the tail end of the line for pitting before pit road was open.

Kasey Kahne No. 9 commed a line violation and was sent to a tail end of the line.

Clint Bowyer No. 33 was given a pass through penalty for excessive speed exiting the pits.

No One Wins In This Fight

Did you see Jeremy Mayfield on ESPN Sunday morning? He is putting up a never ending fight to defend his name, against drug charges by NASCAR. No matter what, everyone says they are innocent at first, understanding this fact, don't you think we are still missing a piece of the puzzle. Mayfield isn't the first driver to make this statement, but if there is a popular big name active NASCAR driver who is on or has used cocaine and NASCAR knows about it, shame on them. The group watching the television program with me, didn't see the look they expected for a Meth user. One day the truth will be clear, that you can count on.

Keeping It Local

Martinsville Speedway announced Sunday morning that they have partnered with Southern Virginia Higher Education Center (SVHEC) to produce the tracks signature trophy Clock. Students from the Wood Product Design and Development Program will design the reward clocks. The production will be handled by Wooden Creations, Inc., a Martinsville based woodworking company that produces hand made pieces. Ridgeway Clock owned by Howard Miller Clark Co. since 2004, moved production to Zeeland, Michigan and closed the local plant in December 2007.

Martinsville Speedway Miscellaneous

• The pace vehicle at Martinsville Speedway was a 2010 Toyota Camry Hybrid leading the field for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race.

• Each time a NASCAR Camping World Truck left the race Saturday at Martinsville Speedway, the pace car had to move. They would pull onto the front stretch pit road, where they had blocked the opening to the infield, and then reverse the action.

• Sam Hornish Jr's No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge had a glass Pegasus on the hood prior to the start of Sunday's TUMS Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway.

• David Reutimann, No. 00 Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota was sporting a 12 inch plush Lucky Dog on the hood during early morning inspections.

• The Goodyear blimp was high above Martinsville Speedway helping with television broadcast this weekend in lieu of a helicopter.

• No green paint was used on the turn one and two grass areas this weekend at Martinsville Speedway.

• The outside wall on the race track at Martinsville Speedway which appears to be white,is actually covered with fan graffiti.

• Sunday's flyover at Martinsville Speedway was performed by four T38's out of Laughlin Air Force Base.

• Mountain Heart, Recording Artists sang the National Anthem for the TUMS Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway, Sunday. Presentation of Colors was by Bassett High School JROTC. Invocation was by Mike Hatfield, Chatham Heights Baptist Church.

• No illegal or confiscated parts or pieces were seen in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series hauler at Martinsville Speedway.

Discuss this and other racing matters in the Prodigys@Speed Forum

	Enter your search terms Submit search form
	Web Insiderracingnews.com