Racing Is Back At Martinsville This Weekend

After a week off, Sprint Cup is back along with the Truck Series on the short track at Martinsville Speedway. We’ll get to see how much tempers have cooled down after a number of incidents involving Joey Logano.

Most eyes will be on Logano and Tony Stewart after their shoving match along pit road at the end of the race in California. It was after Logano blocked Stewart during a late restart.

Just the week before, Logano and Denny Hamlin had words after the race at Bristol, then their pit crews started pushing each other around.

Hamlin will be missing from the lineup for the next several weeks with a compression fracture in his spine, the result of a crash with Logano on the final lap at California.

Mark Martin will take over for Hamlin in the Number 11 Toyota.

Dale Earnhardt, Junior is the points leader heading to Martinsville. He has top-10 finishes in each of the first five races this season and has a 12-point lead over defending series champion Brad Keselowski. Jimmie Johnson is 16 points back.

Martinsville has been a good track for Earnhardt. He’s finished either second or third in the last two spring races there, but has yet to win in 26 starts.

He came close two years ago when he took the lead 21 laps from the end, but Kevin Harvick passed him with only four laps left.

Ryan Newman was the winner last year.

Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with seven wins at Martinsville.

Danica Patrick will become the first woman to start a race at Martinsville this weekend.