Race Weekend Central

Frontstretch NASCAR Power Rankings: Top 15 After the 2015 STP 500 at Martinsville

2015 Martinsville I Cup Denny Hamlin Woohoo Credit Nascar Via Getty Images

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

It seems, for the time being, that Joe Gibbs Racing is back. JGR cars took three of the top-five finishing positions at Martinsville including David Ragan (fifth), Matt Kenseth (fourth) and winner Denny Hamlin. Carl Edwards finished in 17th position. Hamlin did not lead the most laps, but he led the one that mattered most, …

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5 Points to Ponder: A Week Off, Super Subs & Quarter Centuries

2015 Martinsville I Cup Credit Matt Kenseth Racing Amy Henderson

Photo Credit: Amy Henderson, Frontstretch

The First Off-Week After six weeks of intense competition from the wide-open high banks of Daytona through the cramped confines of Martinsville Speedway, the oldest (and in my humble opinion best) track on the circuit, the first of just a handful of off weekends in 2015 is upon us. So you should expect a plethora …

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MPM2Nite: The Easter Bunny, Hot Dogs, Villainous James Hamlin & Other Musings

Stp 500

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

The debate continues unabated; does NASCAR throw caution flags for debris that either doesn’t exist or if it does is of little to no potential harm to spice up races when the field gets too strung out? How hot a debate topic has the issue become? It’s caused widespread dissension amongst the normally amicable staff …

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Who’s Hot and Who’s Not in NASCAR: 2015 STP 500 at Martinsville Edition

2015 Martinsville I Cup Stands Credit Amy Henderson

(Photo: Amy Henderson, Frontstretch)

This version of the column is a little different this week, as I was fortunate enough to attend Sunday’s Sprint Cup race at Martinsville as a fan. So here goes. Burnouts (On Fire) Yes, for once, let’s give the winner of Sunday’s race, Denny Hamlin, some kudos for his post-race burnout. Sure, you can watch …

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Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2015 STP 500 at Martinsville

Stp 500

(Credit: NASCAR Via Getty Images)

Who’s in the headline – Denny Hamlin and his Joe Gibbs Racing teammates have struggled for over a year to get its cars back into Victory Lane. The cure for what ails a team can be heading to a place where the driver feels extra comfortable. With four Ridgeway clocks already in his home, Martinsville Speedway …

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The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2015 STP 500 at Martinsville

2015 Martinsville I Cup Pack Racing Vertical Credit Amy Henderson

Photo Credit: Amy Henderson, Frontstretch

Looking for the who, what, when, where, why and how behind Sunday’s race? Amy Henderson has you covered each week with the answers to six race-day questions, covering all five Ws and even the H… the Big Six. Who… gets my shoutout of the race? Filling in for another driver is not easy. Even with …

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Kickin’ the Tires: 1 Good Race Does Not A Season Make

2015 Martinsville I Cup Denny Hamlin Racing Vertical Credit Amy Henderson

(Photo: Amy Henderson, Frontstretch)

In a lot of ways, racing at Martinsville should be considered a wild card event. There are so many circumstances that could affect the outcome and give teams a false sense of security. For example, a pit road speeding penalty played a major role in keeping Jeff Gordon out of Victory Lane. That was a …

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Up To Speed: Denny Hamlin’s Win a Bright Spot During Challenging Times for JGR

2015 Martinsville I Cup Denny Hamlin Wins Credit Nascar Via Getty Images

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

For Denny Hamlin and Joe Gibbs Racing, 2014 was a mixed bag. The organization only won two races all year and Hamlin won one of those. Kyle Busch the other. The peculiarity of Hamlin’s season was the he was one of the four drivers in contention for the championship at the final race of the season. Using consistency, he …

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Denny Hamlin Wins 2015 STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway

Stp 500

Joe Gibbs Racing is having a great year, but Toyota needs two successful teams to compete with Chevrolet and Ford. (Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

It had been over a year since Toyota won on a non-restrictor plate track but on Sunday Denny Hamlin and his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing team ended that drought when he won the STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway. It’s Hamlin’s first win of the season and the 25th of his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series …

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Denny Hamlin Fastest in Morning 2015 STP 500 Practice at Martinsville

2015 Martinsville I Cup Denny Hamlin Car Credit Amy Henderson

Photo Credit: Amy Henderson, Frontstretch

Four-time Martinsville Speedway winner Denny Hamlin topped the opening Saturday practice (19.499 sec.) for Sprint Cup team at Martinsville Speedway for this weekends STP 500. Hamlin was one of two Joe Gibbs Racing drivers in the fast five, with Carl Edwards completing the session in fifth. Hendrick Motorsports, the dominant team at Martinsville as of …

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4 Burning Questions at Martinsville: Dastardly Debris & Kurt Busch’s Chance to Cash In

2014 Dover Ii Cup Kurt Busch Cia

(CIA Stock Photo, Inc. © 2014)

Another year has passed, and another West Coast Swing is in the books. The 2015 edition NASCAR’s annual early-season excursion out West produced a litany of storylines that will serve as the bedrock for the rest of the 2015 season’s plot. Kevin Harvick has emerged as the clear favorite for the title, while teammate Kurt …

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NASCAR Mailbox: Brian Vickers, Furniture Row & Is Kurt Busch Really Back?

2015 Las Vegas Cup Martin Truex Jr Jimmie Johnson Racing Credit Nascar Via Getty Images

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

What a race this past weekend in Fontana, right? The string of cautions during the last laps and the passing for the lead, especially when it counted for race winner Brad Keselowski, all really helped to amp up the Auto Club 400. Coors Light Pole Award winner Kurt Busch, really has made a tremendous leap …

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