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Short Track Racing Resumes At Martinsville This Weekend

April's short track theme continues on for the NASCAR series this weekend as the series shifts to Martinsville Speedway in Virginia.

 

Denny Hamlin passed William Byron with five laps to go at Richmond and became the seventh different driver to win through seven races last weekend. Martin Truex Jr. continued his short track domination and won after starting seventh in the spring race at Martinsville last year. 

 

For Hamlin, his win last weekend ended a 12-race winning streak for drivers under age 30. The victory was the sixth in the last eight races for Joe Gibbs Racing on the 0.75-mile oval and the third in a row at the track in which all four JGR drivers finished in the top 10. 

 

None of the top three in the point standings (Ryan Blaney and Chase Elliott, tied for first), and Truex have won a race yet this year. The point standings range of winners goes from Byron (fourth) to Hamlin (20th).

 

The 400 lap, 210 mile race runs Saturday night at 6:30 pm on FS1 with practice and qualifying this afternoon. 

 

For the XFinity Series, Martinsville could offer continued drama as last week Ty Gibbs bumped Joe Gibbs Racing teammate John Hunter Nemechek off the lead on the final lap for his third victory through seven races. Nemechek (135) and Gibbs (114) combined to lead all but one lap at Richmond. Josh Berry led the other.

 

Last year at Martinsville, Berry won after starting 29th, the deepest starting spot of any race winner in the series all season.

 

Sam Mayer won the $100,000 Dash4Cash bonus. He, Gibbs, A.J. Allmendinger and Riley Herbst will be eligible for the bonus at Martinsville.

 

The 250 lap, 131.5 mile race runs tonight at 6:30 pm with pracdtice and qualifying this evening before the race.

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