May 22, 2013

NASCAR: Matt Kenseth’s best is yet to come; plus a new No. 1

f3370bbe13e10969948ee2e03e84dc28

(Matt Kenseth and his Joe Gibbs Racing team have impressed the injured Denny Hamlin (right). Tom Pennington/Getty Images) (PhatzRadio / SI) — MARTINSVILLE, Va. — Matt Kenseth walked through pit road unnoticed, slipping by fans who were focused on Jimmie Johnson’s victory celebration at Martinsville Speedway. It can be easy to overlook Kenseth, but don’t [...]

NASCAR: Jimmie Johnson uses late surge to win Martinsville race

280228f14aecb3482bd3df9114dbc646

(Jimmie Johnson took the checkered flag for the eighth time of his career at Martinsville on Sunday. Tom Pennington/Getty Images) Story Highlights Kurt Busch’s car suffers brake failure, causes red-flag stop with 13 laps left Dale Earnhardt Jr. has his worst run of the six-race season Danica Patrick starts 43rd, finishes 12th in her first [...]

NASCAR at Martinsville: Start time, lineup, TV schedule / Jimmie Johnson’s record time wins Martinsville pole position

4ee93b0f993b61413f7d87b4a779faab

(Jimmie Johnson’s track record at Martinsville Speedway on Friday puts him in the pole position for Sunday’s STP Gas Booster 500.Tom Pennington/Getty Images) Story Highlights The green flag for the Martinsville race is 1:13 p.m. Eastern today The STP Gas Booster 500 is a 263-mile race around a half-mile track Jimmie Johnson will start on [...]

NASCAR: Tony Stewart makes passionate anti-blocking argument

cbcd5e3b8607d48a109c9213be8e46b4

Story Highlights Tony Stewart says he doesn’t believe blocking should become a common practice Stewart tried to block a last-lap charge at Talladega last year and triggered a massive crash Stewart insisted blocking was a relatively new phenomenon that is getting increasingly worse (PhatzRadio / USA Today) — MARTINSVILLE, Va. — Tony Stewart vehemently defended [...]

NASCAR: Martinsville action shouldn’t be missed

ccee388d22491a1fabbd467f3f345903

Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe’s Chevrolet, leads Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #88 National Guard Chevrolet, on the final lap of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 24, 2013 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (February 23, 2013 – Source: Todd Warshaw/Getty Images North America) Story Highlights [...]

NASCAR: Mark Martin to replace Denny Hamlin only at Martinsville

5e1efec58153b2a8b32000e8db8800bf

Mark Martin will replace injured Denny Hamlin for a race.(Photo: Reed Saxon AP) Story Highlights Martin will return to original schedule with Michael Waltrip Racing after next weekend Brian Vickers will drive the No. 11 for Denny Hamlin in the races after Martinsville Denny Hamlin is expected to miss at least five races with a [...]

NASCAR: Dale Jr. atop points, but what about next five races?

fc294794ee4d6c9eba6076920b1d0aed

Story Highlights Earnhardt Jr. is 12 points ahead of defending champion Brad Keselowski He has top 10s in seven of the last 10 races at Martinsville Speedway, the next stop NASCAR’s top-tier series is off this weekend for Easter (PhatzRadio / USA Today) —- Dale Earnhardt Jr. is off to the best start of his [...]

NASCAR: Denny Hamlin suffered a fractured spine

12096463

(REED SAXON/ASSOCIATED PRESS Denny Hamlin, whose No. 11 car wrecked in Fontana, Calif., suffered a compression fracture to his lower spine. It’s not known when he’ll return.) (PhatzRadio / AP) — Denny Hamlin suffered a compression fracture in his lower spine during a last-lap crash while racing for the win against former teammate Joey Logano, [...]

NASCAR: Johnson has the edge over Keselowski this weekend at Texas

9e2d83d71b7ea70fc0947ed75fa2dc07

immie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe’s Chevrolet, celebrates with a burnout after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Tums Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway on October 28, 2012 in Ridgeway, Virginia. (October 27, 2012 – Source: Streeter Lecka/Getty Images North America) CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Denny Hamlin has conceded his championship chances, and [...]

NASCAR: Jimmie Johnson wins Martinsville, takes over points lead

Jimmie+Johnson+TUMS+Fast+Relief+500+G0tsy5XMftfl

Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe’s Chevrolet, and Brian Vickers, driver of the #55 MyClassicGarage.com Toyota, lead the field to the green flag to start the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Tums Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway on October 28, 2012 in Ridgeway, Virginia. (October 27, 2012 – Source: Streeter Lecka/Getty Images North America) [...]