The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series traveled to the infamous Martinsville Speedway this weekend for 500 laps of traditional short track racing. The half mile track ties Bristol Motor Speedway for the smallest track on the circuit, and the reduced real-estate once again proved to be an exciting platform.
Segment 1
The first segment of the race was won by Martin Truex Jr. as the racers fought tooth and nail for each spot with the championship in mind. With contact by someone in just about every corner, drivers were forced to perform at an extremely high level for the entirety of the race, as the smallest mistake could cause disaster. Denny Hamlin finished second in stage one, earning him nine points towards his championship efforts, one less than the stage winner.
Segment 2
Kyle Busch was nipping at the heels of Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports driver, who won the second stage of the STP 500. Kyle Busch passed Ricky Stenhouse Jr. with one lap to go in the second stage which put Stenhouse a lap down. On the final corner of stage two, Stenhouse moved Kyle Busch up the track to regain his lead lap position. This in turn allowed Chase Elliott to sneak by Busch and take the stage two victory.
The Finish
The third and final stage came down to the wire with Team Penske and driver Brad Keselowski crossing the line first in his number 2 Miller Lite Ford. Ironically, Kyle Busch finished second to Brad Keselowski, a couple of racers that aren't exactly fond of one-another. After his first win at Martinsville, Keselowski moves up to fourth in the championship points standings.
Up Next
The next stop for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup series is next weekend at Texas Motor Speedway for the O’Reilly Auto Parts 500, where Kyle Larson looks to extend his championship points lead.
David Garbo Jr.
No comments:
Post a Comment