NEWS & NOTES
AT MARTINSVILLE: In 33 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, Jeff Gordon has posted seven wins, 21 top-five finishes and 27 top-10s. He also has earned seven pole positions and led 2,760 laps. Gordon’s average start at the .526-mile track is 6.5, and his average finish is 6.8. In his last nine outings at Martinsville, Gordon has run inside the top 15 for 4,039 laps (89.6 percent).
RECENTLY AT MARTINSVILLE: Gordon, driver of the No. 24 DuPont/NATIONALGUARD.com Chevrolet, started from the pole position and scored a fourth-place finish in March at Martinsville. The four-time Sprint Cup champion led 147 laps and spent the whole race running inside the top 15.
STATS IN THE NATIONAL GUARD CAR: In six of the seven outings with the National Guard on the hood of his No. 24 Chevrolet this season, Gordon has scored a top-five finish. His best effort was a win at Texas Motor Speedway in April, while he also scored runner-up finishes at Atlanta Motor Speedway in March, Michigan International Speedway in June and Chicagoland Speedway in July. He finished fifth at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway in May and third at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway in September.
LOOP DATA AT MARTINSVILLE: According to NASCAR’s loop data, which was compiled during the last nine races at Martinsville, Gordon ranks first in several categories: average running position (6.281), average driver rating (124.3, which ties teammate Jimmie Johnson), fastest driver early in a run (92.469 mph), fastest driver late in a run (90.681 mph), fastest laps run (539), fastest on restarts (90.455 mph), green flag speed (91.463 mph) and laps in the top 15 (4039). He also ranks second in laps led (906).
DRIVER STANDINGS: Gordon and the No. 24 Chevrolet team are ranked third in the championship standings going into Sunday’s event at Martinsville—the sixth race in the Chase for the Sprint Cup. After five Chase races, Gordon has three top-five finishes and four top-10s and averages a 5.8 finish. This season, Gordon has scored one win, 15 top-five finishes, 22 top-10s and has led 768 laps.
MARTINSVILLE CHASSIS: Crew chief Steve Letarte has chosen Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 24-524 for Sunday’s race at Martinsville. Gordon has raced this car twice in 2009, picking up a fourth-place finish at Martinsville in March and a third-place finish at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway in September.
HENDRICK AT MARTINSVILLE: In 51 races (154 starts) at Martinsville, Hendrick Motorsports has 18 wins, 53 top-five finishes and 86 top-10s, all of which are the most for the organization at any racetrack. Johnson most recently visited Victory Lane at the short track in March, commemorating the 25th anniversary of Hendrick Motorsports’ first win, which happened at Martinsville on April 29, 1984.
NATIONAL GUARD AND THE NO. 24 TEAM: This season, Gordon and the No. 24 team helped bring awareness to the National Guard’s community initiatives, which were showcased on the No. 24 DuPont/National Guard Chevrolet in seven Sprint Cup Series events. This weekend’s race at Martinsville marks Gordon’s final event of the year with the National Guard.
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