Though the mystery is over, the story has just begun. The Car of Tomorrow has run a race and the future is now the present.
Now, the “COT” takes the second step in its revolutionary journey, this time at the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series’ oldest track. Martinsville Speedway has hosted races since 1949, when the path was dirt and few knew what NASCAR’s future held.
A track with this much history deserves a trip down memory lane. Here are some highlights:
Sept. 7 1947: The track opens and features 750 seats and a paid crowd of 6,013.
Sept. 25, 1949: NASCAR’s “Strictly Stock” division holds its first race at Martinsville. Red Byron wins.
1950: Martinsville starts running two NASCAR premier series races a year.
Oct. 3, 1055: Martinsville paves its track.
Oct. 16, 1955: Speedy Thompson wins the first premier series race on the new pavement.
1956: Martinsville runs its first 500-lap premier series race.
1960: The track builds the first enclosed, air-conditioned press box.
1973: Scenes from “The Last American Hero” were filmed at Martinsville.
1988: First live telecast from the speedway. Darrell Waltrip won the race, which was televised on ESPN.
And since then, the track has continued to grow. In each year from 1996 until 2000, and again in 2003, Martinsville has added more seats to accommodate the massive amount of fans who want to see the banging short-track action of a NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race.
Undoubtedly, with a second Car of Tomorrow race, some more history will be made this Sunday. Action kicks off at 2 p. m. on FOX.
Selected Driver Highlights
Note: All driver stats are at Martinsville. NASCAR’s scoring loops began collecting data for statistical purposes in 2005. That is why the Loop Data statistics in this release cover the last four races at Martinsville and include only active drivers.
Jeff Burton (No. 31 Cingular Wireless Chevrolet)
• One win, nine top fives, 12 top 10s
• Average finish of 15.4
• 574 laps led
• Third-Fastest in Turn 2
Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet)
• Six top fives
• Average finish of 14.929
• 451 laps led
• Eighth-best Average Running Position of 14.245
• Driver Rating of 87.3, ninth best
• 214 Green Flag Passes, most of any driver
• 1,254 Laps in the Top 15, sixth-most
• 108 Quality Passes, most of any driver
• Fourth-Fastest on the Backstretch
Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet)
• Seven wins, 16 top fives, 12 top 10s; five poles
• Average finish of 7.536
• 2,206 laps led, most of active drivers
• Second-best Average Running Position of 8.315
• Driver Rating of 122.9, second-best
• Second-Fastest on Frontstretch, Backstretch and Turns 3
• 181 Fastest Laps Run, third-most
• Second-Fastest Green Flag Speed
• 1,672 Laps in the Top 15, second most
• 86 Quality Passes, fourth-most
• Fourth-Fastest Speed in Traffic
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