NASCAR - Nextel Cup - Subway 500 Preview

Date: Sunday, October 21st

Start Time: 1:30 p.m. (et)

Site: Martinsville Speedway, Martinsville, Virginia

Track: 0.526-mile paved oval speedway

Laps: 500

Miles: 263

Capacity:

Total purse: $4,872,371

Payouts: 1st Place - $191,886; 2nd - $118,525; 3rd - $137,661 (2006 figures)

Year: 52nd

On TV: ABC

Announcers:

On Radio: MRN/SIRIUS Satellite Radio

Race record: 82.223 m.p.h. (Jeff Gordon, 1996)

Qualifying record: 98.083.m.p.h. (Tony Stewart, 2005)

2006 Finish

Defending champion: Jimmie Johnson

Runner up: Denny Hamlin

Pole winner: Kurt Busch (97.568 m.p.h.)

Top 10:

1. Jimmie Johnson (Start: 9)

2. Denny Hamlin (3)

3. Bobby Labonte (30)

4. Tony Stewart (5)

5. Jeff Gordon (2)

6. Casey Mears (19)

7. Kasey Kahne (32)

8. Jeff Green (8)

9. Kevin Harvick (12)

10. Kyle Petty (14)

Average speed: 70.446 m.p.h.

Time of race: 3 hours, 44 minutes, 0 seconds

Margin of victory: 0.544 second

Caution flags: 18 for 106 laps

Lead changes: 16 among 5 drivers

Past winners

2006 Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 70.446 m.p.h.

2005 Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 69.695 m.p.h.

2004 Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 66.103 m.p.h.

2003 Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 67.658 m.p.h.

2002 Kurt Busch, Ford, 74.651 m.p.h.

2001 Ricky Craven, Ford, 75.750 m.p.h.

2000 Tony Stewart, Pontiac, 73.859 m.p.h.

1999 Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 72.347 m.p.h.

1998 Ricky Rudd, Ford, 73.350 m.p.h.

1997 Jeff Burton, Ford, 73.072 m.p.h.

1996 Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 82.223 m.p.h. (race record)

1995 Dale Earnhardt, Chevrolet, 73.946 m.p.h.

1994 Rusty Wallace, Ford, 77.139 m.p.h.

1993 Ernie Irvan, Ford, 74.101 m.p.h..

1992 Geoff Bodine, Ford, 75.424 m.p.h.

1991 Harry Gant, Oldsmobile, 74.535 m.p.h.

1990 Geoff Bodine, Ford, 76.386 m.p.h.

1989 Darrell Waltrip, Chevrolet, 76.571 m.p.h.

1988 Darrell Waltrip, Chevrolet, 74.988 m.p.h.

1987 Darrell Waltrip, Chevrolet, 76.410 m.p.h.

1986 Rusty Wallace, Pontiac, 73.191 m.p.h.

1985 Dale Earnhardt, Chevrolet, 70.694 m.p.h.

1984 Darrell Waltrip, Chevrolet, 75.532 m.p.h.

1983 Ricky Rudd, Chevrolet, 76.134 m.p.h.

1982 Darrell Waltrip, Buick, 71.315 m.p.h.

1981 Darrell Waltrip, Buick, 70.089 m.p.h.

1980 Dale Earnhardt, Chevrolet, 69.654 m.p.h.

1979 Buddy Baker, Chevrolet, 75.119 m.p.h.

1978 Cale Yarborough, Oldsmobile, 79.336 m.p.h.

1977 Cale Yarborough, Chevrolet, 73.447 m.p.h.

1976 Cale Yarborough, Chevrolet, 75.370 m.p.h.

1975 Dave Marcis, Dodge, 75.800 m.p.h.

1974 Earl Ross, Chevrolet, 66.232 m.p.h.

1973 Richard Petty, Dodge, 68.831 m.p.h.

1972 Richard Petty, Plymouth, 69.989 m.p.h.

1971 Bobby Isaac, Dodge, 73.681 m.p.h.

1970 Richard Petty, Plymouth, 72.159 m.p.h.

1969 Richard Petty, Ford, 63.127 m.p.h.

1968 Richard Petty, Plymouth, 65.808 m.p.h.

1967 Richard Petty, Plymouth, 69.606 m.p.h.

1966 Fred Lorenzen, Ford, 69.177 m.p.h.

1965 Junior Johnson, Ford, 67.056 m.p.h.

1964 Fred Lorenzen, Ford, 67.320 m.p.h.

1963 Fred Lorenzen, Ford, 67.486 m.p.h.

1962 Nelson Stacy, Ford, 66.870 m.p.h.

1961 Joe Weatherly, Pontiac, 62.590 m.p.h.

1960 Rex White, Chevrolet, 60.440 m.p.h.

1959 Rex White, Chevrolet, 60.500 m.p.h.

1958 Fireball Roberts, Chevrolet, 63.970 m.p.h.

1957 Bob Welborn, Chevrolet, 63.030 m.p.h.

1956 Jack Smith, Dodge, 61.140 m.p.h.

Last race

Race: Bank of America 500 (October 13)

Site: Lowe's Motor Speedway, Charlotte, North Carolina

Miles: 501

Laps: 334

Finish line order: Jeff Gordon, Clint Bowyer, Kyle Busch, Jeff Burton, Carl Edwards

Time of Race: 4 hours, 58 seconds

Average speed: 125.868 m.p.h.

Margin of victory: 0.579 second

Caution flags: 15 for 62 laps

Lead changes: 26 among 11 drivers

Lap leaders: Newman 1-9, McMurray 10-16, Johnson 17-22, Petty 23-24, R. Gordon Newman 1-9, McMurray 10-16, Johnson 17-22, Petty 23-24, R. Gordon 25, Kenseth 26, McMurray 27-46, Johnson 47-68, Blaney 69, Ku. Busch 70-73, Kenseth 74-89, Johnson 90-119, Kenseth 120-134, Ku. Busch 135, Johnson 136-138, Bowyer 139-143, Ku. Busch 144-151, Johnson 152-159, Bowyer 160-185, Johnson 186-211, J. Gordon 212-224, Bowyer 225-272, J. Gordon 273-280, Ky. Busch 281-284, J. Gordon 285-329, Newman 330-331, J. Gordon 332-337.

Entry list

#00 David Reutimann (Zephyrhills, FL) Toyota/Domino's

#01 Aric Almirola (Tampa, FL) Chevrolet/U.S. Army

#1 Martin Truex Jr (Mayetta, NJ) Chevrolet/Bass Pro Shops/Tracker

#2 Kurt Busch (Las Vegas, NV) Dodge/Miller Lite

#4 Ward Burton (South Boston, VA) Chevrolet/ITT Night Vision

#5 Kyle Busch (Las Vegas, NV) Chevrolet/Kellogg's/CARQUEST

#06 Sam Hornish Jr (Defiance, OH) Dodge/Mobil 1

#6 David Ragan (Kannapolis, NC) Ford/AAA

#07 Clint Bowyer (Emporia, KS) Chevrolet/Jack Daniel's

#7 Robby Gordon (Cerritos, CA) Ford/Mac Tools

#8 Dale Earnhardt Jr (Kannapolis, NC) Chevrolet/Budweiser

#9 Kasey Kahne (Enumclaw, WA) Dodge/Dodge Dealers/UAW

#10 Scott Riggs (Bahama, NC) Dodge/Valvoline/Stanley Tools

#11 Denny Hamlin (Chesterfield, VA) Chevrolet/FedEx Express

#12 Ryan Newman (South Bend, IN) Dodge/Alltel

#15 Paul Menard (Eau Claire, WI) Chevrolet/Menards

#16 Greg Biffle (Vancouver, WA) Ford/Dish Network

#17 Matt Kenseth (Cambridge, WI) Ford/R&L Carriers

#18 J.J. Yeley (Phoenix, AZ) Chevrolet/Interstate Batteries

#19 Elliott Sadler (Emporia, VA) Dodge/Dodge Dealers/UAW

#20 Tony Stewart (Rushville, IN) Chevrolet/Home Depot

#21 Bill Elliott (Dawsonville, GA) Ford/Motorcraft Genuine Parts

#22 Dave Blaney (Hartford, OH) Toyota/Caterpillar

#24 Jeff Gordon (Vallejo, CA) Chevrolet/DuPont

#25 Casey Mears (Bakersfield, CA) Chevrolet/GMAC/National Guard

#26 Jamie McMurray (Joplin, MO) Ford/Crown Royal

#29 Kevin Harvick (Bakersfield, CA) Chevrolet/Shell-Pennzoil

#31 Jeff Burton (South Boston, VA) Chevrolet/AT&T Mobility

#36 Jeremy Mayfield (Owensboro, KY) Toyota/360 OTC

#37 Kevin Lepage (Shelburne, VT) Dodge/TBA

#38 David Gilliland (Torrance, CA) Ford/M&Ms

#40 David Stremme (South Bend, IN) Dodge/CGRFS

#41 Reed Sorenson (Peachtree City, GA) Dodge/Target

#42 Juan Montoya (Bogota, Colombia) Dodge/Texaco/Havoline

#43 Bobby Labonte (Corpus Christi, TX) Dodge/Goody's Headache Powders

#44 Dale Jarrett (Hickory, NC) Toyota/UPS

#45 Kyle Petty (Randleman, NC) Dodge/Marathon American Spirit

#48 * Jimmie Johnson (El Cajon, CA) Chevrolet/Lowe's

#49 John Andretti (Indianapolis, IN) Dodge/Paralyzed Veterans

#55 Michael Waltrip (Owensboro, KY) Toyota/NAPA Auto Parts

#66 Jeff Green (Owensboro, KY) Chevrolet/Haas Automation

#70 Johnny Sauter (Necedah, WI) Chevrolet/Haas Automation

#78 Joe Nemechek (Lakeland, FL) Chevrolet/Furniture Row

#83 Brian Vickers (Thomasville, NC) Toyota/Red Bull

#84 A.J. Allmendinger (Los Gatos, CA) Toyota/Red Bull

#88 Ricky Rudd (Chesapeake, VA) Ford/Snickers

#96 Tony Raines (LaPorte, IN) Chevrolet/DLP HDTV

#99 Carl Edwards (Columbia, MO) Ford/Office Depot

Leading contenders

Name	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006
Jimmie Johnson	---	6th	2nd	Won	3rd	Won
Denny Hamlin	---	---	---	---	8th	2nd
Tony Stewart	41st	11th	3rd	15th	2nd	4th
Jeff Gordon	9th	36th	Won	9th	Won	5th
Kevin Harvick	22nd	31st	7th	8th	15th	9th
Matt Kenseth	36th	19th	13th	16th	12th	11th
Carl Edwards	---	---	---	24th	26th	12th
Ryan Newman	---	15th	5th	3rd	10th	13th
Dale Jarrett	2nd	8th	11th	37th	31st	16th
Kyle Busch	---	---	---	---	9th	18th
Dale Earnhardt Jr	27th	4th	4th	33rd	18th	22nd
Clint Bowyer	---	---	---	---	---	23rd
Kurt Busch	35th	Won	39th	5th	6th	27th
Greg Biffle	---	---	19th	17th	20th	32nd
Jeff Burton	5th	17th	10th	11th	5th	42nd

Notes

Jimmie Johnson has enjoyed enormous success at Martinsville Speedway over the years. In fact, Johnson has won this race twice in the past three seasons and captured the checkered flag earlier this year at the Goody's Cool Orange 500. Last season, Johnson defeated Denny Hamlin by less than a second for his 23rd career Nextel Cup title. Johnson, who now owns 29 career victories, reclaimed the lead with just six laps remaining to clip Hamlin. Pole sitter Kurt Busch placed 27th. Johnson started ninth on the grid and led for a race-high 245 laps.

In 2005, Jeff Gordon reclaimed the lead on lap 360 of the 500-lap event and held off pole sitter Tony Stewart for his 73rd Nextel Cup Series title. Stewart led seven times for a total of 283 laps, but finished 0.235 of a second behind Gordon. Before 72,000 fans, Gordon led for 151 laps, as he captured one of four races in 2005.

Gordon has fared well at Martinsville over the years with seven wins, five poles and 23 top-10 finishes in 29 races. His average finish is 7.3. Not to be outdone, Johnson has three wins and 10 top-10 finishes in his 11 races at Martinsville with an average placing of 6.6.

Halfway through the "Chase for the Nextel Cup," Gordon leads Johnson by 68 points, while Clint Bowyer is third, 78 points behind. Gordon has won the last two races and six in 2007. His victory output stands at 81, just two shy of Cale Yarbrough for fifth on the all-time list.

Martinsville Speedway is the last charter race track still on the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series schedule. There have been many changes to the .526-mile facility since it hosted its first NASCAR premier series event in 1949. That first race at the dirt-surfaced speedway covered 200 laps with 15 cars in the field. Today's races at Martinsville cover 500 laps with 43 cars competing. A crowd of 10,000 attended that first race, while an estimated 66,500 were in attendance at the race this past April. Red Byron won the initial race in 1949, pocketing $1,500 for the victory. Jimmie Johnson took home $198,736 in prize money for his win in April. There have been 117 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series races at Martinsville Speedway, one in the inaugural year and two races per year since 1950.

Kyle Petty will take sole possession of fifth place on the all-time series start list Sunday when he takes the green flag at Martinsville Speedway. Currently tied with three-time series champion Darrell Waltrip with 809 career starts, Petty also will make his 54th career start at Martinsville.

The 33rd of 36 races in the NASCAR Nextel Cup championship is the Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway on October 28th, as Tony Stewart defends his title.

10/16 17:07:46 ET