NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS)

In Sunday’s NSCS race, Hamlin recorded his third victory of the season at Martinsville Speedway, leading three times for a race-high 206 (of 501) laps en route to victory lane.

The 28-year-old Chesterfield, Va.-native withstood charges from runner-up Jimmie Johnson during a pair of late-race restarts to notch his second career win in his home state, also winning the spring race in 2008.

“I knew all those guys were going to be aggressive to try to get a win.  We just had the best car there at the end,” said Hamlin, following the race.  “Mike (Ford, crew chief) did an awesome job adjusting on the car and got better and better with every stop.  Our car was just really, really good on the long run.  I was kind of worried about that short run at the end, but we were able to survive it.”

Starting 17th, Hamlin quickly moved into the top-10 to battle with the lead group in the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 11 FedEx Camry. Timely adjustments and flawless pit stops by his crew throughout the day put Hamlin in position to log his third victory of the season and seventh of his NSCS career.

“It feels great to get three wins this season -- more than we’ve had in any other season,” continued Hamlin.  “This is the best we’ve been.  We keep bringing better cars to the race track every single week and it’s starting to show up on the race track.”

Hamlin also won at Pocono Raceway and Richmond International Raceway earlier this year. The victory is the 10th for Toyota in 2009 and 20th NSCS victory by a Camry since joining series competition in 2007.

Hamlin’s JGR teammate -- Kyle Busch -- finished fourth in the No. 18 M&M’s Camry, while fellow Toyota drivers Brian Vickers (11th), Joey Logano (12th) and David Reutimann (16th) also posted top-20 finishes on Sunday.

Camry drivers Marcos Ambrose (27th), Michael Waltrip (30th), Scott Speed (31st), Robby Gordon (37th), Joe Nemechek (38th), Dave Blaney (40th), Michael McDowell (41st) and Derrike Cope (42nd) were also in the field.

With the victory, Hamlin jumped two spots in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship, now ninth in the unofficial NSCS standings, 352 points behind leader Johnson. Vickers is 12th in the Chase standings following Martinsville, while Busch (13th), Reutimann (16th), Ambrose (17th) and Logano (20th) are also in the top-20 in points with four races remaining.

The NSCS returns to action at Talladega Superspeedway, Nov 1.

NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS)

In Saturday afternoon’s NNS race at Memphis Motorsports Park, Busch recorded a second-place finish, which allowed Toyota to clinch its second Nationwide Series manufacturer’s championship.

Busch, driving the No. 18 FedEx Camry, started 11th, but dropped to the rear of the field after not practicing or qualifying the car at the three-quarter-mile race track located outside of Memphis. He led twice for 17 laps and recorded his 18th top-two result of the season to set another NNS record.

“I should be ecstatic with a second-place finish seeing as though we didn’t have a car that should have finished in the top-10,” said Busch, following the race. “I’m real frustrated that we came home second again today. I gave it all I had there in those last few laps. I could have spun him (race winner Brad Keselowski) out and wrecked but I couldn’t put myself to do it. I set another record for most second-place finishes in a season -- that’s great.”

Following Busch and Keselowski were a total of four Camrys in the top-10 with Jason Leffler (third), Mike Bliss (fourth) and Reutimann (eighth).

Bliss started sixth and led a race-high 85 (of 254) laps in the CJM Racing No. 11 Ridemakerz Camry. It was the team’s fourth top-five finish of the season, with three of credited to Bliss with him also earning second-place results at Dover and Charlotte.

“We had a really good car today,” said Bliss, after the event. “I think we had one of the best cars. It’s disappointing to sit here fourth. It’s a good team. I enjoy running for those guys and they have good cars. They gave me a car here to win the race and we didn’t do it. That’s the disappointing part.”

Camry drivers Matt DiBenedetto (14th), Michael Annett (16th), Justin Marks (24th), Brian Ickler (26th) and Coleman Pressley (38th) were also in the field.

Busch continues to lead the unofficial NNS standings following the Memphis race with 5,179 points. He now sits 215 points ahead of second-place Carl Edwards. Toyota drivers Leffler (fourth), Annett (10th) and Logano (14th) are also among the top-15 in the series point standings.

The next race on the NNS schedule is at Texas Motor Speedway, Nov. 7.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS)

In Saturday’s NCWTS race at Martinsville, Peters scored his first career win at his ‘home’ track, leading the final 84 (of 200) laps en route to victory lane.

Peters, who resides in Danville, Va. -- approximately 30 miles from the track -- qualified 11th but quickly picked off positions to move into the top-five early in the race. Crew chief Chad Kendrick elected to bring the Red Horse Racing No. 1 Strutmasters.com Toyota Tundra under caution on lap 35 for the team’s only pit stop of the day.

Running second and conserving fuel through the race’s midpoint, Peters inherited the lead when leader Hamlin pitted on lap 117. The 29-year-old held off all challengers and had enough fuel to make the checkered flag, beating fellow Tundra driver Todd Bodine to the finish line by 1.815 seconds.

“Words can’t describe what I’m going through,” said Peters, following the race. “I have to thank Tom DeLoach (team owner), for believing in me and giving me an opportunity, and Chad Kendrick (crew chief), for sticking with me when neither one of us knew what would happen in our future.  The last 10 laps, I was saying my prayers.  'C'mon Lord, let's go 10 laps.'  This right here is awesome to win at Martinsville for my Dad, who I lost in 2001. I'm speechless.”

It is Peters’ first victory in his 64th career series start, and Red Horse Racing’s first win since David Starr’s triumph for Toyota at Martinsville in April 2006.

Bodine (second), Hamlin (sixth), Starr (eighth) and Terry Cook (10th) also posted top-10 finishes for Toyota on Saturday. Tundra drivers Aric Almirola (12th), Stacy Compton (14th), Max Papis (21st), Mike Skinner (23rd), Brian Scott (24th), Tayler Malsam (28th), T.J. Bell (30th) and Peyton Sellers (31st) were also in the field.

Skinner started on the pole in the Randy Moss Motorsports No. 5 PC Miler Navigator Tundra -- the 50th of his career -- in his 200th series start.

Since joining the series in 2004, Toyota has now won 63 NCWTS races and recorded 68 poles.

Despite the finish, Skinner remains third in the unofficial NCWTS point standings, 326 points behind leader Ron Hornaday Jr. following Martinsville. Tundra drivers Bodine (fourth), Scott (fifth), Peters (seventh) and Starr (ninth) are also in the top-10 in points after 21 of 25 races.

The NCWTS returns to action at Talladega Superspeedway, Oct. 31.

Toyota NSCS Driver Finishing Positions at Martinsville
1st, DENNY HAMLIN
4th, KYLE BUSCH
11th, BRIAN VICKERS
12th, JOEY LOGANO
16th, DAVID REUTIMANN
27th, MARCOS AMBROSE
30th, MICHAEL WALTRIP
31st, SCOTT SPEED
37th, ROBBY GORDON
38th, JOE NEMECHEK
40th, DAVE BLANEY
41st, MICHAEL McDOWELL
42nd, DERRIKE COPE

Toyota Drivers in NSCS Point Standings -- following Martinsville**
9th, DENNY HAMLIN 5,746 points##
12th, BRIAN VICKERS 5,568 points##
13th, KYLE BUSCH 3,920 points
16th, DAVID REUTIMANN 3,764 points
17th, MARCOS AMBROSE 2,453 points
20th, JOEY LOGANO 3,324 points
** unofficial point standings
## competing in 2009 Chase for the Sprint Cup

Toyota NNS Driver Finishing Positions at Memphis
2nd, KYLE BUSCH
3rd, JASON LEFFLER
4th, MIKE BLISS
8th, DAVID REUTIMANN
14th, MATT DIBENEDETTO
16th, MICHAEL ANNETT
24th, JUSTIN MARKS
26th, BRIAN ICKLER
38th, COLEMAN PRESSLEY

Toyota Drivers in NNS Point Standings -- following Memphis**
1st, KYLE BUSCH 5,179 points
4th, JASON LEFFLER 4,184 points
10th, MICHAEL ANNETT 3,298 points
14th, JOEY LOGANO 3,115 points
19th, BRIAN VICKERS 2,257 points
** unofficial point standings

Toyota NCWTS Driver Finishing Positions at Martinsville
1st, TIMOTHY PETERS
2nd, TODD BODINE
6th, DENNY HAMLIN
8th, DAVID STARR
10th, TERRY COOK
12th, ARIC ALMIROLA
14th, STACY COMPTON
21st, MAX PAPIS
23rd, MIKE SKINNER
24th, BRIAN SCOTT
28th, TAYLER MALSAM
30th, T.J. BELL
31st, PEYTON SELLERS

Toyota Drivers in NCWTS Point Standings -- following Martinsville**
3rd, MIKE SKINNER 3,375 points
4th, TODD BODINE 2,815 points
5th, BRIAN SCOTT 2,805 points
7th, TIMOTHY PETERS 2,768 points
9th, DAVID STARR 2,694 points
11th, STACY COMPTON 2,647 points
12th, TAYLER MALSAM 2,605 points
13th, TERRY COOK 2,579 points
17th, T.J. BELL 2,339 points
** unofficial point standings