Roush Fenway Racing teammates Carl Edwards and Matt Kenseth couldn’t have asked for a better scenario than rain washing out qualifying for today’s race at Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, Va.
Edwards had never qualified better than seventh on the 0.526-mile oval, and Kenseth had never qualified better than 14th before weather handed them the front row spots Saturday.
“Qualifying, I think, is one of the most important parts of this race and it’s no secret that’s been a tough thing for me and Matt as well, so I think it’s best-case for us that we get to start on the front row, and even better is the pit stall selection,” Edwards said.
With only four races to go in the season, and a lead of just 14 points over Kenseth, 18 over Brad Keselowski and 19 over Tony Stewart, Edwards will take all the help he can get. He has four top-10 finishes in his past seven starts at the oldest track in the series, while Kenseth has seven top 10s in 23 starts. Neither has won at Martinsville, while some of the other contenders have.
Stewart has won twice, but not since 2006, and five-time defending series champion Jimmie Johnson, who is 50 points off the lead, has been to Victory Lane six times, last in 2009.
Of course, apart from being able to select the pit stall at the front of pit road, giving Edwards unimpeded access back onto the track, the other contenders will start up front, too.
HAMLIN WINS IN TRUCK
Denny Hamlin ducked inside points leader Austin Dillon and four-time Truck Series champion Ron Hornaday Jr. after a restart with 14 laps to go and went on to win at Martinsville Speedway on Saturday in Martinsville, Va.
Hamlin’s first victory in the series, in a truck owned by Kyle Busch, made him the 23rd driver to win a race in each of NASCAR’s three national series. Hornaday, seeking his fifth series championship, finished second and Dillon was third.
VETTEL TAKES POLE
Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel topped qualifying Saturday in New Delhi for the inaugural Indian Grand Prix for his 13th pole of the season, one short of Nigel Mansell’s 1992 Formula One record.
WORSHAM LEADS WAY
Del Worsham raced to the No. 1 Top Fuel qualifying position at the Big O Tires NHRA Nationals on Saturday at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Worsham powered his dragster to a run of 3.796-seconds at 322.88 mph. Top Fuel points leader Antron Brown qualified fifth.
Ron Capps took the top Funny Car spot. Mike Edwards took the top spot in Pro Stock. And in Pro Stock Motorcycle, Hector Arana Jr. was the No. 1 qualifier.
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