RACE INFO:
Event: Goody’s 500
Date/Time: Oct. 26/1:30 p.m. ET
2013 winner: Jeff Gordon
2013 polesitter: Denny Hamlin
Distance: 500 laps/263 miles
Track Length: 0.526-mile
Banking: 12 degrees
Track Shape: Oval
EXPRESS NOTES:
Talladega Recap: Denny Hamlin finished 18th in Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway to advance to the Eliminator Round of the 2014 Chase for the Sprint Cup championship in the #11 FedEx One Rate/”Deliverminator” Toyota. Hamlin came into the race needing a 15th-place finish to ensure a spot among the final eight drivers vying for this year’s title, and along with other teams in similar situations, elected to hang in the back of the draft pack throughout most of the 188-lap event won by Brad Keselowski. Hamlin started 38th but quickly moved forward on the high-banked superspeedway. He earned a valuable bonus point by leading Lap 39, and then fell back to avoid a pair of multi-car incidents during the race. Hamlin lined up 20th for the final restart and moved up two spots at the checkered flag. The Chase standings reset following the race, and Hamlin is now tied for the points lead with four races remaining in the season. The Eliminator Round consists of three events — Martinsville, Texas and Phoenix — where Hamlin has a combined seven victories in his career.
Martinsville Preview: The Series heads to Martinsville (Va.) Speedway for Sunday’s 500-lap event on the flat, half-mile paper clip. Hamlin is a four-time winner at the Virginia facility and is arguably his best track on the circuit. The 33-year-old Chesterfield, Va., native won his first race at Martinsville in the spring of 2008, and then won three-straight at the track in 2009 and 2010, including back-to-back Chase races. In total, Hamlin has recorded three poles and 13 top-10 finishes in 17 career Martinsville starts, leading 1,153 laps. Hamlin is second among remaining Chase drivers in average running position, average finishing position and driver rating at Martinsville, all to four-time champion Jeff Gordon.
HAMLIN CONVERSATION – MARTINSVILLE:
How do you think the Eliminator Round sets up for the FedEx Racing Team?
I have said all year that if we made it to the final eight, to this Eliminator Round, that we suddenly had a good shot at this championship. This round has three tracks that our FedEx team has had a lot of success at over the years, obviously starting with Martinsville. We didn’t have a great race there in the spring, but we have made some gains on our short track program, and I’m confident we can go there and compete for the win this weekend. Winning on Sunday is our ultimate goal and would be great to put ourselves in position to battle for the championship at Homestead.”
