We’ve got a light schedule on tap this weekend for the CV Products Trackside Program, with Martinsville Speedway in Virginia being the sole beneficiary. First up is the Kroger 250 Camping World Truck Series race on Saturday, followed by the STP 500 for the drivers in the Sprint Cup Series. The weather forecast for both days looks iffy. A cold front is expected to produce wet conditions, which is just fine for the folks who work in the NASCAR R&D Center. That’s because this weekend marks the unveiling of a new piece of track-drying technology aimed at getting drivers back onto the racetrack sooner when rain interrupts the action.
The new technology – the Air Titan 2.0 – is said to be a more compact, nimble and environmentally friendly version of its predecessor. The Titan 2.0 replaces those bulky support vehicles required by Air Titan 1.0 with a single, self-contained unit that’s perched on the bed of a support vehicle. By addressing the size of the power source, NASCAR says it now has the ability to deploy up to 21 drying units at larger venues and operate more efficiently on smaller tracks. That’s a good thing because they may very well need it this weekend in Martinsville!
Kroger 250
Series: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
When: Saturday, March 29
Racetrack: Martinsville Speedway – Martinsville, VA
Where to find us: Trackside, and you’ll need to a Pit Pass to get where we are
How to watch from home: FOX Sports 1 at 1 p.m. (EST), and MRN, Sirius XM Ch. 90
What you need to know: Local driver Timothy Peters has built an impressive career in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series — one that includes seven victories and a top 10 points finish in each of the last six seasons. But, arguably, his greatest personal accomplishment was his Martinsville Speedway victory in 2009. This weekend, he hopes to duplicate the feat. Peters, who hails from nearby Danville, Va., hopes a new truck body will elevate his success on the Virginia short track. The 2014 truck body debuted at Daytona, and will make its first short-track start this weekend. Peters finished in fourth in this race last year, and if he were able to win on Saturday, he would become the sixth driver to record multiple wins at the track.
STP 500
Series: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
When: Sunday, March 30
Racetrack: Martinsville Speedway – Martinsville, VA
Where to find us: Trackside, but you’ll need to a Pit Pass to get there!
Watch the race from home: FOX at 12:30 p.m. (EST), and on MRN, Sirius XM Ch. 90
What you need to know: Kyle Busch led five laps last Sunday at Auto Club Speedway, bringing his career total to 9,938. He needs just 62 more to become the 15th driver in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series history to reach 10,000 career laps led. But five different drivers have won the first five races of the 2014 season. That happened last year, too. But what hasn’t happened in the 10-year history of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup – six different winners in the first six races. With this weekend’s wet weather conditions, don’t be surprised if that’s exactly what happens. And if the winner drives for Michael Waltrip Racing or Richard Childress Racing, it will also be six different winning teams in the first six races. And for the record, the record for most unique winners to start a season: 10 in 2000. Statistically, Johnson, Gordon and Hamlin look like the solid choices to extend the streak.
Two NASCAR events fill the racing world’s dance card this weekend — both at Martinsville Speedway in southern Virginia and both offering plenty of late-October action. And speaking of action, CV Products will be in the pits for both Saturday and Sunday’s races at Martinsville, offering our usual truckloads of racing equipment, parts and apparel for drivers and teams alike.
The 200-lap NASCAR Camping World Truck Series gets underway at 1:30 p.m. (ET) on Saturday, with FOX Sports 1 coverage beginning at 1 p.m., as well as radio coverage on MRN and Sirius XM Channel 90. Johnny Sauter’s win last week at Talladega Superspeedway puts him in good position, and his three wins this season top the field of drivers with eligible points. He’s been in the Top 10 finishers in five out of the last six races and ranks sixth in points. Of course, it doesn’t hurt a bit that Kyle Busch — the series leader — won’t be in this race. Those who will be showing up include three drivers making their first career truck start at the Virginia track. 
With eight victories under his belt at Martinsville, Jimmie Johnson is truly a rock star at the track some refer to as the “paperclip.” He leads the pack in driver rating (123.8), average finish (5.3) and has finished on the lead lap 22 times in a row. And now this five-time series champion is in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup leader. Johnson won the event in his first three championship seasons, and to date, every Chase era champion has finished among the top 10 in Martinsville’s second event. The flag goes down on this 500-lap event at 1:30 p.m. (ET), with coverage beginning at 1 p.m. on ESPN, MRN radio and Sirius XM Ch. 90.
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