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.
Note: In addition to the events listed below, we’ll also be in Memphis, Tenn., for this weekend’s CRA All-Stars 125, and the ARCA/CRA Super Series 125. For more info, visit the Memphis International Speedway’s website.
Kroger 200
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. Daniel Hemric and John Hunter Nemechek will attempt to make their series debuts in the Kroger 200, while Ben Kennedy making his fourth series start. Kennedy’s debut in the trucks was in August at Bristol and he has a season-best finish of 15th in Iowa in September.
- Series: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
- When: Saturday, Oct. 26
- Racetrack: Martinsville Speedway
- Location: Martinsville, Virginia
- Note: CV’s trailer is in the pits and available for people with pit passes only
Goody’s Headache Relief Shot 500 presented by Kroger
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.
- Series: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
- When: Sunday, Oct. 27
- Racetrack: Martinsville Speedway
- Location: Martinsville, Virginia
- Note: CV’s trailer is in the pits and available for people with pit passes only
