Gray Gaulding entered into first Sprint Cup race at Martinsville

Gray Gaulding, an 18-year-old with 15 national NASCAR series starts, will make his Sprint Cup debut next weekend at Martinsville Speedway.

Gaulding, who has two Xfinity and 13 Camping World Truck Series starts, will make his debut in the No. 30 car for The Motorsports Group before also driving it at Phoenix and the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The No. 30 has been driven by Josh Wise in 27 races this season.

The No. 30 will be sponsored by Feed the Children, a non-profit relief organization.

“It’s exciting bringing a new partner into the series and to be making my NASCAR Sprint Cup Series debut at a track like Martinsville (Speedway) where we’ve had a really good history in the past is honestly unfathomable,” Gaulding said in a press release. “I’m excited to partner with Feed the Children and use NASCAR as a platform to deliver our message and work to create a world where no child goes to bed hungry. A lot has happened in a short period of time but I’ve never been as excited to debut this beautiful Feed the Children car next week at Martinsville Speedway.”

Gaulding, a native of  Colonial Heights, Virginia, has started at Martinsville four times in the Truck Series. His best result is 14th.

In 13 Truck starts, he has one top five at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in 2014.

Gaulding has one win in a NASCAR national or touring series, a victory in the K&N Pro Series East at Phoenix in 2013.

Danica Patrick joins breast cancer survivors to paint curbs pink at Martinsville

               

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and each year folks in NASCAR do their part to spread the word.

On Wednesday, Danica Patrick met up with a group of breast cancer survivors to paint the curbs pink at Martinsville Speedway prior to the Goody's Fast Relief 500, which will kick off the Round of 8 in the Chase for the Sprint Cup.

It looked like a big time for a great cause.

Martinsville Speedway to add lights for next season

Martinsville Speedway will add lights next season, track officials announced Wednesday.

Construction is scheduled to begin the day after the Oct. 30 Sprint Cup race at the 0.526-mile oval. The track will be the first motorsports facility to have LED lighting. There will be 14 poles installed.

Clay Campbell, president of Martinsville Speedway, said the lights will be used as an “insurance policy” in case the race is delayed or goes later into the afternoon. In the Nov. 1, 2015 race, Jeff Gordon won as darkness enveloped the track.

“If we would have had one more delay, we wouldn’t have finished that race,” said Campbell, who estimated the project will cost $5 million and added it would be paid for by International Speedway Corp., which owns the track. “It’s important and critical we get those races finished.”

Dale Earnhardt Jr. was on hand for the announcement and likes the move.

“I think it’s great for the racetrack, and it opens up a ton of possibility for the track itself,” he said. “Martinsville is one of the very best short tracks in the country. It’s awesome, and it’s been a long time coming.

“I would say I would love to have a night race here any day of the week. Short-track racing is what this sport was born on.”

The move comes as the track prepares to celebrate its 70th anniversary next year.

The 2017 race times have been set. Martinsville’s April 3 race will be at 2 p.m. ET and the Oct. 30 race will start at 1 p.m. ET

With Martinsville adding lights, tracks that host Sprint Cup races that don’t have lights are Dover International Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Pocono Raceway, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Watkins Glen International and Sonoma Raceway.

NASCAR has no plans to add substance to tracks this season to enhance grip

 

A NASCAR executive discounted the notion that tracks will add a substance to their racing surface to enhance grip this year

Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR executive vice president and chief racing development officer, made the comment Monday on “The Morning Drive” on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

“We’re looking at a lot of different options, meeting with Goodyear to see where and when we could apply it and how that would affect the racing on the track,’’ O’Donnell said. “A lot of different options that we hope to have on the table, maybe not necessarily at the start of 2017.’’

A substance was used at Bristol Motor Speedway before the August races for the Camping World Truck Series, Xfinity Series and Sprint Cup Series. The Cup race saw 20 lead changes. Only one other Bristol event in the track’s last eight Cup races had more lead changes.

A substance was put on the high lane at Martinsville Speedway last weekend on the final day of a tire test there to unfavorable reviews.

Among the biggest complaints was that it made both the high lane and low lane nearly equal in lap times. Martin Truex Jr., who was among those who tested there.

“I felt like with the second groove being as fast as the first I don’t know how you would pass anyone,’’ Truex said. “The great racing at Martinsville is the fight for the bottom. If you can’t hold the bottom you’re going to get passed. In that case. I don’t believe Martinsville is a place we ought to mess with.’’

That Martinsville test was done looking ahead to 2017. Officials from the track and NASCAR told NBC Sports that the track’s surface would not be changed for the Sprint Cup and Camping World Truck Series races there later this month.

Also during his appearance on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, O’Donnell noted the type of racing in Sunday’s event at Charlotte Motor Speedway despite the limited practice time.

Sprint Cup teams had one practice session Friday before rain canceled two practice sessions Saturday. 

“One of the things we learned this weekend, which we’ll have to see, we’ll get some pushback from the garage, but it was nice to see teams almost just show up and have to race,’’ O’Donnell said. “We’re looking at how much practice is too much practice for an event. Maybe that is something we look at in the future as well.’’

Sprint Cup teams taking part in two-day tire test at Martinsville

NASCAR and Goodyear are conducting a two-day test at Martinsville Speedway beginning today.

The teams of Chip Ganassi Racing, Richard Childress Racing, Roush Fenway Racing and Furniture Row Racing will participate with one team each.

The teams involved in the test:

Jamie McMurray – Chip Ganassi Racing

Paul Menard – Richard Childress Racing

Greg Biffle – Roush Fenway Racing

Martin Truex Jr. – Furniture Row Racing.

Martinsville will host the first race of the third round of the Chase for the Sprint Cup, the Goody’s Fast Relief 500 on Oct. 30.

The third round will take the Chase field from eight to four drivers for the championship race at Homestead-Miami Speedway.