NASCAR WCUP: Pontiac Chassis Notes, Martinsville

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

April 7, 2001

[The following are facts and figures regarding the cars Pontiac teams will be running this week during the NASCAR Winston Cup event at Martinsville Speedway.]

Valvoline Grand Prix driver Johnny Benson moved up to third in the Winston Cup point standings after his third place finish last weekend at Texas Motor Speedway. Benson has scored two top five and five top 10 finishes in the opening seven races this season. He'll look for another of each this weekend with the chassis he drove to a 23rd place finish last April at California Speedway.

Ron Hornaday joins forces with former crew chief Fred Graves this weekend as he looks to keep pace with Kevin Harvick in the Raybestos Rookie standings. Hornaday will command the chassis that finished 39th last November at Phoenix after it was involved in a late-race accident.

Defending Winston Cup champion Bobby Labonte finds himself in unfamiliar territory heading into Martinsville, ranked 25th in the Winston Cup points. But after a Texas DNF, Labonte brings plenty of fire and motivation to the second short track race of the year, driving the chassis that finished second at Rockingham in week two and won the 2000 Southern 500.

Home Depot Grand Prix driver Tony Stewart, who is looking for a milestone 10th career Winston Cup victory, owns two Martinsville poles (spring 1999, fall 2000), and three wins (fall Richmond '99, Homestead '99, fall Martinsville '00) with this chassis. Stewart started from the pole and led 179 laps on the way to a victory over Dale Earnhardt in last fall's Martinsville tilt.

Kenny Wallace qualified on the outside pole for this event one year ago and would love to duplicate that effort again this year. Wallace and his Eel River Racing teammates have brought a new chassis to Martinsville this weekend as they look for their first top 10 finish of the season.

Sunday's Martinsville race will give M&M's Pontiac driver Ken Schrader an even 500 starts for his career, which began in 1984. Schrader, who jokingly downplays the milestone by saying 'it just means I'm old,' is off to a strong start in 2001 with two top 10 and four top 15 finishes in seven starts.

Text Provided By Al Larsen

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