NASCAR at Martinsville 2015: Start Time, Live Stream, TV Schedule and More
The trip to the West Coast is over. Now it's time for NASCAR to get back to its roots with short-track racing. For that, there is no better location than Martinsville, the shortest track in the sport.
Looking to tame The Paperclip, 43 drivers will set out to bring home a win and potentially a Chase berth. Starting on the pole, however, is a driver who already has a spot in the postseason. Joey Logano will pace the field just a week after Team Penske teammate Brad Keselowski won at Auto Club Speedway.
Logano will be searching for his second win of the season. Dale Earnhardt Jr. hopes to win a second straight at Martinsville. Chase Elliott just hopes to make it out of the short track with a clean car.
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With so much on the line for every driver, Sunday's race is bound to be one of the most riveting thus far. Leading up to the first short track race of the season, here's a look at the full schedule, standings and preview of the STP 500.
| 1 | Kevin Harvick | 225 | 2 | 5 | 5 |
| 2 | Joey Logano | 197 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| 3 | Brad Keselowski | 163 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 4 | Jimmie Johnson | 159 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 5 | Martin Truex Jr. | 192 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| 6 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | 164 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| 7 | Ryan Newman | 162 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| 8 | Kasey Kahne | 159 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 9 | Paul Menard | 152 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 10 | Aric Almirola | 138 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | AJ Allmendinger | 137 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 12 | Casey Mears | 132 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 13 | Matt Kenseth | 126 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 14 | Denny Hamlin | 125 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 15 | David Ragan | 124 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 | Jamie McMurray | 120 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Race Information
Where: Martinsville Speedway, Ridgeway, Virginia
When: Sunday, March 29
Start Time: 1 p.m. ET
TV: Fox Sports 1
Live Stream: Fox Sports Go
Radio: Motor Racing Network
Preview
Even with a field full of veterans, one teenager has seemingly stolen the show heading into Martinsville. Chase Elliott, the 19-year-old son of Bill Elliott, is making his Sprint Cup debut at the short track with his future team, Hendrick Motorsports.
Driving the No. 25 car, Elliott made the field on Friday night by qualifying 27th. Though it wasn't good enough to advance to the second round, Elliott was ecstatic to be in the field:
Already a NASCAR champion at the Xfinity level, Elliott clearly has the pedigree to compete in a stock car. Next season, he'll be taking over for Jeff Gordon in the No. 24 car. For now, he's running his first of five races this season at one of the most arduous tracks in NASCAR.
In typical fashion, nascarcasm chose to poke fun at the young driver before his debut:
Forget paper, does Elliott know what a Paperclip is?
Running on the same track as Elliott will be an entire crew of four other Hendrick drivers. At a course known as "Hendrickville," the team has won a total of 22 races at the track. That includes Junior's most recent triumph during the fall.
If any driver can crash that party for Hendrick, it's Kurt Busch.
The Stewart-Haas Racing driver took the spring event last year for his one win of the season. Since returning from his suspension, Busch has made his presence known with two consecutive top-five finishes. However, he believes he is destined for much more this year:
Claiming two wins at Martinsville during his career and eight overall victories on short tracks, the odds seem pretty favorable for Busch to win his first race of the season this weekend.
Fox Sports 1 couldn't have asked for a better event to start it's Sprint Cup race coverage. Whether it's a young driver looking to make a name for himself or a veteran on a mission, Sunday will provide a true test for both.
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