Goody’s 250 - Martinsville Speedway

Harvick Wins Goody's 250 for Fourth Victory of Season
Kevin Harvick managed to avoid the carnage of 19 caution periods Saturday afternoon to capture the Goody’s 250 NASCAR Busch Series race at Martinsville Speedway. It was Harvick’s fourth win of the season, tops on the circuit, and helped him tighten his grip on the Busch Series points standings. He now holds a 348-point lead over second-place Carl Edwards in the points. The 19 caution periods was a track record for the Busch Series at Martinsville Speedway, topping the old mark of 18 set in 1984. Harvick’s margin of victory over Richard Childress Racing teammate Clint Bowyer was .271 seconds. It was Harvick’s 21st career Busch win and his 18th top-10 finish this season. Rounding out the top five were Denny Hamlin in third, Reed Sorensen in fourth and Johnny Sauter in fifth. Sauter was the only non-NEXTEL Cup driver in the top five. A total of eight NEXTEL Cup regulars made the trip from Pocono Raceway, site of Sunday’s NEXTEL Cup race. Because of foul weather at Pocono that forced cancellation of practice, most all of the Cup drivers got to Martinsville in time to qualify, but Hamlin, Sorensen and Kyle Busch had to go to the rear of the field for the start of the race because they didn’t make qualifying. “Getting here in time for qualifying was real important,” said Harvick, who was the first car out for qualifying and started the race from sixth. “If we don’t make it here to qualify, I don’t think we win this race. That’s what I think won the race for us.” Former NASCAR NEXTEL Cup champion Darrell Waltrip, making his first Busch Series start at Martinsville, finished 29th, on the lead lap. He ran in the top 20 most of the day before spinning late in the event.

Goody’s 250 Notes
· Race Results · Point Standings · Owner Point Standings · Starting Lineup · Qualifying Results · Final Practice · Practice 2: Rookie Practice · Practice 1 · Qualifying Order · Entry List · Raybestos Rookie Notes · Jason White Notes · Boris Said Notes · Eric McClure Notes · David Gilliland Notes	· Kevin Harvick Notes · Carl Edwards Notes · Clint Bowyer Notes · Denny Hamlin Notes · Greg Biffle Notes · Kyle Busch Notes · Kenny Wallace Notes · Jason Leffler Notes · John Andretti Notes · Todd Kluever Notes · Reed Sorenson Notes · David Green Notes · Danny O’Quinn, Jr. Notes · Mark McFarland Notes · Tim Sauter Notes

Bowyer Takes Martinsville Pole Position
On a day when 41 drivers broke the track record at Martinsville Speedway, Clint Bowyer was the fastest of the fast in qualifying for the Goody’s 250 NASCAR Busch Series race. Bowyer turned a lap of 19.735 seconds (95.951 mph) around the .526-mile oval to break an almost 20-year-old record set by Jimmy Hensley in October of 1987. Hensley’s old mark was 20.411 seconds or 92.774 mph. The Goody’s 250 is the Busch Series first trip to Martinsville Speedway since 1994. The race takes the green flag at 3:35 p.m. It was Bowyer’s first pole of the season and fourth in his Busch Series career. Bowyer is currently third in NASCAR Busch Series point standings. Jay Sauter nailed down the second starting spot with a speed of 95.299 mph. Aric Almirola, subbing for NASCAR NEXTEL Cup driver Denny Hamlin qualified third fastest. Eight NEXTEL Cup drivers are attempting to run today’s Busch race, but Hamlin and Kyle Busch did not make it to the track in time from Pocono Raceway to qualify their cars. Dennis Setzer qualified Busch’s car eighth, but both Hamlin and Busch will have to move to the rear of the field because they did not qualify their cars. Rounding out the top five in time trials were rookie Mark McFarland and Johnny Sauter. NASCAR legend Darrell Waltrip, making his first Busch start at Martinsville, qualified 41st.