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Jeff Gordon swept both Martinsville races in 2003. Credit: Autostock
By Dave Rodman, Turner Sports Interactive
April 16, 2004
10:11 AM EDT (1411 GMT)
Martinsville Speedway, whose history dates back to the beginning of NASCAR, has been a bastion of hard-nosed short track racing since its inaugural Cup event in 1949.
In the 55 years since then, Martinsville has created a sizeable number of statistical nuggets that continue to accrue today, on the eve of Sunday's Advance Auto Parts 500.
Kevin Harvick puts his string of 46 consecutive races running at the finish on the line on Sunday in a raucous environment that dares a driver to keep the fenders on his car. And Jeff Gordon, who rides an impressive Martinsville streak into this weekend, is poised to add to the track's statistical legacy.
2 -- The number of consecutive victories and Bud Pole Awards at Martinsville by Jeff Gordon.
3 -- Jeff Gordon's number of consecutive Bud Pole Awards for the Advance Auto Parts 500.
4 -- Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s consecutive number of top-five finishes at Martinsville.
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5.5 -- Lee Petty's average finish in 24 Martinsville starts, best among drivers with more than five starts here.
6 -- Rusty Wallace's leading number of Martinsville victories by an active driver.
6.5 -- Jeff Gordon's average start at Martinsville, best among active drivers with more than five starts here.
7 -- Jeff Gordon's number of consecutive top-five starts at Martinsville.
8 -- Rusty Wallace's number of consecutive top-10 starts at Martinsville.
8 -- Jeff Gordon's finishing position in the 1993 spring race at Martinsville, the most recent top-10 finish in the spring by a rookie.
8 -- Darrell Waltrip's leading number of career pole positions at Martinsville.
8.5 -- Jeff Gordon's average finish at Martinsville, best of all active drivers.
9 -- The number of times a driver has swept both pole positions and/or both races in a season at Martinsville, most recently by Jeff Gordon in 2003.
15 -- Richard Petty's leading number of career victories at Martinsville, along with 30 top-five and 37 top-10 finishes in 67 starts.
15 -- Rusty Wallace's leading number of top-five finishes by an active driver, in 40 Martinsville starts.
15 -- The number of his 22 Martinsville starts in which Jeff Gordon has led at least one lap.
17 -- The number of Martinsville's 110 Cup Series events won from the pole position, or 15 percent.
17 -- Andy Houston's Martinsville finishing position in spring 2001, the most recent lead lap finish by a rookie in Martinsville's spring race.
19 -- Petty Enterprises' leading number of Martinsville victories by a car owner. Junior Johnson is second with 12 and Rick Hendrick has 10.
22 -- The number of Martinsville Speedway races in which Jeff Gordon has been running at the finish.
27 -- Terry Labonte's leading number of top-10 finishes by an active driver, in 51 races at Martinsville.
31 -- The number of Modern Era victories (since 1972) at Martinsville by Chevrolet. Ford is second with 16.
36 -- The furthest back in the starting field that a Martinsville Speedway Cup Series winner has started, by Kurt Busch in fall 2002.
52 -- Terry Labonte's leading number of Martinsville starts by an active driver if he starts the Advance Auto Parts 500.
82 -- The number of Martinsville's 110 Cup Series events won from inside the top 10 starting positions, or 75 percent.
82.223 -- Jeff Gordon's Martinsville Speedway race record average speed, set in three hours, 11 minutes and 55 seconds in September 1996.
95.371 -- Tony Stewart's Martinsville Speedway track record Bud Pole Qualifying speed, set in 19.855 seconds in September 2000.
3,506 -- Rusty Wallace's leading total of laps led at Martinsville among active drivers.
3,851 -- Cale Yarborough's leading total of laps led in 31 career starts at Martinsville.
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