Apr 4th, 2011 by T.C.
As is usually the case with Martinsville races, there was definitely no shortage of story lines after Sunday’s race. There was the usual Martinsville bumping and grinding, a ton of lead changes, some hard hits, and a near miss for Dale Jr. In the end though, Kevin Harvick made another late race move and won his second straight race.
Truex Not Happy With Team Over Hung Throttle
A hung throttle was the culprit behind the scariest wreck of the day at Martinsville that involved Martin Truex Jr. and Kasey Kahne. Truex got under Kahne into turn three part way through Sunday’s race but, unable to slow his car down, Truex got into Kahne sending them both hard into the turn three safer barrier. Following the incident, we heard that Truex was none to pleased with his team over the problem and he made sure crew chief Pat Tryson was aware of his displeasure. Why? Because this isn’t the first time Truex has been affected by this issue with MWR. If you’ll remember back to qualifying last fall at Richmond, Truex was the victim of a hung throttle during qualifying that forced the team to a backup car for the race. And while sometimes caused by mechanical failures, hung throttles can also be caused by issues with the preparation of the car back at the shop. Hopefully the #56 team is able to rectify any issues they may have.
NASCAR Maybe Looking At Fueling Heads
There was some talk in the garage this weekend that NASCAR may begin taking a closer look into the fueling systems used by the Cup Series teams. As you’ve heard repeatedly all season, the teams are using a new style self-vented fueling system this season with the elimination of the catch can man. NASCAR’s rules for the new system, which was developed by Schultz Products, allow for some modifications to the components. And besides making changes to pit stop choreography, many teams have spent a lot of time trying to find ways to make fuel flow faster with the new equipment. It sounds now as if NASCAR wants to see what they’ve been able to accomplish.
I’ll now turn this post over to you. What were your thoughts on the Martinsville race? Have you enjoyed the season up to this point? Could Harvick be showing he’s the guy to beat for the championship? Is Dale Jr. finally turning a corner?
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