Kyle Busch’s sweep this weekend added to the rich history at Martinsville Speedway.
It’s no secret that Martinsville Speedway is not the best track for Kyle Busch. His success in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series hasn’t been due to how he’s run there. This weekend changed that, though.
Busch took both the NASCAR Truck Series race on Saturday and the STP 500 to complete the Martinsville sweep. He won his first grandfather track at one of the NASCAR tracks that has a rich history.
Busch’s previous best finish before Sunday’s win was a runner-up performance on October 28, 2012 during The Tums Fast Relief 500. He’s only had nine top-five finishes in 21 races heading into Sunday’s STP 500. Before this weekend, his average start at Martinsville Speeway races was 12th and his average finish was 15.4
Short track racing requires a different strategy and mentality by the drivers. Busch’s team strategy paid off as he battled with his Joe Gibbs Racing teammates hard and beat them out when the checkered flag waved. Not only did Busch win a grandfather clock, but he ended his drought at Martinsville Speedway. His win on Sunday ended a drought of 21 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Martinsville Speedway without a win.
The STP 500 win also completed a Martinsville Speedway sweep for Busch. He’s had a busy week in Martinsville as he practiced, qualified, and raced in two different cars. The trucks and Sprint Cup Series cars drive different. It’s tough enough to win one race in a NASCAR weekend, but Busch found a way to win two races.
Martinsville Speedway is one of the few tracks that the NASCAR XFINITY Series does not race at. This is important as many Sprint Cup drivers double up to race in both circuits each week or at certain tracks. On the other hand, Busch runs in both the Truck Series and Sprint Cup series. It’s unconventional, but his experience racing in double the races at a track paid off this weekend. The extra racing doesn’t always show its benefit, but when it does, the drivers are all smiles.
Busch and his team have a lot to celebrate as they found a way to sweep at Martinsville. His streak of not winning at the Virginia track ends at 21 as the NASCAR driver takes home a grandfather clock. He’ll be able to remember all the hard work it took to win on Sunday every time he looks at that clock.
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