Martin Truex Jr. won Wednesday night’s Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500 from Martinsville Speedway, beating Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney by a significant 4.232 seconds to take his first win of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season.
While Truex’s No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry looked fairly strong all night, the 2017 Cup Series champion came alive in the final stage. Team Penske’s Joey Logano won the first stage after lapping nearly half the field under a lengthy green flag run, while Jimmie Johnson won Stage 2 after leading for a significant 70 laps. Once the No. 19 Toyota got out front in Stage 3, though, there was no catching him, with Truex handily keeping his rivals behind him in the closing 50 or so laps.
Truex was also the only driver able to fend off the Team Penske cars, with Blaney, Brad Keselowski and Logano finishing second, third and fourth, respectively.
While the excitement of weekday short track racing had NASCAR fans chattering, the top-tier stock car racing series attracted the public’s attention for another reason this week. Amid the nationwide protests over racial inequality and police brutality, NASCAR’s Bubba Wallace, the only black full-time Cup Series driver, announced he would run a #BlackLivesMatter livery on his No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. Wallace then piloted the car to an 11th place finish at Martinsville on Wednesday – his best-ever result at the historic half-mile. Prior to the green flag, Wallace radioed to his team to tell them the race was “the biggest night of my life” and pledged to “give it my all.”
Wallace was also proud of his effort to run down the Hendrick-prepared No. 48 Camaro ZL1 of Johnson in the closing laps of the race. He ultimately finished one position behind Johnson, who eeked out a top 10 finish after his Stage 2 win.
“I’ll tell you what was badass, racing with seven-time there at the end, Jimmie Johnson,” Wallace said post-race. “You think, Jimmie Johnson wins so many times here and we’re running him down. That’s hat’s off to my guys, so good job, fellas.”
NASCAR also announced this week that it would ban the Confederate flag from all of its racing events and NASCAR-owned properties going forward. In a statement, the series said the “presence of the confederate flag at NASCAR events runs contrary to our commitment to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment for all fans, our competitors and our industry,” and added that “bringing people together around a love for racing and the community that it creates is what makes our fans and sport special.”
Check out the highlight video from the Blue Emu 500 embedded below.
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Comments
I gave up on NASCAR long ago. It is a shadow of what it once was.
When they went to the chase and stages I checked out. My viewing went back to the days when if you wanted to see NASCAR you either went to the track or you watched it in 15 min clips delayed on ABC WWS.
You want to see real racing go to Bowman Gray Stadium. That is the real thing.
Even now the GTLM class is losing the 911 so I am worried I may lose the racing I really enjoy today,
It used to we just raced and let it all hang out on the track. Today their is just too much PC in racing in all areas anymore.
Today some of he greatest drivers would not get the job just because they could not read, been in jail or just did not look right to be sa spokes man.
Like any sport the money has killed it.
Haven’t watched a SPECAR series race in years myself!
“When they went to the chase and stages I checked out.” Yea, they even call it the post season now, pathetic!
The championship used to go to the one who could (be) tough it out down the stretch in the longest professional sports season of all major sports. Now it’s about retaining their broadcast money as other sports (NFL) start their seasons as one or a few drivers have broken out to big points leads over the rest of the field.
Parents tell their kid’s to “never forget where you come from”, the France family did that long ago.
NASCAR is trying to change; but I laugh when I read the nose of a car with the words Compassion, Love, Understanding as I wonder where were these sentiments when protesters were burning down parts of Chicago after looting the stores of merchandise or where is their compassion, love and understanding as they terrorize some residents in Seattle as they can’t have it both ways.. wanting compassion, love and understanding while robbing, looting and murdering as Los Angeles murder rate spiked 250-percent during the protests.
Where are these sentiments as underserved communities are systematically depraved for generations? Do you have an understanding of socioeconomics? And who exactly are you referring to when you “they”? Black protestors specifically or all protestors who want equal rights? So many questions that I doubt you’ll be able to answer with any actual insight, or class. I legitimately feel bad for if you can’t recognize or acknowledge the larger issue at hand. The fact that you laugh at a situation like this really speaks volumes to your character. There are a lot of reactions anyone could have to this story, but laughter is certainly not appropriate. Disappointing…
Whatever happened to free speech? Are they going to ban a state flag, like Georgia that contains the Confederate battle flag? The BLM flag? Gay flag? PC is killing this country.
Georgia’s state flag hasn’t contained the civil war participation emblem since 2003. The only state flag that currently contains the archaic symbol of oppression is Mississippi. So, you’re wrong on a couple different levels. Did you just write Georgia just because you can’t spell Mississippi or are you just always 20 years behind the curve?
You’re right, it is Mississippi. The Georgia flag is the last flag of the Confederate states, with the state seal centered in field of stars. Although I don’t see the need for insults over my error.
The flag commonly called the Confederate flag is actually the battle ensign. The reason it was used is that the “Stars and Bars”, of the CSA flag could be mistaken for the US flag at a distance.
You fail to address the point of my posting. Are they going to ban other flags, simply because it offends someone? How about “offensive” T-shirts, hats, beer coozies.? Where do your rights end?
I started out as a NASCAR fan back in the late 1980’s, but they have pretty much lost me (and apparently lots more) with the changes that they have introduced over the last 10 years or so.
Well this is the most I’ve heard people talking about Nascar since the great Dale Earnhardt passed away. They must be doing something right. It’s pointless to argue with some with a mindset like yourself. It’s hard to imagine that you can’t see how the civil war participation flag has been linked to the oppression of a certain race of people.
Still missing the point. The Constitution does not guarantee a right not to be offended.
The constitution also allows for private business to refuse service to whom ever they’d like, with the exception of race, color, religion, or national origin. Last I checked the civil war participation flag was a divisive piece of propaganda. Private businesses retain the right to ban patrons who are deliberately trying to create an atmosphere of exclusion.
You’re right again. Wait until they ban something you like
Lol, the things I like aren’t synonymous with hate and exclusion. So, I doubt they’ll be banning anything I like anytime soon.