The 2020 Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500 was a NASCAR Cup Series race that was originally scheduled to be held on May 9, 2020, and was rescheduled to June 10, 2020, at Martinsville Speedway in Ridgeway, Virginia. Contested over 500 laps on the paperclip-shaped short track, it was the 11th race of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season.
Report
Background
Martinsville Speedway is an International Speedway Corporation-owned NASCAR stock car racing track located in Henry County, in Ridgeway, Virginia, just to the south of Martinsville. At in length, it is the shortest track in the NASCAR Cup Series. The track was also one of the first paved oval tracks in NASCAR, being built in 1947 by H. Clay Earles. It is also the only remaining race track that has been on the NASCAR circuit from its beginning in 1948. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the race will be held behind closed doors with no fans in attendance with only essential staff present, guidelines for social distancing and use of the protective equipment equipped by team staff, and logging to help with the contact tracing efforts.
Entry list (R) denotes rookie driver. (i) denotes driver who are ineligible for series driver points.
Driver Team Manufacturer 00 Quin Houff (R) StarCom Racing Chevrolet 1 Kurt Busch Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 6 Ryan Newman Roush Fenway Racing Ford 7 Reed Sorenson Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet 8 Tyler Reddick (R) Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 10 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 13 Ty Dillon Germain Racing Chevrolet 14 Clint Bowyer Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 15 Brennan Poole (R) Premium Motorsports Chevrolet 17 Chris Buescher Roush Fenway Racing Ford 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 20 Erik Jones Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 21 Matt DiBenedetto Wood Brothers Racing Ford 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 27 J. J. Yeley (i) Rick Ware Racing Ford 32 Corey LaJoie Go Fas Racing Ford 34 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports Ford 37 Ryan Preece JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 38 John Hunter Nemechek (R) Front Row Motorsports Ford 41 Cole Custer (R) Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 42 Matt Kenseth Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 43 Bubba Wallace Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 51 Joey Gase (i) Petty Ware Racing Chevrolet 53 David Starr (i) Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet 66 Timmy Hill (i) MBM Motorsports Toyota 77 Garrett Smithley (i) Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 88 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 95 Christopher Bell (R) Leavine Family Racing Toyota 96 Daniel Suárez Gaunt Brothers Racing ToyotaOfficial entry list
Qualifying Ryan Blaney was awarded the pole for the race as determined by a random draw.
Starting Lineup Pos Driver Team Manufacturer 1 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 2 10 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 3 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 4 14 Clint Bowyer Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 5 19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 6 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 7 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 8 88 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 9 1 Kurt Busch Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 10 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 11 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 12 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 13 20 Erik Jones Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 14 8 Tyler Reddick (R) Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 15 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 16 6 Ryan Newman Roush Fenway Racing Ford 17 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 18 38 John Hunter Nemechek (R) Front Row Motorsports Ford 19 21 Matt DiBenedetto Wood Brothers Racing Ford 20 42 Matt Kenseth Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 21 48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 22 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 23 43 Bubba Wallace Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet 24 17 Chris Buescher Roush Fenway Racing Ford 25 32 Corey LaJoie Go Fas Racing Ford 26 27 J. J. Yeley (i) Rick Ware Racing Ford 27 41 Cole Custer (R) Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 28 37 Ryan Preece JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 29 34 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports Ford 30 13 Ty Dillon Germain Racing Chevrolet 31 15 Brennan Poole (R) Premium Motorsports Chevrolet 32 95 Christopher Bell (R) Leavine Family Racing Toyota 33 53 David Starr (i) Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet 34 00 Quin Houff (R) StarCom Racing Chevrolet 35 77 Garrett Smithley (i) Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 36 51 Joey Gase (i) Petty Ware Racing Chevrolet 37 96 Daniel Suárez Gaunt Brothers Racing Toyota 38 66 Timmy Hill (i) MBM Motorsports Toyota 39 7 Reed Sorenson Tommy Baldwin Racing ChevroletOfficial starting lineup
Race
Stage Results
Stage One Laps: 130
Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Points1 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 102 14 Clint Bowyer Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 93 48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 84 19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 75 43 Bubba Wallace Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet 66 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 57 1 Kurt Busch Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 48 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 39 21 Matt DiBenedetto Wood Brothers Racing Ford 210 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 1Official stage one results
Stage Two Laps: 130
Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Points1 48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 102 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 93 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 84 88 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 75 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 66 43 Bubba Wallace Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet 57 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 48 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 39 1 Kurt Busch Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 210 8 Tyler Reddick (R) Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 1Official stage two results
Final Stage Results
Stage Three Laps: 240
Pos Grid Driver Team Manufacturer Laps Points1 5 19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 500 472 1 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 500 443 6 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 500 344 3 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 500 515 11 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 500 406 8 88 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 500 387 19 21 Matt DiBenedetto Wood Brothers Racing Ford 500 328 15 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 500 349 9 1 Kurt Busch Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 500 3410 21 48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 500 4511 23 43 Bubba Wallace Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet 500 3712 16 6 Ryan Newman Roush Fenway Racing Ford 500 2513 24 17 Chris Buescher Roush Fenway Racing Ford 500 2414 29 34 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports Ford 500 2315 10 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 499 3116 14 8 Tyler Reddick (R) Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 499 2217 4 14 Clint Bowyer Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 499 2918 25 32 Corey LaJoie Go Fas Racing Ford 499 1919 7 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 499 1820 13 20 Erik Jones Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 497 1721 17 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 497 1622 30 13 Ty Dillon Germain Racing Chevrolet 497 1523 20 42 Matt Kenseth Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 497 1424 12 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 497 1325 18 38 John Hunter Nemechek (R) Front Row Motorsports Ford 497 1226 28 37 Ryan Preece JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 496 1127 37 96 Daniel Suárez Gaunt Brothers Racing Toyota 494 1028 32 95 Christopher Bell (R) Leavine Family Racing Toyota 494 929 27 41 Cole Custer (R) Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 494 830 31 15 Brennan Poole (R) Premium Motorsports Chevrolet 494 731 26 27 J. J. Yeley (i) Rick Ware Racing Ford 493 032 33 53 David Starr (i) Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet 479 033 2 10 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 476 434 34 00 Quin Houff (R) StarCom Racing Chevrolet 474 335 36 51 Joey Gase (i) Petty Ware Racing Chevrolet 464 036 35 77 Garrett Smithley (i) Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 450 037 22 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 399 138 39 7 Reed Sorenson Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet 295 139 38 66 Timmy Hill (i) MBM Motorsports Toyota 105 0Official race results
Race statistics Lead changes: 14 among 8 different drivers Cautions/Laps: 7 for 52 Red flags: 0 Time of race: 3 hours, 23 minutes and 56 seconds Average speed:
Media
Television Fox Sports covered their 20th race at the Martinsville Speedway. Mike Joy and nine-time Martinsville winner Jeff Gordon will cover the race from the Fox Sports studio in Charlotte. Regan Smith handled the pit road duties. Larry McReynolds provided insight from the Fox Sports studio in Charlotte.
FS1Booth announcersPit reporterIn-race analyst Lap-by-lap: Mike JoyColor-commentator: Jeff Gordon Regan Smith Larry McReynolds
Radio MRN had the radio call for the race which was also simulcasted on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio. Alex Hayden, Dave Moody and seven-time Martinsville winner Rusty Wallace called the race in the booth as the cars raced down the frontstretch. Dillon Welch called the race from atop the turn 3 stands as the field raced down the backstretch. Steve Post worked pit road for the radio side.
MRNBooth announcersTurn announcersPit reporters Lead announcer: Alex HaydenAnnouncer: Dave MoodyAnnouncer: Rusty Wallace Backstretch: Dillon Welch Steve Post
Standings after the race
Drivers' Championship standings Pos Driver Points 1 Kevin Harvick 452 2 Joey Logano 424 (–28) 3 Chase Elliott 405 (–47) 1 4 Martin Truex Jr. 381 (–71) 1 5 Brad Keselowski 380 (–72) 1 6 Ryan Blaney 361 (–91) 1 7 Alex Bowman 352 (–100) 2 8 Denny Hamlin 335 (–117) 9 Kyle Busch 326 (–126) 10 Kurt Busch 318 (–134) 2 11 Jimmie Johnson 301 (–151) 12 Clint Bowyer 288 (–164) 2 13 Matt DiBenedetto 278 (–174) 3 14 Aric Almirola 264 (–188) 1 15 Erik Jones 257 (–195) 1 16 William Byron 254 (–198)Official driver's standings
Manufacturers' Championship standings Pos Manufacturer Points 1 Ford 410 1 2 Toyota 379 (–31) 1 3 Chevrolet 373 (–37)
Note: Only the first 16 positions are included for the driver standings. . – Driver has clinched a position in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.
References