CONCORD, N.C. – This Sunday, Chase Elliott is set to become the 12th youngest driver to make a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series debut at the age of 19 years, four months and one day.
The young gun will compete for Hendrick Motorsports in the No. 25 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet SS at Martinsville Speedway. Team owner Rick Hendrick also made his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver debut in the No. 25 Chevrolet back in 1987.
Don’t miss out on the memorable moments this year could bring for the Hendrick Motorsports team. Tune in to FOX Sports 1 this Sunday, March 29, at 1 p.m. ET to catch all the action taking place on the historic “paperclip” track.
Here’s what you need to know before the green flag waves this Sunday on FOX Sports 1:
THIS WEEK’S PAINT SCHEMES: Kasey Kahne will compete in the No. 5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet SS this Sunday, while teammate Jeff Gordon will race the No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet SS. Elliott will pilot the No. 25 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet SS in his Sprint Cup debut. Jimmie Johnson will drive the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet SS, as Dale Earnhardt Jr. races the No. 88 Diet Mountain Dew Chevrolet SS for the first time this season.
QUALIFYING: Qualifying at Martinsville Speedway will take place today, March 27, at 4:30 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1. Practice sessions one and two will also air on FOX Sports 1 on March 27 at noon ET and March 28 at 10 a.m. ET. Practice session three will air March 28 at 1 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 2.
HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS AT MARTINSVILLE: Hendrick Motorsports has recorded its most wins, top-five finishes and top-10s at Martinsville. The organization has 22 victories, with Earnhardt most recently reaching Victory Lane for the first time at the short track last season, with Gordon just behind him in second. The organization now has 114 career top-10s at Martinsville, a figure that is a team-best for Hendrick Motorsports and ranks as more than any other team has acquired at any Cup track in NASCAR history.
KAHNE AT MARTINSVILLE: Kahne scored his best result at the short track in April 2005, when he rallied from a 35th-place starting spot to finish second. Kahne scored the pole position at the 0.526-mile oval in April 2012 and has qualified sixth or better seven times at the Virginia short track.
GORDON AT MARTINSVILLE: The four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion leads active drivers in several statistical categories at the paper-clip track. Jeff Gordon has the most pole positions (seven – four more than any active competitor), top-five finishes (28; 10 more than second), top-10s (35; 13 more than second), laps led (3,723) and best average start (7.3). The driver of the No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet SS is tied for most wins (eight) with Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson.
DEBUTING IN THE NO. 25 HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS CHEVROLET: Although Elliott is making an attempt at his first Cup Series start Sunday, in two previous NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts at Martinsville, Elliott completed 100 percent of his total laps run (450) with an average finish of 13th at the oldest and shortest (0.526-mile oval) in-use NASCAR facility. His Martinsville debut came April 6, 2013, in the Hendrick Motorsports-owned No. 94 Chevrolet, finishing sixth. His second attempt at the “paperclip” was Saturday, October 26, when he finished 20th.
JOHNSON AT MARTINSVILLE: In 26 starts at the paper clip-shaped half-mile at Martinsville, Johnson has won eight of the prestigious grandfather clock trophies. His first win came on October 24, 2004. In addition to an average finish of 6.2, Johnson has managed to complete 99.3 percent of all laps attempted and has led 2,746 circuits.
EARNHARDT AT MARTINSVILLE: Earnhardt's 972 laps led at Martinsville are his personal best at a track. He has tallied 360 of those laps driving the No. 88 Diet Mountain Dew Chevrolet SS for Hendrick Motorsports. Crew chief Greg Ives has selected Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 88-789 for this weekend's race at Martinsville Speedway. Earnhardt most recently won with the chassis at Martinsville last October.