NASCAR NATION – 3-31

The Sprint Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway last Sunday was postponed due to rain, and results were not available for this issue at press time.
Rear Spoiler Set to Replace Wing: The rear spoiler, a common sight on Sprint Cup cars for many years, made its return this weekend at Martinsville Speedway after replacing the rear wing. The wing, one of the more noticeable changes when NASCAR unveiled its Car of Tomorrow in 2007, is being replaced after complaints about the look of the car, as well as the potential hazard it caused when airborne.
NASCAR held a two-day test last week at Charlotte Motor Speedway for teams to test the spoiler. A majority of the drivers mentioned that while there is a slight difference in the car’s handling, no major problems are expected.
Hamlin to Have Knee Surgery: Unable to bear the pain any longer, Denny Hamlin will have reconstructive surgery on his ACL in his left leg this week. Hamlin tore his ACL in January while playing basketball, and had hoped to put off surgery until following the 2010 season.
But Hamlin decided to undergo the procedure during NASCAR’s off-weekend for Easter. “We were doing some further damage to the knee,” Hamlin said, “and to me it’s not something worth suffering forever and having a permanent limp. It just didn’t make much sense.”
Hamlin is expected to start at Phoenix on April 10. Joe Gibbs Racing will have driver Casey Mears on standby if Hamlin needs to be relieved during the event. Mears is expected to be on standby for several weeks.
Camping World Truck Series: Kevin Harvick started from the pole and led 187 of 250 laps to win the Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway. Harvick passed teammate Ron Hornaday on a restart with 19 laps remaining to claim the lead for the final time en route to his second Camping World Truck Series race of the season.
Hornaday was second, followed by Brian Ickler in third, Timothy Peters in fourth, and Johnny Benson in fifth.
Coming Up: The Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series head to Nashville Superspeedway, while the Sprint Cup Series takes its annual Easter break.
Bruce Knoll, 18, of Eldora, can be contacted by email at bknoll jr4cmcherald@yahoo.com