Points Leader - Jimmie Johnson Lead Martinsville Grades - Tony Stewart - Brant James

Grading the particular routines from Sunday's Sprint Cup battle from Martinsville Speedway:

A+

Tony Stewart: Three benefits inside 2011 season. Three wins inside the Chase for that Championship. The two-time Sprint Cup champion who once begrudged his own obtain in to the Sprint Cup playoffs leaped a couple situations in order to second inside standings in addition to torn in two within just actions with points head Carl Edwards upon Sunday through holding down five-time protecting sequence champ Jimmie Johnson that will win at Martinsville. Stewart's No. 14 Chevrolet has been hardly the class belonging to the field, leading just age 14 laps, nonetheless he or she and also crew leader Darian Grubb were in a position to increase the car enough, strategize adequate and avoid the menagerie of spinning contest cars and trucks enough helping put Stewart in position pertaining to a different title by using only a few backrounds outstanding inside the season.

" just place a bit more more fireplace within everybody, I guess," Grubb said. "We've been functioning hard almost all year. We've experienced excellent vehicles ever since your Daytona 500. We just under no circumstances bought the finishes most people had to get each saturday and sunday . When those comments ended up built inside Michigan, most people most argued back slightly touch more difficult to be sure we got 110 percent out of every individual there, to make sure we are many accomplishing the correct things and going forward. We've already been seeking to not ever seem back again ever before since."

Jimmie Johnson: Very much hunting for some sort of wining to be able to restart the actual exact chance he may possibly replicate when champion, Johnson deferred in order to his a lot more chivalrous sensibilities upon Sunday, going not to ever nuzzle Stewart there are various lead to reclaim entry while in the very last three laps. Johnson, citing his respect pertaining to Stewart, mainly considering Stewart's items standing, surrendered your lead on your finalized restart together with three laps remaining and accomplished second, increasing his / her whole lot for you to sixth inside points , right now 43 powering Edwards. The gain would have compensated four extra points, but perhaps he placed his karmic debit within the traditional bank intended for a later date.

B+

Jeff Gordon: He hauled from involvement in a very Lap 7 crash to help guide 113 connected with five-hundred laps, and at one particular level he put Edwards a lap down. A third-place finish was heartening, but have little pertaining to his / her faint name aspirations.

Kevin Harvick: Harvick circumnavigated the .526-mile simple path plus the mayhem within to make fourth plus soar in order to third in points, 21 driving Edwards. A the later part of two-tire pit cease phone was key.

B

Denny Hamlin: A successful with the 18 wheeler competition at Martinsville, the particular local Virginian done fifth, helping to be able to motivate the pup on the offseason which has a seep involving momentum. After a unsatisfying Chase, to be a minimum of some consolation.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.: NASCAR's preferred airport taxi driver looked invigorated from the madness all around him on Sunday, quipping over crew the airwaves that "if we all raced short rails more, I could possibly be considered a dirty driver." That could well be a serious feat making the level of shenanigans along with retaliatory shenanigans on Sunday. Earnhardt Jr. accomplished seventh.

C+

Carl Edwards: Disgruntled and also disgusted was your factors leader even with rallying to finish ninth. He decided not to such as experience associated with your No. 99 Ford, thinking should the challenge was some sort of create or perhaps his driving. "I probably should not become the particular points chief appropriate now," they said. But this individual is. And teammate Matt Kenseth encouraged Edwards could possibly stay right now there due to the fact "Carl is and so very lucky, it will always be hard for you to beat him."

C

Matt Kenseth: The 2003 series champion has been very well ensconced inside the top 10 intended for a great deal on the battle and with the most notable five in the later extends when incidents with all the runaway chariot that ended up being Brian Vickers plus Kyle Busch provided him towards the car port and to a 31st-place finish, worst type of concerning Chase-eligibles. Kenseth, who, surprisingly, slammed each Vickers and Busch, slumped to help fifth spot (from second), 36 details off the direct (from 14) plus likely towards title-hope oblivion.

Ryan Newman: He came into that species far beyond this subject picture along with wanting a solid complete immediately after attempting mightily recent years weeks. Newman received what this individual needed, some sort of 10th-place finish.

C-

Kyle Busch: Another not satisfying Chase shambles in the direction of it's realization to get Busch, who, including his brother, had been involved in various incidents, almost all damagingly a bundle from Matt Kenseth in which routed your No. 18 Toyota, which in turn brought a number of times for the race-high 126 laps, into your wall. On that subsequent hole stop, Busch possessed a strain roll away because the lug nuts ended up definitely not affixed properly. The wheels include come off again. He finished 27th.

Kurt Busch: So much spinning. So a great deal symbolism. Kurt Busch's sluggish volitile manner ongoing on Sunday as he or she seemed to be involved in many occurrences one just seven laps to the competition in addition to accomplished 14th.

Brad Keselowski: Any expect your top-10 finish and an initial shining attended spinning out there the screen together with his No. couple of Dodge within the very last restart along with three laps left. And that had not been his fault. Keselowski appeared to be grabbed in the manner of an episode in between Hamlin and Earnhardt Jr. Keselowski, whose rush from wild card to help name contender may be one of the a lot more interesting issues with the Chase, is now in final place, 27 overwhelming points behind Edwards.