ExtenZe Racing Goody’s 500 Race Recap

Track: Martinsville Speedway, .526-mile oval, Martinsville, Virginia

Finishing Position: 31

The weather for Monday’s rain postponed running of the Goody’s 500 stayed clear, but the track of Martinsville Speedway saw plenty of slipping and sliding throughout the race. While other cars were skating into the wall with cut tires, Kevin Conway and the No. 38 ExtenZe Ford team avoided most of the trouble to come through with another strong finish.

Conway, the Cup Series leading Raybestos Rookie of the Year leader survived his initiation of the bumping and banging at Martinsville Speedway Monday in the driver’s debut at the half-mile track. Conway was running a solid race and staying out of trouble when a late-race bump from Marcos Ambrose sent him spinning in Turn 3. Conway avoided the wall and serious damage and was able to get back on track after a quick pit stop.

The ExtenZe Ford driver also battled loose conditions throughout the race but fought all day long to cross the finish in the 31st position giving Conway his fifth consecutive Rookie of the Race award.
Conway leads the Rookie point standings 40 points ahead of Terry Cook.

Comments from ExtenZe Racing Ford Team Driver Kevin Conway after the Goody’s 500:

“It’s not anywhere near where we wanted to be, and we wanted to run a lot more competitive than that. I had another race with issues: broke the ratchet in the rear end, but that didn’t affect us too terribly bad. We just started out really, really loose and the track, for our car, seemed to loosen up the more rubber that was put down, which is very uncharacteristic for Martinsville. Normally it gets tighter and tighter and tighter. We were just really, really loose and then went the wrong way with an adjustment on one pit stop and just kept digging our whole deeper. I’m really, really looking forward to Phoenix. I’ve been there before so I’m looking forward to getting this whole ExtenZe Racing Team to Phoenix.”

Comments on racing respectfully at Martinsville:

“I think it’s all in where guys catch you where you can let them go or you can’t let them go and trying to earn respect as much as you can. But at the same time if you’re racing for position you’ve got to run hard and if you’re already a lap or two down you’ve got to kind of give the leaders some room, give them some respect and hopefully they’ll reciprocate once we get things turned around and I get some more experience and we’re racing up there with them for position.”