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NASCAR - Martinsville: Chase Elliott is having his radiator replaced in the garage area.
Not the ideal debut for Chase.
Not the ideal debut for Chase.
Green flag
NASCAR - Martinsville: We go green on lap 82, can Hamlin pick up where he left off and challenge the dominant Joey Logano?
Green flag
MotoGP - Qatar: The bikes are firing up ready for the formation lap.
NASCAR - Martinsville: Dale Earnhardt Jr was the only one of the top runners - indeed of pretty much the whole field - who pitted on that stop.
No confirmation if the #88 has a problem, but he'll lose his all important track position.
No confirmation if the #88 has a problem, but he'll lose his all important track position.
MotoGP - Qatar: On pole tonight is a Ducati. The bike to beat in testing here, the Desmosedici GP15 was declared as good as the bikes Casey Stoner rode to so many Ducati wins and the 2007 title by a rampantly enthusiastic Dovizioso.
But let's not get carried away - Ducati still has the rules dispensations that were introduced last year, and that includes a concession to use softer tyres in qualifying. So poles are very likely this season. Can it convert that pace into a race distance? Can it hang on even if it achieves enough success to have its rules breaks annulled? Dovizioso insists it can.
He beat the Hondas to pole last night, while factory team-mate Iannone starts fourth.
But it's not just the new GP15s that have shown form, the satellite teams running GP14s are having a great weekend too.
Hernandez surged to fifth on the grid, while new team-mate Petrucci showed that sort of potential at times too.
And more recent Ducati convert Avintia didn't get it together in qualifying (di Meglio and Barbera start 15th and 16th), but its riders have popped up in the top 10 a fair few times in practice.
But let's not get carried away - Ducati still has the rules dispensations that were introduced last year, and that includes a concession to use softer tyres in qualifying. So poles are very likely this season. Can it convert that pace into a race distance? Can it hang on even if it achieves enough success to have its rules breaks annulled? Dovizioso insists it can.
He beat the Hondas to pole last night, while factory team-mate Iannone starts fourth.
Andrea Dovizioso, Ducati, Qatar MotoGP 2015
But it's not just the new GP15s that have shown form, the satellite teams running GP14s are having a great weekend too.
Hernandez surged to fifth on the grid, while new team-mate Petrucci showed that sort of potential at times too.
And more recent Ducati convert Avintia didn't get it together in qualifying (di Meglio and Barbera start 15th and 16th), but its riders have popped up in the top 10 a fair few times in practice.
Crash
NASCAR - Martinsville: Looks like the debris came from Chase Elliott's car, who could be suffering from the same power steering issue as Martin Truex Jr.
Yellow flag
NASCAR - Martinsville: Caution on lap 72 for debris.
Breaking news
MotoGP - Qatar: A quiet moment of reflection on the grid now as the organisers hold a minute's silence to mark this week's airline tragedy in the Alps.
NASCAR - Martinsville: Kurt Busch is up to eighth after the restart, he started 12th.
That's 14 spots the #41 has made up today already.
That's 14 spots the #41 has made up today already.
NASCAR - Martinsville: Hamlin fell out of second on the previous caution, but he forced his way up very quickly and settles in behind the leader, Joey Logano.
That man Kevin Harvick is fourth...
That man Kevin Harvick is fourth...
NASCAR - Martinsville: Chase Elliott hit someone on the restart there.
The debutant has a very bowed hood on his Hendrick Chevy.
The debutant has a very bowed hood on his Hendrick Chevy.
MotoGP - Qatar: When motorcycle racing legend Kevin Schwantz ran through this year's big themes with us for our season guide, he was pretty blunt about Dani Pedrosa (though not as blunt as he was about Marco Melandri).
And that wasn't unfair of Schwantz because being beaten to the last two titles by team-mate Marquez despite the latter's newcomer status has not been great for Pedrosa.
He was quiet through testing and practice too - but then suddenly blitzed everyone at the start of Q2 yesterday and beat Marquez to second. That was rather out of the blue... a flash in the pan or a sign of something special this year? Well we don't want to be to sceptical but there's been rather a lot of pan-flashing in Pedrosa's career and zero titles.
And that wasn't unfair of Schwantz because being beaten to the last two titles by team-mate Marquez despite the latter's newcomer status has not been great for Pedrosa.
He was quiet through testing and practice too - but then suddenly blitzed everyone at the start of Q2 yesterday and beat Marquez to second. That was rather out of the blue... a flash in the pan or a sign of something special this year? Well we don't want to be to sceptical but there's been rather a lot of pan-flashing in Pedrosa's career and zero titles.
Dani Pedrosa
Green flag
NASCAR - Martinsville: And we're green for the fourth time already in just 60 laps.
NASCAR - Martinsville: So the top five after the stops:
1 Logano
2 Newman
3 Edwards
4 Hamlin
5 Earnhardt
1 Logano
2 Newman
3 Edwards
4 Hamlin
5 Earnhardt
NASCAR - Martinsville: Under caution, the leaders pit for the first time, with Logano and Newman leading the cars off pit road.
Kenseth had a rapid stop, something which really helped him out last week at Fontana before the axle broke on his Toyota.
Kenseth had a rapid stop, something which really helped him out last week at Fontana before the axle broke on his Toyota.
MotoGP - Qatar: This has been an awkward weekend for Yamaha, which was off the pace in the test here too.
Rather like the start of last year, discomfort with the tyre spec here is causing frowns for Lorenzo and Rossi. They also feel they've had rogue tyres at times, and are concerned about the Bridgestones' longevity tonight.
Lorenzo starts sixth, Rossi eighth, with the satellite Tech 3 Yamaha of Smith between them after surging through from Q1 with a last-gasp effort.
We're not seeing the Open Yamaha of Forward Racing anywhere near the front this year. Stefan Bradl starts way back in 18th.
We'd been wondering if the supersonic pace Aleix Espargaro showed on that bike last year was down to him or if it was a great bike and team-mates Colin Edwards and de Angelis were underperforming. Fair to say we're rating Espargaro ever higher looking at how Bradl's doing in 2015.
Rather like the start of last year, discomfort with the tyre spec here is causing frowns for Lorenzo and Rossi. They also feel they've had rogue tyres at times, and are concerned about the Bridgestones' longevity tonight.
Lorenzo starts sixth, Rossi eighth, with the satellite Tech 3 Yamaha of Smith between them after surging through from Q1 with a last-gasp effort.
Jorge Lorenzo, Yamaha, Qatar MotoGP 2015
We're not seeing the Open Yamaha of Forward Racing anywhere near the front this year. Stefan Bradl starts way back in 18th.
We'd been wondering if the supersonic pace Aleix Espargaro showed on that bike last year was down to him or if it was a great bike and team-mates Colin Edwards and de Angelis were underperforming. Fair to say we're rating Espargaro ever higher looking at how Bradl's doing in 2015.
NASCAR - Martinsville: Something we could be doing a lot today, a Stewart-Haas watch, coming up.
Harvick has surged up to fifth place now from his 17th starting spot. Remember Harvick has eight consecutive top two finishes and the last time he wasn't in the top two was, you guessed it, Martinsville.
Harvick has surged up to fifth place now from his 17th starting spot. Remember Harvick has eight consecutive top two finishes and the last time he wasn't in the top two was, you guessed it, Martinsville.
NASCAR - Martinsville: Truex is really struggling and undoubtedly has some sort of issue.
He hasn't finished outside of the top 10 yet this season, so let's hope it's a fixable issue for the Furniture Row car.
He hasn't finished outside of the top 10 yet this season, so let's hope it's a fixable issue for the Furniture Row car.
NASCAR - Martinsville: Hamlin is coming very quickly now. He's on the back of Newman now for second. The #11 is freaky fast early here at Martinsville.
With not much effort, he slides past Newman and heads off in pursuit of Logano in the lead.
With not much effort, he slides past Newman and heads off in pursuit of Logano in the lead.
NASCAR - Martinsville: The man on the move now is Denny Hamlin.
He's come from nowhere to drive around the outside of Martin Truex Jr for third. Truex could be in trouble with puffs of smoke coming from the rear.
He's come from nowhere to drive around the outside of Martin Truex Jr for third. Truex could be in trouble with puffs of smoke coming from the rear.
MotoGP - Qatar: Most daunting debut of the night would be for Jack Miller, if anything got the Aussie daunted.
He's vaulted straight to MotoGP from Moto3 and starts 22nd on LCR's production-spec Honda. He crashed in qualifying, but that was one of his first slip-ups of a thoroughly sensible learning year so far.
Miller's team-mate Cal Crutchlow also shunted in qualifying - which left him kicking himself as he'd been very, very, very fast in practice. He starts 12th but should fly forward.
He's vaulted straight to MotoGP from Moto3 and starts 22nd on LCR's production-spec Honda. He crashed in qualifying, but that was one of his first slip-ups of a thoroughly sensible learning year so far.
Jack Miller
Miller's team-mate Cal Crutchlow also shunted in qualifying - which left him kicking himself as he'd been very, very, very fast in practice. He starts 12th but should fly forward.
NASCAR - Martinsville: Gordon and Kenseth touch and Kenseth plummets down the order. He shows up 14th after running in the top seven earlier.
NASCAR - Martinsville: Tony Stewart is up to fourth as Jeff Gordon gets caught up in the infamous high lane at Martinsville.
The high line is slower than the low, and you can get hung out to dry up there.
The high line is slower than the low, and you can get hung out to dry up there.
Qatar - MotoGP: The other new (old) presence on the grid is Aprilia... but shall we come back to that topic at the start of 2016?
That's certainly when the Italian firm would like its project to be judged, as it's preparing a full-on MotoGP machine for next year's new technical rules but using an upgraded version of the old ART CRT/Open machine this year.
Alvaro Bautista starts 21st on the quicker of the Gresini-run bikes, while his team-mate Marco 'why wasn't I allowed to stay in World Superbikes?' Melandri is last, as he was been for much of testing.
That's certainly when the Italian firm would like its project to be judged, as it's preparing a full-on MotoGP machine for next year's new technical rules but using an upgraded version of the old ART CRT/Open machine this year.
Alvaro Bautista starts 21st on the quicker of the Gresini-run bikes, while his team-mate Marco 'why wasn't I allowed to stay in World Superbikes?' Melandri is last, as he was been for much of testing.
Green flag
NASCAR - Martinsville: Truex fancies a pop at Newman for second on the restart.
NASCAR - Martinsville: With the two Rousch Fenway cars of Trevor Bayne and Rickie Stenhouse Jr spinning early, and the team suffering a terrible start to its 2015 season, one man will be relatively pleased.
Carl Edwards left Rousch to race for Joe Gibbs Racing in 2015, and has moved up nicely in the early running here from 11th to sixth.
Carl Edwards left Rousch to race for Joe Gibbs Racing in 2015, and has moved up nicely in the early running here from 11th to sixth.
Qatar - MotoGP: We've got a new (old) team on the grid as Suzuki returns after a three-year hiatus.
Former CRT/Open class underdog giantkilling superstar Aleix Espargaro has flown on the bike in testing and was on a lap that looked set to thrust him into the top six on the grid at the end of Q2 yesterday.
It faded somewhat when he reached the long straight and he ended up 11th. That seemed to hint that power might be Suzuki's weakness, but Espargaro said it was his own fault for not having the right feeling with the soft tyre.
His team-mate Maverick Vinales - the 2013 Moto3 champion joining MotoGP after one Moto2 season - narrowly missed out on a Q2 place and starts 13th.
Former CRT/Open class underdog giantkilling superstar Aleix Espargaro has flown on the bike in testing and was on a lap that looked set to thrust him into the top six on the grid at the end of Q2 yesterday.
It faded somewhat when he reached the long straight and he ended up 11th. That seemed to hint that power might be Suzuki's weakness, but Espargaro said it was his own fault for not having the right feeling with the soft tyre.
His team-mate Maverick Vinales - the 2013 Moto3 champion joining MotoGP after one Moto2 season - narrowly missed out on a Q2 place and starts 13th.
Aleix Espargaro, Suzuki, Qatar MotoGP 2015
NASCAR - Martinsville: Stenhouse spins in Turn 3, two cautions in the first 21 laps!
Remember, it's a 0.5 mile circuit!
Remember, it's a 0.5 mile circuit!
Green flag
NASCAR - Martinsville: Newman competes with Logano for the lead on the restart.
For the start of the race, that's a heated battle.
For the start of the race, that's a heated battle.
NASCAR - Martinsville: Clint Bowyer's transponder was broken in the first stint, and pitted to fix that sending him tumbling down the order.
However, because it's a NASCAR part, he gets to resume his previous position before the stops, 24th.
However, because it's a NASCAR part, he gets to resume his previous position before the stops, 24th.
MotoGP - Qatar: Here's how the grid lines up for tonight's race:
1 Andrea Dovizioso
2 Dani Pedrosa
3 Marc Marquez
4 Andrea Iannone
5 Yonny Hernandez
6 Jorge Lorenzo
7 Bradley Smith
8 Valentino Rossi
9 Danilo Petrucci
10 Pol Espargaro
11 Aleix Espargaro
12 Cal Crutchlow
13 Maverick Vinales
14 Scott Redding
15 Hector Barbera
16 Mike di Meglio
17 Nicky Hayden
18 Stefan Bradl
19 Eugene Laverty
20 Karel Abraham
21 Alvaro Bautista
22 Jack Miller
23 Loris Baz
24 Alex de Angelis
25 Marco Melandri
1 Andrea Dovizioso
2 Dani Pedrosa
3 Marc Marquez
4 Andrea Iannone
5 Yonny Hernandez
6 Jorge Lorenzo
7 Bradley Smith
8 Valentino Rossi
9 Danilo Petrucci
10 Pol Espargaro
11 Aleix Espargaro
12 Cal Crutchlow
13 Maverick Vinales
14 Scott Redding
15 Hector Barbera
16 Mike di Meglio
17 Nicky Hayden
18 Stefan Bradl
19 Eugene Laverty
20 Karel Abraham
21 Alvaro Bautista
22 Jack Miller
23 Loris Baz
24 Alex de Angelis
25 Marco Melandri
NASCAR - Martinsville: Little progress in that early stint for the Stewart-Haas drivers coming through.
Kevin Harvick moved up four spots to 13th and Kurt Busch also made four spots to 22nd.
Kevin Harvick moved up four spots to 13th and Kurt Busch also made four spots to 22nd.
Yellow flag
NASCAR - Martinsville: Caution is out for a Trevor Bayne spin in Turn 1.
NASCAR - Martinsville: Logano has a narrow lead, as his former team-mate Denny Hamlin breaks into the top 10.
Hamlin is looking to tie NASCAR hall of famer Joe Weatherley for the number of wins by a driver from Virginia with 25.
The #11 car also has 204 wins throughout its varied history, giving it the title of the number with the most wins in series history. Hamlin has four wins at Martinsville to go along with nine top fives and 14 top 10s.
Hamlin is looking to tie NASCAR hall of famer Joe Weatherley for the number of wins by a driver from Virginia with 25.
The #11 car also has 204 wins throughout its varied history, giving it the title of the number with the most wins in series history. Hamlin has four wins at Martinsville to go along with nine top fives and 14 top 10s.
Hamlin/Martinsville
NASCAR - Martinsville: It's a five car breakaway at the front with Logano, Newman, Truex, Gordon and Stewart.
Green flag
NASCAR - Martinsville: The green flag is out and here we go! Joey Logano leads the field down into Turn 1.
NASCAR - Martinsville: The cars are out on track circulating on their pace laps.
NASCAR - Martinsville: Only three drivers have scored top 10s on their Sprint Cup debut, Carl Edwards, Kevin Harvick and Kenny Irwin Jr. Bill Elliott could only manage 33rd on his debut at Rockingham in 1976. At least Chase doesnt have to much to live up to, on his debut anyway...
elliott
NASCAR - Martinsville: The other big story before today's race is the debut of a certain teenager.
Chase Elliott makes his debut in the NASCAR’s top flight series, after winning the 2014 Xfinity Championship, and starts 27th in the #25
The driver slated to replace Jeff Gordon in 2016 has epic pedigree, son of the man with two of the coolest nicknames in the series’ history.
Bill Elliott, known as ‘Awesome Bill from Dawsonville’ and later ‘Million Dollar Bill’ after winning NASCAR’s $1,000,000 All Star race, won the 1988 championship as well as 44 races in his 37 year Cup career.
Chase Elliott makes his debut in the NASCAR’s top flight series, after winning the 2014 Xfinity Championship, and starts 27th in the #25
The driver slated to replace Jeff Gordon in 2016 has epic pedigree, son of the man with two of the coolest nicknames in the series’ history.
Bill Elliott, known as ‘Awesome Bill from Dawsonville’ and later ‘Million Dollar Bill’ after winning NASCAR’s $1,000,000 All Star race, won the 1988 championship as well as 44 races in his 37 year Cup career.
NASCAR - Martinsville: Watch out for Tony Stewart today. He's third among active drivers for laps led at Martinsville behind Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon, not a bad club to be in.
Stewart has started 2015 terribly, with finishes of 42nd, 30th, 33rd, 39th and 14th, but was the leading Stewart-Haas challenger in qualifying and rolls off sixth.
Stewart has started 2015 terribly, with finishes of 42nd, 30th, 33rd, 39th and 14th, but was the leading Stewart-Haas challenger in qualifying and rolls off sixth.
By: AUTOSPORT staff, Jack Benyon, Mark Glendenning
Published:
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