There are probably no two tracks more different than Daytona and Martinsville. The high banks of the 2.5 mile superspeedway in Daytona would probably hold 3 -4 tracks the size of the 1/2 mile paperclip in Martinsville, VA. The differences didn't seem to matter to Johnny Sauter. Having won at Daytona in February, he proved that the nearly 2 month break didn't slow him down as he took the win in Martinsville.
The fact that a veteran driver won did not take away from the remarkable job done by the younger drivers who are showing their remarkable skills in the Camping World Truck series this year.
Jeb Burton, son of former Cup series driver Ward Burton took control early and led more laps than anyone else in the field. Martinsville is not an easy track to conquer but this young man showed no fear as he watched most of the challengers through his rearview mirror.
When he lost the lead to a seasoned veteran, Ron Hornaday, he made a move that was questioned (perhaps unfairly) when he tapped Hornaday sending him into the wall to reclaim the front spot. If a more experienced driver uses the bumper against a younger driver, it is assumed that the younger driver should have given way. Why should it be any different when the tables, or in this situation, the truck is turned.
Another young driver that has impressed eveyone had a good run at Martinsville. Darrell Wallace, Jr. ran a clean race all day and battled with series veterans as if he had no doubt of his right to be there. This young man is driving a truck fielded by Kyle Busch as part of the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Program.
Wallace (nicknamed Bubba) is the first African-American to run in the truck series full-time since Bill Lester competed in the early 2000s. Joe Gibbs has been applauded for giving this young man a chance. As one of the most respected owners in NASCAR, Gibbs has had only positive things to say about Wallace.
With the remarkable ability of the many young drivers in the truck series, there is little doubt that the sport of NASCAR appears to have a healthy future ahead. Five of the top ten finishers were 21 or younger.
When a kid begins to dream about racing, the ultimate goal is to drive in the Sprint Cup series. Anyone who follows the sport should be very excited to know that the future of NASCAR seems to be assured. With such a large group of young and talented drivers, the level of competition and the reward for sponsors should make everyone extremely happy.
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