A GLANCE AT THIS WEEK’S RACING

Goody’s Fast Relief 500

Site: Martinsville, Va.

Schedule: Friday, qualifying (Speed Channel, 12:30 p.m.); Sunday, race (FOX, 10:30 a.m.).

Track: Martinsville Speedway (oval, 0.526 miles, 12 degrees banking in turns)

Race distance: 263 miles, 500 laps.

Last race: A day after blaming his Joe Gibbs Racing team for costing him a victory in the Nationwide race, Kyle Busch leaned on his crew to help him to a dominating win at Bristol Motor Speedway. Busch led 378 of 503 laps in a rewarding win for a driver who has had so many slip away on the .533-mile bullring.

Last year: Denny Hamlin foiled Jeff Burton’s late strategy of staying out while the rest of the leaders pitted, passing him on the 427th of 500 laps and holding on to win at Martinsville. Hendrick cars dominated most of the race, with Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. all leading for long stretches, and Casey Mears running mostly in the top 10.

Fast facts: A Busch brother has won the past three races. Kyle Busch won at Las Vegas earlier this month, and Kurt followed it with a win at Atlanta. Kyle Busch has now won a race in at least one of NASCAR’s top three series every weekend this season. … Gordon and Johnson have combined to win nine of the last 12 Cup events at Martinsville. They finished 1-2 in the Spring 2007 event, with Johnson edging Gordon. … Travis Kvapil finished 18th at Bristol in what was likely his final race for Yates Racing. The No. 28 team probably will be closed down due to a lack of sponsorship, making it the first casualty this year of the recession. … Earnhardt Jr. has three top-10 finishes in his last four starts at Martinsville. … This weekend’s event marks the first in which drivers who are not in top 35 in the 2009 owner standings must qualify for a starting position.

Next race: Samsung 500, April 5, Fort Worth, Texas

On the Net: http://www.nascar.com

NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCKS

Kroger 250

Site: Martinsville, Va.

Schedule: Saturday, qualifying (Speed Channel, 6 a.m.), race (FOX, 11 a.m.).

Track: Martinsville Speedway (oval, 0.526 miles, 12 degrees banking in turns)

Race distance: 131.5 miles, 250 laps.

Last race: Kyle Busch won his second straight truck race on March 7, holding off Kevin Harvick on the final lap at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Even though he struggled on restarts after losing both second and third gear in his Toyota, Busch surged past Todd Bodine on the back straightaway with five laps to go and held on the rest of the way to win the American Commercial Lines 200.

Last year: Dennis Setzer assumed the lead when Busch had to brake to avoid a crash in front of him, then held on through numerous restarts to win the Kroger 250. The victory was the first for Dodge since the late Bobby Hamilton won at Mansfield in 2005, and the truck Setzer won in is co-owned by Hamilton’s widow, Lori.

Fast facts: Busch won the most recent truck event at Martinsville on Oct. 18. … Mike Skinner swept both Martinsville events in 2007. … HT Motorsports is still seeking its first truck win since entering the series in 2001. Team newcomer Davis Starr took the 2006 event, but is winless since. … This is the first short-track race of the season. … Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with six Martinsville wins, but none since April 2005. … Martinsville is one of four tracks still remaining from the inaugural 1995 schedule.

Next event: O’Reilly Auto Parts 250, April 25, Kansas City, Kan.

On the Net: http://www.nascar.com

NHRA

O’Reilly Spring Nationals

Site: Baytown, Texas

Schedule: Friday, qualifying, 11:30 a.m.; Saturday, qualifying, 9 a.m. (ESPN2, 5 p.m., tape); Sunday, eliminations, 9 a.m. (ESPN2, 1:30 p.m., tape).

Track: Houston Raceway.

Last event: Bob Tasca raced to his first career Funny Car victory at the Gatornationals on March 15. Larry Dixon (Top Fuel), Jason Line (Pro Stock) and Hector Arana (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also were winners at historic Gainesville Raceway.

Last year: Antron Brown became the first driver in NHRA history to win races in Pro Stock Motorcycle and Top Fuel, beating Dixon in the Top Fuel final in the O’Reilly Spring Nationals. Brown, who also joined J.R. Todd as the only black Top Fuel winners, followed Del Worsham (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) into the winner’s circle.

Fast facts: Tony Pedregon won his first elimination race of the season at that Gatornationals and advanced to the Funny Car final before losing to Tasca, the best man at his wedding. … Line has won two of the first three events. … Arana is atop the Pro Stock Motorcycle standings for the first time in his career. His only other win came at Norwalk, Ohio, on June 29. … Dixon recorded the first-ever sub-4.5 Top Fuel run during the 1999 event.

Next event: SummitRacing.com Nationals, April 5, Las Vegas.

On the Net: http://www.nhra.com

NASCAR NATIONWIDE

Last race: Kevin Harvick proved just how strong his organization is by winning at Bristol Motor Speedway in his own race car. Harvick led 44 laps in his Kevin Harvick Inc.-owned Chevrolet, his first victory in a car fielded by the race team he built with his wife.

Next race: O’Reilly 300, April 4, Fort Worth, Texas.

On the Net: http://www.nascar.com