Wallace captured the Camping World Truck Series race, beating Jeb Burton into Turn 1 on a restart with five laps to go.
Wendell Scott won in Jacksonville, Fla., in 1963 in what is now known as the Sprint Cup Series, the highest of NASCAR's three national levels.
“(This victory) will be remembered as a remarkable moment in our sport’s history,” NASCAR Chairman Brian France said in a statement.
Wallace, a graduate of NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program and a former diversity driver for Joe Gibbs Racing, won for Kyle Busch Motorsports. He never ran below sixth place and led a race-high 96 laps but needed to survive a final restart. Wallace chose the inside line and quickly pulled away from Burton.
Brendan Gaughan finished second, followed by Burton.
HARVICK RIPS RCR
Kevin Harvick and Richard Childress had pledged to finish off their relationship professionally with Harvick leaving for Stewart-Haas Racing after 2013.
They did all season. Until Harvick and Childress grandson Ty Dillon tangled Saturday during the truck race at Martinsville.
Dillon and his brother, Austin, are considered the future of RCR, and Harvick said the focus on them is why he’s leaving RCR. When Harvick stopped in Dillon’s pit stall after their wreck, a Dillon crew member apparently threw a hammer at Harvick’s truck, which is owned by NTS Motorsports.
“I don’t care what they throw at me,” an angry Harvick said as he left the track before the race was even over. “That’s exactly the reason I’m leaving RCR is because you’ve got those punk-ass kids coming up.”
Childress used an expletive in talking about Harvick while going into the NASCAR hauler. He was a little calmer about 10 minutes later.
“I’m very disappointed — that’s all I can say,” Childress said. “I’ve got too much class to say what I want to say right now. When I say it, I will say it to his face.”
Harvick is tied for third in the Sprint Cup standings, 26 points behind leader Jimmie Johnson. Childress said the episode Saturday would not impact Harvick’s status for Sunday’s race.
Dillon entered the race second in the truck standings, 57 points behind the series leader Matt Crafton.
“I don’t care what Kevin Harvick says,” Dillon said. “I don’t think anybody does.”
Harvick and Dillon tangled with 12 laps left in the race as they battled for second. Harvick was in second and got hit from behind by Dillon, and then Matt Crafton ran into the back of Dillon, causing more damage.
Dillon and Harvick bumped trucks on the first caution lap and then Harvick stopped in Dillon’s pit box. Dillon’s team ran out to Harvick’s truck, yanking at his window net and apparently throwing a hammer.
“I’m pretty disappointed in the things that just went down,” Dillon said. “I used to look up to that guy, but I guess he doesn’t understand the circumstances of what’s going on. … To tear up a truck after the race and act like a punk on the track and on pit road and stop on pit road in my pit stall when my guys were coming out, that was pretty ridiculous.”
HAMLIN VOWS TO WIN
Denny Hamlin remains unsure about having offseason back surgery. He remains unsure about what type of engine he will have in his car for the remaining races.
But he remains sure of one thing: He’s at Martinsville Speedway this weekend, and that means he’s a threat to win.
Hamlin, who missed the Martinsville race in April after a compression fracture in his back sidelined him for four races, will start the Sprint Cup race Sunday from the pole.
Having missed the Chase this year, Hamlin has run a series of experimental engines and setups for Toyota and Joe Gibbs Racing the last couple of months.
“What my fans see is they see the struggles, they see the blown engines and things like that we've had here recently, but those are all things that we signed up for when we didn't make the Chase,” said Hamlin, who is 24th in the series standings.
“We decided it would be best for us to work on next year and focus on next year.”
After the season, Hamlin could have surgery for his back. He is having injections that numb the pain so he can do therapy but he is concerned that he is masking the pain and not healing.
“I still haven't decided on it,” he said. “I still haven't met with the doctors to figure out the best option."
But Hamlin has other things on his mind at the moment, like winning at Martinsville.
EARNHARDT LEADS PRACTICE
Dale Earnhardt Jr. led the final practice session at Martinsville Saturday while Chase contenders Matt Kenseth and Jimmie Johnson can't seem to get away from each other.
Earnhardt was fastest with an average speed of 96.337 mph on the half-mile track, edging Clint Bowyer in the final practice before Sunday's 2 p.m. race.
Kasey Kahne was third, followed by Kyle Busch and then Kenseth and Johnson. Johnson leads Kenseth by four points in the Chase, while Busch is third, 26 points back.
Rounding out the top 10 in the final practice were Juan Pablo Montoya, Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano and Jeff Gordon. Denny Hamlin, who won the pole, was 11th.
Greg Biffle spun in both practice sessions but there were no other incidents. Danica Patrick, who wrecked in practice Friday and had to go to a backup car, was 29th in practice Saturday. She will start 41st.
EARNHARDT FOR SPONSOR
Earnhardt is happy to have a contract extension with National Guard as his primary sponsor for the majority of races in 2014.
Though he still needs sponsorship for next year, Earnhardt is happy to have the majority of races sponsored. While there was little question whether the National Guard would return, all military sponsorships are reviewed annually.
Earnhardt will have sponsorship for 20 races from National Guard and five from PepsiCo (Amp, Diet Mt Dew, Mt. Dew, etc.). That leaves 13 events that are open for next season.
“It seems like that the Guard has been really thrilled with the way things have gone over the last several years,” Earnhardt said. “I have enjoyed the relationship tremendously and we got a great new paint scheme for next year and we are just really enjoying the relationship.
“(I’m) glad to be able to look forward to another season with the Guard.”
GORDON WONDERS WHAT IF
As Jimmie Johnson races for a sixth Sprint Cup championship, teammate Jeff Gordon can’t help but wonder what might have been.
Gordon won four Sprint Cup championships, but has not captured the title since 2001. He wonders how many championships he might have won had he and crew chief Ray Evernham not split up during the 1999 season.
Gordon and Evernham dominated the mid-90s — much the way Johnson and Chad Knaus have dominated the past seven years — by winning 47 races and three championships from 1995-99.
But the dynamic duo began having their differences in 1999 and Evernham left Hendrick Motorsports in October to start his own Cup team for Dodge. Gordon won seven races that season — five with Evernham — but his fourth Cup title in 2001 came with crew chief Robbie Loomis.
“I think all the time, back to when Ray and I were together, if we could have just made it through 1999,” Gordon said Friday. “Now I don’t know if it would have changed his offer to go do the Dodge team, but that was a tough year for us. And I was growing and things were changing and we went through a time where I felt like I could do it without him and he felt like well, maybe he can do it without me but I’ve got another opportunity.
“And we’ve been able to stay close friends through it all, but we always talk about that time. And I really think that if you make it through those tough times it only makes you stronger. I think if we had done that, we could have really gone on to even win more championships together.”
Gordon, who is fifth in this year’s Chase, marvels at what Johnson and Knaus have been able to accomplish and how they have been able to stay together long enough to win five straight championships from 2006-10.
TWEETS OF THE DAY
What sports figures are saying in 140 characters or less.
“You drove like a hero @BubbaWallace” — Mark Martin
“Wow another great @MartinsvilleSwy race with plenty of action. Happy for @BubbaWallace. Great win.” — Jeff Gordon
“#gametime” — Darrell Wallace Jr. before taking the green flag Saturday at Martinsville
“Oh My! This is BIGGER than BIG!… RCR VS RCR” — Kenny Wallace on Kevin Harvick-Ty Dillon feud
PHOTO OF THE DAY
Wallace congratulates Wallace.
– Contributors: Bob Pockrass, Jeff Owens, The Associated Press
