Matt Kenseth is the leader at the halfway point in the Goody’s Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway.
Kenseth has led 71 laps in the first race of the Round of 8 in the Chase for the Sprint Cup.
The top 10 after 250 laps is Kenseth, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Jeff Gordon, Martin Truex Jr., AJ Allmendinger, Joey Logano, Austin Dillon, Carl Edwards and Jamie McMurray.
Kurt Busch is the lowest-running Chase driver. He’s the last car on the lead lap in 23rd.
The first caution came out on Lap 23 when Ricky Stenhouse Jr. spun and backed into the wall in Turn 3. Stenhouse was in a backup car after a similar accident in Turn 1 during qualifying. Stenhouse will finish in last.
During the caution, Edwards and Hamlin, two of the remaining eight Chase drivers, were caught speeding. It was Hamlin’s 10th speeding penalty of the season.
The second caution waved on Lap 62 for David Ragan smoking and putting fluid on the track. Ragan had started a season-best 12th.
The third caution, for debris from a Brian Scott accident, came on Lap 133. During it, Chase driver Kevin Harvick was caught speeding. He runs in the top 20.
The fourth caution came out on Lap 201 for an advertising banner coming loose on the backstretch wall.