Brendan Gaughan Returns to Martinsville Speedway: Gaughan says Martinsville is not a track he would consider a favorite, but that’s just because it is a short track.

“I am not a short track racer,” Gaughan said. “I have said it so many times this year, I am starting to wear it out, but it is true. Buddy Baker likes it when I say that. According to Baker, every time I say I am not a short track racer, I go out and make myself look like a liar.”

Intermission Anyone?: During the spring race at Martinsville, Gaughan realized just how out of shape he was. After the track began crumbling and NASCAR displayed the red flag for repairs, Gaughan climbed from his car and asked that his schedule be cleared.

“I knew Martinsville would be tough, I just had no idea how tough. I climbed out of the car when they displayed the red flag, and I wasn’t so sure my legs would hold me up. Another thing was my jaw. I have a bad habit of grinding my teeth, which is why I wear a mouthpiece now. I looked like a pansy out there.”

“The more I think about it, the intermission was kind of nice. It was a chance to get caught up with the other drivers, ‘How are you doing out there?’ ‘Well, I guess I am doing OK. They haven’t sent me to the garage for repairs yet.’’

Shane Wilson on Returning to Martinsville Speedway: Wilson feels more prepared heading back to the Virginia short track than he was in the spring.

“Coming into the season without a notebook was pretty scary,” Wilson said. “We didn’t have a bad run back in April [at Martinsville]. It wasn’t the greatest run, but we finished on the lead lap and I have notes to go by this time around. A lot can be said for an established notebook as a regular contender [in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series]. We have struggled to find our way, but I feel like we are getting there.”

Gaughan’s Martinsville Speedway Statistics: Gaughan has completed 100 percent of the total laps in the races he has competed in at Martinsville Speedway.

Equipment: Gaughan will race chassis PRS-083 at Martinsville Speedway. PRS-083 is a new Penske chassis with no race history. The team took 83 to Greenville, S.C., to shake it down but the test session was rained out. Following two top-10 finishes in as many weeks, Gaughan looks forward to running at the Concord, N.C., facility.