4-11-12 —  Dale Earnhardt Jr. without a doubt has turned the corner.

    The 135-race winless streak remains intact. But its end has become a case of when rather than if. Junior has become a story not for where he's been but rather where he's going—straight toward the top of the points standings.

    A third-place finish at Martinsville Speedway, his third top-five of the season, shot Earnhardt out of a third-place traffic jam and within six points of leader Greg Biffle.

    How well is Junior doing?

    He's one of two drivers with three top-five and four top-four finishes. The other is Greg Biffle.

    Three of the past four races have seen the No. 88 Chevrolet head the field.

    Earnhardt is the highest ranked of Hendrick Motorsports' four drivers.

    His second-place ranking in points is his best at this stage of the season since 2008, the year he won his last race at Michigan International Speedway.

    Martinsville, a track where Earnhardt collected his fourth consecutive top-10 finish, is indicative of the progress his Steve Letarte-led team has made. He's passing, and passing champions like teammate Jeff Gordon.

    The last time Earnhardt held the points lead was after the Talladega Superspeedway race on Oct. 3, 2004.

    For Stewart-Haas Racing, the beat goes on.

    Ryan Newman's victory at Martinsville Speedway was the organization's third of the 2012 season and eighth trip to Victory Lane over the past 16 races.

    Batting .500 ain't bad—especially in an environment as competitive as the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

    It's fair to say SHR has few—if any—weaknesses. The team's recent run of victories includes wins on short track (two), mile, intermediate tracks (five) and a two-mile layout.

    Newman had been winless since last summer's race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Teammate Tony Stewart had been doing the heavy lifting, a point not lost on Newman, who collected his 16th victory.

    "Just glad I finally contributed," said Newman, smiling, following the race.

    Heading to Texas Motor Speedway, Stewart, winner of last November's Texas race, stands third in points. Newman, also a Texas winner, is eighth.

    Matt Puccia is the crew chief of the No. 16 3M team at Roush Fenway Racing. You may even have heard driver Greg Biffle credit him with the team's success so far this season. But according to one story, he may have saved Carl Edwards' life?

    Puccia and Edwards worked together at Ken Schrader's race shop in the mid-90's as mechanics and general help to the team. One day the two of them were working on putting a rear-end cooler in a truck which was suspended on the team's new car hoist just high enough for Edwards to work under it.

    As Puccia put his weight on the top of the truck to help with the project from above, the hoist began to lower and crushed Edwards under the truck. Puccia immediately ran to the control and raised the hoist to lift the truck. He rushed Edwards to the hospital where it was determined that Edwards would live.

    "Carl's version of the story is a little different," said Puccia.  

"He tells people I intentionally lowered the truck on him to try to kill him but that obviously isn't what happened.  I told him he was being a baby about it and I actually saved his life by raising the hoist and getting him to the hospital."

    Edwards obviously doesn't hold a grudge over the incident as the two have remained friends over the years and continue to argue over whose version of the story is correct.

    "I just keep my distance in the shop!" said Edwards.

    

    Camping World Truck Series Notes:

    Timothy Peters and Justin Lofton are the only drivers to post top- five finishes in each of the season's first two races. Lofton failed to score a top five in 2011.  What a difference a year also makes for Buescher, who finished third at Martinsville. Buescher failed to qualify for last season's second race at Phoenix International Raceway.

    Kevin Harvick's third Martinsville victory was his first driving a Richard Childress Racing truck. The organization has won a race in all eight seasons (1995-99, 2010-12) in which it has competed full- time in the NCWTS.

    The current points standings mark the second time in series history that Sunoco Rookie of the Year contenders—King and Dillon—have ranked among the top-five in overall points after race No. 2. The only time rookies occupied top-five positions at this stage of the season was in 1996—the first year the award was made—when Bryan Reffner and Ron Barfield Jr. were third and fourth after the event at Phoenix International Raceway.

    Weekend Racing: The Cup and Nationwide teams are at the 1.5-mile Texas Motor Speedway, just outside Ft. Worth. NASCAR returns to Rockingham Speedway after an absence of 12 years, with a truck race on Sunday.

    "The Rock" opened as a flat, one-mile oval on October 31 1965. In 1969, the track was extensively reconfigured to a high-banked, D- shaped oval measuring slightly over one mile in length.

    In 1997, it merged with Penske Motorsports, and was renamed North Carolina Speedway. It played host to two Winston Cup races each year through 2003. The final Cup race at Rockingham was held on February 22, 2004 with Matt Kenseth, the winner.

    Fri., Apr. 13, Nationwide O'Reilly 300, race 6 of 33; Starting time:  

8 pm ET; TV: ESPN2.

    Sat., Apr. 14, Sprint Cup Samsung 500, race 7 of 36; Starting time:  

7 pm ET; TV: FOX.

    Sun., Apr. 15, Truck Series Carolina 200, race 3 of 22; Starting

time: 12:30 pm ET; TV: SPEED.

    

    Racing Trivia Question: Who won the inaugural Texas Motor Speedway Cup race?

    Last Week's Question: NASCAR does not race on two Sunday's during the racing season. One is Easter Sunday. What is the other? Mother's Day.



    You may contact the Racing Reporter at hodges@race500.com.