Goody's Fast Pain Relief 500 - Martinsville Speedway
Schedule: Friday, qualifying (Speed Channel, 3:30 p.m.); Sunday, race (FOX, 1:30 p.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
Goody's Fast Pain Relief 500 PreQ
Jeff Gordon didn’t quite get to victory lane extending his winless streak. Gordon, however, had a very strong run once again and has now posted four finishes in the top 6 with his lowest finishing position being a 13th place. Gordon is showing his dominance once again after watching teammate Jimmie Johnson win three straight championships. Gordon loves racing at Martinsville Speedway recording 10 consecutive top 10 finishes, including two wins, for an average finish of 4th place. He is also one of the best short track drivers in the series averaging a 6th place finish since the COT has hit the short tracks (7 starts). Expect the #24 DuPont Chevrolet to be a contender for the win in the Goody's Fast Pain Relief 500.
Denny Hamlin had his best run of the season last weekend at Bristol and would like nothing more than following it up with another solid performance. It helps that Hamlin is the defending race champion. It also helps that Hamlin is averaging a 9th place finish in his career at Martinsville with just one finish outside the top 10. He has posted four consecutive top 5 finishes on the short tracks with just one finish outside the top 20. Hamlin has the ability to show that he can keep pace with teammate Kyle Busch. Expect a solid run out of the #11 FedEx Toyota at Martinsville.
After a tough start to the season Jimmie Johnson is beginning to display the consistency that has won his those three straight championships. Johnson posted his second consecutive top 10 finish after having just one top 10 finish in the first three races. He is still searching for his first win of the season and if there is one driver that could keep Jeff Gordon out of victory lane this weekend it is Johnson. Over the last 10 races at the track Johnson has won five while finishing all 10 inside the top 10. He is averaging a 2nd place finish over that span and no driver has been more dominant. Johnson has had his problems on the other two short tracks in the series, Bristol and Richmond, but with a 3rd place finish at Bristol last weekend look out for the #48 Lowe’s Chevrolet this weekend.
This has just not been Greg Biffle’s season. Biffle dropped out of the top 12 falling 8 spots after a horrible day at Bristol in which he finished in the 39th position after losing an engine. It was his second straight finish outside the top 30. Biffle does not run that well at Martinsville either so it would not be much of a surprise to see him record yet another poor finish. In the last 10 starts at the track he has just one top 10 finish with an average finish of 24th place. Biffle is on a cool streak right now and we recommend avoiding him until he gets out of his funk
Robby Gordon does just not care that much for short track racing. His 21st place finish at Bristol last weekend was actually a tremendous improvement on the short tracks since the COT came into existence full time. In the last seven starts Gordon is averaging a 33rd place finish with zero top 20 finishes. Martinsville has not been much better as he is averaging a 34th place finish in his last nine starts at the track missing this race last season. We recommend avoiding Gordon for this race.
profantasysports.com
Goody’s Fast Relief 500 Driver Rating
The .526-mile track nestled in southern Virginia is the oldest on the NASCAR Sprint Cup schedule and one of the oldest continuously-operating racing facilities in the United States. It hosted the first official NASCAR Sprint Cup event on Sept. 25, 1949. The NASCAR Nationwide Series debuted there on March 28, 1982 and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series did so on Sept. 25, 1995. Known for its tight turns and paper-clip shape, Martinsville is deceptively difficult, forcing drivers to exercise both patience and abandon at the right times. One of its unique features is its concrete corners. Concrete was added to all four Martinsville turns, atop the existing asphalt, in 1976. Martinsville will host its 121st NASCAR Sprint Cup race this Sunday.
The Hendrick Motorsports tandem, four-time series champion Jeff Gordon and three-time series champion Jimmie Johnson, have dominated Martinsville Speedway, winning a combined nine of the last 12 events (Gordon, four; Johnson, five). Gordon is setting the pace in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. As the standings leader, he has three top fives and four top 10s in the first five races. Though Gordon still is searching for his first win of the season, which also would snap his 46-race winless streak, he has a total of seven wins at Martinsville Speedway -- the most of any active driver. Currently ninth in the standings, Johnson had started the season slow but returned to top form last week, finishing third and moving up four spots in the points. Johnson, like his teammate, also has had success at Martinsville with five wins, including four in the last five races.
profantasysports.com
Goody's 500 Preview
By Micah Roberts
VegasInsider.com
This week’s race takes us to Martinsville, Virginia for the first of two races there this season. This will also be the second short track race of the season, which includes two Bristol races and also two at Richmond, Virginia’s three-quarter mile facility. Last week we saw the first short track race of the season at the new and supposedly improved Bristol Motor Speedway’s half mile high banked track.
Bristol still remains the fastest half mile track in the world. The major difference between Martinsville’s half mile track is the banking, which is relatively flat meaning that the brakes get abused like other on the circuit and the speeds are much slower.
Generally on short track racing we get to see drivers mix it up, bang around, and see them get all upset during and after the races. Last week at Bristol we didn’t get to witness a traditional “Bristol” type of racing because of the multiple grooves. However, Martinsville still remains the same with the coveted inside groove that all the drivers attempt to get to. If someone is slower and doesn’t move, the faster driver will give them a little reminder bump to see help them see reality that they aren’t really that fast at the moment. What we missed at Bristol, in particular the drama of drivers creating rivalries, hopefully we see this week in Martinsville.
The candidates to win this week begin with the Hendrick Motorsports duo of Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon. The two have dominated the last six seasons of racing there covering 12 races. Each of the them has not finished outside the top 10 in any of those 12 races and have combined to win nine of them.
Jimmie Johnson’s success should come as no surprise because he has dominated on all tracks over that period of time winning a few Championships a long the way, However Jeff Gordon’s consistency is kind of surprising because his team has struggled along the way at different stages. It is the one track that Gordon has always been able to rely on and get him going in a positive direction regardless of how bad the team is running.
Gordon currently is the Cup Series points leader which should make him feel good about where the team is going. They have run well in each of the five races up to this point, but haven’t got to that dominant tier like Kyle Busch is currently in. It’s been since October 2007 since Gordon has won a race and it’s a pretty solid bet that Gordon knows this is a track, better than most, where he can get back into victory lane. In 32 career Martinsville, Gordon has seven wins and twenty top 5 finishes for an average finish of 6.9.
Johnson is the favorite this week in the 5/1 range, which could be considered a great price only because of he’s won four of the last five at Martinsville. It’s odd that Johnson could be so good at Martinsville to yet to win at Bristol over his career. The tracks aren’t really comparable, but Johnson also does well at Richmond as well. He had a great run at Bristol last week, but other than that Johnson has been anything but the typical Jimmie. With his 3rd place run last week, he’s finally in the top 10 in points. If you thought Gordon’s average finish was sick, in 14 starts Johnson has an average finish of 5.3.
A new entry into the Hendrick possible dominance at Martinsville this week could be Mark Martin who had his first impressive run of the season last week at Bristol. As good as Johnson and Gordon have been thus far, the back end of the team led by Dale Earnhardt Jr and Martin have been equally as bad. True, there have been bad parts, and maybe the No. 24 and No. 48 teams don’t share information as much as they should, but they do not resemble a Hendrick team. Junior hasn’t even been close to competing in a race yet.
A few years ago while Martin was driving for Jack Roush, they used to call the track Mark Martinsville because he was so consistently good there. He has two career Cup wins there, but none since 2000. Martin could be a nice driver to look at in the 20/1 range as a small back up to some of the favorites who can’t be passed up. Casey Mears had two top 10 finishes in the No. 5 car last season.
Speaking of the No. 5 car, this week’s race marks the 25th anniversary of Hendrick Motorsports first win. Geoff Bodine was the driver of the car No. 5 car then. Soon after, Hendrick would begin his revolutionary multi-car quest, which would later become the basis for the movie Days of Thunder. Just like Cole Trickle, Geoff Bodine wasn’t too happy about Tim Richmond sharing the same owner.
Denny Hamlin leads the charge this week for the Gibbs team. Hamlin, who hails from Virginia, will be the car to watch out of that stable this week. Kyle has been good at Martinsville, but has yet to win. Prior to last season Hamlin had a couple a 2nd and a 3rd place finish on the track and then came his big win there in this race last season. Of all the tracks on the circuit, Martinsville suits him the best and is where he raced late models before getting a NASCAR major series ride. He loves looking at that giant Grandfather clock he won for winning this race last year. Think he’d like two?
As for Kyle Busch, you can’t ever count him out. This guy is pretty good and think the more the rest of NASCAR Nation throws bottles and cans at him after each race he wins, the more proud I am of the Native Las Vegan. He definitely gives off a cocky vibe that most fans just aren’t feeling. I’m just waiting for the fans’ fare prince to show up someday and actually do well and attempt to knock that Duracell off Kyle’s shoulder. If Junior could get better, this could be the rivalry the new era of NASCAR needs. Right now it’s the story of the hammer and the nail, not much of a rivalry. After that cream puff Bristol race, I definitely need some action.
Kyle’s win last week gave him 14 for his career which is one short of Jeff Gordon’s record for most wins before the age of 25. The Bristol win also gave him his 5th NASCAR major series win in four straight weeks. Like him or not, I believe most agree that he is pretty talented.
Long shots that have a chance if Gordon, Hamlin, and Johnson all have engine failures include Martin, Virginian Jeff Burton, Kurt Busch, and maybe, just maybe Junior. Junior had probably his best combined runs in both Martinsville races last season. They all should be good plays in driver vs. driver matchups anyway.
Top 5 Finish Prediction:
1) #24 Jeff Gordon (6/1)
2) #11 Denny Hamlin (8/1)
3) #48 Jimmie Johnson (5/1)
4) #88 Dale Earnhardt Jr (20/1)
5) #5 Mark Martin (20/1)
Top 35: After Bristol, Current Owner Points Determine Automatic Starts
Five races are done, meaning at Martinsville, the 2009 car owner points determine each week’s top 35 starting spots, with teams outside the top 35 in car owner points having to qualify on time. This makes the always-challenging Martinsville seem even more so for those teams outside the top 35.
This week, David Gilliland’s No. 71 Chevrolet owned by Kevin Buckler is in the coveted 35th spot.
Four teams within 33 points of 35th will have to qualify on time at Martinsville:
•The No.82 Toyota driven by Scott Speed (owned by Dietrich Mateschitz) is 36th.
•The No. 8 Chevrolet driven by Aric Almirola (owned by Chip Ganassi) is 37th.
•The No. 98 Ford driven by Paul Menard (owned by Max Jones) is 38th.
•The No. 28 Ford driven by Travis Kvapil (owned by Jeff Moorad) is 39th.
Odds and Ends - Martinsville
Martinsville Notes
# There have been 120 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Martinsville Speedway.
# Curtis Turner won the pole for the first NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Martinsville in 1949.
# Red Byron won the first NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Martinsville.
# 55 drivers have posted poles at Martinsville, led by Darrell Waltrip with eight.
# Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin and Darrell Waltrip share the consecutive pole record, each with three.
# Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with seven poles.
# 45 different drivers have won races, led by Richard Petty with 15.
# Fred Lorenzen holds the consecutive win record with four.
# Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with seven victories.
# Petty Enterprises has won 19 races, more than any other organization.
# 17 races have been won from the pole, but none since Jeff Gordon swept both races from the pole in 2003.
# Kurt Busch won the 2002 fall race from the 36th starting position, the furthest back a race winner has started.
Martinsville Facts
Jimmie Johnson has won four of the last five races at Martinsville. Johnson finished 35th in his first Martinsville appearance (April 2002), his only DNF there. Since then, he has posted 13 straight top-10 finishes. Johnson has finished fourth or better in his last seven Martinsville races. He has completed all but 54 laps in his 14 appearances at Martinsville, with all his incomplete laps coming in that first appearance.
Martinsville Speedway Data
Race #: 6 of 36 (3-29-09)
Track Size: .526 mile
Race Length: 500 laps/263 miles
# Banking/Corners: 12 degrees
# Banking/Straights: 0 degrees
# Frontstretch: 800 feet
# Backstretch: 800 feet
Driver Rating at Martinsville
Jimmie Johnson 124.7
Jeff Gordon 124.0
Tony Stewart 113.7
Dale Earnhardt Jr. 102.4
Denny Hamlin 101.3
Kyle Busch 90.6
Kevin Harvick 89.1
Jamie McMurray 88.2
Jeff Burton 84.8
Ryan Newman 84.0
Note: Driver Rating compiled from 2005-2008 races (8 total) at Martinsville Speedway.
Qualifying/Race Data
2008 pole winner: Jeff Gordon (96.288 mph, 19.666 seconds)
2008 race winner: Denny Hamlin, 73.163 mph, 3-30-08)
Track qualifying record: Tony Stewart (98.083 mph, 19.306 secs., 10-21-05)
Race record: Jeff Gordon (82.223 mph, 9-22-96)
Estimated Pit Window: Every 140-150 laps, based on fuel mileage.
Driver Highlights - Martinsville
Note: All driver statistics that follow are from Martinsville Speedway. The Loop Data statistics – Driver Rating, Average Running Position, etc. – in this release, however, cover the last eight races at Martinsville. NASCAR’s scoring loops began collecting data for statistical purposes in 2005.
Jeff Burton (No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet) 25/1
# One win, 10 top fives, 14 tops 10s
# Average finish of 14.6
# Average Running Position of 17.3, 13th-best
# Driver Rating of 84.8, ninth-best
# 87 Fastest Laps Run, ninth-most
# 292 Green Flag Passes, seventh-most
# Average Green Flag Speed of 90.881 mph, seventh-fastest
# 2,112 (52.7%) Laps in the Top 15, ninth-most
# 145 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green), eighth-most
Kyle Busch (No. 18 M&M’s Toyota) 6/1
# Three top fives, four top 10s
# Average finish of 18.3
# Average Running Position of 14.9, seventh-best
# Driver Rating of 90.6, sixth-best
# 103 Fastest Laps Run, seventh-most
# Average Green Flag Speed of 90.973 mph, sixth-fastest
# 2,666 (66.5%) Laps in the Top 15, fifth-most
# 199 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green), fourth-most
Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 AMP Energy/National Guard Chevrolet) 20/1
# Eight top fives, nine top 10s
# Average finish of 13.6
# Average Running Position of 10.4, fourth-best
# Driver Rating of 102.4, fourth-best
# 311 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-most
# Series-high 396 Green Flag Passes
# Average Green Flag Speed of 91.183 mph, fourth-fastest
# 3,049 (76.0%) Laps in the Top 15, fourth-most
# 219 Quality Passes, second-most
Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet) 7/1
# Seven wins, 20 top fives, 26 top 10s; seven poles
# Average finish of 6.9
# Average Running Position of 6.8, second-best
# Driver Rating of 124.0, second-best
# Series-high 467 Fastest Laps Run
# Series-fastest average Green Flag Speed of 91.520 mph
# 3,539 (88.3%) Laps in the Top 15, second-most
# Series-high 220 Quality Passes
Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Toyota) 8/1
# One win, four top fives, six top 10s
# Average finish of 8.9
# Average Running Position of 11.9, fifth-best
# Driver Rating of 101.3, fifth-best
# 134 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-most
# Average Green Flag Speed of 91.113 mph, fifth-fastest
# 2,512 (71.6%) Laps in the Top 15, fifth-best percentage
Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet) 18/1
# Six top 10s
# Average finish of 18.0
# Average Running Position of 15.1, eighth-best
# Driver Rating of 89.1, seventh-best
# 55 Fastest Laps Run, 13th-most
# Average Green Flag Speed of 90.863 mph, eighth-fastest
# 2,407 (60.0%) Laps in the Top 15, seventh-most
Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet) 5/1
# Five wins, 10 top fives, 13 top 10s; one pole
# Average finish of 5.6
# Series-best Average Running Position of 6.4
# Series-best Driver Rating of 124.7
# 446 Fastest Laps Run, second-most
# Average Green Flag Speed of 91.462 mph, second-fastest
# Series-high 3,579 (89.3%) Laps in the Top 15
# 214 Quality Passes, third-most
Jamie McMurray (No. 26 Crown Royal Ford) 40/1
# One top five, seven top 10s
# Average finish of 16.9
# Average Running Position of 14.8, sixth-best
# Driver Rating of 88.2, eighth-best
# 72 Fastest Laps Run, tied for 11th-most
# 2,379 (59.3%) Laps in the Top 15, eighth-most
Tony Stewart (No. 14 Old Spice/Office Depot Ford) 20/1
# Two wins, seven top fives, 11 top 10s; three poles
# Average finish of 12.6
# Average Running Position of 7.4, third-best
# Driver Rating of 113.7, third-best
# 312 Fastest Laps Run, third-most
# Average Green Flag Speed of 91.356 mph, third-fastest
# 3,471 (86.6%) Laps in the Top 15, third-most
# 193 Quality Passes, fifth-most
No Need for Headache Powder at Martinsville
Bryan Davis Keith and Mike Neff
As NASCAR’s first short track leg of the season continues, the Cup circuit heads from a drastically altered Bristol Motor Speedway to a track that, well, hasn’t changed much at all since the 1950s. Martinsville Speedway is still a flat-banked, claustrophobic paper clip that provides the most old-school racing still seen today in big-time stock car competition. And with the help of Frontstretch’s Fantasy Insiders, there will be no need for fantasy racers to make use of the ample free samples of Goody’s that will be circling the track this weekend. We’ll leave those to the drivers knocked out in all those crashes, leaving your fantasy team to dominate on the .526-mile oval with the right drivers capable of making it through.
Best Active Finish at Martinsville Speedway (active drivers since 2005)
Jeff Gordon, 2.5
Jimmie Johnson, 2.8
Denny Hamlin, 8.9
Tony Stewart, 10.5
Dale Earnhardt, Jr., 11.6
2008 Goody’s 500 Top 5 Finishers
Denny Hamlin, 82 laps led
Jeff Gordon, 90 laps led
Jeff Burton, 37 laps led
Jimmie Johnson, 135 laps led
Tony Stewart, 0 laps led
Extra-Strength Prescriptions
Perhaps the only thing more surprising than how long Jeff Gordon has gone without winning is how long he’s gone without winning at Martinsville. But, checkered flag or no checkered flag, there is no surer fantasy bet out there than starting the No. 24 at this Virginia short track. Gordon has scored eight consecutive top 5 finishes at Martinsville, failing to finish a race outside the top 10 since 2002. And if the way the No. 24 ran at Bristol is any indication, this team has certainly rediscovered its short track package. Look for Gordon to have another grandfather clock by week’s end. Bryan
Jimmie Johnson owns Martinsville Speedway. He has only finished outside the top 10 once in his entire career at the paper clip-shaped track in southern Virginia and has won four of the last five races there, including the hurricane-postponed event last Fall. Johnson had his best finish ever at Bristol last weekend and looks poised to get back into the win column this Sunday. His average finish at Martinsville is 5.6, in case you needed another reason to put your eggs in the No. 48 basket. Johnson is the closest thing to a sure bet this coming weekend. Mike
Over the Counter Meds
Denny Hamlin’s win at Martinsville last year was special for the Virginia native and makes him a threat to repeat this season.
Anyone who’s listened to Denny Hamlin knows just how much winning on any of NASCAR’s Virginia tracks means to him. And while Richmond may the crown jewel for the No. 11 driver, there’s no doubting that the win he scored at Martinsville last year was something special. Hamlin was perhaps the only driver in remotely the same league as Kyle Busch last weekend at Bristol, and is now returning to a home track where he has scored five consecutive top 10 finishes and is the defending race winner. The JGR guys may well be the only team with something to challenge Hendrick’s recent dominance at Martinsville. Bryan
Tony Stewart did not run up to his new team’s standards last weekend at Bristol. Still, it is surprising to see how well this car is running to start the new season. Stewart has three eighth place finishes and is in the top 10 in points with a team that struggled to run even last year in the top 35. Stewart has won at Martinsville before and has an average finish of 12.6. He finished fifth in this race last spring and won this race in 2006. It may be a bit of a gamble after his subpar performance last weekend, but the risk is worth the potential reward having Stewart on a short track. Mike
Homemade Remedies
You wouldn’t know it, but Martinsville Speedway is among the most consistent bright spots for A.J. Allmendinger thus far in his Cup career. In his ill-fated 2007 campaign during Red Bull Racing’s pilot season, the Dinger managed to qualify for both races at the track, joining only Bristol, Dover, Richmond, and Charlotte as venues that he would race at twice in his rookie year. And last year, after being forced to sit out the Spring race in favor of Mike Skinner, A.J. took GEM’s No. 10 car and drove it to a top 15 finish in only his third start on the track. ‘Dinger has been solid and consistent all season, and with sponsorship continuing to trickle in, his confidence level is only going to get higher. Back-to-back top 15s at Martinsville are all but a lock for this prospect. Bryan
Marcos Ambrose had never raced at Bristol in a Cup car before last weekend. So, he jumped on the concrete half mile and kept his nose clean all day, coming home with a 10th place finish — even with an engine that was laying down at the end of the race. Several days later, Ambrose is taking to another track that he has not raced on in Cup this weekend when he hits the half-mile at Martinsville. One thing that has been consistent over the history of Martinsville is that drivers who are good on road courses seem to do well at the little track. Also, Ambrose is riding some momentum after last weekend and is poised for another strong run this weekend. Don’t let him go unpicked. Mike
The Final Word
Unlike Bristol last weekend, Martinsville is a one groove race track. Any driver that gets hung on the outside will have to scratch and claw his way back to the bottom line, most likely far back from where he stepped out. One advantage of being at Martinsville though is that the turns are so tight that the speeds are not very high, so it is relatively easy for drivers to avoid other people’s problems. The biggest key at Martinsville is track position, because passing is definitely at a premium. Drivers who qualify well and have solid pit crews will have the best chance of scoring well this weekend, while those who start back in the pack will have to use strategy to gain track position. Expect to see the usual cast of suspects at the front at Martinsville. After all, racing at the track is a skill that a driver just has; it is rarely learned.
Frontstretch.com
Driver Handicaps: Martinsville
Racingone.com
This weekend the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to Martinsville Speedway for Sunday's Goody's Fast Pain Relief 500. To help you make your fantasy racing picks, RacingOne brings you our weekly detailed look at some of the field for the 500-lap event.
Who's HOT at Martinsville
• Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers in wins (7), top fives (20) and laps led (2,613).
• Five-Time winner Jimmie Johnson leads all drivers with a 5.6 average finish.
• Defending race winner Denny Hamlin has a 3.4 average finish in his last five starts.
• Dale Earnhardt Jr. has led 307 laps en route to three top 10s in the last four races.
• Tony Stewart has finished seventh or better in five of his last seven starts, including a win in this event in 2006.
Keep an Eye on at Martinsville
• Of the drivers not already mentioned - Jeff Burton, Clint Bowyer and Carl Edwards all have an average finish of 10.0 or better in the four races at Martinsville with the new car.
• Mark Martin will be making his first start since 2006 at Martinsville, a track where he has recorded two wins and 21 top 10s.
• Martinsville is Juan Pablo Montoya's best oval on the circuit based on his 12.8 average finish.
• Matt Kenseth has finished in the top 10 in three of the four COT races at Martinsville.
• Martinsville is one of five tracks on the circuit where Bobby Labonte has captured 13 or more top 10s.
• Ryan Newman has the fourth best average finish (12.8) over the past five years at Martinsville.
• If Kyle Busch is to score back-to-short track wins, he will need to improve his 33.5 average finish with Joe Gibbs Racing at Martinsville.
COT Performers
Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon have dominated the competition in the four races at Martinsville with the new car. Johnson, who has won three of them, has finished in the top five in all of the races and has led 734 laps. Gordon, who has finished second twice in the span, has posted an average finish of 2.8 and has led 407 laps. Defending race winner Denny Hamlin is third in average finish at 3.8. Dale Earnhardt Jr., Matt Kenseth and Clint Bowyer are the only other drivers to have finished in the top 10 in three of the races.
Qualifying Tidbits
There have been seven different pole winners in the past 12 events at Martinsville Speedway. Defending Goody's Fast Pain Relief 500 pole winner Jeff Gordon, who leads all active drivers with seven poles, captured five of them in that span, including three-straight. Ryan Newman is the only other multiple pole winner since 2002. Tony Stewart set the current qualifying record of 98.083 mph in the 2005 fall event, for his third pole at the track. Out of the 120 races run at Martinsville, 18 have been won from the pole, and 87 were won from within the top 10. Top five starting averages: Gordon (6.9), Newman (7.5), Jimmie Johnson (12.0), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (12.2) and Jamie McMurray (13.2). Past Pole Winners | Starting Positions of Winners
RacingOne Staff Picks
Jeff Wackerlin: Jeff Gordon
Pete Pistone: Jimmie Johnson
Rachael West: Kyle Busch
Kym Opalenik: Denny Hamlin
Top 20 Driver Notes - Ordered by Current Standings
1. Jeff Gordon: Gordon notched his second Martinsville Speedway sweep in 2005 after starting 16th and 15th, respectively. His previous sweep at the track came in 2003, winning both races that year from the pole. In his most recent track start, Gordon finished fourth for his 12th consecutive finish of ninth or better. In total, he has seven wins, seven poles, 20 top fives, 26 top 10s and has led in 24 races for a total of 2,613 laps. Gordon's 6.9 average finish is second among active drivers, just shy of his teammate Jimmie Johnson's mark of 5.6.
2. Kurt Busch: Busch hasn't enjoyed much success at Martinsville Speedway since joining Penske Racing. In six starts with the team, Busch has yet to post a top 10 and has an average finish of 25.0. All of Busch's success at Martinsville came with Roush Racing from 2002-2005 where he captured one win and four top 10s. This weekend Busch will return in the same car (chassis No. 574) that won last June's rain-shortened race at New Hampshire.
3. Clint Bowyer: Bowyer lowered his Martinsville finishing average to 14.0 after posting three consecutive top 10s in his last three starts. Bowyer won the pole for the Martinsville Nationwide race in 2006 and went on to lead 58 laps in the March 2006 truck race on his way to a seventh-place finish. This weekend Bowyer will debut chassis No. 218 in Sunday's Goody's Fast Pain Relief 500.
4. Kyle Busch: Busch posted his best finishes at Martinsville Speedway in 2007 after finishing fourth in both events. The results, which came in his last two track starts with Hendrick Motorsports, helped lower his average finish to 18.2 in seven starts. Last year, Busch finished 38th and 29th, respectively, in his first two track starts with Joe Gibbs Racing. This weekend Busch will be racing the same car (chassis No. 223) that finished eighth at Phoenix last fall.
5. Carl Edwards: Statistically, Martinsville Speedway has been one of Edwards' worst on the Cup Series schedule. But in the past two races, Edwards has crept closer to taking the checkered flag after scoring his first top 10s in nine career starts. With respective finishes of ninth and third in 2008, Edwards has now lowered his overall finishing average at Martinsville to 17.3. This weekend Edwards will be back in the same car (chassis No. RK-587) that he raced at Martinsville last fall.
6. Kasey Kahne: Kahne's seventh-place finish in the 2006 fall race was his second, and last, top 10 in 10 starts at Martinsville Speedway. Last year in this event, Kahne started sixth and finished 17th.
7. Tony Stewart: Stewart captured his second Martinsville Speedway win in the 2006 spring race after dominating three consecutive events, leading a combined 818 laps. Since then, Stewart has only led 11 laps, but has combined for an average finish of 11.0. Last year in this event, Stewart finished fifth for his 11th top 10 in 20 starts. This weekend Stewart will debut a new car (chassis No. 525) in the Goody’s Fast Pain Relief 500.
8. Denny Hamlin: After posting three straight finishes of sixth or better, Hamlin was finally able to pull into Victory Lane at Martinsville Speedway in this event last year. He led 82, of his track total 235 laps, in that event after starting from outside the front row. Noted as one of the toughest tracks to conquer as a rookie, Hamlin went out and finished eighth in the 2005 fall event at Martinsville in just his third career Sprint Cup start. In the 2006 spring race, Hamlin never recovered from a bad qualifying run and went on to score his only DNF of that season. Hamlin, who finished fifth last year in the fall at Martinsville, will be racing a new car (chassis No. 238) in the Goody's Fast Pain Relief 500.
9. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson has finished in the top five in the last seven races at Martinsville Speedway, which includes four wins. He combined to lead 1,174 laps in that span and his overall average finish of 5.6 (14 starts) leads all drivers.
10. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth has finished outside of the top 15 three times in the last 10 events at Martinsville Speedway. His worst finish in that span came in this event last year when he took the checkered flag in 30th. Last October, Kenseth finished eighth for his sixth top 10 in 18 starts.
11. David Reutimann: Reutimann has posted an average finish of 28.2 in four starts at Martinsville Speedway. His best finish came in the 2007 fall race after taking the checkered flag in 17th.
12. Kevin Harvick: Harvick has six top-10 finishes in 15 career starts at Martinsville Speedway. He matched his best finish, of seventh, for the third time last fall. Harvick was last out front at Martinsville in the fall of 2004 when he led 104 of his track total of 147 laps. This weekend Harvick will pilot the same car (chassis No. 258) that finished 13th at Lowe's Motor Speedway last fall.
13. Jeff Burton: Burton has competed in nine races at Martinsville Speedway with Richard Childress Racing. His third-place finish in this event last year was his third top 10, and best finish, with the team. His lone Martinsville win came in this event in 1997. The victory was one of the 11 top 10s he recorded with Roush Racing. At 662, Burton is ranked fifth in laps led (574 coming with Roush) among active drivers at Martinsville. This weekend Burton will be behind the wheel of a car (chassis No. 255) that has posted an average finish of 18.4 in seven starts in 2008. The car last finished 40th at Homestead-Miami.
14. Brian Vickers: Last season, Vickers finished 23rd and 11th, respectively, in his first two starts at Martinsville Speedway with Team Red Bull. He previously attempted two races with the team but failed to qualify for them in 2007. In his previous six starts at Martinsville with Hendrick Motorsports, Vickers posted one top 10 and an average finish of 22.7.
15. Juan Pablo Montoya: Martinsville is Juan Pablo Montoya's best oval on the circuit based on his 12.8 average finish. Montoya has one top-10 and four top-20 finishes at the .526-mile oval. His best finish, of eighth, came in the 2007 fall race. This weekend Montoya will drive the same car (chassis No. 817) that raced in both Richmond events in 2008.
16. AJ Allmendinger: Allmendinger is the only driver to qualify for all five races who entered the 2009 season without a guaranteed starting spot. His 16th-place position in owner points guarantees the No. 44 Dodge a starting spot in the Goody's Fast Pain Relief 500. This weekend Allmendinger will pilot a new car (chassis No. 283) when he makes his fourth start at the .526-mile oval. Last fall he scored a 15th-place finish with Richard Petty Motorsports.
17. Elliott Sadler: Sadler hasn't fared too well in his five starts at Martinsville Speedway with Richard Petty Motorsports (Gillett-Evernham). After placing 38th when an engine expired in his No. 19 Dodge in his first track start with the team, Sadler went on to post an average finish of 30.0 in his next four starts. The No. 19 car is the third team Sadler has competed with at Martinsville Speedway following Yates Racing and the Woods Brothers. Sadler's three top 10s at the track all came with Yates.
18. Greg Biffle: Biffle's lone top 10 in 12 starts at Martinsville Speedway came in the 2007 fall race. Biffle started 37th and was able to post a seventh-place finish to lower his overall average finish to 22.7. Last year, Biffle finished 20th and 12th, respectively.
19. Dale Earnhardt Jr: Earnhardt Jr. has finished in the top five in eight of the last 14 races at Martinsville Speedway. His second-place finish last fall is his best performance in 18 starts at the half-mile track. Last year in this event, he led 146 laps en route to a sixth-place finish in his first track start with Hendrick Motorsports.
20. Martin Truex Jr: Truex Jr. is coming off his first top-10 finish in six starts at Martinsville Speedway. This weekend Truex will pilot the same car (chassis No. 078) that finished 43rd at Phoenix last fall due to overheating.
Notable Drivers Outside the Top 20
23. Bobby Labonte: Labonte has made 32 starts at Martinsville Speedway, capturing one win and one pole. His last four starts have resulted in finishes of 22nd or worse. Prior to that, he recorded one top 10 with Petty Enterprises and 12 top 10s with Joe Gibbs Racing. Last week Labonte tested at Rockingham Speedway in anticipation for his first start with Hall of Fame Racing at Martinsville.
27. Ryan Newman: With the exception of the last four races, Newman has qualified within the top 10 in all of his starts at Martinsville Speedway. Two of the starts have come from the pole, both in fall events (2002, 2004). Overall, Newman has posted an average finish of 15.0 and has led 83 laps. His best finish, of second, came in the 2007 fall race. This weekend Newman will make his Martinsville debut with Stewart-Haas Racing.
28. Jamie McMurray: Martinsville is McMurray's best short track on the circuit based on his 16.9 average finish. The track is also his best qualifying oval on the schedule with an average starting position of 13.2. In his six starts with Roush-Fenway Racing, McMurray has finished in the top 10 three times, including this event last year. This weekend McMurray will be driving a new car (chassis No. 637) in the Goody's Fast Pain Relief 500.
31. Mark Martin: Martin made 42 starts at Martinsville Speedway and has captured two victories, 11 top fives and 21 top 10s. He also earned three consecutive poles at the short track from September 1990 through September 1991. This weekend he will pilot the same car (chassis No. 515) that finished sixth at Martinsville last October with driver Casey Mears.
Goody’s Fast Relief 500 HOT! Sheet
This just in: Kyle Busch is good. No really … he is. And as is usually the case, his name is near the top of our list this week. After getting caught up in an accident at Daytona and finishing 41st, he has rebounded with three top 3s in the last four events. That includes his emotional trip to victory lane at his home track in Las Vegas, and the domination of leading 378 laps last week at Bristol. When it comes to winning, it’s not if, but when it will happen next for him.
A majority of NASCAR fans wish the same could be said for Dale Earnhardt, Jr., but he has shown signs of improvement recently. As you can see on our chart below, over the course of the last three events, the #88 team has an average finish of about 12th. What’s more encouraging is he’s overcoming poor starts to do so. At Vegas it was 31st to 10th, Atlanta was 20th to 11th, and Bristol was 34th to 14th. He was runner up here in the fall, so Junior nation get ready!
After missing out of the Chase the last two seasons, Kasey Kahne is showing signs that he might be a contender again. His last three outings have produced some really nice points for fantasy owners. He led a lap and was 11th at Vegas. He ran up front all day at Atlanta and was 7th. Then the #9 started and finished in the 5th spot at Bristol. It’s vaulted him to 6th in the standings. We look for him to continue his surge in the coming weeks.
There are a few names at the bottom this week that started off the season at the top. Since ending up 9th at Daytona, Reed Sorenson’s average finish in the last four races is about 28th. In fact, he hasn’t even finished on the lead lap since the opener. Most recently at Bristol, things were looking positive with a 7th place start. But a pit road penalty and a tight racecar resulted in a 23rd place showing. He has a horrible record at Martinsville, so stay away.
Things have been just as disappointing for Michael Waltrip. He had decent outings in the first couple of weeks, but as the chart shows below, he’s only been able to come up an average finish of 28th in the last three. Even after a season best start of 15th at Vegas, he tumbled two laps back to 27th. The Bristol weekend was a nightmare. He crashed during practice and had to go to the rear with a backup car and ended up three laps down in 32nd. He doesn’t belong on any roster right now.
profantasysports.com
Rain washes out qualifying at Martinsville
Fri 27th, March 2009
Martinsville, VA (Sports Network) - Rain forced NASCAR officials to cancel Friday's Sprint Cup Series qualifying at Martinsville Speedway. Therefore, the starting lineup for Sunday's Goody's Fast Pain Relief 500 will be set by the current owner points.
Jeff Gordon will start on the pole position since he is currently atop the standings. Gordon, a seven-time race winner at Martinsville, will have the first pit-stall selection.
"I think because of the pit road situation that it's probably the most important place to start on the pole because you get that number one pit stall," Gordon said. "I feel like, rain or shine, we had a shot at getting (the pole). This is one of our best tracks. It's certainly great timing for us to be leading the points because of the rain today."
Gordon has not won a points-paying race in the series since October 2007 at Charlotte. His last victory at Martinsville came in October 2005.
Kurt Busch, currently second in points, will start on the outside pole.
"To be second, that's definitely an advantage," Busch said. "We'll definitely take this and go from there."
Clint Bowyer will roll off third, followed by Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards.
Kasey Kahne, Tony Stewart, Denny Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth will start sixth through 10th, respectively.
Sterling Marlin, Dennis Setzer, Tony Raines and Derrike Cope did not make the field.
Teams were able to practice earlier today, with Hamlin turning in the fastest lap at 96.176 m.p.h. Hamlin won at Martinsville one year ago for his only Sprint Cup victory during the 2008 season.
Final practice is scheduled for tomorrow morning; however, the weather forecast calls for a 60 percent chance of rain. Sunday's weather at Martinsville looks much better with only a 20 percent chance of rain in the forecast.
Qualifying for last October's race at Martinsville was also rained out with Johnson securing the top starting position. The Hendrick Motorsports driver went on to win the fall race here for the third year in a row.
Sunday's race is scheduled to start at 2 p.m. (et).
Goody's 500 Odds and Predictions
by Christopher G. Shepard
Kyle Busch tasted victory for the second time in three races, winning the Food City 500 last weekend. However, Jeff Gordon, who finished fourth in Thunder Valley, increased his points lead in the Sprint Cup standings to 76 points over Kurt Busch as NASCAR heads to Virginia and historic Martinsville Speedway Sunday, March 29 at 2:15 p.m. for the Goody's Fast Pain Relief 500.
Martinsville Speedway opened in 1947 and is the oldest (and shortest) active track in NASCAR. The Perfect Paperclip boasts 800-foot-straights, slightly-banked 12-degree turns, and a wild, trading-paint, push-and-drag experience that should produce some of the most exciting racing of this season. And a few spectacular wrecks as well.
Who will win the Goody's 500?
Between Gordon and Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports has won nine of the last 12 races at Martinsville and HMS is a good bet to put a driver in the winner's circle once again after Denny Hamlin won this race last year (and ended JJ's three consecutive wins at Martinsville). The only other active non-HMS driver to win at Martinsville since 2002 is Tony Stewart, who won the spring race in 2006.
Johnson, Gordon and Hamlin are undeniably the favorites to win this weekend and most likely we'll see one of these three drivers in the winner's circle. It's no coincidence that Hamlin, Johnson, and Gordon finished second, third and fourth, respectively, at Bristol. They are flat track experts who know exactly when to pick their spots to brake, chase, pass and lead.
Like Bristol at Martinsville, qualifying gives a good indication how a car will do in the race on Sunday. Investors in this weekend's Sprint Cup race should keep in mind that it's very likely that rain will wash out qualifiers, which will put Gordon on the pole. While Gordon was the pole-sitter last year Denny Hamlin is the defending race champion and will look to continue his successes on short tacks as well as build upon his second place last week at Bristol.
Three-time Sprint Cup Champion Johnson has started this year slowly, but last weekend at Bristol when he finished third it was apparent that Johnson is picking up the pace as he heads into his second best track on the circuit (he is only slightly better at Lowes). He has won five times at Martinsville and has placed in the Top 10 in 13 of 14 races. In the past four races at Martinsville Johnson has earned 740 points! I think the odds are very good that HMS puts one of their four very capable drivers in the winner's circle on Sunday and for my money it will be the No. 48 car and the first win of the season for HMS as well as Chevrolet.
Pick! Jimmie Johnson, No. 48, (4/1)
2009 Goody's 500- Lucky Dog Long Odds Special
It is gut check time for Dale Earnhardt, Jr. While Junior hasn't had the worst season in the world there are rumors that HMS is unhappy with the No. 88 car and that Junior had better start putting in some quality races or he might be out of a ride. Junior's best finish of the year was a race that didn't really count in the Sprint Cup and that was the Gatorade Duel No. 2 back in February. Junior finished 10th at the Shelby 427 for his best finish of the season, and that was impressive since he began the race 31st. Junior finished 14th after starting 34th at last week's Food City 500, but given his pedigree HMS and the fans expect a lot more from the Intimidator's son. Junior has been provided all the tools to win: a premier team, a good crew chief, and fabulous sponsorship behind him, so it's not hard to wonder why Junior's wins have been few and far between. While he has never won in Virginia, Martinsville is Junior's fifth-best track with an average finish of 13.6, but he does have eight Top-5 finishes and 10 Top-10s, which makes him my lucky-dog long odds pick to win Martinsville on Sunday.
Pick! Dale Earnhardt, Jr. No.88, (12/1)
2009 Goody's 500 - Odds for Top 3 Finish
If Johnson doesn't win on Sunday Gordon will. I like Johnson and Gordon to finish the Goody's 500 in first and second place. So you can look at this play as a hedge bet against Johnson coming in second or third to Gordon and Hamlin. The fact they could both finish in the Top 3 is not beyond the realm of possibility either and you could do worse backing both (Hamlin is set at 17/10 to come in the Top 3) to finish in the Top 3. I like the point's leader in this race due to the fact that there is an excellent chance the No. 24 car will start from the pole and will just need to run in front for the 262 miles. Last year Gordon finished the race in second after starting from the pole and while the winless streak could extend to 47 races I don't see how Gordon does not finish in the Top 3 on Sunday.
Pick! Jeff Gordon, No. 24, (7/5)
Docsports.com
Saturday Practice and Happy Hour Practice at Martinsville Speedway have been cancelled due to rain.
Not much to go on for this weeks race.