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Chase History: Martinsville Speedway

by Chris Leone, Special To NASCAR commentary and driver pictures, 2012 NASCAR schedule, video, Bench Racing With Steve and Charlie

I do weekly Fantasy Pick'Em columns here at OPR, as well as the occasional opinion and analysis piece. I also provide the IZOD IndyCar Series coverage. For more on that, head to my site, OpenWheelAmerica.com. My Twitter handle is @christopherlion.

October 26, 2011 7:29 pm UTC No Comments

With the wild card race at Talladega Superspeedway now out of the way, the Sprint Cup Series now travels to the Martinsville Speedway for the seventh race of the Chase for the Sprint Cup. The two tracks couldn’t be more different, as we go from the two-car and pack racing common on high-banked superspeedways to the “rubbin’s racin’” mentality of a flat short track.

Chances are, one of three drivers will take the checkered flag this weekend – Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, or Denny Hamlin – but in a trying year for Hamlin, it seems unlikely that this will be the event to turn his Chase around. Johnson, on the other hand, seems more likely, having won Martinsville’s Chase race four times in five years between 2004 and 2008.

In fact, the 2006 win may have been the biggest turning point for Johnson in his first Chase title run. Johnson had finished second in the previous event at Charlotte, but was still seventh in points. But at Martinsville, Johnson scored his first win of the 2006 Chase, leapfrogging to third in points. In the same race, points leader Jeff Burton’s engine failure marked the beginning of the end of his title hopes, dropping him to fifth in points. (He would eventually finish seventh in the Chase.)

Last year, however, Martinsville proved more of a detriment for Johnson. He still finished fifth, but polesitter Hamlin took the lead on lap 471 of 500, for the first time since the start of the race, and took the victory. What was already a slim points lead shrunk even further, as Johnson’s 41 points on Hamlin before the race decreased to six. (Under the current points system, that’s about a one point lead.) Suddenly, the four-time defending champions appeared vulnerable; two weeks later, Hamlin held the points lead.

Martinsville, then, could prove a pivotal race for any driver who takes the victory. Matt Kenseth, Brad Keselowski, or Tony Stewart could take the victory and close in on Carl Edwards, or Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, or even Johnson could use a win (plus some tough luck for the top four) to propel themselves back into the title fight.

Filed under: Chase for the Cup, Denny Hamlin, jimmie johnson, Martinsville Speedway

Tagged with: Chase for the Cup, Denny Hamlin, jimmie johnson, Martinsville Speedway

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Fantasy Pick’Em: 2011 Goody’s Fast Relief 500

by Chris Leone, Special To NASCAR commentary and driver pictures, 2012 NASCAR schedule, video, Bench Racing With Steve and Charlie

March 30, 2011 1:46 pm UTC No Comments

That’s right – Fantasy Pick’Em is back.

After getting my butt thoroughly kicked by school for the past six weeks – you know, to perfectly coincide with racing season – I’m feeling a bit like Rocky at the end of every Rocky movie – brains turned to mush, black eyes, bruises everywhere, generally in pain. But I like to think I’ve fought through the worst, and after making some savvy picks early in the season (and yes, I did call Trevor Bayne to win the Daytona 500), I’m back to ruin my reputation and good luck for the rest of the year.

So, three picks at Martinsville – but who?

Jeff Gordon: I saw Bob Pockrass make this pick on Twitter earlier today, saying he liked the combination of Gordon and Alan Gustafson at Martinsville. I can’t say I disagree. You only need look at the statistics to realize that Gordon was ripping off wins at Martinsville before Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin started taking over at the track. Martinsville is a track where both driver and crew chief need to effectively manage the car, and I think Gustafson is as trustworthy as any crew chief in that department.

Denny Hamlin: After the engine woes at Joe Gibbs Racing over the past few weeks, you’d think this would be a counter-intuitive pick. I mean, the problem hasn’t been solved yet, and it won’t be considered as much until we stop seeing engine failures across the board. But Hamlin is a Virginia native and a Martinsville standout, and the folks at JGR are too good to stay down for long. This could very easily be the weekend where they begin to solve the problem.

Joey Logano: Wait, two Gibbs cars? Am I crazy? Maybe a little. (Remember. College. No sleep. Bad dieting. So on and so forth.) But consider the following – of active drivers at Martinsville, Logano has the fourth-best average finish, a 13.0, and a driver rating of 81.0, better than the ratings of four of the current top 12 drivers in points. And at 31st in owners points, the No. 20 team can’t afford to spend much more time in the back of the pack.

Filed under: Denny Hamlin, Jeff Gordon, Joey Logano, Martinsville Speedway, NASCAR Fantasy Gaming

Tagged with: Denny Hamlin, Fantasy Pick'Em, Goody's Fast Relief 500, Hendrick Motorsports, Jeff Gordon, Joe Gibbs Racing, Joey Logano, Martinsville Speedway

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Martinsville NASCAR Shark Fin Soup

by Charlie Turner

Thanks for stopping by OnPitRow.com and the Bench Racing with Steve and Charlie blog. The best NASCAR and IndyCar news and opinion, exclusive pictures and video. I'm Charlie Turner. Follow me on Twitter @onpitrow

October 25, 2010 10:12 pm UTC No Comments

NASCAR held a 4-way shootout with five races to go. When the smoke cleared, three Sprint Cup contenders stay standing. And they are closer than I thought they’d be.

Denny Hamlin did what he had to do. He was the favorite to win at venerable Martinsville. Hamlin won the pole and almost immediately went backwards from the race start. But the Joe Gibbs Racing #11 team kept their composure and clawed back to the front, actually driving away from his two chief tormentors at the end. Pressure performance.

Hamlin yelled “Who said it was over? I told you it wasn’t over!” after the race. And indeed it – The Chase to the Sprint Cup – is not over.

But there are no more short tracks, no more races in Virginia, in 2010. It gets tougher.

Kevin Harvick and the RCR #29, with pinch hit pit crew in place, didn’t get the win, but did finish third and two spots ahead of the points leader, Jimmie Johnson. Harvick gained points on Johnson and had his best career finish on a track where he has been weak before. Clutch. Very clutch.

The biggest loser was probably Jeff Gordon. Gordon looked strong early, on a track where we expected strength, but he faded to finish 20th and probably killed his 2010 drive for a fifth Cup title.

Johnson remains in front, but the lead is single digits over Hamlin, and Harvick is only 68 points back, with the wildcard at Talladega next up.

Harvick was the spring ‘Dega winner and is a top plate track racer.

It’s down to three with four to go. Like it.

Photo credit: Round girl Jen by BethAnne Heisler for OnPitRow.com

Filed under: Chase for the Cup, Denny Hamlin, Jeff Gordon, jimmie johnson, Joe Gibbs Racing, Kevin Harvick, Martinsville Speedway, NASCAR, Richard Childress Racing

Tagged with: rcr, Round girl Jen, the paperclip

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NASCAR Gunfight at the Paperclip Corral

by Charlie Turner

October 22, 2010 8:37 pm UTC 2 Comments

Maybe Kasey Kahne will win the TUMS Fast Relief 500 in his first race ever for Red Bull Racing Sunday. Or perhaps Eric Almirola will take the legendary #43 to a win in Richard Petty Motorsports’ final race.

Doubt it. Very seriously doubt it.

For the last five plus years, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin have absolutely DOMINATED Martinsville Speedway. Kevin Harvick hasn’t been quite in the same league as those three, but he’s close enough – and ahead of one in the 2010 Sprint Cup Chase points – to have a shooter’s shot.

And Martinsville is the perfect place to have a shootout. Give me a better setting with five races to go.

The best drivers at NASCAR’s best race track, battling on that track, with the Championship on the line.

And yes, I’m watching Tombstone, my favorite movie, as I write this. My only problem with casting the Cup guys is there aren’t any bad guys in the bunch. Maybe Harvick could play Johnny Ringo. Jimmie is Wyatt, for sure. Gordon the grizzled Virgil Earp. Haven’t pegged Hamlin. He’s not Doc Holiday.

Enjoy the race. I’m watching the movie.

Filed under: Chase for the Cup, Denny Hamlin, Jeff Gordon, jimmie johnson, Kasey Kahne, Kevin Harvick, Martinsville Speedway, NASCAR

Tagged with: Aric Almirola, the paperclip

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Fantasy Pick’Em: 2010 Tums Fast Relief 500

by Chris Leone, Special To NASCAR commentary and driver pictures, 2012 NASCAR schedule, video, Bench Racing With Steve and Charlie

October 21, 2010 12:34 pm UTC No Comments

Martinsville Speedway is the site of this weekend’s Sprint Cup Series battle. The Tums Fast Relief 500 will open the second half of the Chase for the Sprint Cup, as three drivers – Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin, and Kevin Harvick – remain the only viable candidates for the championship right now.

We’re due for a great battle this weekend, as Johnson and Hamlin are the two best active drivers at Martinsville. They’ve split the last eight races at the track among them, with Johnson holding a five to three advantage but Hamlin taking the last two.

But of course, if you’ve been reading, I’m not allowed to make either of them my lead pick this weekend. I took Hamlin at Loudon (second place finish) and Johnson last week at Charlotte (a third place run). So who else can I rely on this weekend?

Thank heaven there’s a third pick that’s just as viable. Jeff Gordon was the original Martinsville superstar, with seven wins and 29 top-10s in 35 career starts there thus far. His average finish is an impeccable 6.7. He’s led at least 36 laps in his past eight Martinsville starts, and has led at least one circuit in 27 of those events. That’s about as reliable as it gets.

As for a dark horse, I’m looking at Ryan Newman. Newman was never that strong a Martinsville driver during his years at Penske Racing, but he’s never finished worse than seventh at the track with Stewart-Haas Racing. Last year, he led 23 laps in this race from the pole. Earlier this year, he ran a respectable fourth.

Three more, even though two are obvious:

Johnson is basically an improved version of his mentor. He’s got 16 top-10s in 17 starts to go along with those five wins. In eight of the last nine races at the track, he’s led 42 laps or more, the lone exception coming this spring.

Hamlin’s a Virginia native that always has the motivation to do well in his home state. In 10 races, he has three wins, seven top five runs, and nine top-10s. In each of the past three Martinsville events, he’s led at least 172 laps. This is Hamlin’s best chance to reclaim the Chase points lead – even though it’s also his rival’s best track, Hamlin outscored Johnson by 57 points last time at Martinsville. The same occurrence this time would give him the lead into next week’s unpredictable race at Talladega.

Finally, think about picking up Kasey Kahne for this weekend. No, he’s not exactly a Martinsville superstar, and never has been. But now that he’s free from Richard Petty Motorsports, don’t be surprised if Red Bull’s newest driver pulls something out to try and stick it to his former team.

Filed under: Martinsville Speedway, One and Done NASCAR Fantasy Racing

Tagged with: Denny Hamlin, Jeff Gordon, jimmie johnson, Kasey Kahne, Martinsville Speedway, One and Done NASCAR Fantasy Racing, Ryan Newman, Tums Fast Relief 500

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Did Martinsville get the Kiss of Death from ISC?

by Charlie Turner

August 30, 2010 8:59 am UTC No Comments

It’s the curse of the “Vote of Confidence”. You’ve heard it all before.

“We have every confidence in our manager blah blah blah…”

“Build it (i.e. spend the money) and they will come”…or keep coming

“We love short tracks. They have so much character…”

First, the news. International Speedway Corp. has committed to two annual NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Martinsville Speedway for at least the next five years, in a press release dated Thursday, Aug. 26.

Sorry. I’m not buying. Did you also see the caveat?

“Of course NASCAR race dates are never guaranteed (sic)…”

You know it’s going to happen. Just as the venerable Darlington lost a date, and New Boston lost a business, Martinsville is destined to become a single stop (I hope at least that) on the Sprint Cup tour. And I doubt that it takes five years for it to happen. Not with Las Vegas Motor Speedway still waiting for a second date.

As the GarageFather would say – “It’s nothing personal Sonny. It’s just business.”

Filed under: Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Martinsville Speedway, NASCAR, NASCAR Bidness, NASCAR Rumors

Tagged with: International Speedway Corp, ISC, the GarageFather

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