Spinning my wheels: Johnson, Gordon dominate Martinsville
"Same as it ever was ..."
I’m currently in the middle of a whirlwind tour that takes me through the world of Las Vegas to catch up with family and then off to the desert in Arizona for some time with friends and spring training action.
Last night, as I walked past the bright lights of a casino (some of the smaller ones blend together, so I shan’t try to distinguish here), I heard someone warbling along to The Talking Heads classic "Once In A Lifetime." On the whole, it wasn’t a terrible karaoke version of the song, except I did note that there was more anger than angst in the singer’s voice when the line "Same as it ever was" was repeated.
It got me thinking about this week’s Sprint Cup run at Martinsville. Granted, it’s a single line taken of context, as I’m sure that NASCAR drivers and pit crews are more concerned about keeping their cars right and challenging the leaders than about their position in life in that moment.
Or not ...
You race well. Your car and team perform beautifully. You look up, and there’s the No. 48 Hendrick Chevy doing burnouts again. Sure, Kevin Harvick and Matt Kenseth currently lead in the overall point standings, but Jimmie Johnson has already won thrice and looks forward to running at one of his favorite tracks this weekend.
The separation between the 800-pound gorilla that is Hendrick Motorsports and the pack here in Martinsville is huge.
"Same as it ever was ..."
Let’s break it down.
Track Info
The track at Martinsville is a short .526-mile oval with 12-degree banking. It’s a track that’s very hard on braking systems and where getting loose is catastrophic. Additionally, as the pits go virtually all the way around the small oval, it’s a tight fit where trading paint can occur. The length of the track will test a driver’s patience, as passing in the 800-foot front and backstretches will be difficult.
History
A list of the top drivers at Martinsville contains the usual suspects, and that’s no joke. Hendrick Motorsports has dominated the field, with Jeff Gordon and Johnson claiming victory in 10 of the past 14 Martinsville events (13 wins overall). Denny Hamlin, Tony Stewart and Hendrick teammate Mark Martin are the only other active drivers to have won multiple races at Martinsville.
Will Martin represent for Team Hendrick this week and earn a timeshare in Johnson and Gordon’s residence at Victory Lane?
Studs
Jimmie Johnson ($36)
I’m not going to belabor the point. Johnson and the No. 48 team are already making a strong statement early in the season. He’s won three of the season’s first five events and looks forward to another big run at Martinsville, where Johnson has dominated the field. Johnson is a six-time Martinsville champion who has cruised to 15 consecutive top-10 finishes (12 top 5s).
Jeff Gordon ($35)
Gordon has suffered through a disappointing start to the 2010 season, having run to just one top-10 finish (two top 15s) in five starts (He also has a 34-race winless streak dating to last year). Martinsville is the perfect place for a turnaround, as the legendary driver has made this track a second home. Gordon has raced to 28 top 10s in 34 career starts, including a current frighteningly consistent streak of 14 consecutive top-10 finishes. In fact, Gordon has produced seven Martinsville wins with nine poles during his illustrious career. In the past four years, Gordon has produced a frightening 6.3-position running slot and 2.9-position finish. Lock and load.
Juan Pablo Montoya ($24)
It’s been a difficult start to the season for Montoya. He’s earned two top 10s, but has also raced 26th or worse in the circuit’s three other events. Still, I believe the No. 42 Earnhardt Ganassi Chevy is a great start this weekend at Martinsville. It’s been one of his best tracks since joining the circuit, as Montoya has raced 16th or better in each of his six Martinsville starts. He’s produced two top 10s (second place here last fall) while averaging a solid 14.9-position running slot (11th-position average finish). Lock him into your lineup this weekend.
Middlemen
Kevin Harvick ($21)
With four top 10s and an 11th-place finish to open 2010, Harvick is experiencing a dramatic comeback from his horrible 2009 campaign. I don’t know that he’s a surefire top-notch selection at Martinsville, but he represents good value considering his hot start to the season.
He owns seven top 10s (with zero top 5s) in his 17 career starts at the track. However, Harvick has raced 12th or better in seven of his past eight Martinsville starts (eight of nine inside the top 15).
Jamie McMurray ($17)
McMurray opened the season with a resounding win at Daytona before experiencing a three-race drop-off in performance. He finally returned to the top 10 this past week with an eighth-place performance at Bristol.
The No. 1 Earnhardt Ganassi Chevy represents a stellar fourth option this weekend at Martinsville. McMurray has earned nine top-10 finishes in 14 career starts at the track. Yes, he’s also raced 25th or worse in four of his other five starts, but I’m looking at his overall performance in his selection here. McMurray has averaged a strong 15.0-position running slot in the past four years with a 16.3-position average finish.
Dale Earnhardt, Jr. ($15)
With the exception of a 32nd-place run in Fontana, Junior has raced among the leaders for the bulk of the 2009 campaign. He’s earned two top 10s and has raced 16th or better in four of the five events this season.
Earnhardt, Jr. is a strong play this weekend at Martinsville, where he’s raced to four top-10 finishes in his past six starts. Although he’s never won here, Earnhardt, Jr. has posted 10 top-10 finishes in 20 career starts while averaging a strong 12.6-position qualifying slot and 14.1-position finish. During the past four years, Earnhardt, Jr. has averaged an 11.8-position running slot and 13th-position finish. He’s definitely worthy of a roster slot given his strong start to the 2010 campaign.
Sleepers
David Reutimann ($14)
Reutimann’s current position in the overall rankings (24th) and back-to-back disastrous showings (overheating and engine woes) make him a potential bargain this weekend. Remember, he’d run to three straight top-15 finishes to open the year prior to the recent setbacks.
I’m not anticipating a monster run from Reutimann at Martinsville, as he’s yet to crack the top 10 here in six career starts. However, he has raced inside the top 20 on three occasions (20th and 16th-place finishes in the spring and fall of 2009, respectively).
Bobby Labonte ($8)
Labonte has started the season slowly, having raced 21st or worse in each of the circuit’s first five events. He represents my longshot selection for this week’s event at Martinsville, where the veteran driver of the No. 71 TaxSlayer.com has experienced past success. Labonte owns 13 top-10 finishes in his 30 career starts here, and ran 16th (spring) and 13th (fall) in last year’s events. In the past four years, Labonte has averaged a middling 21.3-position running slot and 22.8-position finish. I’m looking for a run akin to last year’s efforts from my fifth slot.
Flops
Greg Biffle ($21)
Our man Biffle has experienced a tremendous run to the start of the season. He’s produced five consecutive top-10 finishes, including two top fives. Despite his hot start, Biffle is a candidate for the garage this weekend. Biffle has raced to only one top-10 finish in his 14 career starts at the track (two top 15s). He’s averaged a dismal 24th-position running slot and 23.6-position finish.
Joey Logano ($15)
Logano’s 2010 season has been uneven to date. He’s raced to two top-10 finishes and three runs to 20th or worse. This lack of consistency leaves me reticent to slide him into my lineup at Martinsville. Logano ran 32nd here last spring and, though he rallied to produce a strong 12th-place finish last fall, I want to see a more consistent effort from the No. 20 Toyota.
