Seldom is there a race on the NASCAR Sprint Cup schedule that so clearly seems to favor a handful of drivers. But Martinsville Speedway is the exception, something made especially obvious when looking at the past performances of drivers in the Chase for the Sprint Cup at the short track.
At this .526-mile paperclip nestled in the mountains of Virginia, three Chase drivers rise clearly and unquestionably above the field. Hendrick Motorsports' Jimmie Johnson and Joe Gibbs Racing's Denny Hamlin have enjoyed fast success at the track and have been the source of much hype as they sit in the top two spots in the standings. But don't forget about Hendrick's Jeff Gordon, who brings a series-leading seven wins and an average finishing position of 6.7 to this weekend's race.
That trio rises well above the crop of both Chase and non-Chase drivers competing in the race.
Still, at a track like Martinsville, that might not mean much.
The tight turns at the track lead to more than the usual share of bumping and banging. Double-file restarts could knot the field late in the race and set the tone for even more of the rough driving that turns contenders into also-rans (remember Jeff Gordon and Matt Kenseth in the spring race?). Pit road can be tough. Brakes run hot and cause problems for some teams. There's also no spot on this track where a driver can relax, take a breath and prepare for the next tight battle.
With so many cars in so small of a space, things get tough quickly -- and it never lets up. Drivers and crews find their patience pushed to the limit. It's a near certainty that someone will get pushed out of the way over the course of the race. How that is handled and how it impacts the Chase will be key factors.
Overall, Chase drivers are paying close attention to this race. First, to make up as much ground as possible on Jimmie Johnson. Second, drivers who traditionally run well on short tracks want to take advantage of this chance. Third, everyone wants to gain ground at a track where they can come closer to controlling their own destiny since the wild card of the Chase -- Talladega Superspeedway -- comes up next week.
So who should fare well this weekend? Based on past history, three men should rise above the field but others could run well, too:
Jimmie Johnson: For those waiting for Johnson and his Hendrick team to falter in the Chase, don't count on that at Martinsville. Johnson has often owned this short track. In 17 starts there he has 16 top-10 finishes and 12 top fives. He has six wins there and a stunning average finish of 5.4. Plus, he's on a roll in the Chase, so he's looking to continue that stretch this weekend.
Denny Hamlin: The JGR driver and his team have probably had this race circled on their calendars for weeks, maybe months. Although Hamlin's toughest competition for the title runs well there too, he is looking to gain ground this weekend. He enters the race 41 points behind Johnson, with wins in the last two Martinsville races. In 10 starts there, Hamlin has nine top-10 finishes with seven top-fives. He has three wins and an impressive average finish of 6.6. He has five consecutive top-five finishes entering the weekend -- and only one finish worse than eighth in his career there. Watch out for Hamlin and crew chief Mike Ford this weekend.
Jeff Gordon: The Hendrick driver may not have been stealing headlines at Martinsville, but he challenged for the win there in the spring. Actually, he's challenged there a lot. In 35 starts at the track, Gordon has snared seven wins and seven pole positions. He has 29 top-10s and 23 top-fives, for an average finish of 6.7. Even more eye-catching? Gordon has led 2,888 laps at the track. In case you wondered, that's the most by a landslide among the drivers he'll race Sunday. Next on the list? Johnson with 1,551 laps led. Sitting fourth in the standings, 156 points off Johnson's pace, Gordon is looking to gain some ground this weekend.
Tony Stewart: While not quite in the league of his fellow Chasers in terms of average finishes, Stewart has enjoyed his own star moments at Martinsville. He has a pair of wins at the track and a trio of pole positions. In 23 Martinsville starts, Stewart has 13 top-10 finishes, eight of them top fives, for an average finish of 12.6. He has led 1,193 laps there and is a recent series winner, so don't count him out. He's sixth in the standings, 177 points back, and looking to vault back into contention for his third title.
On the other side of the spectrum are some Chase drivers hungering for a top finish this weekend. Historically speaking, though, this crowd has not fared as well at the Virginia short track:
Greg Biffle: The Roush Fenway Racing driver hasn't enjoyed strong finishes at Martinsville. In 15 starts there, he has only two top-10 finishes. He brings a Chase-driver worst average finish of 22.3 at Martinsville. That doesn't bode well for Biffle, who currently sits eighth in the standings , 225 points behind Johnson. He really needs to turn the tide and pick up some ground this weekend.
Kurt Busch: The Penske Racing driver hasn't fared much better than Biffle in overall performance at the track, though he does have a win there. It's been a long time since that, though. In 20 starts at the track, Busch has a lone victory in 2002. It's one of his four top-10 finishes at the track. Busch, who has only two finishes better than 20th in his last six races at the track -- and none inside the top 15 in that stretch -- has an average finish of 21.6 at Martinsville. He, too, needs to pick up the pace this weekend as he's dropped to ninth in the standings, 237 points behind Johnson.
Kevin Harvick: This is a crucial weekend for Harvick. He needs to overcome his own average finish and rally at Martinsville. He does have two finishes of 11th or better in his last three races there, so perhaps he's figuring the place out. Overall, though, he has seven top-10 finishes in 18 races at Martinsville. Harvick has scored his best finish of seventh at the track three times. He needs to improve on his average Martinsville finish of 18.1, though, in order to maintain his third position in the standings and perhaps move up and cut into his 77-point deficit to Johnson. Harvick, who owned the so-called regular season and has three consecutive finishes of eighth or better, is certainly a talented enough driver to do just that this Sunday.
