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Wednesday, March 25, 2015

2015 Week 6 Preview: Martinsville

STP 500

Martinsville Speedway


By Richard Tix

The end of last weeks race at Auto Club was entertaining to say the least. Some fans loved it, some hated it, and everyone had an opinion about it. That's because it was a race that finished under controversy.

But, this week I am ready to move on from all of that and focus on the next race. After all, sometimes its just good that people are talking about NASCAR. It shows how passionate fans are, but at the same time brings out some of the negative side in people that tends to happen in sports and competition.

So this week NASCAR heads to Martinsville and four drivers have pretty much locked up a Chase spot. Will Martinsville bring a fifth? Jimmie Johnson has already won this year and will most likely be a favorite, but guys like Dale Earnhardt Jr, Denny Hamlin, and Jeff Gordon have not and may all get a chance on Sunday.

Things are sure to heat up here as it is the shortest track on the Cup schedule (0.526 miles). Last year Joey Logano set a new qualifying record that will be interesting to watch this week (18.898 sec, 100.201 MPH). With this being a short track his record may stand this weekend, but it will be a story to watch.

The other interesting thing to watch is NASCAR will now be transitioning back to some shorter tracks in the coming weeks. After starting out the year with mostly intermediate tracks, NASCAR will now see Martinsville, Bristol, and Richmond in the coming weeks (Texas mixed in). So, will a different driver not named Harvick start to get on a roll? Who will it be?



The Good
  • Jimmie Johnson- 8 career wins for JJ ties him with Gordon. JJ has 22 top 10's top 10's in 26 career starts at Martinsville to go along with 18 top 5's. So, needless to say, JJ is pretty good here.
  • Jeff Gordon- It is still yet to be seen who will win #9 at Martinsville first, Gordon or JJ. Gordon is done running full time after 2015 so these maybe his last two shots at it. Last time NASCAR was here he finished second and has 21 top 10's in his last 24 starts here.
  • Clint Bowyer- Bowyer has 6 straight top 10's (including 3 top 5's in that time). He also has 7 top 10's in his last 8 races here. You can almost count on a top 10 from Bowyer if he stays clean at Martinsville.
  • Extra Credit- Denny Hamlin
The Middle
  • Matt Kenseth- In 30 career starts Kenseth only has 11 top 10 finishes at Martinsville. However, three of those have been in his last three starts and he hasn't finished higher than 14th in his last six races.
The Bad
  • Kyle Larson- Only three starts here, but in those three he has had two bad luck occurences. Do I expect him to stay on this list? No. But its still worth noting he has had some bad luck, and his one other race was a 27th place finish. He also has yet to start in the top 15.
  • Michael McDowell- I hate putting the "little guys" on this list because being underfunded puts them at a disadvantage, but having 0 top 10's and the worst track average of any current CUp driver (36.6) will not excuse you from the "Bad."
  • Casey Mears- In his last 11 starts at Martinsville Mears has only 3 top 20's and 1 top 15. When we are looking at smaller teams its really important to look at the 20-25 finish range to judge them on (because they just don't have the same funding). He has really struggled here since leaving Hendrick Motorsports.
Track Stats
  • 8 straight Chevy wins here at Martinsville
  • Other then Denny Hamlin (Toyota) Chevy has won 17 straight races. That's 17 of the past 21 races. If you add in Rusty Wallace's win in 2004 (Dodge) its 19 of the past 24.
  • The race has been won from the Pole 4 times in the last 13 races.
  • Most cautions was 21 in 2004 for 127 laps.
  • The farthest back a winner has started from was 36th (Kurt Busch) in 2002 (10/20/2002). Kurt won in 2014 after starting 22nd (3/30/2014) and Dale Jr won after starting 23 (10/26/14)




Martinsville Speedway
Race
Date
Cars
Winner(s)
St
Car
1949-06
9/25/1949
15
Red Byron
3
'49 Oldsmobile
1950-04
5/21/1950
25
Curtis Turner

'50 Oldsmobile
1950-17
10/15/1950
21
Herb Thomas
19
'50 Plymouth
1951-08
5/6/1951
35
Curtis Turner
7
'50 Oldsmobile
1951-34
10/14/1951
23
Frank Mundy
3
'51 Oldsmobile
1952-05
4/6/1952
22
Dick Rathman
9
'51 Hudson
1952-31
10/19/1952
29
Herb Thomas
2
'52 Hudson
1953-11
5/17/1953
35
Lee Petty

'53 Dodge
1953-36
10/18/1953
26
Jim Paschal

'53 Dodge
1954-12
5/16/1954
24
Jim Paschal

'53 Oldsmobile
1954-36
10/17/1954
44
Lee Petty
1
'54 Chrysler
1955-15
5/15/1955
27
Tim Flock
4
'55 Chrysler
1955-42
10/16/1955
28
Speedy Thompson
17
'55 Chrysler
1956-18
5/20/1956
35
Buck Baker
1
'56 Dodge
1956-54
10/28/1956
40
Jack Smith
23
'56 Dodge
1957-17
5/19/1957
24
Buck Baker
14
'57 Chevrolet
1957-49
10/6/1957
40
Bob Welborn
2
'57 Chevrolet
1958-12
4/20/1958
47
Bob Welborn
20
'57 Chevrolet
1958-49
10/12/1958
40
Fireball Roberts
4
'57 Chevrolet
1959-13
5/3/1959
40
Lee Petty
24
'57 Oldsmobile
1959-41
9/27/1959
47
Rex White
14
'59 Chevrolet
1960-10
4/10/1960
37
Richard Petty
4
'60 Plymouth
1960-40
9/25/1960
31
Rex White
2
'60 Chevrolet
1961-13
4/9/1961
27
Fred Lorenzen
2
'61 Ford
1961-18
4/30/1961
30
Junior Johnson
17
'61 Pontiac
1961-47
9/24/1961
29
Joe Weatherly
4
'61 Pontiac
1962-15
4/22/1962
32
Richard Petty
7
'62 Plymouth
1962-50
9/23/1962
37
Nelson Stacy
3
'62 Ford
1963-19
4/21/1963
33
Richard Petty
8
'63 Plymouth
1963-48
9/22/1963
36
Fred Lorenzen
2
'63 Ford
1964-19
4/26/1964
33
Fred Lorenzen
1
'64 Ford
1964-56
9/27/1964
40
Fred Lorenzen
1
'64 Ford
1965-12
4/25/1965
36
Fred Lorenzen
2
'65 Ford
1965-50
9/26/1965
37
Junior Johnson
3
'65 Ford
1966-14
4/24/1966
40
Jim Paschal
1
'66 Plymouth
1966-46
9/25/1966
40
Fred Lorenzen
2
'66 Ford
1967-14
4/23/1967
37
Richard Petty
2
'67 Plymouth
1967-45
9/24/1967
40
Richard Petty
5
'67 Plymouth
1968-12
4/28/1968
40
Cale Yarborough
3
'68 Mercury
1968-44
9/22/1968
40
Richard Petty
6
'68 Plymouth
1969-16
4/27/1969
40
Richard Petty
6
'69 Ford
1969-46
9/28/1969
40
Richard Petty
6
'69 Ford
1970-18
5/31/1970
39
Bobby Isaac
2
'69 Dodge
1970-45
10/18/1970
30
Richard Petty
4
'70 Plymouth
1971-15
4/25/1971
30
Richard Petty
3
'71 Plymouth
1971-41
9/26/1971
30
Bobby Isaac
1
'71 Dodge
1972-10
4/30/1972
36
Richard Petty
3
'72 Plymouth
1972-27
9/24/1972
36
Richard Petty
4
'72 Plymouth
1973-09
4/29/1973
34
David Pearson
1
'71 Mercury
1973-26
9/30/1973
36
Richard Petty
6
'73 Dodge
1974-09
4/28/1974
30
Cale Yarborough
1
'74 Chevrolet
1974-27
9/29/1974
30
Earl Ross
11
'72 Chevrolet
1975-09
4/27/1975
30
Richard Petty
6
'74 Dodge
1975-24
9/28/1975
30
Dave Marcis
7
'74 Dodge
1976-09
4/25/1976
30
Darrell Waltrip
4
Chevrolet
1976-25
9/26/1976
30
Cale Yarborough
4
Chevrolet
1977-09
4/24/1977
30
Cale Yarborough
5
Chevrolet
1977-25
9/25/1977
30
Cale Yarborough
3
Chevrolet
1978-09
4/23/1978
30
Darrell Waltrip
3
Chevrolet
1978-25
9/24/1978
30
Cale Yarborough
6
Oldsmobile
1979-09
4/22/1979
30
Richard Petty
2
Chevrolet
1979-26
9/23/1979
30
Buddy Baker
7
Chevrolet
1980-09
4/27/1980
32
Darrell Waltrip
1
Chevrolet
1980-27
9/28/1980
31
Dale Earnhardt
7
Chevrolet
1981-09
4/26/1981
31
Morgan Shepherd
12
Pontiac
1981-26
9/27/1981
30
Darrell Waltrip
1
Buick
1982-08
4/25/1982
31
Harry Gant
3
Buick
1982-27
10/17/1982
31
Darrell Waltrip
3
Buick
1983-07
4/24/1983
32
Darrell Waltrip
3
Chevrolet
1983-25
9/25/1983
29
Ricky Rudd
2
Chevrolet
1984-08
4/29/1984
31
Geoffrey Bodine
6
Chevrolet
1984-25
9/23/1984
31
Darrell Waltrip
3
Chevrolet
1985-08
4/28/1985
30
Harry Gant
13
Chevrolet
1985-23
9/22/1985
31
Dale Earnhardt
11
Chevrolet
1986-08
4/27/1986
31
Ricky Rudd
4
Ford
1986-24
9/21/1986
30
Rusty Wallace
8
Pontiac
1987-08
4/26/1987
31
Dale Earnhardt
4
Chevrolet
1987-24
9/27/1987
31
Darrell Waltrip
14
Chevrolet
1988-08
4/24/1988
32
Dale Earnhardt
14
Chevrolet
1988-24
9/25/1988
32
Darrell Waltrip
20
Chevrolet
1989-08
4/23/1989
32
Darrell Waltrip
10
Chevrolet
1989-24
9/24/1989
32
Darrell Waltrip
2
Chevrolet
1990-08
4/29/1990
32
Geoffrey Bodine
1
Ford
1990-24
9/23/1990
31
Geoffrey Bodine
14
Ford
1991-08
4/28/1991
32
Dale Earnhardt
10
Chevrolet
1991-24
9/22/1991
32
Harry Gant
12
Oldsmobile
1992-08
4/26/1992
32
Mark Martin
14
Ford
1992-24
9/28/1992
31
Geoffrey Bodine
7
Ford
1993-08
4/25/1993
34
Rusty Wallace
5
Pontiac
1993-25
9/26/1993
34
Ernie Irvan
1
Ford
1994-08
4/24/1994
36
Rusty Wallace
1
Ford
1994-26
9/25/1994
36
Rusty Wallace
7
Ford
1995-08
4/23/1995
36
Rusty Wallace
15
Ford
1995-26
9/24/1995
36
Dale Earnhardt
2
Chevrolet
1996-08
4/21/1996
36
Rusty Wallace
5
Ford
1996-26
9/22/1996
36
Jeff Gordon
10
Chevrolet
1997-08
4/20/1997
42
Jeff Gordon
4
Chevrolet
1997-27
9/28/1997
42
Jeff Burton
10
Ford
1998-08
4/20/1998
43
Bobby Hamilton
1
Chevrolet
1998-27
9/27/1998
43
Ricky Rudd
2
Ford
1999-08
4/18/1999
43
John Andretti
21
Pontiac
1999-28
10/3/1999
43
Jeff Gordon
5
Chevrolet
2000-8
4/9/2000
43
Mark Martin
21
Ford
2000-28
10/1/2000
43
Tony Stewart
1
Pontiac
2001-08
4/8/2001
43
Dale Jarrett
13
Ford
2001-30
10/15/2001
43
Ricky Craven
6
Ford
2002-08
4/14/2002
43
Bobby Labonte
15
Pontiac
2002-32
10/20/2002
43
Kurt Busch
36
Ford
2003-09
4/13/2003
43
Jeff Gordon
1
Chevrolet
2003-32
10/19/2003
43
Jeff Gordon
1
Chevrolet
2004-08
4/18/2004
43
Rusty Wallace
17
Dodge
2004-32
10/24/2004
43
Jimmie Johnson
18
Chevrolet
2005-06
4/10/2005
43
Jeff Gordon
16
Chevrolet
2005-32
10/23/2005
43
Jeff Gordon
15
Chevrolet
2006-06
4/2/2006
43
Tony Stewart
3
Chevrolet
2006-32
10/22/2006
43
Jimmie Johnson
9
Chevrolet
2007-06
4/1/2007
43
Jimmie Johnson
20
Chevrolet
2007-32
10/21/2007
43
Jimmie Johnson
4
Chevrolet
2008-06
3/30/2008
43
Denny Hamlin
2
Toyota
2008-32
10/19/2008
43
Jimmie Johnson
1
Chevrolet
2009-06
3/29/2009
43
Jimmie Johnson
9
Chevrolet
2009-32
10/25/2009
43
Denny Hamlin
17
Toyota
2010-06
3/29/2010
43
Denny Hamlin
19
Toyota
2010-32
10/24/2010
43
Denny Hamlin
1
Toyota
2011-06
4/3/2011
43
Kevin Harvick
9
Chevrolet
2011-33
10/30/2011
43
Tony Stewart
4
Chevrolet
2012-06
4/1/2012
43
Ryan Newman
5
Chevrolet
2012-33
10/28/2012
43
Jimmie Johnson
1
Chevrolet
2013-06
4/7/2013
43
Jimmie Johnson
1
Chevrolet
2013-33
10/27/2013
43
Jeff Gordon
9
Chevrolet
2014-06
3/30/2014
43
Kurt Busch
22
Chevrolet
2014-33
10/26/2014
43
Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
23
Chevrolet


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