Martinsville Goody’s Headache Relief Shot 500 Fantasy NASCAR Front Runner Rankings

Carl Edwards – Now that Carl Edwards drives for Joe Gibbs Racing you need to take his fantasy value seriously at Martinsville. You can probably throw out his old stats because Joe Gibbs equipment is leaps and bounds better than his old Ford. This spring Carl Edwards ran well but finished 17th. That finish deserves an asterisk mark because his race wasn’t incident free. With 69 laps to go while he was running in 6th he had a flat tire and spun. Also in the race it should be noted Edwards had a 7th place average running position and earned the 7th best driver rating. Last fall at Martinsville Edwards didn’t have a great race. Through the first half he looked like a low teen’s driver. In the second half after he lost track position he looked like a 20th place driver. When the checkered flag waved he finished 20th, had an 18th place average running position and earned the 18th best driver rating. In spring 2014 Edwards looked competitive and performed better than his 13th place result. With 42 laps to go he was running in 5th but spun. Also in the race last spring he started in 8th, earned the 8th best driver rating and had a 10th place average running position. In fall 2013 Edwards finished 12th, had a 17th place average running position and earned the 16th best driver rating. In spring 2013 he finished 15th, had a 17th place average running position and earned the 17th best driver rating. (Yahoo B Driver)

[themify_box ]Don’t be a fantasy pretender. Become a contender and get the ifantasyrace advantage. Join Now! Our membership prices are just $2 a race![/themify_box]

Clint Bowyer – Clint Bowyer has been a great driver at Martinsville and he’s arguably the best driver who’s never won here. He should realistically have a handful of wins at this venue but the cards haven’t played out right for him. This spring at Martinsville he struggled in practice and started deep in the field in 30th. In the race he put his car on his back and put forth a respectable performance. In the race he finished 13th, earned the 13th best driver rating and had a 12th place average running position. Last year he was one of the most competitive drivers. In fall 2014 he started in 12th, had a 10th place average running position, finished 7th, earned the 7th best driver rating and led 33 laps. It should be noted he performed better than he finished. Before the final caution came out he was running in 3rd but over the closing laps he fell back a handful of positions. Over the final 75 laps I would estimate he probably had about a 2nd place average running position. He could’ve won the 2014 spring race but in consolation he earned the #1 position in the PROS Rankings. In the race he passed Johnson for the lead with 51 laps to go but a few laps later the caution came out when Carl Edwards spun. That was his downfall because he had a long pit stop that dropped him from the lead back to 10th in the outside lane which cost him a few more positions. When the checkered flag waved he finished 9th, had a 9th place average running position, earned the 6th best driver rating and led 16 laps. In fall 2013 Clint Bowyer had a very strong car. He finished 3rd after being inched by Matt Kenseth coming to the finish line. In that race he started 5th, had a 5th place average running position, earned the 4th best driver rating and led 60 laps. In spring 2013 he finished runner-up. In that race on lap #181 he was involved in the Martinsville “Big One” and sustained minor damage. That dropped him down to about 20th but he was able to work his way methodically up through the field because his car was strong over long runs and short runs. In fall 2012 he had one of the strongest cars. He finished 5th, led 151 laps and earned the second best driver rating. In spring 2012 he was one failed “Hail Mary” away from victory lane. (Yahoo B Driver)

Further Recommended Reading – Martinsville Top Tier Elite Picks, Martinsville Mid Pack Predictions, Who will win at Martinsville, Martinsville Scouting Report, Loop Data Box Score From The Last Race At Martinsville

Jamie McMurray – If you’re looking for a dark horse driver who can run with the leaders Jamie McMurray could be the driver you’re looking for. He gets around this venue well and it’s home to his best top ten finish percentage (52%), and second best top twenty finish percentage (72%). This spring McMurray ran well throughout the event. He finished 10th, had a 10th place average running position and earned the 8th best driver rating. Performance wise he was slightly better than his result. Last year at Martinsville he ran good in both races but didn’t finish good in either one. In fall 2014 he started on the pole, earned the 6th best driver rating, had a 7th place average running position, finished 16th and led 84 laps. Through the first 300 laps I would estimate his average running position was 3rd. Then just before lap 300 questionable pit strategy dropped him back to about 18th. He had a good car so he was able to drive up into the top ten again. Then later in the race after the lap 388 caution when Sorenson wrecked he took four tires, and nearly everyone else took two which shuffled him to about 20th. Over the final 110 laps he was able to rally up to about 11th but that’s the closest he got to the front. Over the final short run of the race following the last yellow he must’ve got stuck in the outside lane because he lost quite a few positions in the few remaining laps. In spring 2014 he was set to have a good finish but Dale Earnhardt Jr. spun him into the wall while he was running inside the top ten. In 2013 he had a great season at Martinsville. In the combined races of that season he was one of five drivers who swept the top ten and had an 8.5 average finish. In fall 2013 he started in 7th, finished 10th, earned the 13th best driver rating and had a 14th place average running position. In spring 2013 he had one of his best performances of the year. He started in 13th, had an 8th place average running position, finished 7th and earned the 7th best driver rating. (Yahoo B Driver)

Make sure you read the full spectrum of our Martinsville Goody’s Headache Relief Shot 500 Fantasy NASCAR Rankings

Top Tier Elite Picks > Front Runners Rankings > Mid Pack Predictions > Yahoo C List Preview