Scouting Report: Martinsville
Ten Drivers To Watch
1. Jimmie Johnson – Johnson has five career wins at NASCAR’s oldest track and the only time he finished outside the top ten was his first career start here.
2. Denny Hamlin – Won the last three Martinsville races and has led +170 laps in three out of the last four races. Drivers have break problems at this track, not engine problems.
3. Jeff Gordon – Has only finished outside the top ten once at Martinsville since 2002. The track has taken a chunk out of his car more than once so watch out.
4. Kevin Harvick – Last year he finished third in the fall and was extremely strong in the spring race (started on pole and led 57 laps before mechanical problems brought a swift end).
5. Kyle Busch – Two fourth place finishes in the last three Martinsville races.
6. Juan Pablo Montoya – Has had past success at Martinsville and had the car to beat in 2009’s fall race. Don’t overlook him.
7. Carl Edwards – Finished 8th in both races last year. He’s even better this year so I’ll bump him up one spot.
8. Ryan Newman – He’s finished in the top seven in three out of the last four Martinsville races. Ryan Newman is also a good qualifier at this venue.
9. Dale Earnhardt Jr. – This is one of his better tracks. Last fall he was very strong and led 90 laps. Since 2002 he has ten top tens at Martinsville. He’s finished on the lead lap in all but one race since 2005.
10. Tony Stewart – Some risk here but Smoke is a former winner.
TheSpread.com odds to win: Denny Hamlin 3/1, Jimmie Johnson 9/2, Kyle Busch 8/1, Jeff Gordon 8/1, Kevin Harvick 8/1, Tony Stewart 10/1, Carl Edwards 12/1, Jeff Burton 15/1, Clint Bowyer 20/1, Mark Martin 25/1
How important is qualifying here…..
Pinch yourself because I think it’s a tad overrated. It’s certainly an advantage to start up front but in this race there will be tons of pit strategy and it will really shuffle up the field. In two of Denny Hamlin’s recent Martinsville wins he started in the high teens (19th and 17th).
How to approach the race…..
The best way to approach the race is to look at average finishes. I know it doesn’t sound glamorous, but that’s what really counts this week. This is a drivers track where the man behind the wheel in the difference maker.
