Drivers to avoid for the Martinsville Tums Fast Relief 500
Kurt Busch – Kurt Busch won a Martinsville a decade ago but by no means is he a good pick. His average finish is 21.3 and he hasn’t finished in the top ten since 2005. In April Kurt Busch really struggled. He kept overheating his breaks and cooking the beads on his tires. To a large extent that can be chalked up to his equipment but his driving style also has a lot to do with it. Regan Smith had limited success here in the Furniture Row car. His last two finishes are 13th and 16th. (Yahoo! B Driver)
Sam Hornish Jr. – Martinsville hasn’t been a good venue for Hornish Jr. He’s raced here six times and in five of them he’s finished 25th or worse. His best finish here is 13th and that came in the spring race of 2010. Even though he’s been much better in his recent full time stint I wouldn’t trust him. If you’re looking for hope though it does exist. Penske Cars were good in April. Allmendinger finished in 2nd and Keselowski finished 9th. (Yahoo! C Driver
Marcos Ambrose – There’s really no reason to pick Marcos Ambrose here. Martinsville hasn’t been a good track for him and there’s better alternatives. In seven races at Martinsville he’s finished 27th or worse four times. I’m not a betting man but I can assure you those odds aren’t looking good. In April he finished in 15th two laps down. Only twice in his career has he finished on the lead lap and the last time he accomplished this feat was in 2010. (Yahoo! B Driver)
Paul Menard – In ten races at Martinsville Menard has three teen finishes and the rest of the time he’s finished 23rd or worse. I see absolutely no sleeper potential in him. Martinsville is a skill track and track record is what it is. The only hope he has is that perhaps Slugger Labbe has been cooking up a new setup during his suspension. (Yahoo! B Driver)
Bobby Labonte – Bobby Labonte’s fantasy stock isn’t any higher at Martinsville than it is at any other track. His last top ten was in 2006 and his average finish since 2007 is 27.6. In this stretch of races he has a 25.5 average running position and has earned the 28th best driver rating. (Yahoo! C Driver)
David Ragan – You can pencil Ragan in for a 20th or worse finish this week. The only way he could conceivably finish better is through pit strategy. Teams are more than capable of doing that effectively at Martinsville. Last spring (2011) Ragan had his only top ten at Martinsville. That was also his only top fifteen since 2009. (Yahoo! C Driver)
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