Martinsville Fantasy NASCAR Mid Pack Predictions

Paul Menard – At Martinsville, I think it’s best to view Paul Menard as a mid to high-teens driver. I would probably side with a high-teens result to play it safe. Over the last five combined Martinsville races he has a 17.8 average finish and an 18.8 average running position. Earlier this year at Martinsville, Menard had a solid mid-teens afternoon. He finished 15th, had a 16th place average running position and earned the 16th best driver rating. Last fall he didn’t have a race to brag about. He started 35th and came home with a 22nd place finish. Additionally, he had a 22nd place average running position and earned the 25th best driver rating. In spring 2018 in his Wood Brothers track debut he finished 13th, had a 12th place average running position and earned the 12th best driver rating. One attribute I like about Menard is how well he’s been running on a weekly basis in recent races. Over the last eight races heading into the weekend his average finish is 15.25.

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Ryan Newman – Ryan Newman is a solid performer at Martinsville, but the #6 car is questionable equipment. Stenhouse Jr. has struggled for years here, and this spring Newman had his worst Martinsville race in a while. On Sunday, I’m going to play it safe and view Newman as a mid to high-teens driver. Earlier this year at Martinsville, Newman didn’t run well and was a low-twenties driver. He finished 23rd, had a 24th place average running position and earned the 25th best driver rating. In 6 of the 7 Martinsville races prior to that he finished between 7th to 16th. Last fall in his old ride, Newman ran well. He finished 8th, earned the 8th best driver rating and had a 10th place average running position. Additionally, he finished 6th in both Stage #1 and Stage #2. In spring 2018 he didn’t have a good race and finished 3 laps down in 19th. He just never seemed to run well. In 2017 he had results of 8th and 14th.

Chris Buescher – At Martinsville, I would temper expectations with Chris Buescher and view him as a high-teens to low-twenties driver. His average finish is 21.6 and in 3 of the last 4 races he’s finished in the low-twenties. Earlier this year, Buescher didn’t have a good race. He finished 21st, had a 21st place average running position and earned the 23rd best driver rating. Last fall he walked away with a solid 13th place finish. It was a solid afternoon for him. Additionally, he earned the 15th best driver rating and had a 16th place average running position. In spring 2018, he was a low-twenties driver. He finished 23rd, had a 25th place average running position and earned the 26th best driver rating. In fall 2017 he had a similar performance. He finished 21st and had a 25th place average running position. In spring 2017, he had his best performance at this historic track and he finished 11th. That said, don’t overlook his 18th place average running position and 20th best driver rating. He closed out strong and was at his best at the end.

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