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Fantasy Racing Darkhorse Picks: Tums Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville

Expert	Website	Pick to Win	Finish	Experts Avg
Josh Lobdel		Mark Martin	28	12.21
Jerry Lagger	One and Done Game Winner	Clint Bowyer	19	15.21
Dennis Michelsen	RaceTalkRadio.com	Mark Martin	28	17.00
Steve Wronkowicz	On Pit Row	Jeff Burton	6	15.79
Eric McClung	KFFL	Clint Bowyer	19	15.45
Eric McGuire	free agent	Juan Pablo Montoya	22	16.42
Dan Beaver	Fantasy Racing Games	Kasey Kahne	25	15.73
Matt Mercer	On Pit Row	Juan Pablo Montoya	22	13.82
Adam Ansell	Roto Experts	no pick
Chris Leone	On Pit Row	no pick	44	21.55
Bob Ellis	NASCAR Ranting and Raving	Clint Bowyer	19	17.36
CharlieTurner	On Pit Row	Kasey Kahne	25	12.33
Jordan McAbee	On Pit Row	A J Allmendinger	11	14.39
Jon Rodgers	Gillette Young Guns Challenge Winner	Greg Biffle	15	15.61
James Jones	On Pit Row	Clint Bowyer	19	13.82
Mike Wells	Racing4Glory.com	Clint Bowyer	19	12.67
Darren Fauth	FantasyRacingCheatSheet	Clint Bowyer	19	14.09
P J Walsh	FantasyNASCARPreview.com	Kasey Kahne	25	16.52
Charles Rantz	ifantasyrace.com	A J Allmendinger	11	14.91

NASCAR Fantasy Racing Experts Picks: Tums Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville

Expert	Website	Pick to Win	Finish	Experts Avg
Josh Lobdell		Carl Edwards	9	13.00
Jerry Lagger	One and Done Game Winner	Jimmie Johnson	2	13.72
Dennis Michelsen	RaceTalkRadio.com	Jimmie Johnson	2	12.61
Steve Wronkowicz	On Pit Row	Carl Edwards	9	13.21
Eric McClung	KFFL	Jimmie Johnson	2	14.15
Eric McGuire	free agent	Dale Earnhardt Jr	7	15.48
Dan Beaver	Fantasy Racing Games	Jimmie Johnson	2	13.52
Matt Mercer	On Pit Row	Kyle Busch	27	15.85
Adam Ansell	Roto Experts	no pick
Chris Leone	On Pit Row	no pick	44	13.03
Bob Ellis	NASCAR Ranting and Raving	Jimmie Johnson	2	13.48
CharlieTurner	On Pit Row	Jimmie Johnson	2	14.18
Jordan McAbee	On Pit Row	Dale Earnhardt Jr	7	12.97
Jon Rodgers	Gillette Young Guns Challenge Winner	Carl Edwards	9	12.00
James Jones	On Pit Row	Denny Hamlin	5	12.27
Mike Wells	Racing4Glory.com	Jimmie Johnson	2	12.82
Darren Fauth	FantasyRacingCheatSheet	Jimmie Johnson	2	10.18
P J Walsh	FantasyNASCARPreview.com	Jeff Gordon	3	12.67
Charles Rantz	ifantasyrace.com	Jeff Gordon	3	14.70

Fantasy NASCAR Preview: Martinsville 2 - Tums Fast Relief 500

With 60% of the 2011 Chase For The Sprint Cup completed, I think it’d be safe to say that 60% of the Chase field no longer has a chance at winning this year’s championship. The only drivers that I see having a shot of hoisting the title at Homestead-Miami at season’s end are the “Fab Five” in the points right now: Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth, Brad Keselowski, Tony Stewart, and Kevin Harvick. A minor slip up by any of those drivers this weekend at Martinsville Speedway could take them right out of the equation as well. The Series will resume its ‘normal’ schedule of the 2011 season this weekend, with two practice sessions being held on Friday afternoon followed by qualifying on Saturday. The Tums Fast Relief 500 will start around 1:45 p.m. eastern time on Sunday.

During The Last Race At Martinsville…Despite only leading nine laps, although it is his forte, Kevin Harvick beat the fan-favorite Dale Earnhardt, Jr. for his second win of this season in April. Kyle Busch, who led 151 of the 500 laps that day, finished 3rd, while Juan Montoya and Jeff Gordon rounded out the top 5. Pole-sitter Jamie McMurray, who led 31 laps that afternoon, finished 7th.

Top Fifteen Ranking Entering The Tums Fast Relief 500:
*Chase participants marked in red*

1. Kyle Busch - Now that Kyle Busch’s chances for the championship are pretty much finished, I expect “Rowdy” to go all out for victories, and although he has never won at Martinsville in thirteen career starts, I think it’s possible this weekend. In the last four races at “The Paperclip,” Busch has notched three top 5s, and he led 151 laps here in April (despite only leading 120 in his previous twelve attempts). As usual, though, Kyle is feast or famine at this track: he has six career top 5s compared to five career finishes outside of the top 20. In the last four races here, though, Kyle Busch hasn’t had a driver rating lower than 91.6, and I fully expect him to challenge for the win on Sunday afternoon.

2. Jimmie Johnson - If JJ is going to have any shot at all in getting back in this championship hunt, he must have a good race this Sunday and hope the others catch the bad luck bug. The first part is very possible, but it’s the second that worries me. In the last five races at Martinsville, Johnson hasn’t finished worse than 11th and has an average driver rating of 117.2 (second-best in the series). Over his entire career here (nineteen races), Jimmie has ended up in victory lane six times and has an average finish of 5.6. He finished 35th here in his first start at “The Paperclip,” but in the eighteen races since then, “Five Time” has led 1,616 laps and his worst finish has been 11th. It’s safe to say that the #48 should be pretty good this weekend.

3. Kevin Harvick - What’s interesting about Kevin Harvick is that he wasn’t really great at Martinsville Speedway until recently. As you probably remember, “Happy” won the race here in April, and in this race last season he finished 3rd despite starting 36th. In his last eight starts here, Harvick has seven finishes of 12th or better, which is pretty good considering in his first eight starts here, Kevin had just two finishes in the top 10. Harvick’s career average finish of 16.5 at “The Paperclip” shouldn’t scare you away, and he should improve it on Sunday.

4. Jeff Gordon - Jeff Gordon is pretty much a lock for fantasy owners when it comes to a race at Martinsville. He has made thirty-seven starts at this race track and come away with thirty top 10s (including seven visits to victory lane). He also has seven poles to his name and not a single DNF has been registered for Gordon at this track. He stumbled in this race last season (20th) but Gordon has twelve top 5s in the last thirteen Martinsville races (seriously). He has also led at least 36 laps in each of the last ten.

5. Denny Hamlin - We all know the story of the #11 team in the 2011 season: they’re running okay, but nowhere near where they should be, especially at the tracks where they should be dominant (like Pocono and here at Martinsville, for example). In April, Hamlin finished 12th after starting 5th and leading 89 laps, which isn’t bad, but when you look at the fact that he won the three previous races entering that event, it’s not as impressive. In fact, that 12th-place finish in April has been Denny’s worst since 2006, where he finished 37th after starting 41st and getting in an accident. Hamlin has the potential to win on Sunday (his average finish of 6.6 in twelve career starts here shows that) but judging by the way his season has gone thus far, I just don’t see it happening. In fact, this 5th-place ranking may be a bit too high, too. I guess we’ll find out…

6. Carl Edwards - If Cousin Carl is going to make my pre-season prediction of being the 2011 champion come true, he’s going to need a not-so-normal run this weekend in Martinsville, Virginia. Roush-Fenway isn’t great at “The Paperclip,” and Edwards is no exception: in fourteen starts here, he has just one top 5 finish and a total of four top 10s. Also, Carl has led a grand total of three laps in his career here, and all three were in the April race earlier this season. He does have two 8th-place finishes in the last three races at Martinsville, though, so there’s something positive for those looking to pick Carl Edwards this weekend. Other than that, all you really have is his momentum (worst finish of 11th in the last nine Sprint Cup races).

7. Brad Keselowski - Unless you really hate this kid, chances are you are happy at the fact that “Bad Brad” is right in the thick of things for this championship. Sitting at third in the points, Keselowski is coming to a track that is (statistically) his sixth-best on the circuit. In his first career starts at Martinsville, Brad completed all 508 laps and finished 12th after starting 30th. He followed that up in this race last season with a 10th-place finish, also completing 100% of the laps ran. When the series stopped here in April, though, Keselowski finished 19th, two laps down. However, that was back when this team looked like their “normal self.” I’m expecting a career day for BK at “The Paperclip” on Sunday, and it wouldn’t be very far fetched to see him close in on the points lead once the checkered flag waves.

8. Clint Bowyer - NASCAR’s most recent winner will come into a track this weekend that he has found some success at in the past. In eleven career starts at Martinsville, Clint has notched seven finishes of 11th or better and owns an average finish of 14.7. He led 91 laps in the spring race and, surprisingly, those have been his only laps led at this track. In the last two fall races here, though, Bowyer has finishes of 19th and 38th. However, I like how this team is running, and in the last five races here, Clint has the seventh-best average driver rating of anyone in the series.

9. Ryan Newman - Despite finishes of 30th and 20th in the last two Martinsville races, “The Rocketman” still has the eight-best average driver rating in the last five races here, so those weren’t due to the fact that he raced bad (Newman started 4th and 2nd in those races, respectively). Before that, Ryan had three-straight top 10s at “The Paperclip,” and in nineteen career starts here, Newman has an average finish of 14.6 and just four finishes outside of the top 20. I would second-guess picking him, though, if both him and his owner, Tony Stewart, appear to be struggling in practice on Friday. Newman has started 4th or better in three of the last four Martinsville races.

10. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. - This is actually a pretty good race track for Junior, and with a little luck, it’s possible that he finally breaks his win-less streak on Sunday (I said possible, not probable). In twenty-three starts at Martinsville, Earnhardt has twelve top 10s to his name, and nine of those have also been top 5s. In the last five races at “The Paperclip,” Junior has the tenth-best average driver rating and an average finish of 12.2. Also, since joining Hendrick Motorsports, NASCAR’s Golden Boy has made seven starts at this track and has just one finish worse than 15th.

11. Jamie McMurray - This is about the only place you can really trust Jamie Mac to give you a decent finish (this season, anyway). In seventeen career starts, McMurray has notched ten top 10s and an average finish of 15.7. Of those ten, though, only one has been a top 5, which was a 2nd-place effort in 2004. In the last five races at Martinsville, Jamie has four finishes of 11th or better and he had the sixth-best driver rating during the race here in April, where McMurray finished 7th after starting on the pole.

12. Matt Kenseth - Like I said with his team mate, Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth, who isn’t great at Martinsville, will also need to have a solid run this weekend to keep his championship hopes alive. In twenty-three starts at “The Paperclip,” the 2003 NASCAR champ has just two top 5s to his name and an average finish of 15.8. In the last four races here, though, Kenseth hasn’t finished worse than 18th and he brought the #17 Ford home in 6th in the race earlier this year. He has completed 99% of the laps ran, so he’s not terrible at this track, but you won’t find Matt dominating on Sunday (only 68 total laps led in his career here).

13. Joey Logano - Statistically, this is Sliced Bread’s second-best track on the circuit, and that doesn’t really surprise me due to the fact of how well the Gibbs Toyotas have ran at “The Paperclip” lately. Logano’s first start at Martinsville ended with him in 32nd, but in the four races since, Joey has an average finish of 8.3 and has completed all but one lap ran. Around this time last year was when Logano went on his hot streak to end the 2010 season.

14. Juan Montoya - If you want a really risky pick with high reward potential this weekend, Juan Montoya is your man. But then again, when isn’t he a risky pick with high reward potential? Anyway, in nine career starts at Martinsville, JPM has an average finish of 13.9 and just one finish outside of the top 20. In the last four races here, Montoya has 3rd and 4th-place finishes to go along with 19th and 26th-place efforts. Don’t be afraid to give Juan a shot if the #42 Chevrolet looks good in practice on Friday.

15. Jeff Burton - With his season-best 2nd-place finish last week at Talladega, Jeff Burton now has four top 15s in the last six Sprint Cup races, and he hasn’t finished worse than 21st in that span. At Martinsville, Jeff has made thirty-four career starts and owns an average finish of 14.9 with fifteen top 10s. He finished 24th here in April but that has been Burton’s first finish outside of the top 20 here since 2006. I think he’ll have a little momentum coming into this weekend and Jeff Burton should be a good top 15 pick, and with a little luck could notch a top 10.

Those To Avoid Entering The Tums Fast Relief 500:

Greg Biffle - Most of the Roush-Fenway stable struggles at Martinsville, but The Biff may be the worst of them all. In seventeen career starts here, Biffle has just two top 10s and an average finish of 22.9. Also, despite having three top 5 starts six races at this track, Greg has only led 15 laps of the 3,013 ran. A top 10 would be considered a win for this team this weekend.

Kurt Busch - It surprises me how much the elder Busch brother struggles at this track considering how well he has been at Bristol, another short track, in the past. In twenty-two starts at “The Paperclip,” Kurt has just four (four!) top 10s, and he hasn’t finished there since 2005. Busch won at Martinsville in 2002, but that was then and this is now. He has finished between 16th and 18th in four of the last five races here. Expect the same out of the Double Deuce this weekend.

Kasey Kahne - I very well could change my mind about this depending on how the #4 Toyota looks in practice, but going into this race I’m going to avoid Kasey Kahne even though he has been running very well over the past month. At Martinsville Speedway, though, it’s a different story for KK. He has a runner-up finish to his credit here (back in 2005), but that is only one of two top 10s for Kahne in fifteen career starts here. He started 3rd here in April but had a teens-at-best car before wrecking with Martin Truex, Jr. and finishing 39th.

NASCAR Fantasy Racing Experts Picks: 2010 Tums Fast Relief 500

Expert	Website	Pick to Win	Finish	Experts Avg
Josh Lobdell	FFToolbox	Jimmie Johnson	5	14.69
Jerry Lagger	One and Done Game Winner	Jeff Gordon	20	10.97
Dennis Michelsen	RaceTalkRadio.com	Jeff Gordon	20	10.97
Tall Glass of Milk	Answerthis.com	Denny Hamlin	1	11.91
Eric McClung	On Pit Row	Jimmie Johnson	5	12.94
Eric McGuire	free agent	Jimmie Johnson	5	10.72
Dan Beaver	Fantasy Racing Games	Jeff Gordon	20	10.97
Matt Mercer	On Pit Row	Denny Hamlin	1	13.31
Adam Ansell	Roto Experts	Denny Hamlin	1	14.13
Chris Leone	On Pit Row	Jeff Gordon	20	11.50
Bob Ellis	NASCAR Ranting and Raving	Jeff Gordon	20	9.88
CharlieTurner	On Pit Row	Jimmie Johnson	5	14.53
Lou Lauer	USAR Fans	Denny Hamlin	1	12.03
Jon Rodgers	Gillette Young Guns Challenge Winner	Kyle Busch	4	12.63
James Jones	On Pit Row	Kevin Harvick	3	13.72
Ryan Rantz	On Pit Row	Jimmie Johnson	5	11.25
Darren Fauth	Fantasy Racing Cheat Sheet	Jimmie Johnson	5	12.38
P J Walsh	FantasyNASCARPreview.com	Denny Hamlin	1	11.75
Charles Rantz	ifantasyrace.com	Denny Hamlin	1	15.31

NASCAR Fantasy Racing Darkhorse Picks: 2010 Tums Fast relief 500

The On Pit Row fantasy racing experts opinions of the best Sprint Cup driver currently outside the top 12 in Sprint Cup Series points, for this weekends race.

Expert	Website	Pick to Win	Finish	Experts Avg
Matt Mercer	On Pit Row	Joey Logano	6	14.53
James Jones	On Pit Row	Jamie McMurray	11	13.09
Josh Lobdell	FFToolbox	Jamie McMurray	11	18.91
Dennis Mickelson	RaceTalkRadio.com	Marcos Ambrose	34	10.75
Jon Rodgers	Gillette Young Guns Challenge Winner	Mark Martin	2	14.97
Jerry LaggerEric McGuire	One and Done Game WinnerFree agent	Ryan NewmanJamie McMurray	30 11	14.3813.66
Charlie Turner	On Pit Row	Dale Earnhardt Jr	7	14.56
Tall Glass of Milk	Answerthis.com	Ryan Newman	30	11.09
Adam Ansell	Roto Experts	David Reutimann	27	14.25
Charles Rantz	ifantasyrace.com	Jamie McMurray	11	12.72
Darren Fauth	Fantasy Racing Cheat Sheet	Joey Logano	6	14.63
Lou Lauer	USAR Fans	Joey Logano	6	14.88
Ryan Rantz	On Pit Row	Jamie McMurray	11	15.69
Eric McClung	On Pit Row	Mark Martin	2	17.72
P J Walsh	FantasyNASCARPreview.com	Ryan Newman	30	14.75
Bob Ellis	NASCAR Ranting and Raving	Marcos Ambrose	34	16.09
Chris Leone	On Pit Row	Ryan Newman	30	18.75
Dan Beaver	Fantasy Racing Games	Joey Logano	6	12.16

NASCAR Fantasy Racing Preview: TUMS Fast Relief 500 from Martinsville Speedway

The half-mile, paperclip track known as Martinsville Speedway is among the most unique tracks in NASACAR. The long asphalt straightaways are twin drag strips connected by concrete corners. There are very few options when it comes to unearthing a legitimate sleeper for fantasy lineups as the elite drivers at Martinsville rarely disappoint. The final flat track race of the season is coming up shortly at Phoenix International Raceway. Drivers that find success here could also be riding high in the desert.

Chasing the pole at Martinsville Speedway

1. Jeff Gordon… Won the pole in 3/08 start at Martinsville, started second in 10/09 start.

Here’s an explanation of the highlighted text in the rankings.

• Y! A/B/C - The top options in the Yahoo! Fantasy Auto Racing game by driver list.

1.  Jimmie Johnson… Six-time winner (3/09, 10/08, 07 sweep, 10/06, 10/04) at Martinsville, 16 straight Top 10s. Average running position of eighth or better in 10 straight. Y!-A1
2. Denny Hamlin… Three-time winner (3/10, 10/09, 3/08) at Martinsville. Average finish of 6.6 in 10 career starts, has led 44.7 percent of the last three. Y!-A2
3. Jeff Gordon… Seven-time winner (05 sweep, 03 sweep, 10/99, 4/97, 9/96) at Martinsville, 11 straight Top Fives. Average running position of seventh or better in 10 straight, over 35 laps led in eight straight. Y!-A3
4. Kevin Harvick… Average running position of 10th or better in four of the last six starts at Martinsville. Y!-B1
5. Tony Stewart… Two-time winner (4/06, 10/00) at Martinsville, three Top 10s with an average running position of 12th or better in three of the last five starts at Martinsville. Y!-A4
6. Clint Bowyer… Average running position of 12th or better in six of the last seven starts at Martinsville. Y!-B2
7. Carl Edwards… Three Top 10s in the last five starts at Martinsville.
8. Jeff Burton… Won 9/97 race at Martinsville. Race-high average running position of third in March start, finished 20th. Y!-B3
9. Mark Martin… Two-time winner (4/00, 4/92) at Martinsville, average running position of 10th or better in three straight starts.
10. Jamie McMurray… Average running position of 16th or better in seven of the last 10 starts at Martinsville. Y!-B4
11. Kurt Busch… Won 10/02 race at Martinsville, average running position of 12th or better in six of the last 11 starts, only three Top 15s.
12. Kyle Busch… One Top Five since 08, four finishes of 22nd or worse.
13. Ryan Newman… Three straight Top 10s at Martinsville. Y!-B5
14. Matt Kenseth… Only one Top 10 finish since 08 at Martinsville. Y!-B6
15. Greg Biffle… Only two Top 10s in 15 career starts at Martinsville.
16. Joey Logano… Runner-up in March start at Martinsville, average running position of 11th. Y!-B7
17. Martin Truex Jr…. Finished a career-best fifth in March start at Martinsville, average running position of 12th. Y!-B8
18. Kasey Kahne… Average finish of 19.5 in 13 career starts at Martinsville.
19. Juan Pablo Montoya… Average finish of 14.6 in seven career starts at Martinsville.
20. David Reutimann… Average running positions of 11th and 13th last year at Martinsville.
21. Dale Earnhardt Jr…. Average running position of 11th or better in seven of the last eight starts at Martinsville
22. Paul Menard… Finished a career-best 14th in March start at Martinsville. Y!-C1
23. A.J. Allmendinger… Average finish of 28.2 in six career starts at Martinsville, two Top 15s. Y!-C2
24. Brad Keselowski… Finished 12th in March start at Martinsville, average running position of 20th.
25. Sam Hornish Jr…. Finished a career-best 13th in March start at Martinsville, average running position of 22nd. Y!-C3
26. Marcos Ambrose… Average finish of 17.3 in three career starts at Martinsville.
27. David Ragan… Average finish of 19.4 in eight career starts at Martinsville.
28. Regan Smith… Average finish of 28.5 in four career starts at Martinsville. Y!-C4
29. Scott Speed… Average finish of 33.2 in four career starts at Martinsville.
30. Casey Mears… Average running position of 14th or better in three of the last four starts at Martinsville (08-09).
31. Aric Almirola… Finished sixth in March Truck start at Martinsville.
32. Travis Kvapil…  Average finish of 27.8 in nine career starts at Martinsville.
33. Elliott Sadler… Average finish of 24.7 in 23 career starts at Martinsville.
34. David Gilliland… Average finish of 30.2 in eight career starts at Martinsville.
35. Robby Gordon… Average finish of 34.6 in 20 career starts at Martinsville.
36. Tony Raines… Average finish of 22.3 in seven career starts at Martinsville (03-08).
37. Dave Blaney… Average finish of 31.4 in 19 career starts at Martinsville.
38. Kevin Conway… Finished 31st in March start at Martinsville.
39. Ken Schrader… No Cup starts since 08. Average finish of 17.8 in 47 career Cup starts at Martinsville (1985-2008).
40. Hermie Sadler… No Cup starts since 06. Average finish of 33.1 in nine career Cup starts at Martinsville (01-05). Finished 12th in March Truck race.
41. Dennis Setzer… No Cup starts since 98. Average finish of 10.2 in 20 career Truck starts at Martinsville.
42. Bobby Labonte… Possible start and park. Won 4/02 race at Martinsville.
43. Joe Nemechek… Likely start and park.
44. Landon Cassill… Likely start and park.
45. Michael McDowell… Likely start and park.
46. J.J. Yeley… Likely start and park.
47. Johnny Sauter… Likely start and park.
48. Terry Cook… Likely start and park.

NASCAR Fantasy Experts Picks: Tums Fast Relief 500 from Martinsville

Expert	Website	Pick to Win	Finish	Experts Avg
Ryan Rantz	On Pit Row	Jimmie Johnson	2	7.35
James Jones	On Pit Row	Jeff Gordon	5	7.84
Mike Harmon	FOX Sports	Jimmie Johnson	2	9.84
Dennis Michelsen	RaceTalkRadio.com	Jimmie Johnson	2	10.03
Roger Rotter	FOX Sports	Jimmie Johnson	2	10.13
Gerritt Ritt	FOX Sports	Kurt Busch	17	10.16
Yahoo Users	Yahoo! Sports	Jimmie Johnson	2	10.23
Cheryl Lauer	Speed Couch	Jeff Gordon	5	10.68
Eric Brewer		Jeff Gordon	5	11.42
Darren Fauth	Fantasy NASCAR Names	Jimmie Johnson	2	11.65
Lou Lauer	USAR Fans	Jimmie Johnson	2	11.81
Eric McClung	On Pit Row	Jeff Gordon	5	11.87
Charlie Turner	On Pit Row	Jimmie Johnson	2	12.06
P J Walsh	FantasyNASCARPreview.com	Jeff Gordon	5	12.52
Eric McGuire	FFToolbox	Jimmie Johnson	2	13.10
Bob Ellis	NASCAR Ranting and Raving	Jimmie Johnson	2	15.77
Jon Rodgers	Gillette Young Guns Challenge Winner	Kyle Busch	4	18.52

NASCAR Fantasy Racing Preview: Tums Fast Relief 500

The fantasy strategy at Martinsville is simple: start drivers who are great at Martinsville. Unlike a lot of other tracks, the numbers do not lie at Martinsville. The same guys tend to get to the front– and stay there. Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon and Denny Hamlin all have career average finishes of 8.0 or better. Tony Stewart, Juan Pablo Montoya, Clint Bowyer, Mark Martin and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. are all between 12.1 and 13.3.

There are other short tracks on the schedule but none are close to Martinsville’s unique paper clip shape. New Hampshire Motor Speedway is essentially a bigger version of Martinsville and braking is key at both venues. New Hampshire held its second race to open the Chase.

One interesting loop data statistic from the March race at Martinsville is the number of drivers who were in the top-15 during all 500 laps; there were a total of five (Hamlin, Stewart, Gordon, Bowyer and Kevin Harvick). In 2008, only three total drivers accomplished this in either of the two races: David Ragan in March; Johnson and Carl Edwards in October.

Here’s an explanation of the highlighted text in the rankings. Download a printer-friendly version here.

• Y! A/B/C - The top options in the Yahoo! Fantasy Auto Racing game by driver list.
• Strong qualifier - History of winning poles or qualifying inside the top-five.
• Good qualifier - History of qualifying inside the top-10.
• Value play - Good recent history at this week’s track. Drivers to consider as low-rent salary cap options or alternative options in allocation formats.

1. Jimmie Johnson… Six-time winner at Martinsville. 11 top-fives, 14 top-10 finishes in 15 career starts. Lead an average of 173.7 laps per race and won five of the last seven Martinsville races. Won the March race. Y!-A1
2. Jeff Gordon… Strong qualifier at Martinsville, won three of the last four poles. Seven-time winner (’05 sweep, ‘03 sweep, ‘99, ‘97, ‘96. Finished fourth in the March race. Top-five finishes in nine straight Martinsville races, lead an average of 100.6 laps in each. Y!-A2
3. Tony Stewart… Two-time winner (’06, ‘00). Better in March: ‘08 fifth/26th -place finishes; ‘07 seventh/13th-place finishes. Finished third in the March race. Y!-B1
4. Mark Martin… Two-time winner at Martinsville (’00, ‘92) Finished seventh in the March race, first start since ‘06. Y!-A3
5. Denny Hamlin… Won last year’s March race at Martinsville. Runner-up in this year’s March race, led 296 laps. Average finish of 3.2 over the last six Martinsville races. Y!-B2
6. Clint Bowyer… Good qualifier at Martinsville, started in the top-five two of the last three races. Average finish of 8.8 since 2007. Started third, finished fifth at Martinsville in March- both career-bests. Y!-A4
7. Juan Pablo Montoya… Average finish of 12.6 over five career starts at Martinsville. Finished 12th in the March race. Y!-B3
8. Kevin Harvick… Average finish of 10.0 over the last four races at Martinsville. Finished 11th in the March race.
9. Ryan Newman… Finished sixth in the March race at Martinsville, average running position of 16th. Average finish of 21.0 in ‘08 races, 8.0 in ‘07. Y!-B4
10. Kurt Busch… Won at Martinsville in ‘02 but only two top-10 finishes since. Average finish of 24.0 since ‘06. Finished 18th in the March race, average running position of ninth. Y!-B5
11. Matt Kenseth… Finished 23rd at March race at Martinsville. Finished 30th and eighth last year, 7.5 average in ‘07.
12. Kyle Busch… Three top-five finishes in his first six career starts at Martinsville- average finish of 30.3 in the last three.
13. Kasey Kahne… Finished 19th in the March race at Martinsville. Last top-10 in ‘06, average finish of 21.8 since. Y!-B6
14. Marcos Ambrose… Started 24th, finished 14th in the March race, first career start at Martinsville. Y!-C1
15. Jeff Burton… Won at Martinsville in ‘97. Average finish of 10.6 since ‘07. Finished 15th in the March race.
16. Dale Earnhardt Jr…. Five finishes of eighth or better over the last seven races at Martinsville. Runner-up last year, finished eighth in the March race. Y!-B7
17. Casey Mears… Strong value play. Only two career top-10 finishes at Martinsville, two were in 2008. Finished 21st in the March race. Y!-B8
18. David Reutimann… Finished 20th in the March race at Martinsville but had an average running position of 11th; has never finished better than 17th.
19. Greg Biffle… Average finish of 20.0 over the last three Martinsville races. Finished 28th in the March race.
20. Carl Edwards… Good qualifier at Martinsville. Started fourth, finished third last year. Started fifth in March, finished 26th- average running position of 18th.
21. Brian Vickers… Finished 33rd at March race at Martinsville, average running position of 13th. Average finish of 17.0 in ‘08 races, no starts in ‘07.
22. AJ Allmendinger… Strong value play. Finished 15th at last year’s Martinsville October race, ninth in the March race this season. Y!-C2
23. Joey Logano… Started 34th, finished 32nd in the March race, first career start at Martinsville.
24. Martin Truex Jr…. One top-10 in seven career starts at Martinsville, 23.3 average finish.
25. Jamie McMurray… Weak value play. Two top-10 finishes in his last three starts at Martinsville. Finished 10th in the March race.
26. Paul Menard… Average finish of 23.0 in four career starts at Martinsville.
27. David Ragan… Finished 11th and 13th at Martinsville last year, 27th in the March race.
28. Michael Waltrip… Long shot value play. Finished 13th in the March race at Martinsville, 18th in last two October races.
29. Reed Sorenson… Finished 36th and 35th at Martinsville last year, 17th in the March race. Y!-C3
30. David Stremme… Started and finished 22nd in the March race at Martinsville.
31. Elliott Sadler… Average finish of 39.6 in his last three October races at Martinsville. Finished 31st in the March race.
32. Bobby Labonte… Won in ‘02. Finished 16th in the March race at Martinsville, 31.8 average finish in ‘07, ‘08 starts. Y!-C4
33. Scott Speed… Average finish of 34.5 in two career starts at Martinsville.
34. Sam Hornish Jr…. Has finished 34th in his last two starts at Martinsville.
35. Robby Gordon… Has finished 34th or worse in eight straight starts at Martinsville.
36. Travis Kvapil… Long shot value play. Average finish of 18.5 in ‘08 races at Martinsville.
37. John Andretti… Won in ‘99. Finished 35th in the March race at Martinsville, 33rd in ‘07.
38. David Gilliland… Average finish of 30.7 in six career starts at Martinsville.
39. Michael McDowell… Started 34th, finished 26th in last year’s March Martinsville race- first ever Cup start.
40. Joe Nemechek… Likely start and park. DNFs in two straight starts at Martinsville.
41. Sterling Marlin… Likely start and park. Failed to qualify in last year’s October Martinsville race.
42. Dave Blaney… DNFs in two of the last three races at Martinsville.
43. Mike Wallace… No starts at Martinsville since ‘05.
44. Derrike Cope… No starts at Martinsville since ‘05.

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