This week NASCAR heads to Martinsville for the STP 500 a week after Martin Truex Jr. swept all stages at the Auto Club 400 in Fontana and earned the victory to snap Kevin Harvick’s three-race winning streak.
Martinsville a fun and short race track that has always featured dragways straightaways and hairpin corners that keep drivers honest. It is a unique and tight half-mile track that has been a staple on the series schedule since the inaugural season in 1949 and this year is no exception.
This week, several drivers are looking to jump-start their season at this paper-clip shaped racetrack and among them Jimmie Johnson is perhaps the driver that could benefit the most if he takes the checkered flag because he needs to start making up some points if he wants to climb back in the standings and have a chance to make it to the playoffs.
Martinsville is his kind of track and could prove his best chance to strike so far this season as he hasn’t had the speed that he’s needed at the bigger race tracks. Martinsville is slower, and Johnson and Hendrick Motorsports have always run well on this track as proven by his nine wins and 19 top-five finishes here.
Denny Hamlin has some of the best numbers at Martinsville as he has five wins and 12 top-five finishes there. Joe Gibbs Racing has been consistent through the last several years at Martinsville as they have had one of the top short track programs in NASCAR.
Although his last race on this track ended in disappointing fashion, as he wrecked Chase Elliot and himself out of the race, he’s always a threat to win here and this is a perfect chance for his first win of the season.
Kyle Bush is also among the favorites this week as in the last 10 races at Martinsville, Busch has earned seven top-five finishes and has an average finish of 6.1.
Other drivers that can be expected to fight for the victory at Martinsville are Brad Keselowski, who won here last year; Joey Logano, who usually runs well on short tracks but has yet to win here; short-track specialist Elliot, who is also aiming to get his first victory here; and Truex Jr. who must be considered a threat after his superb performance last week.
