Pit Picks – Martinsville (TUMS QuikPak 500)
We’ve reached the mid point of the Chase for the Championship in the Sprint Cup series, and prepare for the shortest track of the 10 race playoff. The relatively flat track, which is just over a half mile in length, features long straightaways with a short turn around at each end, earning it the ‘paperclip’ moniker. Breaking in and smooth acceleration out of the corners is key here, but that’s easier said than done with 43 cars crammed over the half mile. Experience seems to be key at Martinsville, considering so many drivers have multiple wins here. Look for a few of the veterans of the series to be up front when all is said and done.
The numbers beside the drivers names are how many races I have them available for (9 starts per driver)
Group 1 – Jimmie Johnson(3) & Jeff Gordon(2)
When it comes to the paperclip at Martinsville, these two drivers are hands down your best choices. In the past 6 seasons, they’ve each won 4 races, with the field winning 3. Either driver should be a good bet this week, but with qualifying rained out and Johnson having the pick of pit stalls and the pole, he gets the edge. If Jimmie runs anything like he has in recent weeks, he should pick up his 4th win in the past 5 races at the Virginia track. If you’re out of starts of the Hendrick stars, Denny Hamlin was the spring race winner on his ‘home’ track, and traditionally excels on the short tracks.
Group 2 – Kyle Busch(2), David Ragan(4), Bobby Labonte(9), Ryan Newman(2)
Kyle Busch was the easy pick for this group, having scored a pair of top 5s at Martinsville last season. He didn’t finish well in the spring race this season, but Gibbs cars are traditionally strong here. I took Newman mostly for qualifying purposes, but for the 9th time this season, quals were rained out and he was useless to me. David Ragan will most likely get the other start in this group on the strength of his recent results, being the best of the non-Chase competitors. Bobby Labonte is pretty consistent, and had a decent run at Charlotte last week. I put him on the roster as a ‘safe’ pick, as I’m holding on to a lead of less than 50 points over 2nd.
Group 3 – Aric Almirola(8), Paul Menard(8)
I’m still undecided who to run in this group come Sunday, but I’m currently leaning towards Almirola. Sharing a car/team with someone with Mark Martin’s experience has to accelerate the learning curve. Martin has been running good races with solid finishes, which proves the equipment is there for Aric to do the same, plus the field is set on owner points, which puts him towards the front of the non-Chasers. At the short tracks position is everything. I went with Menard to both save starts for a couple other drivers, and over the past 5 races, he’s garnered the most points of any driver in the group.
There’s this week’s roster for my squad. With any luck, they’ll run well and provide me with a little breathing room on the 2nd place team. Let me know your thoughts on who I’m planning to start. I need all the help I can get wrapping up this title, and the prize that goes with it, after finishing just shy of the championship last season.
Leave a Reply