Fast Forward ~ The STP 500 At Martinsville Fantasy Race Picks And Preview
3/27/2014
Staff
Article
The Track: Martinsville
Speedway
Location: Martinsville,
Virginia
Length: .526 Mile Oval
Banking: 12 degrees in
turns 1-2;
12 degrees in turns 3-4;
0 degrees on the
backstretch,
0 degrees on the front
Pit Road Speed:30 MPH
The Race: The STP 500
500 Laps/ 263 Miles
Defending Champion:
Jimmie Johnson, 72.066 MPH
Most recent winner: Jeff
Gordon, 70.337 MPH
Track Record: Jeff
Gordon, September, 1996; 82.223 MPH
Race Record: Jeff Gordon,
September, 1996; 82.223 MPH
Qualifying record: Denny
Hamlin, October 2013, 99.595 MPH
TV:FOX,
1:00 PM EST
RADIO: MRN (www.motorracingnetwork.com) Sirius XM Channel 90
The History:
September 1947-The
Martinsville Speedway, originally a dirt track, opened.
9/25/1949 - The first
Sprint Cup Race, then Strictly Stock, was held. Driving a Raymond Parks owned
’49 Olds, Red Byron beat Lee Petty by more than three laps. This was the sixth race in the history of
what would become the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
1955-Martinville was
paved.
1956-The first 500 mile
event was held at Martinsville.
4/10/1960 - Youngest
Winner: Richard Petty: 22 years, 9 months, 8 days.
4/22/1979 - Richard Petty
becomes the all-time win leader at Martinsville with 15, Jimmie Johnson leads
active drivers with eight wins.
9/22/1991 - Oldest
Winner: Harry Gant: 51 years, 8 months, 12 days.
4/7/2013 - Hendrick
Motorsports becomes the all-time winning car owner with twenty. (Now 21)
The Picks:
Before we get into it
this week, let’s take a look back at our picks and results from last week.
Alabama Fitz had Kyle
Busch, and took home the win, as did our newest Ghost Player, Mr. Winner, who
always takes the defending Champion of the race. While we had some winners, we also had some
who did not so well…and scored a whopping four points.
Player |
Selection |
Race Pts |
Previous Pts |
Total Pts |
Behind |
Wins |
DNFs |
Mr. Pole |
20 |
41 |
206 |
247 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
Mr. Winner |
18 |
47 |
189 |
236 |
11 |
1 |
0 |
PattyKay Lilley |
88 |
32 |
200 |
232 |
15 |
1 |
0 |
Vivian |
20 |
41 |
188 |
229 |
18 |
2 |
1 |
Alabama Fitz |
18 |
47 |
179 |
226 |
21 |
1 |
0 |
Mr. Seven |
55 |
38 |
186 |
224 |
23 |
0 |
0 |
Barbara |
48 |
22 |
176 |
198 |
49 |
1 |
1 |
Brian Marchetti |
48 |
22 |
172 |
194 |
53 |
0 |
0 |
Jim Fitzgerald |
16 |
4 |
182 |
186 |
61 |
0 |
0 |
Nate |
20 |
41 |
143 |
184 |
63 |
0 |
1 |
Robyn Vandenberg |
48 |
22 |
145 |
167 |
80 |
0 |
0 |
Darrell |
4 |
8 |
141 |
149 |
98 |
0 |
2 |
Kevin Abraham |
22 |
5 |
144 |
149 |
98 |
0 |
1 |
Now, with that behind us,
yet still stalking us like a hockey-masked terror in the woods, let’s get on
with the picks for this week.
BRIAN MARCHETTI: I
decided to take an early look today, and glance at some numbers.
KEVIN ABRAHAM: Oh, my
heart! Brian is going first.
BRIAN MARCHETTI: No. No
I’m not. However, if I were playing
Yahoo Fantasy, I would seriously consider making Danica Patrick active this
week. Her last two runs at Martinsville
have left her 12th, and 17th, and that's not too shabby for a "B" or
"C" Class driver.
JIM FITZGERALD: Well, that’s going to piss someone off…
PATTYKAY LILLEY: OK, so
put Brian down for Danica. Good luck with her Bri.
She's a great gal. Lots of fun to giggle with. It’s too
early for me to pick yet. Need coffee!
JIM FITZGERALD: You know
where the machine is. Oh, what am I
saying? Kevin is still the newest male
here. Kevin! Mama needs a coffee.
KEVIN ABRAHAM: Umm…be
right back.
JIM FITZGERALD: Wow…I
didn’t think he’d actually go.
BRIAN MARCHETTI: What else do you think we can get him to do.
ALABAMA FITZ: Litterbox?
ROBYN VANDENBERG: I like it…and my car could use a wash. And a wax.
JIM FITZGERALD: Um,
Robyn…you’re still the newest person around here. That comes with a different skill set, and
the brush and plunger are in the closet.
PATTYKAY LILLEY: I like this hazing of the rookies! Thank you, Kevin. Now, as a survivor of the exploding tires
escapade on the left coast, I'll go ahead and get this ball rolling. Gee! It's
Martinsville. Who might win? Pretty much a given it will be a Hendrick car
crossing the line under the checkers come Sunday, and Jeff Gordon will be
driving it. I hesitated for just a moment, weighing the odds between Jeff and
Jimmie, and on this year's performance, it had to be Jeff. That #48 will come
around when the time comes; I have no doubt about that, but for now, they don't
seem in a hurry and Jeff is having a wonderful year. Put me down for one confident
pick for the #24 of Jeff Gordon to win another Ridgeway Grandfather Clock.
KEVIN ABRAHAM: Well, now
that my coffee duties are done, I call shotgun with PattyKay's pick of
Jeff Gordon. I thought of Hamlin, but after he missed last week due
to illness I can't take the chance he will miss two races in a row. Johnson has not shown enough to me to pick
yet, and Rusty Wallace, Richard Petty, and Darrell Waltrip are all retired. A word of wisdom for Kyle Busch fans. Stay
away from him this weekend as he does not have a good track record at this
track.
PATTYKAY LILLEY: Kev, Hon, you're not supposed to offer tips to the
opponents. The idea is not to play nice; the idea is to beat the crap out of 'em and make 'em call you
"Sir." That’s some free Mama advice!
KEVIN ABRAHAM: Good
advice. I was looking out for the fantasy people, not those that have stock in
M&Ms. At least I agree with your choice this weekend.
BRIAN MARCHETTI: WHOA!!!!! I'm not picking Danica, just mentioning she's
not a bad Yahoo Fantasy pick.
ROBYN VANDENBERG: Dude…that was like, a half hour ago.
BRIAN MARCHETTI: I’m not feeling the love today…I actually
like the Jeff Gordon pick, and he's on my current list of "maybes"
along with Johnson, and anybody else driving a Hendrick related car.....just
not sure where to go yet.
JIM FITZGERALD:
Indecision clouds your vision…no one listens…but, I think you're both
making a good pick, but I can't ignore history.
Jimmie Johnson, Jimmie, Johnson, Jimmie Johnson. Kev, Johnson hasn't
shown you enough this year? If the
previous caution had come seven laps later on Sunday, Johnson would be in the
Chase and on the way to Championship No. 7.
For me, he gets it done this week.
I'm taking Jimmie Johnson to win at Martinsville.
PATTYKAY LILLEY: Sorry Pard, but I'm with Kev on that
one. Jimmie has had small problems in each race this year. Busting a tire was
not an unsuspected thing yesterday, but Chad left him out and he was running
hard. Looking great, I'll grant you, but then it went "Boom!" He is
not invincible and is subject to the same follies and farcical flops as any
other driver out there. What makes him so good is that ill luck seldom knocks
on his door. This year, it's tapping. Beware. It could start pounding any race
now. And they all lived happily ever after...
ROBYN VANDENBERG: Okay…I’m ready to pick. I have a radio show to do, you know!
PATTYKAY LILLEY:
Really? Hadn’t heard…
ROBYN VANDENBERG: Okay, we’re at a short track, where patience
is a virtue, and old school wins the race if you have the lug nuts to get the
job done. That said,
I am going with Kurt Busch. He is hungry.
JIM FITZGERALD: He was certainly hungry at California, just
didn’t have the equipment.
ALABAMA FITZ: Aside from
Gordon and Johnson, who shine so blindingly bright here it is difficult to see
any other driver, there are a couple of others who shine a little: Dale with
two Top 5s in the last four; Biffle with three straight Top 10s; Kahne with two
Top 5s in the last three here; Stewart with three wins here, one as recent as
2011; and Brad Keselowski with four straight Top 10s here. Gordon and Johnson have won the last three
races here and both of them have won back to back here at least twice. If you follow the back to back trail, it is
Gordon's turn to win, since he won last.
It is possible, that teammate Dale, since he has a win, will run as a
blocker for either of them should it come down to that. Brad has only run eight races here without a
win, but has finished very well in the last four. His Start/Finish ratio is better than Johnson
or Gordon. Kahne was terrible in Dodges,
Fords and Toyotas here. However, since
he started running Chevy, he has two Top 5s out of the last three. Something to consider
maybe. I may not win this race,
but I'm going with PattyKay's friend, Mo.
I should definitely finish somewhere in the top ten, as I
ride with Brad Keselowski this week.
JIM FITZGERALD: And after
so many teases, Brian has still not made his pick yet.
BRIAN MARCHETTI: Since
I've never actually committed to a driver yet, I guess I'll toss the coin on
ole Jeffy, and ride with the 24 this week. He is consistent; I can't take that away from
him. Johnson has a better Average and
Rating, which means he will win over my choice of not following all the
Statistics this week, but sometimes you just go with your gut. It is snowing again in Baltimore, so I'm
tired of the same old blue, white, and gray environment. I need some color in my life, and I'm going
to get it from the Rainbow Warrior this week.
I’m taking Jeff Gordon to win.
JIM FITZGERALD: Like
pulling teeth..sheesh. So, there are our picks, but, we’re not done
yet! Let’s see what our fans have to say
about a possible Martinsville winner.
Darrell, let’s change your luck.
Go ahead and go first.
Darrell: My
pick for Martinsville is Jeff Gordon. After losing a race he
should've won last weekend at Fontana, you can bet he will be up on the wheel
and going for that win at Martinsville, a track at which he is very good.
Nate: I am going to take Jeff Gordon as well. I was going to go with Denny Hamlin, but
since he hasn’t been medically cleared to race, I have to go in a different
direction.
Barbara: Well, I haven’t
heard of a clearance for Denny to drive this weekend, either, so, I guess I’ll
have to reshuffle. I think if Jeff
Gordon can keep himself from hyperventilating, he should be able to
take that fire within him to the Winner’s Circle at Martinsville.
Vivian: Well, picking the
winner of a race this year is not as easy as it once was. I did narrow it down to four drivers who have
a possibility of winning. It was a hard
choice to make, but I have chosen a driver with multiple Martinsville
wins. Wins are seemingly more important
this year, and it is time for this driver to win, so he can begin to prepare
for the Chase. The winner at Martinsville
will be Jimmie Johnson.
There you have it. More than half of our team here has picked
Jeff Gordon to win at Martinsville this weekend. Best of luck to you all with your picks, as
we hope we have been able to assist you I making your decisions. We’ll find out how it all works out on
Sunday! Until then, best wishes, and keep the shiny side up!
“When I’m at home in Virginia, I become more hermit-like. I like my own home.” –Robert Duvall
Our Picks For This Week!
Kevin Abraham |
Brian Marchetti |
Alabama Fitz |
Darrell |
Nate |
Who is YOUR pick to win this week?
Correctly choose the winner before the green flag drops on Sunday, and you'll be entered into a drawing to win some racing stuff!