- Home
- TV Shows
-
TV Schedule
-
SPEED Showcase
-
- NASCAR
-
- Formula 1
- Auto Racing
- Moto Racing
- Cars
- Bikes
- Store
- Social
- Mobile
- Deals
- Videos
- Photos
Sprint Cup
CUP: Johnson, Hamlin Take Battle To Martinsville
The race for NASCAR’s Sprint Cup championship now looks like a three-man battle...
Denny Hamlin was relatively pleased with a fourth-place finish Saturday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway. (Photo: LAT Photographic)
The race for NASCAR’s Sprint Cup championship now looks like a three-man battle, and two of the three practically own the key to the city at the next circuit stop – Martinsville, VA.
Point leader Jimmie Johnson and second-place Denny Hamlin have combined to win the past eight races at NASCAR’s shortest track. Johnson has five wins and Hamlin three, and Hamlin has won the past two races at the track.
Should anybody else even show up? Kevin Harvick, the third driver of the Chase top three, has never won at Martinsville.
“The RCR cars are usually pretty quick there, and Kevin has come along well at that track, and the Cup stuff has been hit and miss for him,” Johnson said. “I expect the RCR cars – and I remember Clint [Bowyer] being real strong.
“We ran so bad there in the spring that I didn’t get a good look up front. I know Mark [Martin] ran really well.”
Johnson, six times a winner at Martinsville, finished ninth in the spring race.
“We were trying some stuff the first time there, and we are not going back with the same style car,” he said. “We went to Little Rock [test track] earlier this week and made some laps and feel like we have got a good place to start. We’ll go back with what we know and race from there.”
Saturday night’s Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway produced a third-place finish for Johnson and a fourth for Hamlin, allowing Johnson to increase his point lead over Hamlin from 36 to 41 with five races remaining.
“I think both teams are going to have speed, and I think it’s going to boil down to mistakes at this point,” Johnson said. “Those guys are doing a great job – solid on pit road, solid on equipment and so on. I think it’s going to boil down to mistakes.”
Hamlin didn’t have the power to push to the front Saturday night but was relatively pleased with a fourth-place finish a week before he rolls into one of his best tracks.
“We’re going to a great track for us – Martinsville – and then Talladega’s going to be – who knows?” Hamlin said. “In this race last year I blew up and last time I wrecked, so I’m ahead of pace.
“He’s [Johnson] a champion, and I’m not. He’s figured this stuff out, and he’s got a great team as well as we do, but I
haven’t hit the ‘go’ button yet, and I feel like there’s still more left with our team. I’m minimizing my risk right now, and I feel like if I’m going to have a shot to win this thing when we get to Homestead, I’ve got to minimize those risks.
“I can’t be sticking it three-wide on restarts and things like that. People do, and I don’t. I take a little more conservative approach, and it cost me five points here and there every couple races, but the main thing is that I’m not racing my way out of this thing these first five races.”
Mike Hembree is NASCAR Editor for SPEED.com and has been covering motorsports for 28 years. He has written several books on NASCAR, including "NASCAR: The Definitive History of America's Sport" and "Then Tony Said To Junior: The Best NASCAR Stories Ever Told". He is a six-time winner of the National Motorsports Press Association Writer of the Year Award.
Point leader Jimmie Johnson and second-place Denny Hamlin have combined to win the past eight races at NASCAR’s shortest track. Johnson has five wins and Hamlin three, and Hamlin has won the past two races at the track.
Should anybody else even show up? Kevin Harvick, the third driver of the Chase top three, has never won at Martinsville.
“The RCR cars are usually pretty quick there, and Kevin has come along well at that track, and the Cup stuff has been hit and miss for him,” Johnson said. “I expect the RCR cars – and I remember Clint [Bowyer] being real strong.
“We ran so bad there in the spring that I didn’t get a good look up front. I know Mark [Martin] ran really well.”
Johnson, six times a winner at Martinsville, finished ninth in the spring race.
VIDEO: Cup - Charlotte Jamie McMurray Wins at CMS (Image: SPEED)
“We were trying some stuff the first time there, and we are not going back with the same style car,” he said. “We went to Little Rock [test track] earlier this week and made some laps and feel like we have got a good place to start. We’ll go back with what we know and race from there.”
Saturday night’s Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway produced a third-place finish for Johnson and a fourth for Hamlin, allowing Johnson to increase his point lead over Hamlin from 36 to 41 with five races remaining.
“I think both teams are going to have speed, and I think it’s going to boil down to mistakes at this point,” Johnson said. “Those guys are doing a great job – solid on pit road, solid on equipment and so on. I think it’s going to boil down to mistakes.”
Hamlin didn’t have the power to push to the front Saturday night but was relatively pleased with a fourth-place finish a week before he rolls into one of his best tracks.
“We’re going to a great track for us – Martinsville – and then Talladega’s going to be – who knows?” Hamlin said. “In this race last year I blew up and last time I wrecked, so I’m ahead of pace.
“He’s [Johnson] a champion, and I’m not. He’s figured this stuff out, and he’s got a great team as well as we do, but I
haven’t hit the ‘go’ button yet, and I feel like there’s still more left with our team. I’m minimizing my risk right now, and I feel like if I’m going to have a shot to win this thing when we get to Homestead, I’ve got to minimize those risks.
“I can’t be sticking it three-wide on restarts and things like that. People do, and I don’t. I take a little more conservative approach, and it cost me five points here and there every couple races, but the main thing is that I’m not racing my way out of this thing these first five races.”
Mike Hembree is NASCAR Editor for SPEED.com and has been covering motorsports for 28 years. He has written several books on NASCAR, including "NASCAR: The Definitive History of America's Sport" and "Then Tony Said To Junior: The Best NASCAR Stories Ever Told". He is a six-time winner of the National Motorsports Press Association Writer of the Year Award.
Shake and Bake: Recent Posts
-
ICYMI: Memorial Service Celebrates Jason Leffler's Life »
-
Being A NASCAR Rookie Is Much Harder Than It Looks »
-
WAG Samantha Busch Has Some Hardcore Fans Of Her Own »
-
Edwards Is A Bully And Kes Has Diarrhea Of The Mouth »
-
5-Time "About Got (Expletive) Wrecked" For Listening To NASCAR »
-
ICYMI: The Biff Stands By Decision To Not Help Edwards »
-
Blowout Blame Game: Is It The Tire Or The Crew Chief? »
-
Biffle Loves It When The #48 Crashes Trying To Catch Him »
Latest Gallery
LATEST HEADLINES: NASCAR
-
Winged Sprint-Car Wreck Claims Jason Leffler
Jason Leffler lost his life Wednesday night in a winged sprint-car… -
MCREYNOLDS: Dover Showed Gen-6 Car Is Strong
The biggest storyline of the year is the introduction of the Generation… -
CUP: Richard Petty Motorsports Expands Development Program
Young drivers join new Petty program... -
CUP: Monster Mile Gets Toyotas
Toyota teams find setbacks at Dover... -
CUP: Kez Is On The Down-Low
Bard Keselowski's car too low after race... -
CUP: Dover Power Rankings
Despite a rare and costly mistake, Jimmie Johnson holds onto the… -
CUP: Montoya Edges Closer To Oval Win
Juan Pablo Montoya loses shot at first victory on oval… - More News
