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Sprint Cup
CUP: SPEED Crew Breaks Down Martinsville
Martinsville Speedway hosts race No. 6 of 10 in the Chase...
Martinsville Speedway is the shortest track on the NASCAR Sprint Cup tour. (Photo: LAT Photographic)
With four races remaining in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, teams head just an hour down the road this weekend to Martinsville Speedway, a half-mile track that always delivers excitement and frustrated drivers. Below, the SPEED on-air personalities share their thoughts on the weekend:
Q: Jimmie Johnson and the No. 48 team staged a remarkable comeback at Kansas. What does that effort do for his team’s confidence and how does it affect other teams battling them for a championship?
“Kansas was a huge confidence boost for the No. 48 team because being able to fix that degree of damage on pit road and still finish in the top 10 is remarkable. Think about how his season would have changed had they been forced to take the car to the garage. Days like that make the other teams realize they still have a lot of work to do.”
--Steve Byrnes, host of NASCAR Race Hub
“One of two things happened at Kansas. Either Jimmie Johnson will win the title and it will be because of the heroic and herculean effort his team put forth in repairs, or he will lose the championship because he made a rare, unforced error, crashed and cost himself 10 or so points. That could well be the difference in the championship. Everyone keeps saying what a great recovery he made. But only if he wins the title does that recovery become important. If he loses it, the focal point becomes his mistake in crashing in the first place.”
--Tom Jensen, SPEED.com Editor-in-Chief
Q: Denny Hamlin and Jimmie Johnson have combined for 10 wins at Martinsville. Brad Keselowski has none. How pivotal could Martinsville be to the point standings?
“The No. 2 team just needs to hold serve at Martinsville. If they can just finish in the top 10 and have a decent day, they’ll move on with confidence and a degree of comfort. Keselowski doesn’t need to worry about winning the race; he just needs a decent finish. More pressure is on the other two to have a good run.”
--Steve Byrnes, host of NASCAR Race Hub
“Martinsville will be huge in the championship. When you look at the statistics of the upcoming races, they undeniably favor Denny Hamlin. He is the statistical favorite. But the No. 48 team’s experience in championship hunts gives them the mental advantage, and Brad Keselowski has the emotional edge right now because of what he and his team have accomplished this year. With that mix, these final four races are shaping up to be barnburners all the way through.”
--Ray Dunlap, SPEED reporter
“Martinsville is very important to each of the three or four contenders. It’s the Chase battleground track in the same way Ohio is the battleground state for the presidency. Whoever comes out of Martinsville with the best finish probably stands a good chance of winning the championship. With four races left, there is more pressure on Johnson and Hamlin because if they don’t make a substantial gain this weekend, they’re in deep trouble. The onus is on them to win, and anything less than a win or top-three finish, coupled with a bad run by Keselowski, will spell trouble for Johnson and Hamlin.”
--Tom Jensen, SPEED.com Editor-in-Chief
Q: Dale Earnhardt Jr. has been cleared to return to racing this weekend after sitting out two races due to a concussion. Should NASCAR establish mandatory baseline testing to detect concussions?
“There absolutely should be baseline testing for drivers, and I’d like to see it implemented before the year is over. I learned a lot interviewing Dr. Ewert recently. He explained that it’s hard for the brain to heal after a concussion, and he advises athletes he works with to avoid television, internet and reading while recovering because the brain heals quicker when it doesn’t have much to process. Concussions are serious, so I support mandatory evaluations.”
--Steve Byrnes, host of NASCAR Race Hub
“We talk all the time about how to make the sport safer, so if a doctor evaluates a driver and says he or she shouldn’t race, then that driver shouldn’t be on the track. I don’t see how there could be any negative side to this other than more guys will miss races each season. I can think of about 25 different times right off the top of my head when someone shouldn’t have been in a car but raced anyway.”
--Ray Dunlap, SPEED reporter
“The issue of concussions and injuries always will be a thorny one. Throughout history, NASCAR mostly has left it to the drivers as to whether they’re healthy enough to participate. In general, though, I don’t think it would be very workable. Like many issues in NASCAR, mandatory baseline testing is one of those things that sound simple and good on paper, but implementation would be difficult and complicated.”
--Tom Jensen, SPEED.com Editor-in-Chief
Q: Who is your pick to win at Martinsville?
“I think Jeff Gordon will win this weekend. After the problem at Chicagoland, he’s more than 50 points out of the lead, so the championship isn’t realistic. However, his team has been through a lot of battles and adversity this year, and I think a win at a track where he has been so successful would mean a lot to him.”
--Steve Byrnes, host of NASCAR Race Hub
“I think Jeff Gordon will win. This will be the weekend he comes back, puts it all together, dodges the late-race caution and wins.”
--Tom Jensen, SPEED.com Editor-in-Chief
Q: Dale Earnhardt Jr. returns to the No. 88 Chevrolet this weekend. How important is that for his fans and the sport?
“If I’m Clay Campbell, I’m very thankful Dale Jr. is back because that will be a big shot in the arm for ticket sales. Props to Regan Smith, who did a very good job in his absence. Junior will be very excited and motivated to be back in the car, so his return is good for everybody. Additionally, let’s extend congratulations to Regan for singing a deal with JR Motorsports. Some may say going back to the Nationwide Series is a step back, but look at what it has done for Elliott Sadler’s confidence. I expect Regan to elevate his new team and help his career in the long-term.”
--Tom Jensen, SPEED.com Editor-in-Chief
Q: Jimmie Johnson and the No. 48 team staged a remarkable comeback at Kansas. What does that effort do for his team’s confidence and how does it affect other teams battling them for a championship?
“Kansas was a huge confidence boost for the No. 48 team because being able to fix that degree of damage on pit road and still finish in the top 10 is remarkable. Think about how his season would have changed had they been forced to take the car to the garage. Days like that make the other teams realize they still have a lot of work to do.”
--Steve Byrnes, host of NASCAR Race Hub
“One of two things happened at Kansas. Either Jimmie Johnson will win the title and it will be because of the heroic and herculean effort his team put forth in repairs, or he will lose the championship because he made a rare, unforced error, crashed and cost himself 10 or so points. That could well be the difference in the championship. Everyone keeps saying what a great recovery he made. But only if he wins the title does that recovery become important. If he loses it, the focal point becomes his mistake in crashing in the first place.”
--Tom Jensen, SPEED.com Editor-in-Chief
Q: Denny Hamlin and Jimmie Johnson have combined for 10 wins at Martinsville. Brad Keselowski has none. How pivotal could Martinsville be to the point standings?
“The No. 2 team just needs to hold serve at Martinsville. If they can just finish in the top 10 and have a decent day, they’ll move on with confidence and a degree of comfort. Keselowski doesn’t need to worry about winning the race; he just needs a decent finish. More pressure is on the other two to have a good run.”
--Steve Byrnes, host of NASCAR Race Hub
“Martinsville will be huge in the championship. When you look at the statistics of the upcoming races, they undeniably favor Denny Hamlin. He is the statistical favorite. But the No. 48 team’s experience in championship hunts gives them the mental advantage, and Brad Keselowski has the emotional edge right now because of what he and his team have accomplished this year. With that mix, these final four races are shaping up to be barnburners all the way through.”
--Ray Dunlap, SPEED reporter
“Martinsville is very important to each of the three or four contenders. It’s the Chase battleground track in the same way Ohio is the battleground state for the presidency. Whoever comes out of Martinsville with the best finish probably stands a good chance of winning the championship. With four races left, there is more pressure on Johnson and Hamlin because if they don’t make a substantial gain this weekend, they’re in deep trouble. The onus is on them to win, and anything less than a win or top-three finish, coupled with a bad run by Keselowski, will spell trouble for Johnson and Hamlin.”
--Tom Jensen, SPEED.com Editor-in-Chief
Q: Dale Earnhardt Jr. has been cleared to return to racing this weekend after sitting out two races due to a concussion. Should NASCAR establish mandatory baseline testing to detect concussions?
“There absolutely should be baseline testing for drivers, and I’d like to see it implemented before the year is over. I learned a lot interviewing Dr. Ewert recently. He explained that it’s hard for the brain to heal after a concussion, and he advises athletes he works with to avoid television, internet and reading while recovering because the brain heals quicker when it doesn’t have much to process. Concussions are serious, so I support mandatory evaluations.”
--Steve Byrnes, host of NASCAR Race Hub
“We talk all the time about how to make the sport safer, so if a doctor evaluates a driver and says he or she shouldn’t race, then that driver shouldn’t be on the track. I don’t see how there could be any negative side to this other than more guys will miss races each season. I can think of about 25 different times right off the top of my head when someone shouldn’t have been in a car but raced anyway.”
--Ray Dunlap, SPEED reporter
“The issue of concussions and injuries always will be a thorny one. Throughout history, NASCAR mostly has left it to the drivers as to whether they’re healthy enough to participate. In general, though, I don’t think it would be very workable. Like many issues in NASCAR, mandatory baseline testing is one of those things that sound simple and good on paper, but implementation would be difficult and complicated.”
--Tom Jensen, SPEED.com Editor-in-Chief
Q: Who is your pick to win at Martinsville?
“I think Jeff Gordon will win this weekend. After the problem at Chicagoland, he’s more than 50 points out of the lead, so the championship isn’t realistic. However, his team has been through a lot of battles and adversity this year, and I think a win at a track where he has been so successful would mean a lot to him.”
--Steve Byrnes, host of NASCAR Race Hub
“I think Jeff Gordon will win. This will be the weekend he comes back, puts it all together, dodges the late-race caution and wins.”
--Tom Jensen, SPEED.com Editor-in-Chief
Q: Dale Earnhardt Jr. returns to the No. 88 Chevrolet this weekend. How important is that for his fans and the sport?
“If I’m Clay Campbell, I’m very thankful Dale Jr. is back because that will be a big shot in the arm for ticket sales. Props to Regan Smith, who did a very good job in his absence. Junior will be very excited and motivated to be back in the car, so his return is good for everybody. Additionally, let’s extend congratulations to Regan for singing a deal with JR Motorsports. Some may say going back to the Nationwide Series is a step back, but look at what it has done for Elliott Sadler’s confidence. I expect Regan to elevate his new team and help his career in the long-term.”
--Tom Jensen, SPEED.com Editor-in-Chief
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