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JENSEN: Goody’s Cool Orange 500 Preview
Written by: Tom Jensen   
03/28/2007
Harrisburg, N.C.
 


The second-ever CoT race, Martinsville's characteristics should help the Toyota camp to repeat its promising Bristol showing. (LAT Photo) » More Photos

Next up for the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series is the Goody's Cool Orange 500 at Martinsville Speedway, points race No. 6 of 36 this season and Car of Tomorrow race No. 2 of 16 scheduled for 2007. By now, you should know that Martinsville is the smallest and slowest oval in the Cup Series, and a place that's really tough for most young drivers to learn to navigate smoothly.

It's also a place where the brakes generate incredible heat inside the cockpits, which given the heat and carbon monoxide problems that cropped up at Bristol on Sunday, could play a factor in the outcome at Martinsville.

There are just 49 cars entered for Sunday's race, tying Bristol for the fewest number of entries in a race all season. With the top 35 in owner points guaranteed starting spots, a total of 14 drivers at Martinsville will be dicing for the final eight spots in the field. Those drivers are: David Reutimann, Ward Burton, Scott Riggs, Paul Menard, Ken Schrader, Dave Blaney, Jeremy Mayfield, Kevin Lepage, Dale Jarrett (who could also get in with a past-champion's provisional), Mike Bliss, Michael Waltrip, Kenny Wallace, Brian Vickers and A.J. Allmendinger.

The big beneficiary here likely will be Toyota, which has all seven of its Camrys outside the top 35. But just as a season-high five Camry drivers qualified on speed last week at Bristol, including Jeremy Mayfield and A.J. Allmendinger for the first time all year, Martinsville should be a track that is kind to the Camry drivers this weekend.

Including in the go-or-go-home group are some big names and big-dollar teams, all facing an enormous amount of pressure to make the race. Of course, at the other end of the field, there's pressure, too - pressure to win, pressure to catch the guy ahead of you. And this Sunday, like last Sunday, I expect the Joe Gibbs Racing team to dominate and put the heat on the rest of the teams. Unlike last weekend, though, I expect them to go the distance and seal the deal. Here are the favorites for the Goody's Cool Orange 500:
Stewart led 247 of the first 280 laps at Bristol and figures to be a contender at M'Ville. (LAT Photo) » More Photos

TONY STEWART Stewart won this race a year ago and has a second- and a fourth-place finish in his two other most recent visits to Martinsville. "Smoke" led 247 of the first 280 laps Sunday at Bristol, as he and teammate Denny Hamlin made it pretty obvious that JGR has figured out the Car of Tomorrow faster than any of the competition has so far.

Add it all up and it's a recipe for the orange No. 20 to end up in victory lane on Sunday. Hot driver + track with great history = favorite. Stewart likely will snap the Hendrick Motorsports streak of three consecutive victories.

DENNY
HAMLIN If for some reason Stewart doesn't win in Martinsville, his teammate Denny Hamlin just might. Hamlin finished in the runner-up slot last fall here and has top-10 finishes and top-10 starts in two of his three Martinsville Cup appearances.

Hamlin is a tremendous young talent who still has a huge upside. That he's posted such excellent results in just three races at one of the sport's hardest tracks to learn is proof positive of his ability. Don't overlook him on Sunday.

JEFF GORDON A lot of people have been complaining about Hendrick Motorsports being so dominant this year. Well, guess what sports fans, it could happen again this weekend in Southern Virginia, where Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with seven career victories.

In his last eight Martinsville appearances, Gordon has four victories and finishes of second, fifth, sixth and ninth. Regardless of whether or not he wins, you can bet Gordon will be part of the mix at Martinsville.

JIMMIE JOHNSON Johnson runs with the same kind of relentless consistency his teammate Gordon does, with two victories, a second, two thirds, and finishes of fourth, sixth, eighth and ninth in his nine most recent races here.

So why isn't Johnson higher up? The Gibbs cars were better than the Hendrick cars at Bristol, even if the final results didn't show it. And Johnson wasn't as good in the COT as Gordon was. A little footnote, here: Johnson, Gordon and Stewart have combined to win seven of the last eight races here.

JEFF BURTON Burton hasn't been especially hot at Martinsville lately, with just two top-five finishes in his last 10 starts here. But he's been streaky here in the past, at one point putting together a run of eight consecutive finishes of ninth or better.

More to the point, perhaps, he's been great most everywhere he's run so far this year with four finishes of fourth of better in just five races. He's due for a victory and Martinsville might be a fine place to get one.

BOBBY LABONTE My dark, dark horse for Martinsville is Bobby Labonte, who has one victory and six top fives in his last 11 Martinsville starts. Do I really expect him to win? Probably not.

But if he did, it would be a great story, as his boss, car owner Richard Petty, is the all-time win leader at Martinsville with 15 victories and Petty Enterprises last won a Nextel Cup race in 1999, when John Andretti was victorious here.

All told, it should be a competitive race this weekend, but when it's all said and done, look for Stewart to capture the victory at Martinsville on Sunday.