The NASCAR Sprint Cup Contender round is in the books and the start of the Eliminator round starts next Sunday. Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne, and Kyle Busch were all knocked out of the Chase. There are eight drivers left with a chance to win this year’s Sprint Cup championship and after the next three races we will be down to four drivers and one race to determine this season’s champion.
GOODY’S HEADACHE RELIEF SHOT 500
The first race of the Eliminator round will be held at Martinsville Speedway. Martinsville, at .526-miles in length, is the shortest track in the NASCAR series. With only 12 degrees of banking in the corners, it is also one of the flattest tracks on the circuit. It is shaped like a paperclip and has asphalt for straightaways and concrete through the turns. Trust me, there is going to be a lot of bumping and banging once again this week as eight drivers try to advance to the next round and thirty-five other drivers just try to get a win.
Jeff Gordon: I am picking Jeff to win this race and advance to the NASCAR Sprint Cup title race. Jeff only made it into this round by three points and he doesn’t want to come that close to being eliminated again. Jeff has won eight races during his career at Martinsville including this race last year. I think he will repeat that feat and propel himself to the final round.
Jimmie Johnson: Even though Jimmie has been eliminated from the Chase, this team is still going to do everything they can to win more races. Jimmie also has eight wins at this track and will give Jeff a run for his money in this race. I just don’t know what happens if the race is between Jeff and Jimmie at the end. Does Jimmie give Jeff the win so Hendrick Motorsports has a guaranteed qualifier for the championship, or does he do everything in his power to win the race?
Denny Hamlin: Denny is still in the Chase and he is another driver who has always been very good at this track also. Denny has four wins at this track, although he hasn’t won a race here since 2010. I think if Denny is going to win a Chase race it is either going to be here or at Phoenix during this stretch. Still, he has finished in the top five in over half of the races he has run here.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Dale has never won a race at Martinsville during his career, but he has finished in the top ten there in over half of his starts. This team is disappointed they didn’t advance in the Chase and needs to continue to improve and try and pick up wins as they look towards next season. They need to become more consistent and that is something they can work on now.
Tony Stewart: Tony has struggled for much of this season, but he still has a driver in the Chase in Kevin Harvick. Tony has three wins at Martinsville and has finished in the top ten in half of his starts at this track. He will be an invaluable asset to Kevin this week, because he can give him advice on how to get around this track. Look for him to be a factor in this race.
Kevin Harvick: Kevin has one win at Martinsville and has run very well there lately. He has five top ten finishes in his last eight starts there including the win back in the spring of 2011. This team has been fast every week and has looked good during the Chase. I think they will be one of the teams to move on to the final round.
Brad Keselowski: Brad has yet to win a race here in his career, but he has only run here nine times. During those nine races he has finished in the top ten five times with his best finish being fourth. He had to win the race at Talladega last week to advance and once again he fought through adversity, in the form of an early race accident, and came away with the win he needed. Never count this team out.
Joey Logano: Joey, like Brad has won two races during the Chase and will be looking for another one this weekend. Martinsville hasn’t been one of his better tracks, as he has only three top ten finishes in eleven starts here. However he did finish fourth in the spring race and this team has also been fast most every week of the season.
Jamie McMurray: Jamie has some trouble last week at Talladega, but this team has been running very well over the past couple of months. Jamie has only one top five finish here in twenty-three starts, but he has finished in the top ten in twelve of those starts. He might not win here, but he does know how to drive on this track.
YAHOO! FANTASY NASCAR PICKS FOR MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY
Yahoo Driver Group A
- Jeff Gordon
- Jimmie Johnson
Yahoo Driver Group B
- Denny Hamlin
- Tony Stewart
- Jamie McMurray
- Greg Biffle
Yahoo Driver Group C
- Austin Dillon
- Danica Patrick
MY TOP-5 OVERALL AT MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY
- Jeff Gordon
- Jimmie Johnson
- Denny Hamlin
- Tony Stewart
- Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Dark Horse: Jamie McMurray
Stay Away From: Kurt Busch