|
 |
|
|
|
|
2012 Martinsville: NASCAR Sprint Cup Starting Line-up & Race Preview - Hurricane Sandy Not An Issue
By Mike Sulka
The NASCAR Sprint Cup series has been coming to Martinsville Speedway since 1949. In all, 126 races have been run at the .526-mile short oval. The word that best describes the little-short-track-that-could is "dominance". The legendary Richard Petty won here 15 times during his stellar career. Darrell Waltrip dominated his era with 11 career wins at Martinsville.
In the modern era, four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Jeff Gordon has shown remarkable strength here with seven career wins. Then it was five-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson who has took an amazing five wins in six tries between 2006 and 2009. But Johnson hasn't won at Martinsville since the March visit in 2009.
In all, Team Chevy drivers have won 14 of the last 19 races held at Martinsville with nine of those races won by Hendrick Motorsports drivers, Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson.
Other than Gordon & Johnson, only Tony Stewart, Mark Martin and Denny Hamlin have multiple wins - two each for Stewart and Martin, four for Hamlin - among active racing in today's field.
Only Hamlin and Stewart have won in the last two years among that grouping.
In fact, Hamlin had been the cure to Hendrick dominance, and began his own dominant string winning three consecutive races at Martinsville and four of six races from 2008 until 2010.
But now... We are back to Chevrolet being the trend.
Unfortunately for us, we've had three different Chevrolet winners in the last three races - Kevin Harvick, Tony Stewart, and Ryan Newman.
Has a new trend begun ? Or will the Martinsville dominance kick back in ? And if so, who will it be ?
So today is going to be another tough pick, but we are going to choose... Jimmie Johnson. Johnson starts from Pole, and he needs a win put himself out front in the Chase.
Should Johnson fail, Chevrolet is the other safe bet to finish with another victory, but which one ? But keep an eye on Denny Hamlin.
So enjoy today's race at Martinsville, and be prepared... there is always lots of yellow!
btw... Hurricane Sandy is not expected to be a factor in today's weather. She's just far enough North not to bring a ton of rain.
PaddockTalk has also released a beta version of our new NASCAR news android app! Check it out at Google Market - NASCAR News
|
|
|
| |
 |
Starting Line Up by Row
Martinsville Speedway
64th Annual TUMS Fast Relief 500
Provided by NASCAR Statistics - Fri, October 26, 2012 @ 05:02 PM Eastern
Track Race Record: Jeff Gordon 09/22/96 03:11:54 82.223
| Row |
Pos |
Car |
Driver |
Team |
Time |
Speed |
| 1 |
1 |
48 |
Jimmie Johnson |
Lowe's Chevrolet |
19.402 |
97.598 |
|
2 |
55 |
Brian Vickers |
MyClassicGarage.com Toyota |
19.415 |
97.533 |
| 2 |
3 |
18 |
Kyle Busch |
M&M's Halloween Toyota |
19.436 |
97.427 |
|
4 |
31 |
Jeff Burton |
Odyssey Battery / EnerSys Chevrolet |
19.443 |
97.392 |
| 3 |
5 |
11 |
Denny Hamlin |
FedEx Express Toyota |
19.445 |
97.382 |
|
6 |
17 |
Matt Kenseth |
Ford EcoBoost Ford |
19.467 |
97.272 |
| 4 |
7 |
14 |
Tony Stewart |
Office Depot / Mobil 1 Chevrolet |
19.470 |
97.257 |
|
8 |
15 |
Clint Bowyer |
5-hrEnergyBenefittingAvonFndnforW. Toyota |
19.472 |
97.247 |
| 5 |
9 |
27 |
Paul Menard |
Zecol / Menards Chevrolet |
19.490 |
97.158 |
|
10 |
43 |
Aric Almirola |
Gwaltney Ford |
19.500 |
97.108 |
| 6 |
11 |
24 |
Jeff Gordon |
Pepsi MAX Chevrolet |
19.528 |
96.968 |
|
12 |
56 |
Martin Truex Jr. |
NAPA Auto Parts Toyota |
19.529 |
96.963 |
| 7 |
13 |
29 |
Kevin Harvick |
Rheem Chasing the Cure Chevrolet |
19.530 |
96.959 |
|
14 |
20 |
Joey Logano |
The Home Depot / redbeacon.com Toyota |
19.541 |
96.904 |
| 8 |
15 |
5 |
Kasey Kahne |
Hendrickcars.com Chevrolet |
19.548 |
96.869 |
|
16 |
34 |
David Ragan |
Where's Waldo? Ford |
19.554 |
96.840 |
| 9 |
17 |
39 |
Ryan Newman |
Quicken Loans Chevrolet |
19.555 |
96.835 |
|
18 |
47 |
Bobby Labonte |
Pine-Sol Toyota |
19.555 |
96.835 |
| 10 |
19 |
78 |
Kurt Busch |
Furniture Row / Farm American Chevrolet |
19.572 |
96.750 |
|
20 |
88 |
Dale Earnhardt Jr. |
DietMtnDew/NatlGuard/AMPEnergy Chev |
19.579 |
96.716 |
| 11 |
21 |
98 |
Michael McDowell |
Phil Parson Racing Ford |
19.581 |
96.706 |
|
22 |
13 |
Casey Mears |
GEICO Ford |
19.586 |
96.681 |
| 12 |
23 |
99 |
Carl Edwards |
Geek Squad Ford |
19.592 |
96.652 |
|
24 |
1 |
Jamie McMurray |
McDonald's Chevrolet |
19.607 |
96.578 |
| 13 |
25 |
42 |
Juan Pablo Montoya |
Target Chevrolet |
19.616 |
96.533 |
|
26 |
51 |
AJ Allmendinger |
Phoenix Construction Chevrolet |
19.645 |
96.391 |
| 14 |
27 |
22 |
Sam Hornish Jr.(i) |
Shell Pennzoil Dodge |
19.669 |
96.273 |
|
28 |
32 |
Ken Schrader |
SouthernPrideTrucking/U.S.Chrome Ford |
19.693 |
96.156 |
| 15 |
29 |
10 |
David Reutimann |
@TMone Drive Sales Fast Chevrolet |
19.696 |
96.141 |
|
30 |
16 |
Greg Biffle |
3M Ford |
19.702 |
96.112 |
| 16 |
31 |
26 |
Josh Wise # |
MDS Transport Ford |
19.712 |
96.063 |
|
32 |
2 |
Brad Keselowski |
Miller Lite Dodge |
19.722 |
96.015 |
| 17 |
33 |
9 |
Marcos Ambrose |
Black & Decker Ford |
19.728 |
95.985 |
|
34 |
83 |
Landon Cassill |
Burger King / Dr Pepper Toyota |
19.730 |
95.976 |
| 18 |
35 |
38 |
David Gilliland |
Long John Silver's Ford |
19.741 |
95.922 |
|
36 |
23 |
Scott Riggs |
North Texas Pipe Chevrolet |
19.741 |
95.922 |
| 19 |
37 |
36 |
Dave Blaney |
MOHAWKNortheast/TMoneCallCtr Chev |
19.764 |
95.811 |
|
38 |
87 |
Joe Nemechek(i) |
AM/FMEnergyWood&PelletStoves Toyota |
19.792 |
95.675 |
| 20 |
39 |
91 |
Reed Sorenson(i) |
Plinker Tactical Chevrolet |
19.813 |
95.574 |
|
40 |
30 |
David Stremme |
Inception Motorsports Toyota |
19.819 |
95.545 |
| 21 |
41 |
93 |
Travis Kvapil |
Burger King / Dr Pepper Toyota |
19.820 |
95.540 |
|
42 |
33 |
Stephen Leicht # |
LittleJoesAutos.com Chevrolet |
19.890 |
95.204 |
| 22 |
43 |
95 |
Scott Speed |
Jordan Truck Sales Ford |
19.954 |
94.898 |
Did Not Qualify: # 19 Mike Bliss(i); # 37 JJ Yeley.
Manufacturer Starting Lineup DNQs Manufacturer Starting Lineup DNQs
Chevrolet 18 1 Ford 12 0
PaddockTalk Perspective
|
|
|
Also in NASCAR News: - 2012 Martinsville II: NASCAR Sprint Cup LIVE Streaming, Timing, Weather & TV Schedule (10/28/12)
- 2012 Martinsville: Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Truck Race Recap (10/28/12)
- Hamlin Races From Back Of The Field To Win Kroger 200 At Martinsville (10/28/12)
- Cowtown Marathon Champ Styles Captures Inaugural 'No Limits' Half Marathon (10/28/12)
- 2012 Martinsville: Toyota NASCAR Truck Race Quotes (10/27/12)
- 2012 Martinsville: RAM NASCAR Truck Race Quotes (10/27/12)
- 2012 Martinsville II Q&A: NASCAR Sprint Cup - Jack Roush (10/27/12)
- 2012 Martinsville II: Dodge NASCAR Sprint Cup - Keys For Success (10/27/12)
- 2012 Martinsville II Q&A: NASCAR Sprint Cup - Matt Borland (10/27/12)
- 2012 Martinsville: NASCAR Truck Race Results - Hamlin, Toyota Win! (10/27/12)
- 2012 Martinsville: NASCAR Truck Qualifying Results - Peters, Toyota On Pole! (10/27/12)
- Five-Time Champion Johnson Claims Second Martinsville Speedway Pole (10/27/12)
- NASCAR Takes Over Las Vegas For Postseason NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (10/27/12)
- Martin, Vickers & Waltrip To Share No 55 In 2013 (10/27/12)
- NASCAR Number: 2,999, 3,099 (Oct. 26, 2012) (10/27/12)
- 2012 Martinsville II: David Reuitmann NASCAR Sprint Cup Race Preview (10/26/12)
- Bpo Firm @Tmone Backs Tommy Baldwin Racing At Martinsville Speedway (10/26/12)
- 2012 Martinsville II: Roush Fenway NASCAR Sprint Cup Race Preview (10/26/12)
- As RFR Makes 3,000th Cup Start, Edwards Recalls First Start (10/26/12)
- Tyler Young Enters NCWTS Kroger 200 At Martinsville Speedway (10/26/12)
|
|
| |
|
