RACE: TUMS Quick Pak 500
PLACE: Martinsville Speedway
DATE: Sunday, October 19, 2008
TIME: 1:00 pm
TV: ABC, WMAR-TV, Channel 2
WEATHER: 58F, Sunny
When fans look at “The Chase” schedule, the real mixers, the tracks that tend to produce the wildest results that impact the standings are Dover for its high banks, concrete surface, and super fast action; Talladega for its 2.66 mile length, the high speeds brought down to earth (literally) with restrictor plates, which can bunch up the field leading to the “big one,” a huge multicar wreck that collects many of the contenders; and finally, the next stop, Martinsville, where typical short track bump and grind along with a relatively flat surface featuring turns that attach two drag strips requiring drivers to apply the brakes at the end of each straightaway, burning up the brakes and surrounding components. creates a war of attrition eliminating many cars before 500 laps are completed. Looking at the Chase tracks, another feature that stands out is that there are four mile and a half super speedways all pretty similar in design, as such these tracks promote a strategy where drivers conserve their cars, work to maintain track position, sneak in opportunistic laps lead for a quick five points, saving their gear for some serious racing toward the end. These tracks would tend to favor experienced drivers who could at very least plat it safe and get in the top ten and with the right moves be positioned for the all important top five finishes that win championships.
Charlotte turned out to be quite the murderer’s row for the championship aspirations of a few of the top contenders. First, Carl Edwards has been hovering around the lead at the top of the standings until last Saturday night when electrical problems required substantial work behind the wall leading Edwards to 33rd finishing position, knocking him back to 4th place, 168 points down with five races to catch up. Dale Earnhardt’s 36th spot, didn’t lower his rank, but put him completely out of any hope of a championship at 354 points from the top.
Going into Martinsville, the contenders will line up in order by owner’s points. Jimmie Johnson takes the pole with 2nd place contender, Jeff Burton in 2nd, 69 points back, and Greg Biffle in 3rd, 86 points back. One of those three drivers will win the championship. Furthermore, Jimmie Johnson has been very successful at Martinsville and is good at racing conservatively, saving his equipment to be in striking position in the late part of the race able to knock off the top competitors one by one first crossing into top five territory then closing in on the win.
There’s no avoiding traffic at Martinsville. Within a matter of minutes, leaders start lapping the lesser competitors with 43 cars mixing it up with just a half mile distance around the track. Very little equipment finishes the race without getting pretty torn up. Harry Gant won a Martinsville race with practically all the front sheet metal removed. There’s a little bit of demolition derby embedded in this competition for the grandfather’s clock.
This is the second race in a row and the eighth race of the year where qualifying was rained out forcing the field to line up by owner’s points. While this system seems unfair, what are the other possibilities? If there were 50 cars signed up to qualify and there was a random lottery for the 43 starting spots, imagine the uproar if for instance, the points leader, Jimmie Johnson, were eliminated from the field. When considering the various possibilities, although going by current standings is far from ideal, it does less harm than other options. Where this hurts is down toward the bottom where teams are attempting to lock in to the top 35 in owners’ points. Right now, there are two teams that have a chance of moving up into the top 35 and about five times that could fall out. Lining up by owner’s points favors the status-quo and does not give teams the benefit of racing for starting position to possibly a more competitive advantage for the race. At least with owner’s standings as the criteria, teams are starting with a position they’ve earned through their progress over the course of the season. The worst kick in the pants is a situation where qualifying starts and then is rained out. During the 2007 season, Boris Said was sitting on the pole until late in qualifying the field, bad weather set in, and that day’s results were scrubbed. Despite having posting a time that could have put on the pole or way up front, he missed the show. All this begs the question if there should be some other kind of method that the current qualifying system to determine starting positions. Any ideas?
PLACE: Martinsville Speedway
DATE: Sunday, October 19, 2008
TIME: 1:00 pm
TV: ABC, WMAR-TV, Channel 2
WEATHER: 58F, Sunny
When fans look at “The Chase” schedule, the real mixers, the tracks that tend to produce the wildest results that impact the standings are Dover for its high banks, concrete surface, and super fast action; Talladega for its 2.66 mile length, the high speeds brought down to earth (literally) with restrictor plates, which can bunch up the field leading to the “big one,” a huge multicar wreck that collects many of the contenders; and finally, the next stop, Martinsville, where typical short track bump and grind along with a relatively flat surface featuring turns that attach two drag strips requiring drivers to apply the brakes at the end of each straightaway, burning up the brakes and surrounding components. creates a war of attrition eliminating many cars before 500 laps are completed. Looking at the Chase tracks, another feature that stands out is that there are four mile and a half super speedways all pretty similar in design, as such these tracks promote a strategy where drivers conserve their cars, work to maintain track position, sneak in opportunistic laps lead for a quick five points, saving their gear for some serious racing toward the end. These tracks would tend to favor experienced drivers who could at very least plat it safe and get in the top ten and with the right moves be positioned for the all important top five finishes that win championships.
Charlotte turned out to be quite the murderer’s row for the championship aspirations of a few of the top contenders. First, Carl Edwards has been hovering around the lead at the top of the standings until last Saturday night when electrical problems required substantial work behind the wall leading Edwards to 33rd finishing position, knocking him back to 4th place, 168 points down with five races to catch up. Dale Earnhardt’s 36th spot, didn’t lower his rank, but put him completely out of any hope of a championship at 354 points from the top.
Going into Martinsville, the contenders will line up in order by owner’s points. Jimmie Johnson takes the pole with 2nd place contender, Jeff Burton in 2nd, 69 points back, and Greg Biffle in 3rd, 86 points back. One of those three drivers will win the championship. Furthermore, Jimmie Johnson has been very successful at Martinsville and is good at racing conservatively, saving his equipment to be in striking position in the late part of the race able to knock off the top competitors one by one first crossing into top five territory then closing in on the win.
There’s no avoiding traffic at Martinsville. Within a matter of minutes, leaders start lapping the lesser competitors with 43 cars mixing it up with just a half mile distance around the track. Very little equipment finishes the race without getting pretty torn up. Harry Gant won a Martinsville race with practically all the front sheet metal removed. There’s a little bit of demolition derby embedded in this competition for the grandfather’s clock.
This is the second race in a row and the eighth race of the year where qualifying was rained out forcing the field to line up by owner’s points. While this system seems unfair, what are the other possibilities? If there were 50 cars signed up to qualify and there was a random lottery for the 43 starting spots, imagine the uproar if for instance, the points leader, Jimmie Johnson, were eliminated from the field. When considering the various possibilities, although going by current standings is far from ideal, it does less harm than other options. Where this hurts is down toward the bottom where teams are attempting to lock in to the top 35 in owners’ points. Right now, there are two teams that have a chance of moving up into the top 35 and about five times that could fall out. Lining up by owner’s points favors the status-quo and does not give teams the benefit of racing for starting position to possibly a more competitive advantage for the race. At least with owner’s standings as the criteria, teams are starting with a position they’ve earned through their progress over the course of the season. The worst kick in the pants is a situation where qualifying starts and then is rained out. During the 2007 season, Boris Said was sitting on the pole until late in qualifying the field, bad weather set in, and that day’s results were scrubbed. Despite having posting a time that could have put on the pole or way up front, he missed the show. All this begs the question if there should be some other kind of method that the current qualifying system to determine starting positions. Any ideas?
Celebrate as your favorite driver suits up and gets ready to compete in Martinsville. In the modern era of huge 1 1/2 and 2 mile tracks located in major markets, Martinsville is still small town Americana where winners are awarded a hometown grandfather clock as a trophy and the Martinsville Hot Dog sold as the concessions is a cultural phenomenon unto itself. The hot dog served with loads of catsup, mustard, raw onions, chili, and cole slaw served on wax paper is an absolute staple to the NASCAR purist who will scream murder at any variation from the time honored preparation. There was hell to pay when ISC purchased the track from local ownership, and gasp, fans were served a Martinsville doggie in a styrofoam package and were to add their own condiments.
How wonderful it is that something so folksy is still a part of a major sport. The NFL has Lambeau Field. Baseball has Wrigley Field, and NASCAR still has Martinsville 
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