The Round of Eight in NASCAR‘s playoffs could have a rough start for some Chase Grid drivers as the Cup Series heads to Martinsville Speedway for the First Data 500.
Following last week’s race at Kansas, the Chase Grid was reduced from 12 drivers to eight drivers at the end of the Round of 12. Below is a look at the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Chase Grid as the Round of Eight begins this weekend.
When NASCAR heads to the short track there is always beatin’ and bangin’ which results in tempers and fenders getting bent. Factor in the need to win by the eight remaining championship contending drivers to get that automatic advance to the Championship Race and this weekend’s race could be one of the most exciting to watch of the year.
Stage racing has also added importance of bonus points and playoff points to the drivers and teams this season. They try harder to do well throughout the race instead of just winning the race at the end. This weekend’s race at Martinsville will feature 130 laps for stages one and two and 240 laps for the third and final stage of the race.
Martinsville Speedway is a 0.526-mile track with flat front and back stretches and just 12 degrees of banking through the turns. There is enough room to get side-by-side with another car, but making it three wide is a bigger gamble than putting it all on red in Vegas.
Pit stops are always crucial at Martinsville as any spots lost on pit road will be very difficult to gain back on the track.
With the lack of room to pass drivers will not only be getting the sides of their cars together, they will also push on the back bumpers of cars that are slower than they are to get around them. That is how the bodies of the cars get bent and how tempers get bent as well. Many cars are covered with dents, black tape and can even be missing body panels following a race at Martinsville.
Drivers that can manage their cars and their tempers typically do the best at the track. Let’s take a look at which active drivers have been the best at doing just that during their careers racing at Martinsville.
Top 10 Driver Ratings at Martinsville
- Jimmie Johnson – 116.9
- Denny Hamlin – 106.6
- Kyle Busch – 101.3
- Dale Earnhardt Jr. – 97.8
- Brad Keselowski – 93.7
- Kevin Harvick – 93.4
- Joey Logano – 91.3
- Matt Kenseth – 89.0
- Clint Bowyer – 88.7
- Ryan Newman – 86.2
Drivers names in red are current championship contenders.
NOTE: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2017 races (25 total) among active drivers at Martinsville Speedway.
Jimmie Johnson could be called the “Master of Martinsville” as he has the highest driver rating and almost twice as many wins than any other active driver at the track. Jimmie’s nine Martinsville wins include this race one year ago in the 2016 season. Getting number ten would give him an automatic shot at racing for another championship in November.
Denny Hamlin is working on being Jimmie’s apprentice to being a “Martinsville Master.” Denny has the second highest driver rating and five Martinsville wins during his cup series career. Denny is also looking for that automatic advance to the Championship Round race at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Kurt Busch was eliminated from championship contention following the first round of The Chase this season. Kurt has managed to tally a pair of wins during his career at Martinsville. He will be racing hard to play the role of spoiler to the remaining eight Chase Grid drivers by winning his third race at the track.
There are three remaining playoff drivers that have scored a single Martinsville win in the NASCAR Cup Series. Those drivers are Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch and the winner of the 2017 spring Martinsville race Brad Keselowski. Will one of them be able to get their second win at the track this week and earn that automatic advance to Homestead-Miami with a chance to win the championship?
Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Ryan Newman cannot win the championship, but either one of them could take their career Martinsville win total from one to two this weekend. For Dale Jr. it will be his final chance to win at the track before retiring at the end of this season.
No matter if it is a Chase Grid driver winning the race or a spoiler, I have this gut feeling that this race is going to be spectacle for fans to watch.
The green flag will signal the start of the story being told at 1:30 PM central time (2:30 PM eastern time) in the First Data 500 at Martinsville Speedway this Sunday, October 29th with 500 laps (263 miles) of racing.
By: Buck Stevens
