NASCAR Fantasy Fusion: STP 500 at Martinsville

Track Classification: Short Track

Similar Tracks: Bristol Motor Speedway • Dover International Speedway 

Phoenix International Raceway • Richmond International Raceway

Distance: 0.526 Mile

By Carol D'Agostino

Drivers with Most Top 10s (Last 5 Years):

By Race

Both with 4 - Matt Kenseth and Clint Bowyer  

All with 3 - Kevin Harvick, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Brad Keselowski and Jamie McMurray

By Track
Clint Bowyer - 6

All with 5 - Matt Kenseth, Denny Hamlin, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Brad Keselowski
Both with 4 - Jimmie Johnson and Jamie McMurray

Recent Pole Winners: 

2015 Joey Logano
2014 Kyle Busch

Last Year's Race Winner: Denny Hamlin

The Likely Suspects: It's pink hot dogs in waxed paper weekend, and of course, awesome short track racing weekend. Martinsville Speedway may be shaped like a paperclip, but racing here is not like just another day in the office. There may be many heated discussions and actions, both on and off the track. When I think of Martinsville, it brings to mind several years back when I saw Jimmie Johnson drive to Victory Lane as if he was simply gliding on a sheet of ice. Jimmie Johnson is definitely someone to keep your eyes on this weekend, as well as Denny Hamlin, Jamie McMurray, Matt Kenneth, Kevin Harvick, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano and Kyle Busch.

      

My 2 Cents: Bonus points are key this weekend because you never know when your driver is going to get caught up in someone else's bad day. A focus on qualifying and picking drivers who will finish in the top 15 will serve you well. My no-brainer pick this week is a three-way tie among Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin and Jamie McMurray. Joey Logano is also a fine choice.

My next picks are Aric Almirola, Carl Edwards and Martin Truex Jr. I will complete my team with Chase Elliott and Brian Vickers. 

My Final Four: Jimmie Johnson, Jamie McMurray, Martin Truex Jr. and Chase Elliott.

Points to Ponder:

• A total of 48 different drivers have won at Martinsville Speedway, led by Richard Petty with 15;.Jimmie Johnson leads the series among active drivers with eight wins.
• NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt leads the series in runner-up finishes at Martinsville Speedway with seven. Jimmie Johnson leads all active drivers with five, followed by Dale Earnhardt Jr., Denny Hamlin, Jamie McMurray and Matt Kenseth with two each.
• Almost 72 percent -- 96 of 134 -- of the NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Martinsville Speedway have been won from a top-10 starting position.
• Chevrolet leads the series in wins at Martinsville Speedway with 55 victories – including nine of the last 10 races.

Enjoy the race! Post your comments here or follow me on Twitter at @purplecatpr.