Momentum, Past Success Motivates Three Contenders

Momentum, Past Success Motivates Three Contenders

With five races to reduce a 37-point deficit, Kyle Busch got almost a third of the way there at Talladega Superspeedway by recovering from a lap down to finish fifth in Sunday’s Camping World RV Sales 500.

Busch entered the race in fifth place. He goes to Martinsville Speedway third, 26 points behind leader Jimmie Johnson. The math says it’s definitely doable.

Realistically, Busch must finish higher than Johnson and Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Matt Kenseth in the post season’s remaining four events. Beating Johnson at Martinsville is the first – and perhaps the biggest – challenge. An eight-time Martinsville winner, Johnson goes for three victories in a row on Sunday.

Busch, however, has yet to win at Martinsville. He finished second last fall and ran fifth in April’s race in which he led 56 laps. Busch’s average Martinsville finish is 16.1.

Kevin Harvick continues to contend for the championship, standing fourth and scoring the same number of points as Busch – 2,228. The Bakersfield, Calif. veteran, in his final season in the No. 29 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, has a Martinsville victory. The spring 2011 rates as the pinnacle on an up-and-down resume at the southern Virginia track.

Harvick has just three top fives and an average finish of 16.6. He was 32nd at Martinsville a year ago and 13th when the series visited in the spring.

Statistically speaking, this should be the best opportunity for Jeff Gordon to put a dent in the lead of his Hendrick Motorsports teammate. Gordon is fifth in the standings, 34 points behind Johnson. His most recent of seven Martinsville victories came in 2005 when Gordon scored a season sweep. Gordon was seventh in last year’s fall race and third in April. His Martinsville Driver Rating (120.7) and average finish (7.0) rank second only to Johnson.

Junior: Old School Racer Loves Old School Track

Onlookers have often billed Dale Earnhardt Jr. as a restrictor plate expert – and a runner-up finish at Talladega on Sunday didn’t dispute that claim.

But maybe he doesn’t get the credit he deserves in the field of finesse. When it comes to braking and gassing and beating and banging, few can match wits with Earnhardt – especially at Martinsville.

Earnhardt has adapted to Martinsville’s unique layout throughout his career, so much so that the paper clip has statistically become his best track.

In terms of Driver Rating, where he boasts a mark of 98.8, Martinsville ranks first for Earnhardt. It’s one of three tracks at which Earnhardt surpasses a Driver Rating of 95 (the others are Michigan at 97.0 and New Hampshire a 97.3).

In terms of average finish – Martinsville ranks third for Earnhardt at 13.4. Only Bristol (11.5) and Atlanta (12.3) rank better.

Of course, there’s one hole on the Martinsville stat sheet – he has yet to win. But that seemingly will come sooner than later. Four of his last six finishes were in the top 10, including a runner-up in April of 2011.

No Playoffs, No Problem for Those Outside Chase

When it comes to this year’s Chase, Brad Keselowski and Jamie McMurray are to Jesse Pinkman as Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth are to Heisenberg.

Though Keselowski and McMurray may not get the headlines, they’ve made a ton of noise, this year’s playoffs wouldn’t be the same without them – and you have to love their moxie.

For the first time since 2006, a non-Chase driver – aka “spoiler” – has won back-to-back Chase races. Prior to Keselowski’s win at Charlotte, the last spoiler to win a Chase race was Kasey Kahne in November of 2011 at Phoenix. The last time there were consecutive races won by non-Chase drivers was when Tony Stewart won at Atlanta and Phoenix during the 2006 playoffs.

There have never been three consecutive races won by “spoilers” in the 10-year history of the Chase. It could happen this year.

And Denny Hamlin’s the reason why.

Though Hamlin has slogged through a down year, Martinsville just might be the Rx he needs. He has 12 top 10s in 15 starts, and that includes four victories. He has tallied double or triple-digit lap led figures in each of the last eight Martinsville races.

And his season may be turning around. Two races ago at Charlotte, Hamlin notched his first top-10 finish since early June.