Johnny Benson

After a week off, the Sprint Cup Series will go short-track racing on Sunday at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, where the biggest challenge to Jimmie Johnson winning for a fourth consecutive time at the half-mile oval should come from one of his Hendrick Motorsports teammates: Jeff Gordon.

Working in Johnson’s and Gordon’s favor
The ability of both drivers to run fast and win races at Martinsville is amazing. To go along with his four Martinsville wins (Oct. 2007, April 2007, Oct. 2006 and Oct. 2004), Johnson has finished 10th or better in all but one of his 12 Cup starts at this venue. And that one hiccup came in his very first race at Martinsville in April of 2002 when a vibration issue with his car dropped him to a 35th-place finish.

While highlighted by his four victories, the Martinsville resume of the two-time defending Cup champion shows eight top-fives and 11 top-10s. His average starting spot is 13.1 and average finish is 6.2. Another reason things could turn out real well for Johnson on Sunday is that he’ll be in the chassis he drove to a win last fall at Martinsville.

In producing his three-race win streak at this short track, Johnson has driven in dominating fashion. He has led for over one third of the combined laps run in the trio of events (505 of 1,500 laps). To seriously get about winning at a track, it helps immensely if a driver can lock into the rhythm of the venue, and Johnson’s aware he’s able to do that very well at Martinsville. And as long as that keeps up for the driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet, it’ll be hard to keep him out of Victory Lane.

Gordon first started Cup racing at Martinsville in April 1993 and his performances at the short track have consistently been of a very high level. This will be his 31st Cup start at a venue that has been one of his best. At Martinsville he has finished out of the top 20 only three times and out of the top 15 only four times.

The four-time Cup champion will be vying for his eighth Martinsville win. In his last 10 races at this oval he has four wins, eight top-fives and 10 top-10s. What we’ve learned most of all about Gordon at Martinsville is even given the veteran he is he’ll tend to overdrive his No. 24 Chevrolet at the start of the race. It takes him a bit to settle into a groove and find a rhythm, but once he does figure on him as one to be reckoned with for the rest of the race.

Other drivers to watch
Let's start with Tony Stewart, who runs extremely well at Martinsville. All he needs to do is keep his nose clean and he should be a top threat to win. The two-time Cup champion has two wins, three poles and six top-fives at Martinsville, where he has crossed the checkers outside of the top-10 only eight times in 18 starts. He's also led 1,193 laps, second only to Jeff Gordon (2,466 laps).

INTERACTIVE Goody's Cool Orange 500 preview Loop data stats for some favorites in the upcoming race at Martinsville.

In his first year with Joe Gibbs Racing, Kyle Busch leads the Sprint Cup Series standings and he’ll be looking to continue his excellent start to the season at Martinsville. He’s yet to win at this short track, but hasn’t lacked for success at the venue. He has finished in the top five in three of his six Cup races at Martinsville. Last year was his best at this oval as he turned in a pair of fourth-place results. In last fall’s race, he led for 106 laps.

Put the two top drivers at Richard Childress Racing – Jeff Burton and Kevin Harvick – in the thick of the mix to get to Victory Lane on Sunday. Burton's come home in the top 10 in nearly half of his Martinsville Cup starts. In 27 races at this venue, he has a win (Sept. 1997), nine top-fives, and 13 top-10s. He comes off a short-track win at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway two weeks ago.

Harvick has crossed the checkers in the top 10 in three of his last four Martinsville Cup races, and he has five top-10s in 11 starts at this oval. He was second to Burton at Bristol on March 16.

Clint Bowyer – also of Richard Childress Racing – could make a splash at Martinsville, but what’s worked against him this season is that while he’s fast when he’s out front, if he falls back in the pack he doesn’t seem to be able to regain significant track position late in a race.

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