Here's a look at the Chasers going into the race this weekend at Martinsville Speedway(stats provided by NASCAR):
1 - Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet) 5878 points, 2008 Rundown:
Five wins, 12 top fives, 19 top 10s
Average finish of 11.1
Led 25 races for 1,369 laps
Martinsville Speedway Outlook:
Driver Rating of 121.2
Four wins, nine top fives, 12 top 10s; one pole
Average finish of 6.0
Finished fourth in March
2 - Jeff Burton (No. 31 AT&T Mobility Chevrolet) 5809 points, 2008 Rundown:
Two wins, seven top fives, 17 top 10s
Average finish of 11.4
Led 11 races for 140 laps
Martinsville Speedway Outlook:
Driver Rating of 85.3
One win, 10 top fives, 14 tops 10s
Average finish of 14.5
Finished third in April
3 - Greg Biffle (No. 16 3M Ford) 5792 points, 2008 Rundown:
Two wins, 11 top fives, 14 top 10s
Average finish of 13.1
Led 16 races for 446 laps
Martinsville Speedway Outlook:
Driver Rating of 64.4
One top 10
Average finish of 23.6
Finished 20th in March
4 - Carl Edwards (No. 99 Office Depot Ford) 5710 points, 2008 Rundown:
Six wins, 14 top fives, 22 top 10s
Average finish of 10.7
Led 18 races for 815 laps
Martinsville Speedway Outlook:
Driver Rating of 72.4
One top 10
Average finish of 19.1 in eight races
Finished ninth in March
5 - Clint Bowyer (No. 07 Jack Daniel's Chevrolet) 5693 points, 2008 Rundown:
One win, five top fives, 14 top 10s
Average finish of 14.7
Led five races for 152 laps
Martinsville Speedway Outlook:
Driver Rating of 75.0
Two top 10s
Average finish of 15.0 in five races
Finished 10th in March
6 - Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet) 5671 points, 2008 Rundown:
Six top fives, 15 top 10s
Average finish of 13.2
Led seven races for 191 laps
Martinsville Speedway Outlook:
Driver Rating of 87.4
Five top 10s
Average finish of 18.8
Finished 12th in March
7 - Tony Stewart (No. 20 Home Depot Toyota) 5650 points, 2008 Rundown:
One win, 10 top fives, 15 top 10s
Average finish of 14.4
Led 14 races for 622 laps
Martinsville Speedway Outlook:
Driver Rating of 116.3
Two wins, seven top fives, 11 top 10s; three poles
Average finish of 11.9
Finished fifth in March
8 - Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet) 5633 points, 2008 Rundown:
10 top fives, 15 top 10s
Average finish of 14.9
Led 17 races for 359 laps
Martinsville Speedway Outlook:
Driver Rating of 124.5
Seven wins, 19 top fives, 25 top 10s; seven poles
Average finish of 7.0
Finished second in March
9 - Kyle Busch (No. 18 M&M's Toyota) 5552 points, 2008 Rundown:
Eight wins, 16 top fives, 18 top 10s
Average finish of 12.3
Led 23 races for 1,671 laps
Martinsville Speedway Outlook:
Driver Rating of 93.3
Three top fives, four top 10s
Average finish of 16.7
Finished 38th in March
10 - Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 AMP Energy/National Guard Chevrolet) 5524 points, 2008 Rundown:
One win, nine top fives, 14 top 10s
Average finish of 13.7
Led 20 races for 894 laps
Martinsville Speedway Outlook:
Driver Rating of 100.7
Seven top fives, eight top 10s
Average finish of 14.3
Finished sixth in March
11 - Matt Kenseth (No. 14 DEWALT Ford) 5518 points, 2008 Rundown:
Eight top fives, 17 top 10s
Average finish of 17.1
Led 17 races for 395 laps
Martinsville Speedway Outlook:
Driver Rating of 77.8
Two top fives, five top 10s
Average finish of 16.5
Finished 30th in March
12 - Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Toyota) 5498 points, 2008 Rundown:
One win, nine top fives, 15 top 10s
Average finish of 16.5
Led 14 races for 710 laps
Martinsville Speedway Outlook:
Driver Rating of 100.6
One win, three top fives, five top 10s; one pole
Average finish of 9.5
Won the March Martinsville race
Here's the NASCAR Newscast: Chase for the Sprint Cup, Race 6 Preview:
Qualifying for the TUMS QuikPak 500 is scheduled for today at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN2.
My pick this weekend? How could you not go with a driver who has won here seven times? I will be going with Jeff Gordon for the win. He hasn't won this year but I feel that this is the place for him to break his losing streak.
I'll take Hamlin in his home stat track. I think (and hope!) that rivalries escalate and a chase shake up will occur at Martinsville. It is about the only place where that can happen during the chase.
Jennifer is the newsroom
administrative assistant and
executive
assistant to the editor for the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram. She is married, lives in Pownal with her husband and son, and has been following NASCAR for many years.
About this blog:
I am hopeful that this will be a place where people can air their two cents' worth about a race, catch up on the gossip and share their opinions on the rules and regulations of NASCAR. I have always felt that there has been a need for such a place in Maine and that this blog helps to fill the void.
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