From one short track to another, the NASCAR Cup Series heads to Martinsville Speedway Saturday night. Martinsville is a unique track similar to a paperclip and the oldest on the schedule. Drivers will have their patience tested under the lights as short track racing features blocking, bumping and spinouts throughout.
The Martinsville trophy is also unique; the winner of each race will go home with a Ridgeway grandfather clock. So far this season we’ve seen seven different winners through seven races and it’s quite possible an eighth winner will stand next to that clock come Saturday night.
When you think of drivers who fit the Martinsville mold, the first driver who comes to mind is Martin Truex Jr.. The #19 car has seen victory lane twice in the last three races. The JGR Toyotas are one of two teams that should be contenders in this one. The other contenders are the Penske Fords of Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski and Ryan Blaney. The top team in short track racing the past two seasons, each driver has at least three top-5 finishes in the since 2018.
All that said, here are some drivers that should be on your list when the green flag drops Saturday night for the Blu-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500.
BUY:
Brad Keselowski: (Odds: 6/1)
I mentioned the Penske Fords, well the last two winners on the 2021 schedule came from this team. Joey Logano was your winner at the Bristol Dirt Race and Ryan Blaney won in Atlanta three weeks ago. Could Brad Keselowski make it three straight with a win this week?
Well, his track record here would point that way. Since his win in 2019, Keselowski finished 3rd, 3rd and 4th place. If the #2 car can’t get his 3rd career win at Martinsville, there’s a good chance one of his teammates will.
Kyle Busch: (Odds: 12/1)
I could have made the obvious choice with this one and told you Martin Truex Jr. is the one for Joe Gibbs Racing, but it’s his teammate Kyle Busch who intrigues me. If you discard the 2020 pandemic season, KB has been the top-5 machine at Martinsville. Wins in 2016 and 2017, the #18 Toyota had eight straight races with top-5 results. Busch has the best record in the field, when it comes to short track racing, with an average finish of 6th since 2018. The only two drivers who have led more laps during that span are Truex Jr. and Keselowski.
SELL:
Kyle Larson: (Odds 12/1)
Arguably the best driver this season, Larson comes off a 29th place finish at the Bristol Dirt Race. While the Hendrick Chevrolets have shown speed on the 1.5 mile long tracks, short track racing has been a little more inconsistent.
Larson’s history at Martinsville isn’t pretty either. He finished in the top-10 once since 2016. Also, Larson only earned stage points during that span two times in fourteen chances. If the Chevrolets want to put their foot down this season as the top manufacturer, they’ll need a good finish on the short tracks starting this weekend.
QUICK PICK LONG SHOTS:
Kurt Busch: (Odds 30/1)
Short track racing seems to bring out the best drivers and a guy who’s won here twice is the #1 driver Kurt Busch. While his younger brother, Kyle, has the better resume’, both drivers have two career wins here.
In the last five Martinsville races, Kurt has four top-10 finishes. The #1 car may not see victory lane Saturday night, but a top-5 finish is definitely a reasonable expectation.
