The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series goes from it’s longest track Talladega Super Speedway to it’s shortest track Martinsville Speedway to kick-off the first race in the Round of 8. Eight remaining Chase drivers are set to settle their differences in the Goody’s Fast Relief 500. The contest of speed and skill starts at 1:00 p.m. ET and will be telecast on the NBC Sports Network.
In the spring race at Martinsville, the reigning and defending Sprint Cup champion Kyle Busch, led 352 of the 500 laps turned. More importantly, he was out front when the checkered flag was raised. As a result, Busch guided his car into Victory Lane for his second win of the 2016 season.
Furniture Row Racing’s Martin Truex Jr. flexed his muscle and placed his #78 Toyota Camry on the Pole for the start of the Goody’s Fast Relief 500. The eliminated racer was sixth fastest in the first practice on Saturday and improved to fourth the second go-around. Truex Jr. finished 18th the last time he laid rubber here and Las Vegas has the competitor at 10/1 to drive on to victory.
Penske Racing’s Joey Logano will start on the outside of Martin Truex Jr. when the green flag is waved for the Goody’s Fast Relief 500. Apart from getting smashed into the wall by Matt Kenseth on purpose last fall, the “Paper Clip” has been a good track for the aggressive diver.
Joey Logano has five top 15’s in his last six races around the half mile oval. Furthermore, three of those top 15’s have been top five finishes. More importantly, he has led more than 20 laps in five straight contests while leading the pack for 207 last fall. Odds gurus have Logano at 9/1 to make those laps count and collect himself a victory.
Six-time Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson, will start behind Martin Truex Jr. in third. Chase racers take note, Johnson is a nine-time winner at the southern Virginia race track. He also has led more than 100 laps in five of his last nine starts here.
Since 2005, his 2,575 laps led here are the most in the Sprint Cup series, and he is one of two drivers with more than 1,000 fastest circuits turned in that time frame. The veteran driver seems to have gotten his mojo back since the Chase began. Line-setters respect his chances here and have penciled him in at 5/1 to win and advance to the final in Miami.
Starting in the eighth spot is Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin. He is driving his #11 FedEx Freight Toyota in the Goody’s Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway. Hamlin comes into this event ranked 6th in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points standings.
The Virgina native is a five-time winner at Martinsville Speedway. In fact, Martinsville is his best track. Hamlin has a 9.5 average finish, and has a great shot to advance right out of the gate. To Hamlin’s credit, he’s also won twice at Texas and has a Phoenix win this spring. Prognosticators have Hamlin at 8/1 to win the Goody’s Fast Relief 500.
Kyle Busch doesn’t have many dominating performances at Martinsville, but he led 352 of the 500 laps in a win here in April. Altogether, he has had four top-five finishes in the last seven races and seven straight top 15’s. His impressive showing in the spring race could be a sign of things to come this weekend. Las Vegas has the defending champion as the race favorite, slating him in at 4/1 to win the Goody’s Fast Relief 500.
Kevin Harvick has to be considered a favorite to advance just because he’s won eight times at Phoenix, including six of the last eight there. He’s never won at Texas but has recored a victory at Martinsville in 2011.
The driver of the Freaky Fast Jimmy Johns Chevrolet starts the Goody’s Fast Relief 500 in 20th. The 2014 champion was the 19th fastest in the first practice and improved to 13th in the second session on Friday. Odds makers have Harvick at 7/1 to find his way to the front when it matters on Sunday.
Martinsville Speedway is not Matt Kenseth’s favorite venue. In fact, he has never won at the half mile track, but was a runner-up in 2013. The Joe Gibbs Racing speedster also finished sixth in both 2014 races and fourth here last spring. Las Vegas has Kenseth at 7/1 to take the checkered flag in Virginia.
Only two racers have a better average result than Kurt Busch’s 11.7 this season. The next three tracks are perfect for the consistent veteran driver. The 2004 champ has won at least once on all three of upcoming raceways. Busch starts 11th for the Goody’s Fast Relief 500 and is marked down at 18/1 to find a way to capture a victory on Sunday.
Carl Edwards has never won at Martinsville Speedway in his in 24 starts. Fortunately, he does have three wins in the Lone Star state and two at Phoenix. The savvy driver struggled in the first two practice rounds but found some speed in qualifying. With the help of some information from his teammates, Edwards will start the race in the eighth spot. Las Vegas insiders have to driver at 18/1 to get his first victory at Martinsville Speedway.
The Hun’s Fantasy Line-up:
A: Joey Logano
B: Kyle Larson Chase Elliott A.J. Allmendinger
C: Jeff Gordon
