WEEKEND HOT LAPS - Are Tires the Answer? Championship 4 on the Line
It’s not by coincidence where Martinsville Speedway falls on the post-season calendar. When NASCAR revamped the 10 races that make up the Playoffs there was a definite concentration to ramp up the competitiveness, excitement and potential for added drama.
Check. Check. Check.
RELATED: How to Watch the NASCAR Cup Series Xfinity 500 at Martinsville
The Virginia short track truly is a representation of the sport’s history and the ideal place to determine who will run for the championship next week in Phoenix. In a world where it’s impossible to get everyone to agree on any topic, Martinsville is the exception.
“It’s one of those places I just love going to,” said Ryan Blaney, trying to stay above the Playoff cutline and run for a second straight title next weekend. “We always seem to bring some good stuff and hopefully that continues but I really enjoy that place.”
For most drivers, Martinsville is a throwback to the short tracks and bullrings of their careers when they were first starting out. Now that style of racing just happens to be at the sport’s highest level.
“We all grew up racing on Friday and Saturday nights at a track similar in size [to] Martinsville,” said Chase Elliott. “Short track racing really is the backbone of NASCAR and to get to do it in Cup, especially on a weekend where there is so much on the line is both stressful but fun as well.”
Make no mistake that despite the enthusiasm for short track racing shared by most of the garage, Martinsville is also a unique challenge in its own right.
“Martinsville is a driver’s racetrack, and you aren’t going to be good there unless you are a good race car driver,” added Christopher Bell. “It’s pretty hard to fake your way around it.”
A TIRED AFFAIR
Goodyear will provide teams with a softer tire compound for Sunday’s Cup race. The right-side tires will have the same tread compound as the option tires from Richmond and North Wilkesboro, in an effort to bring more tire wear.
"Martinsville is a tricky track for many reasons — not only the time of year we race there — but also the layout with the tight, concrete corners,” said Goodyear’s Greg Stucker. “We had a good test there in August and came out of it with this set-up, which is another step forward on our short track package.”
The Gen 7 Cup car has not been as stellar on short tracks as the competition it produces on intermediate tracks. Softening tires has been the trend this season to provide another variable in terms of fall-off and in turn producing more passing opportunities. That is at least the goal.
"Hopefully we get some tire wear,” said Denny Hamlin on his “Actions Detrimental” podcast earlier this week. “I mean, that's what we hope, is that we have tires that wear out, then you start to see some comers and goers and lots of passing—that's what we hope. And then setup will matter more. Drivers gonna matter more all those things. But I don't think anyone knows kind of what we're getting ourselves into until we get there.”
Teams will have some extra practice to get a handle on things. The idea is the right direction and another indication of Goodyear’s dedication to doing what the tire manufacturer can to help create better competition. But with the level of data, information, and preparation teams and crew chiefs have at their disposal in today’s era, it might not be as big a game changer as desired.
We’ll find out in short order on Sunday.
CROSSING THE LINE
Aggression will certainly be on display in all three races over the weekend given the combination of Martinsville’s tight quarters and the Playoff implications. But drivers will be well-served to keep things somewhat in check given the reaction from NASCAR this year.
Conner Jones won’t be in Friday night’s Truck Series race after the sanctioning body suspended him for one race for his wrecking of Matt Mills at Homestead last week. Jones was parked even after serving a two-lap penalty for aggressive driving during the race, a punishment that was also doled out for Layne Riggs in a Truck Series race in Nashville when he punted Stefan Parsons out of the way.
Then there was the Austin Dillon punishment after his last lap display of reckless driving at Richmond when he took out both Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin on the last lap. Dillon’s win still stands in the record book, but NASCAR stripped his automatic Playoff eligibility because of the move.
Close competition and contact as a byproduct is well within the bounds of short track racing and ramping things up with the Playoffs on the line is certainly understandable. But the tired “I did what I had to do” refrain of drivers purposely crashing another for the checkered flag doesn’t fly like it once did. Nor should it.
PICKS TO CLICK
This weekend’s Martinsville tripleheader offers a number of intriguing paths in the betting and gambling department. Sunday’s Cup Series Xfinity 500’s list of first four favorites are the quartet of drivers all below the Playoff cutline coming into the weekend. Kyle Larson leads that group at +450, the same number assigned to Denny Hamlin. Ryan Blaney (+500) and Chase Elliott (+650) round things out.
William Byron, in by just seven points heading into Sunday, is next at +900 while Christopher Bell falls in next at +1100. The two drivers already locked into the Championship 4 in Joey Logano and Tyler Reddick are +1300 and +2200 to win at Martinsville respectively.
Saturday’s Xfinity Series Martinsville race has a bit of a different dynamic. Aric Almirola, still in the owners title Playoff picture, is the favorite to take the checkered flag at +330. Then comes drivers scrambling to make it to the Championship 4 like Chandler Smith (+450), Justin Allgaier (+450), Cole Custer (+500) and Sammy Smith (+750). Sam Mayer, who must win to advance to the Phoenix title race is listed at +900.
The Craftsman Truck Series favorite for the first time in a long time is not Corey Heim. Christian Eckes (+320) has the distinction followed by non-Playoff driver Layne Riggs (+380) and then Ty Majeski (+400). Heim’s odds are +400 win take the checkered flag.
SHORT TRACK ATTACK
It’s a huge weekend at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway as the All-American 400 is set for the historic Tennessee facility. A variety of divisions will be in action Friday through Sunday highlighted by Saturday’s Pro Late Model 100-lap race and then Sunday’s main event a 300-lap affair for Super Late Models.
The 300-lap Super Late Model main event is the season finale for the ASA STARS national tour and is regionally co-sanctioned by the ASA Southern Super Series and ASA Champion Racing Association divisions.
Previous winners of the race include NASCAR national champions Rusty Wallace, Darrell Waltrip, Chase Elliott, John Hunter Nemechek, and Daniel Hemric, to short track legends Butch Lindley, Bob Senneker. Modern winners include Bubba Pollard, Casey Roderick, Matt Craig, Stephen Nasse and William Sawalich winning in recent years.
Pete Pistone is a veteran motorsports and general sports reporter/journalist with nearly 30 years experience. During his career he has worked for media outlets such as WGN Radio, The Chicago Sun-Times, Chicagoland Television (CLTV), CBS Sports, Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM. Pistone has been with SiriusXM since 2008 and co-hosts “The Morning Drive” on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Ch. 90) with Mike Bagley, which airs Monday through Friday at 7 am ET. He is also the host of “Fantasy Racing Preview,” a weekend show focusing on NASCAR gambling and fantasy racing, which is part of the channel’s NASCAR Cup Series pre-race programming. Additionally, Pistone is a member of the SiriusXM College Sports team as an on-air personality and contributor on Big Ten Radio (Ch. 372). He is one of the hosts of “Big Ten Today” and can also be heard on “Big Ten Whip Around,” a weekly hour-long program spotlighting a variety of sports around the conference. Pistone is also the host of several specials as well as providing a range of digital content for both the NASCAR and Big Ten channels. A Chicago native, Pistone resides in the northern suburbs of the city with his wife and daughter.