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As I have found over the years and it might be a shock to some, but there are a good number of people from the area, who go up to the Martinsville Speedway at least once a year. I continue to spread the message for the Martinsville since they are the smallest venue on the NASCAR circuit and the short track racing doesn’t get any better than in Henry County, Virginia.
I can attest to this, Spring races are crazy at Martinsville. Last year, it was Clint Bowyer wrecking Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson with two laps to go as Ryan Newman went onto victory.
With this trip, the STP Gas Booster 500 has some story lines for sure. Mark Martin will fill in for Denny Hamlin (out 5 weeks with injury) this weekend before Brian Vickers subs the other four events. It could be interesting to see how Danica Patrick does since she has no idea how tough Martinsville can be mentally, physically and with little room for error.
As funny as it may sound, I actually like Mark Martin’s chances on Sunday. Hamlin’s team knowledge of Martinsville and Martin’s experience should bode well together.
With Hamlin out this week, it really does pave the way for Jimmie Johnson (22 races, 19 top 10‘s and seven M-ville wins). Johnson, who won the fall event of 2012 won’t have it easy. Johnson’s teammate Jeff Gordon has been superb at Martinsville, but has found trouble towards the end during the 2012 events. Clint Bowyer, Kyle Busch, Brian Vickers and Dale Earnhardt Jr. should contend as well.
My pick this week…Kasey Kahne. Kahne finished third in the fall at Martinsville and comes into the event collecting three straight top tens with a win during the early 2013 stretch.
Here something to think about, starting inside the top 10 at Martinsville has produced 93 wins in 128 Sprint Cup races at the venue. The weird part, only two times has a driver won from eighth and Kurt Busch is the only driver to win from worse than 24th (started 36th in 2002).
I wonder if Tony Stewart and Joey Logano will decide to settle their feud this weekend? Well, Stewart surely hasn’t forgotten, so I expect we could see more fireworks this weekend. I will let you know how it all goes when I get back from Virginia next week.
Well, the NCAA Basketball Tourney comes to a close Monday night with the Championship game, but on Saturday night it’s the Final Four. (9 seed)Wichita State will take on (1)Louisville, while (4) Syracuse battles (4) Michigan for a right to take the title.
Right now, I believe Louisville is the team to beat. Wichita State quietly plays underdog role, Syracuse defense is stingiest of any team left and Michigan never seems to quit or get too cold from the field.
With Louisville’s win last week, it ended Duke’s season in the Elite Eight. The Cardinals defense took care of Seth Curry and Duke really had nothing to answer for the quickness of Louisville’s guards. Miami’s season ended at the hands of Marquette in the Sweet 16 after finding no rhythm in any phase of the game last Friday So, Maryland is the only ACC team left in a tourney, but it’s in the final four of the NIT which concluded this week.
Also, former R-S Central High School alum, Ryan Arrowood, who put up an impressive baseball career as a Hilltopper is back in North Carolina now. After being drafted by the Colorado Rockies and playing in the Northwest League during 2012, Ryan moves up to the Rockies 1A farm team, the Asheville Tourists. Whether he will be able to stay here all summer, that all depends on what the Rockies want to do.
