Martinsville Driver Chassis Selections: Goody's Fast Pain Relief 500

compiled by Jeff Wackerlin
MotorRacingNetwork.com

1. Kevin Harvick: Coming off seventh top 10 in 17 starts; Has not led a lap since the 2004 fall race when he was up front for 104 laps; 15.2 average finish in the six races with the new car; Will race the same chassis (No. 212) that his teammate Clint Bowyer drove to victories at New Hampshire (Sept. 2007) and Richmond (May 2008).

2. Matt Kenseth: Last of six top 10s came in the 2008 fall race; Best finish (second) came in the Spring race of 2002; Finished 23rd in this event last year after getting involved in a late accident; 15.0 average finish in the six races with the new car.

3. Jimmie Johnson: Six-time winner; Has won five of the last seven races; 5.1 average finish leads all drivers; Has led 1,551 laps in 16 starts; Will debut a new chassis (No. 590) in the Goody's Fast Pain Relief 500.

4. Greg Biffle: Only top 10 (seventh) in 14 starts came in the 2007 fall race; 20.7 average finish in the six races with the new car; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 667) in the Goody's Fast Pain Relief 500.

5. Tony Stewart: Finished third and ninth, respectively, in first two track starts with Stewart-Haas Racing in 2009; Posted 11 top 10s and two wins in previous 20 starts with Joe Gibbs Racing; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 587) in the Goody's Fast Pain Relief 500.

6. Kurt Busch: 23.1 average finish in eight starts with Penske Racing; Four top 10s, including one win, came in previous 11 starts with Roush Racing; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 722) in the Goody’s Fast pain Relief 500.

7. Jeff Burton: Has posted three top 10s in 11 starts with Richard Childress Racing; Scored one win and 11 top 10s with Roush Racing; Chassis No. 283 will be the car of choice for the No. 31 team this weekend; This car was converted to a short-track car after its most recent finish, of 14th, last October at Charlotte.

8. Dale Earnhardt Jr: Fifth best track on the circuit based on 14.1 average finish; Has posted an 11.3 average finish in four starts with Hendrick Motorsports; Best finish came in the 2008 fall race in second; Will debut a new chassis (No. 562) that was tested at Rockingham.

9. Paul Menard: Has yet to finish in the top 15 in five starts; Best finish came in this event in 2006 in 16th; Will debut a new chassis (No. 619) that was tested at Rockingham last week.

10. Kyle Busch: Coming off first top-20 finish (fourth) in four starts with Joe Gibbs Racing; Previous four top 10s came with Hendrick Motorsports; Led 106 laps in the 2007 fall race; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 249) that most recently finished eighth at Charlotte last October.

11. Jeff Gordon: Leads active drivers in wins (7), top fives (22), top 10s (28), laps led (2,796) and poles (7); Has finished ninth or better in last 14 starts; Led 147 laps in this event last year en route to a fourth-place finish.

12. Clint Bowyer: Ended a streak of four consecutive top 10s last fall with a 19th-place finish; Fifth-best average finish (10.5) among drivers that have raced in all six events with the new car; Has yet to lead a lap in eight starts; Will be back behind the wheel of the same car (chassis No. 267) that he tested at Darlington (Goodyear Test) and Rockingham.

13. Carl Edwards: Only top 10s came in both races in 2008; Third-place finish in the 2009 fall race was best in 11 starts; Has yet to lead a lap.

14. Brian Vickers: Only top 10 in 10 starts came in the 2006 spring race with Hendrick Motorsports; Has posted a 19.5 average finish with Team Red Bull in four starts; Best finish with Red Bull is 11th, which he accomplished in the last two fall events.

15. Jamie McMurray: Third best track on the circuit based on 15.6 average finish; Coming off eighth and ninth top 10s in 14 starts; Will make his first track start in a Chevrolet.

16. Mark Martin: Finished seventh and eighth, respectively in first two track starts with Hendrick Motorsports in 2009; Won the spring race in 1992 and 2000 with Roush Racing; 13.2 average finish in 44 starts; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 561) that he raced at Martinsville last fall.

17. Joey Logano: Making third Cup start; Finished a best 12th in last fall's race.

18. Scott Speed: Has finished 30th or worse in three starts.

19. Denny Hamlin: Coming off second victory and has finished sixth or better in last seven starts; Combined to lead 502 laps last season; Second-best average finish (3.0) in the six starts with the new car; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 267) in the Goody's Fast Pain Relief 500.

20. Martin Truex Jr: Only top 10 in eight starts was 10th-place finish in fall of 2008; Average finish is 23.9.

21. AJ Allmendinger: Scored first top-10 finish in five starts (ninth) in this event last year; 26.2 average finish; Piloting chassis No. 276 which was last raced at Phoenix last fall to a 13th-place finish.

22. Juan Pablo Montoya: Best oval on the schedule based on his 11.0 average finish; Posted a 7.5 average finish in 2009 in first two track starts in an Earnhardt-Ganassi Chevrolet; Led 37 laps last fall en route to first top five.

23. Kasey Kahne: Has a 19.7 average finish in 12 starts; Last of two top 10s came in the 2006 fall event; Finished second in the spring of 2005.

24. David Reutimann: Yet to finish in the top 10 in six starts; Best finish was 16th in last fall's race; 24.8 average finish.

25. Elliott Sadler: Returns to hometown track where he's made 22 starts; One top five and three top 10s with an average finish of 24.8; Driving brand new chassis No. 270.

26. Ryan Newman: Finished sixth and seventh, respectively, in first two track starts with Stewart-Haas Racing in 2009; Scored six top 10s in previous 14 starts with Penske Racing; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 492) that raced in both Martinsville races last season.

27. David Ragan: Best finish in seven starts was 11th-place finish in this event in 2008; 19.9 average finish; Primary chassis RK-635 was last run at Loudon in June of 2009 to a 33rd-place finish.

28. Regan Smith: Last of three races was in October of 2008 with a 42nd-place result; Scored a best 14th-place result in this event in 2008.

29. Bobby Labonte: Winner of this event in 2002 with Joe Gibbs Racing; 17.0 average finish after 34 starts; Six top fives and 13 top 10s.

30. Brad Keselowski: Making first Cup Series start; Has made four Truck Series starts with a best finish of 18th in 2005; Driving a brand-new chassis PRS-723.